Naruto: Starting with the Two Kamui

But the human heart is the most unpredictable thing.

As they rested at night, the group whispered among themselves.

"My father was shot to death by an arrow in the valley!"

"My wife, children, and I were forced to separate!" The person who said this overlooked one point: that was a voluntary decision to leave or stay.

"It's all the ninjas' fault that things have turned out this way. If they hadn't rebelled against the daimyo, none of this would have happened!"

Some people still had a conscience: "But... when we were trapped in the valley before, the ninjas could have just ignored us, but they saved us... and suffered heavy casualties for it."

The man sneered, "Hmph! In the past, the ninjas relied on us for food, clothing, and other necessities. Now they've caused us to become homeless. Isn't it only right that they protect us?"

Another person chimed in, "Besides... if they had given us something to eat, how could we have been fooled by a few bags of grain? In a way, it's the ninjas' fault!"

"Yes, it's the ninjas' fault! It's all the ninjas' fault!"

The man who still had a conscience, upon hearing everyone's opinion, began to waver again: "That's right, it really is the ninjas' fault!"

"Moreover, I've heard that the Dark Ninja Country is a country of ninjas, where ninjas are revered and commoners have the lowest status. Even if we get there... we might not get away with it!"

"Then, what should we do?"

After glancing around, one of them pulled out a stack of explosive tags from his pocket: "Do you think... if we perform meritorious service, the Land of Fire might accept us back?"

The sun and moon never cease, traversing mountains and valleys.

At a pass only 100 miles from the border, the second large-scale conflict between soldiers of the Land of Fire and ninjas of Konoha has finally taken place!

This time, it was no longer a one-sided ambush by the Land of Fire, catching Konoha off guard.

This time, Shikaku boldly proposed to occupy advantageous terrain, lure the enemy into a trap, and launch a counterattack to draw attention away from the Hyuga and civilians who remained deep within the country!

The battle was extremely fierce...

Earth Release ninjas utilize the terrain to their advantage, setting up extremely thick earth-based barriers beforehand. Chromium-coated arrows are indeed indestructible, and even metal is no match for them. However, quantitative change leads to qualitative change. If the earth is thick enough, its defensive power far surpasses that of metal!

With the barrier providing cover, the most powerful weapons, such as bows and arrows, are effectively contained, allowing the ninjas to utilize their own strengths!

They are still Earth Release ninjas! They dive into the ground, dig trenches, and allow other ninjas to sneak underground and appear behind enemy lines. A feast of ninjutsu catches the enemy off guard. Some even use transformation techniques to transform into soldiers and infiltrate the enemy ranks, creating chaos!

In the dead of night, the Nara clan's shadow techniques came into full play!

The more enemies there are, the more shadows can be used. Thousands of soldiers are bound by the shadows, and through imitation, they draw their melee weapons and launch attacks on their friendly forces nearby...

"Retreat! Retreat!"

Finally, the soldiers could no longer hold out and retreated hastily!

Killer Bee transformed into his second form and fired several Tailed Beast Balls at their backs, killing and injuring nearly a thousand more people.

The ninjas won a great victory in this battle, and their morale was greatly boosted!

Of the 30000 soldiers dispatched by the Land of Fire for the second encirclement and suppression campaign, 5000 were killed in action!

In the middle of the night, in the military camp of the Land of Fire!

"This is truly beyond my expectations... After their previous defeat, these ninjas were able to regroup so quickly and launch such a beautiful counter-attack. There must be a strategist among them who is good at planning!"

"Reporting to the General, according to Asuma Sarutobi, a former member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, Shikaku Nara, Kakashi Hatake's strategist, possesses incredibly formidable tactics and has helped Kakashi overcome numerous crises! Based on my assessment, the strategy for Konoha's counterattack this time is very likely his doing!"

"Oh? Nara... a prestigious clan in Konoha, rumored to be known for their wisdom and strategy. I used to look down on them, but it seems I was short-sighted. In that case, as long as we can get rid of Nara Shikaku, we can take a bite out of Konoha."

“But strategists usually command from the rear, making them difficult for us to reach. This is even more true for the enemy, who are ninjas, who possess exceptional sensory abilities…”

The commander swirled his wine glass, his narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes gleaming with a sharp light: "Besides the generals and commanders, who else is there in the rear..."

The man sitting below suddenly realized: "A commoner!"

Boom!

The commander slammed his wine glass down on the table: "Heh... It's time to use our backup plan! The ninjas would never dream that among our soldiers, there are specially trained individuals who can use chakra and ninjutsu. We'll disguise ourselves as civilians and blend in with them!"

"Although limited by conditions, they find it difficult to transmit intelligence to the outside world, receiving and executing military orders based on coded signals is a piece of cake!"

Bang!Bang!Bang!

Clusters of fireworks shot into the night sky, exploding rhythmically. The top-secret military code of the Land of Fire was hidden in the rhythm of the fireworks explosions!

"I see. I was just wondering how to get the information out that Hyuga was leaving with a large number of civilians when the order came. It doesn't matter. As long as we wipe out the enemy's main force, it's not too late to attack them later..." The spies hidden in the shadows began to take action.

He spread a message among the common people.

"If we kill Nara Shikaku, the Land of Fire will be willing to accept us again!"

Shikaku and Kakashi discussed their next move until dawn.

"Shikaku, you haven't closed your eyes since we set off. Go and rest for a while. You are the brains of our army. Even if we lose the Hokage, we can't lose the strategist!"

"Even if I'm gone, I still have my son... But I really can't handle it, so I'll respectfully accept your offer."

Shikaku jokingly got up and went into his tent.

Rumble rumble rumble!!

Then, an explosion... startled everyone!

Kakashi and the others arrived and saw Nara Shikaku, who had been blown to pieces!

"Shikaku!!!" Kakashi rushed forward and picked up Shikaku. Looking around, he saw a few unignited explosive tags: "The previous explosion, the explosive tags... Such clumsy pasting methods, not ninjas, but civilians!"

He whirled around, his Sharingan scanning the crowd watching behind him. Several people immediately flinched, averting their gaze, while others lowered their heads...

It must have been done by one of them, and there are quite a few people who know the truth!

Kakashi's eyes blazed with fury as he prepared to get up.

"Kakashi..." Shikaku raised his charred hand and grabbed Kakashi's wrist: "Especially in times like these, you must not lose your composure. If nothing unexpected happens... the enemy will be attacking soon!"

After saying that, Nara Shikaku's hand fell limply to his side... The strategist of Konoha died at the hands of a commoner!

Chapter 423 Three Inches of the Human World!

The death of Nara Shikaku has thrown Konoha into a panic, and the soldiers of the Land of Fire have launched a fierce attack!

This time, they were much better prepared, and what they used were bows and arrows covered with explosive tags!

Boom, boom, boom! ! !

This time, even the earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magical technique) barrier couldn't hold it back, and it collapsed and disintegrated amidst a roar!

Under such overwhelming destructive power, there is not much difference between ordinary ninjas and civilians; they are all made of flesh and blood, and they will either be impaled to death or be blown to pieces in the explosion...

Only Jonin-level ninjas can, to some extent, block the rain of arrows with their powerful ninjutsu.

"This...this is clearly an attempt to wipe us all out! Didn't they say that as long as we killed Nara Shikaku, we would submit?"

The civilians involved in the incident huddled under cover, trembling with fear. The spies mixed among the civilians had already taken advantage of the chaos to retreat. If they were allowed to return, the news that the Hyuga clan was protecting a large number of civilians and hiding in the country would be leaked. If nothing unexpected happened, it would be another bloodbath, and the Hyuga clan would be wiped out as a result.

Whoosh! A shadow slithered up to the spy's feet.

A childish yet sharp voice rang out: "You won't get down the mountain alive!"

"You are... a brat from the Nara Shikaku family!!" The man turned around, his eyes wide with rage, and demanded, "How did you find out?!"

"The moment I saw my father's body, I knew there was a spy among us. The explosive tags were hastily set up by civilians, and the method was clumsy. Explosive tags are dangerous items and are strictly controlled. It must have been a ninja who used civilians as a front!"

“You hid your chakra very well before, deceiving the Yamanaka clan’s collective senses. But in this situation, if you want to escape unscathed, you must reveal your chakra. I had Ino keep an eye out for you beforehand, and the moment you showed your tail, she locked onto you!”

"Hmph... Not bad, but unfortunately, you can't change anything. Tonight, all of you will die here. I'll be waiting for you underground. Also, I want to clarify that I am not a ninja. I am just a soldier from the Land of Fire who has received ninjutsu training!"

*Snap!* After the soldier who had infiltrated finished speaking, he bit down hard... black blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and he died standing there!

Ino said, "Shikamaru... I can't sense his chakra anymore! He's dead!"

"You hid the deadly poison in your teeth all along, intending to commit suicide the moment it was exposed..." Shikamaru released his Shadow Imitation Technique and looked up at the sky: "Father, you devoted yourself to the transformation of the village, and ultimately fell on the road to change. All I can do is look up to you and try to fulfill the dream you left unfinished!"

Beside her, Ino lowered her head: If I had listened to Shikamaru's advice, Asuma wouldn't have escaped from prison, the information wouldn't have been leaked prematurely, and things wouldn't have turned out this way. It's all my fault...

“Ino, don’t turn this opportunity into a responsibility. It’s no use being upset now. Let’s think about what we can do. Can you contact Uncle Inoichi for me now…”

"Contact Father?"

"The most important thing right now is to stabilize morale, especially among those wavering civilians. If we don't keep them in check, we'll only repeat the same mistakes!"

"I understand!"

Minutes later, amidst the chaos of the battlefield, a voice resounded in the hearts of the thousands of surviving civilians: "Gentlemen, I was murdered by you all, the son of Nara Shikaku! Let me say it first, I wish I could tear you to pieces to appease my father's spirit in heaven!"

"Who is it?! Who is speaking?! Why is there a voice in my head out of nowhere?!"

"Did you hear that too?!"

"Quiet down, all of you!" This was Yamanaka Inoichi's furious shout, accompanied by rage that shook everyone to their core.

Shikamaru continued, "Perhaps you'll say that only a few people acted, and it has nothing to do with the vast majority of you. But remaining silent is more shameful than the murderer. You tacitly approve, hoping to reap the benefits, while watching from the sidelines, hoping to protect yourselves..."

“You will confidently say that it was the Konoha ninjas who caused you to fall to this state, and that it is our duty to protect you…”

Shikamaru's voice suddenly rose in pitch: "Wake up, you fools!! There is no such thing as justice in this world!! Only the law of the jungle prevails!! You are used as pawns by the Land of Fire because you are weak, and you are now under the protection of ninjas because you are weak! Weakness is the original sin of everything!! You were born carrying the original sin!!"

"The only difference is that we didn't abandon you because of your weakness; instead, we stood up to protect you like this!! Look at the sky, touch your still-living conscience and think about it: whom should you support!"

The common people all looked up at the same time.

Boom boom boom boom boom!!

Arrows rained down from overhead like locusts. The ninjas stood in the most dangerous positions, desperately unleashing ninjutsu into the sky, striving to minimize casualties...

The answer seems obvious.

"I have marked the safe route down the mountain with my shadow. You should retreat down the mountain in an orderly manner and wait to rejoin the ninjas who will cover your retreat. Do not cause any trouble; that is your duty!"

"And to those who personally participated in the murder of my father, I will not seek revenge on you. I only want to say one thing to you—'My father, Nara Shikaku, fought for you until his death!'"

Shikamaru finished speaking.

The common people stood up without a word and walked down the mountain along their shadows.

"Hoo..." Haiyi's 'Mind Communication Technique' was released. Such a mind communication technique that allows one to communicate with thousands of people at once requires a huge amount of mental energy and chakra.

Shikamaru's apologetic voice came through the phone: "I'm sorry, Uncle Inoichi, I'm not used to doing this kind of thing, it took me a little longer..."

Inoichi glanced back at Shikamaru's body, covered with a black cloth, on the stretcher, and sighed, "No, Shikamaru, your father would be proud of you!"

"Kakashi... Everyone's chakra is already exhausted. That overwhelming rain of arrows is about to become unstoppable!"