Black Ops: Anbu Naruto

Raito let out a sigh, running his dust-covered hand through his hair, his voice edged with frustration.

"Damn it, I really hope Mist will land soon. We're under too much pressure—we need more firepower. Why are they so slow?"

The first landing should've started two weeks ago, yet nothing had happened along the coastline. Cross-sea logistics were always a logistical nightmare.

"We don't have time to worry about that," Jiraiya said, leaning against the side of a field hospital tent. "Until we get new orders, we just need to focus on ourselves. Trust our allies to be ready. If anything unexpected happens, believe me, we'll know about it first. Now tell me what's happening on other fronts. The situation here is obvious enough."

Yuugao nodded and pointed westward. "Our supply lines are under ambush. Some ninja have been captured or killed—textbook guerrilla warfare tactics. At first we thought it might be Bamboo Village, Grass Village, even Hoshigakure, but during one attack, we saw a corpse before the enemy retreated. It was a Sound ninja."

A distant explosion rang out, but no one paid attention. Explosions in the distance were standard signals that the battle was ongoing, as the lower-tier ninja villages and Youming Village were locked in desperate combat. Invading either of those villages would be extremely troublesome.

But Sound? Orochimaru was dead, and he never established a formal chain of command to govern after his death.

Jiraiya and his strike forces knew this all too well. They'd destroyed many of his bases while trying to track him down.

No sufficiently strong leader existed who could control those serpent-infested lairs.

At best, certain ninja might step forward claiming leadership, sparking infighting between factions. Or perhaps Otogakure would simply disband altogether.

Yet clearly neither was the case, and whatever the reason, this was certainly bad news for Konoha's northeastern campaign.

They not only had to deal with Sound's harassment at rear facilities, but also needed to break through the northern defenses to support Kumogakure—or conversely, receive support from Kumogakure.

"Sigh, I'm getting old. No longer useful," Jiraiya muttered, massaging his temple with his only usable hand.

He'd rather be relaxing several kilometers away behind the frontline, back at the famous hot spring town renowned for its scenic beauty, soaking in the soothing thermal springs while flirting with pretty local girls, instead of commanding the most brutal frontline unit in all of Konoha's wars.

******

Naruto and Maki couldn't approach the fortress safely without alerting any sensor-type ninja. Forced to take risks, they had to vanish entirely and take cover in the booby-trapped forest around the fortress until the strike moment arrived, ensuring no sentries spotted them.

They had to do this because sounds of battle echoed from the east. That meant a major conflict was already underway across the river, indicating Bamboo had dispatched reinforcement troops bypassing Konoha's northern defenses just as Yamato had predicted.

Control of this river meant control over the entire northwest front.

If Konoha controlled this river and established a strong stronghold within Kusagakure's territory, they could deploy reconnaissance units into the war-torn Rain Country to the south, and continue advancing westward to strike Kusagakure, forcing them to withdraw from the war.

None of this would happen if the Northwest Division's rear had been broken through during this battle, forcing their retreat back to the Land of Fire. That region was too open—if seized by the Allied Ninja Forces, they could spread across the entire Land of Fire, launching attacks from multiple fronts.

So far among the Four Great Ninja Villages, only Konoha and Kumogakure seemed to be holding up the war effort on their own, repelling enemies attacking from all sides.

Well then, it's time to change strategies.

The battle lines have formed. Who Konoha's enemies are, and where the fight will take place—it's already clear.

It's time to stop playing defensively and go on the offensive, reminding them exactly who they've crossed, so they won't forget Konoha's might even after seventeen years of peace.

At the very least, it's time to give them real fear.

Once upon a time, people used to tremble at the mere mention of Konoha—no one dared cross the borders of the Land of Fire without glancing over their shoulder.

Konoha had many terrifying ninja—Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Minato Namikaze, Danzo Shimura, Itachi Uchiha, and the entire Uchiha clan. Other countries remained cautious toward at least these names, not to mention every previous Hokage. Kumogakure had its own legendary figures as well.

But during times of peace, people assumed Konoha had weakened—though that wasn't the case.

Even in times of peace, Konoha still had just as many terrifying individuals as it did in war—it just didn't need them.

War merely brought international attention to these exceptional talents.

Well, by the time today's sun sets, Naruto would become one of those terrifying figures.

To the enemy, he would become a full-fledged demon...

But to his homeland, he'd become a hero—that is what it truly means to be Hokage.

"So what should we do, Naruto-senpai?" Maki asked, perched on a tree branch half a kilometer away from the fortress. "Your small frog summon retrieved the enemy's guard rotation schedule, and the battle taking place across the river in Konoha-controlled territory has drawn everyone's attention."

"That won't matter—we can't sneak in without raising any alarms," Naruto said, stroking his chin thoughtfully as he weighed their options.

They could attempt infiltration, but once past the perimeter, everything would collapse.

Establishing short-range barriers around Konoha was simple, rendering both ground-level and subterranean infiltration impossible.

Therefore, launching a preemptive strike from the outside might be a good choice.

Creating a larger diversion than the battle at Bamboo Village to draw the enemy's focus away—then two ninjas might slip undetected into the fortress.

"I've got an idea…" Naruto said to Maki.

"Don't use the Rasengan," Maki seriously raised a finger. "Perhaps an enhanced form of the Rasengan would work better."

"I need your arm to be in perfect shape."

"I already mastered the Rasengan back when I trained with Ero-Sennin," Naruto replied, rolling his eyes.

What could possibly scar someone worse than a giant frog? It'd be like facing a tailed beast—ready to tear you and your teammates apart without mercy.

Naruto stood up straight from the tree branch and signaled for Maki to follow him. They moved closer to get a better look at the whole fortress—a massive stone structure surrounded by tents, which were probably storing supplies.

Below them, people bustled about busily. Maki gently tapped Naruto's elbow and whispered,

"How are we going to get inside? Do you have a plan?"

"We'll scare 'em so bad they'll piss themselves and run off," Naruto said while biting his thumb, beginning to perform hand seals for summoning. "Better hold on tight, Maki!"

[Summoning Jutsu!]

In a massive burst of smoke, a deep red-horned giant frog appeared wearing black samurai armor, wielding a massive sword and carrying a colossal shield on its back.

Naruto and Maki stood atop its head—Naruto next to the larger Gamakichi, while Maki sat comfortably on Gamakichi's back.

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