Naruto: Reborn with the Template System

Though the war effort was spearheaded by three Kage-level powerhouses—Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Namikaze Minato—leading Konoha's forces from the very beginning, things were far from easy.

War was never simple.

Unless you were someone on the level of Uchiha Madara or Senju Hashirama, no single individual could shift the tides of battle alone. Not in a conflict of this scale.

The Fourth Great Ninja War in the anime ended in just three days only because it featured multiple near-godlike entities. This was different.

A month passed in the blink of an eye. While Konoha held a slight upper hand, Iwagakure's strength remained unshaken.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had been wise not to commit all of Konoha's elites at once. The conflict was only just beginning.

And then came worse news.

Cloud Shinobi forces had crossed through the Grass Country and were now advancing across the Land of Hot Water—heading directly toward the Land of Fire.

According to intelligence from the Investigation Corps, their frontline vanguard numbered over 1,800 shinobi.

The message was clear: Cloud was moving aggressively. Ambitiously.

In the original history, the Fourth Raikage had already shown his nature—attempting to steal the Byakugan by targeting Hinata, ordering the death of Hyūga Hizashi, and later raging at the Five Kage Summit when Killer Bee was captured.

Frankly, other than Konoha, it seemed every other major village had made moves for power and blood.

But could you blame them?

The Land of Fire was fertile and vast, the richest of all nations. Who would want to fight over barren rocks when paradise was within reach?

Sarutobi Hiruzen wasted no time. The moment Cloud's movement was confirmed, he ordered a deployment of 2,000 shinobi to intercept them.

At the head of the formation: Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo.

And in the roster of combatants—Guts was prominently listed.

Shisui, though recently promoted to Chūnin, wasn't selected.

At only six years old, the village wasn't willing to risk the life of such a promising young talent unless absolutely necessary.

Meanwhile, at home, Kurenai was quietly helping Guts prepare.

Rin Nohara and Shizune, both classmates of hers, had already gone to the front lines as medical-nin.

The shortage of medical personnel made their deployment inevitable.

But Kurenai? She was still too young. The village kept her out of combat—for now.

Only if the war worsened would she be assigned to light-duty missions.

Guts, on the other hand, was another story. The village trusted his strength without hesitation.

"You better come back in one piece,"

Kurenai whispered, standing close, her red eyes shimmering with concern.

Guts chuckled and gently pulled her into a hug.

"Worried? I've been doing this since I was six, remember?"

Then, his voice dipped, teasing in her ear, "Hey… I'm heading out tomorrow. How about a parting gift?"

Kurenai's cheeks flushed a soft pink. Her skin glowed in the warm light like polished ivory.

She bit her lower lip, stepped forward, and pressed a kiss to his lips.

What followed was a quiet night on the tatami, under a wrap of cotton and hushed affection.

At dawn, the Konoha army set out from the village, marching toward the northeast—toward the Land of Hot Water.

Cloud's forces were already there, led by the Third Raikage himself and his son, the future Fourth Raikage.

As they moved across the landscape, Guts ran alongside White Fang, the two of them moving at a steady, practiced pace.

"I fight with fists, you with a sword"

Guts said, glancing at Sakumo with a grin.

"Cloud is full of chakra-charged brawlers. Doesn't this feel like the perfect match-up?"

White Fang allowed a rare smile, though it quickly faded. "Don't get cocky," he said flatly.

"This isn't just some training exercise. The Third Raikage… I'll be honest, I'm not sure I can beat him."

Guts nodded, the grin still tugging at his lips, but his eyes had turned serious.

"I know. I've read the records."

The Third Raikage was a monster—he'd once battled the Eight-Tails to a standstill and lived. In the war to come, he would die holding off 10,000 enemies for three days and nights.

Even in Kabuto's Impure World Reincarnation, his strength stood out.

And this wasn't just him.

Killer Bee was rumored to be on the field, along with his older brother. Bee was said to be nearing perfect control of the Eight-Tails already.

In some ways, this battle could be even tougher than the one Tsunade and the others were facing.

Four days and three nights later, the Konoha army arrived at the southern border of the Land of Hot Water.

The terrain was rough and mountainous—perfect for setting up camp but treacherous for battle.

After securing the area, White Fang called a meeting inside the main tent with Guts and other elite Jōnin to strategize.

"Most Cloud Shinobi rely heavily on Lightning Release,"

White Fang explained, unrolling a tactical map.

"They specialize in close-quarters combat and raw power. Swordsmanship, chakra armor, lightning cloaks. They're not subtle, and they won't try sneaky tactics. Don't expect surprise attacks."

"So basically, they're walking batteries with a one-track mind," Guts said with a smirk.

"Got it."

A few others chuckled, but White Fang remained composed.

"One more thing," he continued.

"We have intel that their Jinchūriki is among them. He may not yet have full control of the Eight-Tails, but even partial access to that power can swing the battlefield."

Guts raised a hand lazily. "Actually… I have an idea."

"Oh?" Sakumo looked over, curious.

"If they're all charging in with brute force, why don't we try something unexpected? A trap. One that uses their momentum against them."

He laid out his plan in a few succinct sentences.

The tent fell silent.

One of the veteran Jōnin touched his big chin and said

"That… could actually work."

White Fang rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"It's risky. But clever. And it doesn't put our main forces in immediate danger. Alright...let's give it a try."

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