Naruto : Saga of Tanya the Kunoichi

***

"Damn it! To think they still attacked…!" A, the fierce brown skinned Raikage smashed the table into pieces.

His face distorted with anger. "They are so cruel! Konoha has truly crossed the line! To think they would go through with it…! Damn it! Weeks of preparation down the drain! Damned Konoha! Who would have thought they would commit such an atrocity!"

Darui, A's assistant, didn't respond to A's rants. He wanted to say their own people used them as meat shields first but held his tongue.

"Their aerial units are far better than those from Iwa! We need a countermeasure! We need to form an anti-aerial units! Darui!"

"A-sama… it would take a lot of time to screen and form the corps. And training… and arrangement of the corp…"

"AND!? I don't care! You filter our people! Find anyone who can do this! Make it… a hundred units! Give the unit our latest longest ranged weapons. Sensors too! Anyone who had flying summoned beasts. Just do it!"

"Yes, A-sama." Darui replied reluctantly.

I have to filter 15,000 shinobi for those suitable for this…? And have to rearrange so much of the squad and positions in the army…

"Damn it!" A targeted the floor now that his table was broken, cracking the cement with his foot.

Just then, a figure with black glasses and swords hanging behind him came in with swagger.

"Fool, ya fool! Hear the boom up in the snow-

Konoha actin' loco, thinkin' they run the show!"

Killer B came in with a line of raps he just came up with after hearing the event. The veins on A's forehead bulged, getting even more angry.

Killer B raised his arms, retreating a few steps.

***

At the nearest military intel relay node of Konoha, Tsuyu's group went ahead to receive any new instruction or intel.

Tsuyu picked an encrypted scroll, translating it quickly to see coordinates of a highly likely marching path. It highlights the location where Kumogakure's shinobi would possibly march in groups, possibly in hundreds based on Kumogakure's location where their fronts were. It was a valley between mountains. There has never been a case where a scout could look very deep into an enemy's territory and come out alive. But with Byakugan around seeing up to kilometers from the sky when they focus their white eyes forward, it can be said to be unreasonable. Kumogakure's obsession with stealing Byakugan had its basis as they lacked sensors of such calibre.

"This will be our next objective in the next 3 days." Tsuyu made the decision and pointed the note to her squadmates.

"Yes Captain!" The trio replied. Their voices regained their original strength after they had adapted to what they had done the previous day.

The squad take off, flying at high altitude dodging most of the sensor's perception and even any barriers constructed on land.

In a matter of an hour, they reached the mountainous area. Hinata scouted the surrounding area searching for traps, and there's none. The enemy probably never expected they would stake out this deep in the Land of Lightning.

Tsuyu looked down at the valley surrounded by mountains on either side, feeling playful.

"We will set up traps. We will plant explosives around the ridges. Sensors may detect traps on the flat ground, even if we are still deep in their territory they may still keep their guards up."

The three nodded and each dispersed. Tsuyu planned to bury all of them here. Considering explosives were still expensive, she decided to use them efficiently and use her own chakra to do most of the work. The traps were set to prevent escape and retreat once they crossed a line. And finishing them up by blowing the middle part. As for the front, she would launch an attack herself.

She made hand seals, summoning 3 shadow clones to help her.

"You will plant the explosives 100 meters along that line. You…"

The shadow clones dispersed, using Hiding Like A Mole technique to bury themselves and planted explosives deep in the mountain. It would be more effective to quickly collapse the terrain this way. Tsuyu had a slight grin on her lips, hoping those people would really march this way sooner.

***

Tsunade looked at the 2 letters of war declaration arriving at her table just a day after 'Yukihana Massacre'. That was what Onoki and Rasa called it, claiming Konoha had lost its Will of Fire and they weren't waging war for profit or vengeance of the past but to 'cleanse the shinobi world of an evil that now wears the Leaf as a mask'.

"Haha…hahaha…" Tsunade couldn't help it but laughed reading the letters. These hypocrites. They were just greedy for Land of Fire's richest and they claimed they were going to war to clean evil? Ridiculous.

She suspects Iwa, Suna and Kumo had formed a loose coalition and had wanted to strike at the same time to stretch Konoha's army thin quickly - especially seeing Kumogakure's misery and their pathetic failure because they couldn't handle Konoha's aerial units. Honestly, even she thought it's funny that Kumogakure couldn't make any waves despite their overwhelming numbers just because SORA operatives constantly bombard their military bases if given any chance.

Though, SORA wouldn't be able to stop the enemy's march anymore due to how small their units were, and there were 4 major fronts to handle, not just Kumo.

But at least these two had enough decency to send a declaration so there was no surprise.

"Inform all! We will mobilise all our army, prepare for war on all fronts!" Tsunade wrote her order, and stamped it with the Hokage seal. Even against Kirigakure, she wanted to prepare early because those people never replied to any of the letters sent, the envoys sent never returned.

Shizune took the order and hurried away, making copies to be sent to all the councils and heads of the clans.

Tsunade also gave the order for SORA to retreat from the Land of Lightning in 3 days, leaving behind only two squadrons from 2nd Company to remain as aerial support and reconnaissance. While the 3rd squadron of 2nd Company would go to Kirigakure's front.

1st Company of SORA would be re-stationed on Iwagakure's front and act as a mobile unit to support all fronts if needed through Tsuyu's Flying Raijin.

The whole of Konoha's shinobi mobilised, a sense of urgency finally fell on Konoha as it finally started.

At Naruto's home, Sasuke went to notify him after hearing the public announcement.

But as Naruto opened the door, Sasuke was stunned seeing him in his pajamas. It's already close to noon.

"You were still asleep at this time? Whatever. We are all called. We are going out in an hour."

"Huh? Where?" Naruto rubbed his baggy eyes.

"...War. Just clean up quickly and prepare everything. We will gather in front of Hokage building. Yamato sensei called."

"Okay." Naruto replied, his heart heavy. 

Sasuke turned and left just as quickly.

I would have to fight out there… I will be better. I won't be like you… Tsuyu… I will show you…

Naruto clenched his fists. He barely slept last night, recalling Tsuyu's words and cold voice. The fact that hundreds of innocent people died in her hands, his own little sister's, and she didn't even flinch nor show any emotions - it was like a nightmare for him. All of it. Especially… the knowledge of that part of her.

He understood it's 'needed'. But, he wouldn't want to believe it's the only way. He refused to believe she was… that kind of person. Maybe, maybe she was just desperate. He would prove it to her, and Konoha, there's better ways. She didn't have to become… such a cruel person. That they don't have to become monsters to defend themselves. Even with Tsuyu's cold admittance a few days ago, Naruto didn't stop believing in her.

Naruto arrived at the square in front of the Hokage building, where close to 1000 were mobilised. 500 were already out there in erected bases and infrastructures, totalling 1500 units for defense against Suna. These were part of the Suna Defense Force. 200 of them were medic corp, representing close to 13% of the force. Given history Suna had always been the most notorious in poison use, even small wounds could lead to death if not treated. 

Kujo Takumi, a ponytailed middle aged man with a long car across his cheek, stood at the very front. As an older generation of Elite Jonin who had gone through third shinobi war against Suna and gained merits, he stood as the Eastwest Front Commander.

Tsunade looked down on their pitiful numbers. She felt it's stupid somehow.

Sunagakure had at most 7000 troops. Half of them should be main combatants. Based on the current situation, Suna could technically crush directly and defeat Konoha's army. But Konoha would also bite a lot of Suna's own flesh.

That's why, in Tsunade's and all of those above opinions, the war they will be fighting was that of attrition. They wouldn't dare to make a direct full out assault as long as people like herself, Jiraiya, Might Guy and Kakashi still existed - which would cause severe losses if they bring out thousands all at once to fight in one direction. Existence of Kage tier opponents made all out assault extremely costly for both sides. 

If Jiraiya summoned 3 of the giant toads and entered sage mode for example, he could probably face hundreds and even thousand on his own, chopping anyone below Jonin like fishes on board. That's the horror of Elite.

War of attrition was the most likely given the burden was shared by all 4 fronts. To force Konoha to surrender, tearing their flesh little by little without using too many soldiers.

This too, was Tsuyu's own thought and hence why she bothered to plan for Land of Wind and Land of Stone demise in the long run through targeting their very foundation through ROOT. Even if all out war occurs, the Land of Fire won't disappear, Konoha will remain. 

Tsunade may not know the full details, but Tsuyu already expected the first one to go an all out strike to defeat them was Sunagakure because they were desperate due to ongoing rebellion and famine affecting the country. That was of course ROOT's own manipulation at the core.

Seeing the gathered crowd, Tsunade took a deep breath. Kumo Defense Force consisting of 3500 shinobi was already mobilised days ago and was sent away. Now, it's the second division of the army, followed by Iwa Defense Force and Kiri Defense Force after this.

Her eyes swept across the gathered shinobi, many just barely out of the Academy. Others, veterans of past wars. All staring at her, waiting for her speech. The figure of young children like Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke made her heart heavy, remembering Nawaki and his fate. But she had to remain strong.

She took a step forward, followed behind her by the trio of Konoha Council. Her Hokage cloak rustled in the wind. Behind her were the carved faces of previous Hokage, they all died with Konoha in their hearts.

And now, it's her time to carry Konoha's Will of Fire, making sure it remains burning.

"Shinobi of Konoha!" She called out with her loud voice, silencing the surrounding and the crowd below her.

"I wouldn't hide it from you. They outnumber us. Five to one." Her eyes looked over at their expressions. Some of them were just realising it. While some of them already knew. 

Naruto was among those who only now realise how absurd this war was. He didn't think about how stretched Konoha's forces were. He just thought… Konoha was strong. But Tsunade's reminder gave him a blow to the mind.

5 to 1…? We had 1500 here… then… They have 7500? Naruto's heart trembled at the sheer numbers.

Tsunade took a deep breath, her eyes gazing sharp at all of them.

"Look around you."

"You stand among friends, comrades, brothers, sisters… not just as soldiers."

"Suna marched with multiplied times of our numbers. They use vicious poison that would make you beg to be killed. Using their little puppets, afraid to face us upfront. They have every cruel tool born of their desperation."

"But let me ask you."

"If we surrender - if we kneel - what do we lose?"

Tsunade paused briefly, letting the words sink into them.

"We lose everything. Our villages. Our families. Even our graves. Our future. This village… the Will of Fire… extinguished from history. If we let the Land of Fire be conquered and divided into 4 pieces, the country will be no more. Our village will be no more." Her words carry gravity, making them realise what was truly at stake. 

If Land of Fire was truly torn into 4 pieces and dissolved completely from the world map, Konoha would have no place in this Shinobi World. Either they were left to be hunted down, executed by enemy villages, or had to run away in hiding or become mere mercenaries keeping their identities a secret.

Naruto gasped inwardly, his fists clenching. The gravity of the situation dawned on Naruto's little mind. 

"We fight so the Will of Fire lives on!"

"Go forth to the Land of River! Show them Konoha's fire still burns brightly! Burn those who wanted to destroy us! FOR KONOHA!"

"For Konoha!" "For Konoha!" The crow of agitated soldiers shouted with vigor and redness in their eyes.

For everyone… Naruto clenched his fists, his eyes slightly red from Tsunade's speech. 

Maybe… Tsu-chan had to do it… His eyes almost shed tears, imagining how painful it must be for her to make such a decision… for Konoha's sake, for their friends sake, for… his sake. That she had to pretend it didn't mean anything in front of him.

The first 200 troops marched forward. Followed by the others every 5 minutes. The sensors stay at the front, vigilant of traps along the way and leading the way for the troops.

War finally descended in its full form.

**