The Cunning Rabbit Has Thirty Burrows

In the forests of the Land of Fire, beside a small river winding through the woods, the Leaf Shinobi Army paused to rest. Several campfires were lit, driving away the depths of the night; the firelight cast weary expressions on the faces of the surrounding shinobi.

Since the army set out, hundreds of ninja had marched day and night without pause. In just over a day, they had traversed more than half the Land of Fire and reached the border regions. Such an intense forced march, even with chakra and ration pills to sustain them, inevitably led to a steady decline in their condition.

Everyone seized the chance to rest, knowing that ahead lay the zones infiltrated by the Hidden Cloud. Once there, peaceful sleep would only be possible after securing a stronghold.

Where the firelight did not reach, the commander of the shinobi army perused the latest intelligence. In the darkness, two golden gleams lit up.

“All twenty-six fortresses have been razed,” Orochimaru said with a dangerous curl to his lips. “The Cloud’s spies have done well.”

The lack of strongholds made little difference in skirmishes between small squads, but for an entire shinobi army, it was a perilous vulnerability. For instance, now—despite hundreds of ninja resting, not a single tent was erected. Instead, they rested in scattered groups, leaning against trees, keeping enough space between them for quick movement.

Why? Because they feared nothing more than the enemy launching a devastating attack while they slept.

At the level of shinobi army warfare, the original range of ninjutsu was no issue at all. The moment one side exposed such a weakness, the other would seize the opportunity to unleash a deadly technique.

Tents? Would they shield anyone from a Great Fireball raining from the sky? Worse, they might even further reduce the already fleeting reaction time one has when startled from sleep.

Rest shelters that couldn’t withstand ninjutsu were nothing but a burden.

The Fourth Raikage had played a bold move.

Orochimaru drew out another classified map from a scroll—this one marked every secret stronghold on the Leaf’s border, with special notations for the fortresses not yet destroyed by the Cloud.

A glance revealed that the nearest intact strongholds were now all deep within Cloud territory; the others lay far, far away.

Fugaku Uchiha had noticed this as well and suggested, “Lord Orochimaru, perhaps we should construct a new fortress?”

After all, the Leaf army had brought both sealing and barrier squads—fully capable of building a proper stronghold.

But Orochimaru dismissed the suggestion without hesitation. He glanced sidelong at Fugaku. “Building a new fortress under the enemy’s nose is far more dangerous than activating an existing one deep in the warzone.”

“Under the enemy’s nose?” Fugaku was startled. “With the Byakugan present, how could the enemy possibly detect us?”

Shinobi wars were not merely contests of strength but also battles of intelligence. The Hyuga clan, whose vision could pierce much of the fog of war, was an indispensable part of any shinobi army. This time, eight branch members of the Hyuga clan, led by Hizashi Hyuga, had joined the campaign against the Cloud.

“Why not?” Orochimaru retorted. “Clan Head Fugaku, you may never have commanded an army, but you are a shinobi. You know all too well what the exposure of intelligence means to a ninja.”

Fugaku paused, lost in thought. Shinobi are not defeated by the same technique twice.

While a slight exaggeration, it was true that most abilities could be countered. Unlike the First Hokage’s Wood Style, the Hyuga clan’s wide-range vision was not invincible. After decades of open and covert struggles between the Cloud and the Leaf, how could the Cloud possibly overlook these eyes of the shinobi army?

Insects, miniature summoning beasts… the Cloud had developed its own methods for countering the Byakugan.

“They’ll pinpoint our location in no more than three hours. And remember, we’re not the only ones capable of building strongholds,” Orochimaru said, his gaze turning distant. “If we halt here, the Cloud will have no qualms about constructing their own bases right along the Leaf’s border.”

War is not only a matter of intelligence before the clash, nor just of strength during battle, but also of what happens after. If the Cloud built enough strongholds on Leaf soil and fortified them, then even if driven back, retaking those lands would exact a far greater price.

Territorial disputes cannot be settled by words alone at the negotiation table.

Once Fugaku understood, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Fighting the Cloud was inevitable, but he had hoped it would come only when his clansmen were at their best, to minimize casualties.

Seeing Fugaku’s thoughts, Orochimaru spoke. “Do not worry overly, Clan Head Fugaku. The enemy is not without problems of their own.”

To destroy all public fortresses along the border in less than two days—Orochimaru did not believe the Cloud had paid no price for it.

He summoned Hizashi Hyuga and instructed, “At dawn, we march on. You and your team will reconnoiter in this direction first.”

“Yes, sir!” With a crisp reply, Hizashi vanished into the night.

…

At the Cloud Shinobi Army’s encampment, a military council had just concluded.

Unlike the Leaf, the Cloud’s meetings were essentially a monologue by the Raikage.

The only one who could sway the Raikage was Dodai, a retainer of the previous Raikage, who was now overseeing the front against the Stone Village, ensuring Iwagakure did not exploit the situation.

Thus, this “meeting” was nothing more than the Raikage issuing orders. Even Yugito, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, dared not question him openly despite her doubts. Instead, she sought out the Fourth Raikage in private.

Having overused her Tailed Beast powers, Yugito’s face was pale as she asked, “Lord Raikage, how can we simply let the Leaf army advance unchallenged?” She blamed herself. “Is it because of me?”

She knew well that the Cloud lacked the strength to encircle the Leaf army—this was no deliberate trap.

It was, in truth, a concession on the battlefield.

“It’s not your fault,” the Fourth Raikage replied, shaking his head. “Scattering our squads would never stop the Leaf army—a fist only strikes true when clenched.”

“Besides, don’t forget the true purpose of our campaign.”

Yugito paused, thoughtful.

The Raikage turned his gaze toward the Land of Hot Water, his voice heavy. “Our primary goal is to drag this war out, to exhaust the already weakened Leaf and force them to reveal their fatigue.”

“We are watched by the Stone, but the Leaf has more than one enemy eyeing them.”

“That’s why our rearward fortifications are of utmost importance.”

“Of course, if we get a chance to crush their army outright, we will not let it slip by.”

He unrolled the map he’d just rolled up, spreading it across the table and pointing to a dense forest.

“Why would the Leaf dare to plunge in like this? Their intentions are crystal clear.”

“They must have other hidden strongholds along the border!”

“If we can’t find them, let them take us there. Then, before they can fortify, we’ll deal the Leaf army a devastating blow.”

The Fourth Raikage’s eyes were fierce. “At the very least, we must destroy these hidden strongholds. For that, you must recover quickly.”

Hearing these words, Yugito’s guilt vanished, replaced by eager anticipation.