Early Morning – Eastern Base, Land of Fire
In the eastern base of the Land of Fire, Uchiha Naraku sat boldly and grandly in the garrison officer's seat. Below him stood several ninja troop commanders.
Originally, the eastern stronghold consisted of 20 large castles and 45 small outposts. Before Naraku led reinforcements, the 45 peripheral outposts were abandoned under the orders of the former garrison commander, Fukushima Yuki.
Fukushima had the foresight to gather scattered ninja teams into a tighter defense, buying time until reinforcements arrived. For this, he proved himself worthy of the appointment made by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Had the outposts been held and defeated individually, the entire eastern defense would have collapsed, leaving the Fire Nation's eastern territories exposed.
"Lord Naraku! Mist Shinobi have been driven out for now, but according to intelligence, they're amassing tens of thousands of troops and building ships. An invasion is imminent. We'll be relying on your leadership when the time comes!"
Despite having been replaced, Fukushima Yuki showed no resentment. On the contrary, he remained respectful—his life had been saved by the Uchiha clan.
Naraku nodded slightly. "Understood. But you were careless, Yuki. Allowing Mist Shinobi to sneak near the command post? If our support hadn't arrived in time, the eastern defense line might've fallen."
Present in the field were Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Tsuyoshi (Second Elder), Akamichi Chōza, Hyūga Hizashi, and several elite Konoha jōnin, including sub-commanders under Choza and Hizashi.
"To be frank," said Fukushima, "of the fifty ninja stationed in our base, over thirty were either killed or too injured to fight. Only around ten remain combat-ready, and eleven are lightly wounded. Twenty-eight perished in battle."
"In the broader eastern stronghold, Mist Shinobi's surprise assault inflicted massive damage. Half of our thousand-man force is gone. Only around 500 are currently battle-ready."
Naraku absorbed the information. Half of the garrison lost—significant, but not irreparable.
He turned his attention to Uchiha Fugaku, gauging the vanguard's losses.
Fugaku met his gaze. "Out of 300 vanguard troops, we suffered nearly 100 casualties. Forty-seven Uchiha were killed, and sixty more wounded. Thankfully, the medical unit's quick response means many will soon return to combat."
Naraku lightly touched the corner of his eye. Three hundred men had engaged for mere hours—and yet suffered such losses. Mist Shinobi, the "Village of the Bloody Mist," had certainly lived up to their name.
"What about enemy losses?" he asked.
"365 confirmed enemy corpses," one Hyūga responded.
"401," corrected another jōnin.
"Our count reached 1,100," reported Fugaku.
"We retrieved 670 bodies from the battlefield," added a medical officer.
The Hyūga team claimed over 300 kills. Akamichi Choza's unit, over 400. The Uchiha—1,100. The base defense accounted for 670.
"Not bad," Naraku nodded. "Heavy losses on our end, but Mist Shinobi paid a higher price."
Twenty strongholds had been attacked. Though Konoha lost half its forces, they maintained a 1-to-1 or better kill ratio. It was costly—but effective.
Had the garrison not waited for reinforcements, the thousand men stationed here might've been entirely wiped out. Their decision, though painful, had saved the region.
When Naraku, Hizashi, and Choza arrived with fresh forces, they launched a counterattack on the fatigued Mist Shinobi. The result: a major victory with minimal losses on their end.
According to intel, nearly all 3,000 of Mist's invading force had been neutralized—killed or wounded. The threat to the Fire Nation's eastern border had been crushed.
Yet the few hundred Mist Shinobi who escaped were their elites—high-ranking and powerful. Their genin losses, however, would be replaced quickly—Mist trained them brutally and promoted them annually.
Naraku gave the order. "Prepare our defenses. The main Mist army will move soon. We'll be ready."
"Hai!" echoed ten voices in unison.
---
Konoha – Hokage Office
Within the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat with his advisors, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, reviewing the mounting reports.
Konoha was under attack from multiple fronts. The Third Hokage, overwhelmed, relied on his advisors for support.
"Third," Homura said, setting aside a scroll, "that Namikaze Minato you favored—he's exceptional. He killed over thirty Cloud Shinobi, including several elite jōnin. Thanks to him, the northeastern defense held."
"Indeed," agreed Koharu. "The Yellow Flash lives up to his name. Even Kumogakure issued a standing order—'abandon mission if encountered.' He's inherited some of the White Fang's legacy."
Sarutobi smiled. "Minato truly is Konoha's pride. The Flying Thunder God Technique shines in his hands. Jiraiya made the right call training him."
He recalled the day Jiraiya requested the technique from the archives—without hesitation, Sarutobi had approved it. Now, the results were undeniable.
Konoha's lineage of powerful shinobi continued strong under his reign.
"Now then," said Homura, skimming a new scroll. "After Uchiha Naraku crushed Mist's vanguard, the enemy army has stalled for months. No signs of movement. Are they scared of us?"
He read aloud, "Naraku requests permission to lead an offensive strike against Kirigakure itself."
Homura chuckled. "Bold, isn't he? With only 3,000 troops on his side."
"I didn't expect Naraku to wipe out three thousand Mist Shinobi in a week," Koharu mused. "His force might hold the east after all."
Sarutobi frowned thoughtfully. "Manpower is stretched thin. Minato handles the northeast against Cloud. The Raikage is mad—declaring war on three nations. We can't spare anyone for the Water Country."
He looked to Koharu. "Reply to Naraku. He is to hold the line—but not launch an offensive. Tell him not to underestimate Kirigakure, the Bloody Mist Village."
Homura smirked. "Cloud may be arrogant, but Naraku's even more so. Three thousand to invade Mist? As long as he doesn't ask for backup, I'll count my blessings."
---
Back at the Eastern Base
Uchiha Naraku rubbed his temples. He had annihilated Mist's vanguard in record time—and then waited. Three months passed, and still no sign of their main force.
Mist was dawdling. Doing what? No one knew.
Frustrated, Naraku had sent a letter to Hokage-sama, requesting permission to strike Kirigakure directly—to end the conflict at its source.
But he knew the risk.
Though he held command, these Konoha forces were also a stage—for him to elevate the Uchiha's prestige. If he led them into a high-casualty war and won by attrition, it would be no victory worth boasting of.
He needed a decisive, overwhelming win—or none at all.