Naruto: Starting with Infinite Chakra-Chapter 177: No Mercy

"Well done. This is exactly how it should be—any ninja from the Land of Earth or the Land of Wind who dares approach Tetsuishi Town should be killed without hesitation."

Jiraiya fully approved of Uchiha Raiden's actions.

With this, the Lands of Wind and Earth would no longer entertain the idea of negotiating with Konoha.

Jiraiya had rushed back from the village for this very reason—to further intensify the conflict between Konoha and those two nations, ensuring that all chances of reconciliation were completely severed.

"Jiraiya-sama, both the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth have been deploying troops day and night towards our position. How should we respond?" Uchiha Raiden asked respectfully.

His admiration for Jiraiya had only deepened. Everything Jiraiya said and did was swift, decisive, and utterly domineering—exactly the kind of leadership Raiden admired.

"Simple. We wipe them out. How many have gathered so far?" Jiraiya asked, his eyes filled with cold intent.

"In total, they've assembled over nine hundred ninja. The Land of Earth has four hundred and seventeen, including nine jōnin and three elite jōnin. The Land of Wind has four hundred and thirty, with eight jōnin and two elite jōnin," Raiden reported in detail.

They had already gathered comprehensive intelligence on their enemies.

"That's not a large force. Taking them down entirely won't be difficult. Gather all our jōnin—we'll strategize on how to eliminate them completely."

Jiraiya was confident. If they could wipe out this group, any possibility of peace talks would be obliterated. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen would have no choice but to abandon the notion of negotiating with the Lands of Wind and Earth.

With over eight hundred enemy ninja gathered here, this force was significant. To put it into perspective, even during the invasion of Amegakure, only about four thousand ninja from the Fire and Wind nations had been deployed.

Uchiha Raiden's eyes gleamed with excitement. He bowed and said,

"I will summon them immediately."

"Wait. What about the civilians from Amegakure who surrendered? Have there been any disturbances in my absence?"

Tetsuishi Town originally housed many civilians from the Land of Rain—some served the ninja, some worked in the mines, while others farmed the outskirts. The civilian population was substantial.

"Lord Jiraiya, after you left, a few groups attempted to stir unrest, but I ordered them to be executed. There are no more disturbances. The remaining civilians are quietly residing in the inner city, and the miners have resumed their work," Uchiha Raiden replied.

"However, some still harbor resentment toward us, and I fear more unrest may follow."

"If they cause trouble again, kill them. Keep killing until they no longer dare," Jiraiya stated coldly.

He knew the civilians of Amegakure would naturally despise their invaders. The only way to keep them in check was through ruthless suppression. If they were not subdued with an iron fist, they could become a problem when Konoha's civilians arrived in Tetsuishi Town.

While they couldn't fight the ninja, they could certainly target the civilians. That risk had to be eliminated before it became a threat to Konoha's rule over the town.

Raiden nodded and left to gather the jōnin and elite jōnin.

...

Before long, the strongest shinobi of Tetsuishi Town had assembled in the hall. Jiraiya sat at the head of the room.

The assault on Tetsuishi Town had cost Konoha several jōnin, but the reinforcements Jiraiya had brought included ten jōnin, personally selected by Sarutobi Hiruzen from various powerful clans. Each was exceptionally skilled.

"Now that we've taken Tetsuishi Town, the Lands of Wind and Earth refuse to let us monopolize its resources. They've been scheming to seize it back from us. But we won this place through the sacrifice of our comrades—we cannot allow them to take it. If we lose Tetsuishi Town, we will have betrayed the fallen."

Jiraiya's voice was firm as he lightly tapped the table.

"I called you all here because we need to eliminate the enemy force gathering nearby. If anyone has a solid battle plan, speak now."

One of the jōnin stepped forward.

"Lord Jiraiya, we have thoroughly analyzed the enemy forces. Even with our current strength, victory will be costly. We may win, but it will be a Pyrrhic victory. Our forces are evenly matched, and launching such a large-scale battle so soon after securing Tetsuishi Town—wouldn't that be premature? If we exhaust ourselves now, Amegakure might exploit the situation."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes.

"You have a point, but the enemy's blade is already at our throats. Even if we don't strike first, they will. Avoiding battle is not an option. I don't need hesitation—I need strategies for how to win."

It was undeniable that the ninja from the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth were far stronger than those of Amegakure. Defeating them would require a significant toll. But Jiraiya saw this as an opportunity—if Konoha suffered heavy losses, the news would reach the village and stir greater resentment against their enemies. Hatred would fuel the will to fight.

A Uchiha jōnin stepped forward. "Lord Jiraiya is right. This battle is inevitable—we must destroy as much of the enemy force as possible."

A Nara clan elite jōnin spoke up. "The ninja of the Land of Earth excel in large-scale battles. If we want to defeat them efficiently, we must divide their forces. Before engaging, we should assemble an elite unit to isolate their forces. If we don't break them apart, their combined Earth Release techniques will be overwhelming."

"Leave that to the Uchiha," another Uchiha jōnin declared confidently.

"The Hyūga clan will assist as well," Hyūga Tetsuki added.

It made sense—when it came to elite combat prowess, the Uchiha and Hyūga clans were unmatched. Assigning them this task was the most logical decision.

"The Land of Wind's ninja are highly skilled in poisons. We must ensure that medical-nin accompany the units engaging them."

"Agreed."

The room erupted into discussion, and soon, concrete battle plans were laid out. The meeting stretched until dusk, with strategies refined and finalized.

...

After the meeting adjourned, Jiraiya and Tsunade left together for their quarters.

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