Thank you for the support. I was honestly quite surprised by the response last chapter and made me produce this next update as soon as I could.

Update: I updated the previous chapter by mistake sometime back. Guess I was a bit tired and since both chapters have the same word count coincidentally, I uploaded the wrong one. Thanks for highlighting and here is the correct one.

Music Recommendation: Alexander OST-4 -The Drums of Gaugamela (Youtube)

Chapter 40

Surgical Strike

(Kumogakure)

For the first time during the entire Second Great Ninja War, the Third Raikage found himself hard pressed on multiple fronts within his very homeland.

A week ago, the invading army from Kirigakure had landed upon their shores with nearly 12,000 warriors led by the Fourth Mizukage himself. Already he had lost more than two dozen smaller villages and cities on their Northern flank, the city garrison and small militias in the territory no match for what his advisors were now calling as The Blitz tactic where the enemy despite their size had seized vast swathes of their territory with unmatchable speed combined with great striking power.

If that wasn't enough, an entire legionary fleet called the 99th Legion led by Kiri's Anbu Commander and Jinpachi of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were launching multiple raids along his coasts and fleeing away before the reinforcements sent by the Raikage could confront them in battle.

The damage was already too severe.

Contrary to the past Mizukage's who were known for their brutality, The Fourth Mizukage was different.

Not a single case of plundering, rape or murder of innocents took place in every city or village that fell upon the Northern flank. All combatants that fought against Kiri were eliminated but also given full military burials at the hands of their own countrymen under the watch of their conquerors. It only drove home the message that resistance was futile but also that their invaders were not barbarians, contrary to what their rulers were telling them- the ones who abandoned them to the Mizukage's army in the first place. To reinforce this perception, the Mizukage spared any warrior willing to surrender and join his ranks even going so far as recruiting any civilian strong enough to fight within his army.

With winter approaching, he didn't ransack any villages or cities of their crucial food stores or essentials to feed his army, having brought enough logistics to last for a year. Instead he helped the people he conquered by sharing part of food, clothes, other essentials and even helped the countrymen solidify their homes for the oncoming harsh winter while solidifying the bases of his own army.

Even the raids being launched on the coasts didn't involve butchering of innocents but only combatants, with tales of the magnanimous treatment being offered to their breatheren up north spreading across the coastal areas like wildfire. If not for the reinforcements he had sent to hold those very coastal places, the Raikage feared the people's heart would have started to change.

He had begged the Daimyo to spare troops he had confiscated for the feudal Capital's defense, warning the new lord that their enemy was trying to win the loyalty of their subjects without attacking strongholds he simply didn't have the power to conquer just yet.

"What of our allies?" asked the Raikage outloud, making his advisors look at him.

"Iwa has sent a 5,000 strong force led by Ohnoki as our reinforcements. They should be here in three weeks" reported his Anbu Commander swiftly,

"A token! Mu insults us!" decried one of the ninja clan heads,

On the contrary, the Raikage knew the Second Tsuchikage was being extremely cautious having sent an equal number of reinforcements under his own son to Suna's aid, while keeping his 20,000 strong main army for the defense of his own nation. This way he could say he didn't discriminate between both of his allies while also keeping enough reserves for himself to defend his own nation should they fall.

"The Leaf has launched a similar Invasion into the Land of Wind. The Sand has already lost critical zones including a water dam, the same Blitz strategy seems to be play on that front as well" pointed Dodai, bringing everyone's attention back to the invaders within their own lands.

"He attacks our weakest links while holding back on confronting the strongest. The North has always felt neglected since the founding of our nation, it does not hold gold or minerals unlike the South but it is responsible for nearly 60% food produce of our nation. The Daimyo's always favored the Southern regions for development while only providing token growth to the North further alienating the people. Nearly half of his feudal warriors are from that region since the impoverished populace simply does not have enough employment opportunities except agriculture. The Mizukage has not only won the hearts of a disgruntled populace, but also secured food and water sources for the rest of his campaign. The longer he holds those regions and treats the people well, the more loyalty the Daimyo loses from his own men who hail from the Northern lands" warned the Anbu Commander,

"We must confront him in battle before it's too late" stated the Raikage seriously,

"The Daimyo forbade us from confronting the enemy just yet, my lord. He wants us to keep Kumogakure and the feudal Capital firmly in our control" warned a clan head,

The Third Raikage cursed the youngling who had ascended to the throne after the murder of his predecessor at the hands of the same man who was currently invading their lands. The boy was in his late teens and was more insecure than any feudal lord he had ever seen. He wanted to protect his seat and the source of his military power even if it meant losing their most important breadbasket.

"Let the enemy come to us. Winter is already upon us, he'll take substantial losses in the grim weather our men are used to fighting in"

As tactical opinions were bring discussed left and right, the Raikage knew doing nothing like the Daimyo suggested would only draw further catastrophe upon them.

So he made his choice.

"We will confront him. Call back the 5,000 reserves from the Capital which the Daimyo took from us. Our feudal lord has 10,000 of his own guard to protect his seat. He won't have to worry about being dethroned once we crush the enemy" he announced,

"But my lord that's-"

"The Eight tails Jinchuuriki will march alongside our 15,000 strong army in total, I shall lead them personally. Meanwhile, the two tails Jinchuuriki will remain with the village. Have my son redeploy the Kinkaku Blackops for the protection of this village alongwith any men he can spare. His orders are to crush the force at Osaka and then come back to protect this village. Should our army be defeated, his orders are to form a fresh army from the remnants of the old one, the reinforcements from our allies and our last Jinchuuriki and crush the enemy once and for all. The Fourth Mizukage might be a great general, but he won't survive our wrath!"

The Raikage's thunderous declaration bolstered the resolve of his own comrades as they offered him their salutes and promise to carry out his orders even if meant going against the Daimyo.

As his subordinates started hustling out of the headquarters in order to prepare their army and send out the summons to their Reserve force in the Capital, the Raikage looked at the map of his own nation.

I'd rather fight and accept the consequences, then let the enemy force us to fight on his terms.

A part of his heart was thrilled for the upcoming battle for his opponent was a Namikaze. He had always believed his ancestors had wiped off their rival clan before the Great Nations were fully established. If reports were true, the Fourth Mizukage was the last known survivor of his clan with no children of his own yet and a widower.

As the leader of the Kaizen clan who were the only ones able to match the speed of the Namikaze clansmen, it was his duty to finish off his enemies once and for all.

I shall soon meet you in battle, Naruto Namikaze. Then we shall see whether my armor and speed can defeat your teleportation technique!

(Two Days Later: Kasaga City, Northern Borders of the Land of Lightning)

Winters were as beautiful as they were deadly.

The Fourth Mizukage couldn't help but have that thought when he watched a group of children from the city happily playing with snow gathering in the streets, while a group of his own men shivered a bit while guarding the garrison headquarters he was currently occupying, unused to such cold climate despite their training and resilience.

It was also another stark reminder of why he couldn't simply steam roll through this nation's territory.

Only a fool would try and best nature. It has always been strong enough to tame the arrogance of men.

As he watched his commanders arrive inside the room, he knew the time to take action had arrived once again.

"Report" he ordered, as he marched towards the war table holding a well described map of the nation they were invading.

"The enemy is moving towards us. A 15,000 strong army led by the Third Raikage himself" reported Kisame, who was acting as second in command of the 501st Special forces. With Naruto himself tied up consolidating the territory they had gained alongside directing the attacks as well as movements of their entire army-it fell upon the older swordsmen to lead their most important unit in the war.

While the 501st had not yet been actively deployed in battle, they had played a crucial role in gathering important intel about the enemy defenses, strength, locations and supply routes.

Recon and Disruption of Supply lines.

He had given Kisame these tasks and the man had made his troops deliver by conducting reconnaissance from the skies without the enemy ever noticing their presence and destroying their supply routes and bases before reinforcements could prevent such a disaster.

The 99th Legion led by the Anbu Commander and Jinpachi harassed the enemy's coastal shores thereby dividing their forces.

The 212th and the 47th Legion led by Mangetsu (with Haku as second in command) and Zabuza (with Ameyuri as second in command) were the ones mainly responsible for capturing enemy territories once the other two legions had disarrayed and destroyed the enemy's strength.

The Mizukage's personal guard and the logistics unit combined with the medical teams remained in the rear and fortified every town and village their armies captured with the Fourth Mizukage himself addressing his new subjects personally to oversee their smooth integration while also driving recruiting efforts that had provided them nearly 4,000 fresh recruits. While not on par with standard shinobi or feudal forces, these new recruits were quickly being trained to fight to a respectable level and could be used as Shock troops against fortified positions or dangerous advance maneuvers.

But this entire war effort would suffer a terrible blow if he lost the 501st which were his eyes and ears, it was why they would not be used in battle until absolutely necessary or victory appeared more greater with their contribution.

"Then we honor the Raikage's wish but on a battlefield of our choosing. Besides, I anticipate our men are itching for a real fight" declared Naruto with a smile, earning a boisterous set of laughs from his commanders as they each knew of the numerous complaints they had heard from their men about wanting to fight against real warriors instead of simple farmers or militia forces.

Granted a part of that yearning came from that very first battle against the deceased turtle-Genbu and their magnificent victory against the beast.

"There will be plenty of glory for everyone but for that we need to win the war" reminded Haku gently,

"A smart woman you are, Haku. It's why I placed you near our impulsive Mangetsu, stop him from doing something reckless" teased Naruto, earning a happy nod from the girl and an embarrassed look from the Hozuki heir.

"I'm not that bad, Lord Fourth" complained Mangetsu,

"You asked for action more than the other commanders in this room" pointed Naruto, making the Hozuki swordsmen sigh in defeat.

"I guess my wish is granted now" answered Mangetsu,

He alongside the rest of the Commanders watched their Kage nod before completely focusing his attention upon the map in front of him. Mangetsu couldn't help but imagine as to what went inside that brain of his leader that he hadn't lost them any battle yet. Perhaps his father had seen such talent before anyone in their nation ever had, something for which Mangetsu was thankful.

"The Raikage's aim is to crush us even if it costs his army dearly. He won't shy away from a brutal battle while hoping his remaining forces led by his son alongside their allies would be enough to crush Konoha once our faction is crushed. It is exactly why we need to avoid a full scale battle at first" advised Naruto,

"But Lord Fourth you just said-" pointed Ameyuri, already earning a nod of understanding from their Kage.

"We destroy his logistics first- his army supplies to be specific. Force him to engage us in battle at a severe disadvantage in morale, resources, and attrition to his forces. The point behind following this approach is simple- we can't afford to sustain high casualties so soon. We are here to win a world war, not a single battle"

Kushina had been sitting on the sidelines and silently watched as the Mizukage explained his strategy in depth to all of his commanders while answering each and every question raised by them and also appreciating any valuable opinion whenever it was presented.

It made her understand exactly what Nagato Uzumaki must have seen in him nearly a decade ago. Enough for the boy to sacrifice his own life...

If only Uzu had realized what you had, Nagato. Maybe it would have been our nation establishing a new world and not Kirgakure.

Despite what was done to both of them, she still couldn't bring herself to hate her nation. She wanted the Uzukage and the Ninja Council to answer for what they did to the Spartans, to correct the wrongs of the past. But for that their nation didn't need to be destroyed.

Family was extremely important for the Uzumaki clan, but only few ever understood it.

She could understand the Uzukage's desire to cling to power and do what he had done. There simply weren't many strong warriors among their clan left to succeed him after the First Great Ninja War, majority of the best had been the Spartans and they perished to get that victory. Perhaps in time Nagato would have become one, but he died too young.

Yet the Uzukage never chose the successor that was always in front of him.

As she watched her best friend interact with his commanders, she realized the reason.

He was not an Uzumaki.

Neither by blood or ideology, granted he was loyal to their nation but he was just never truly one of them- atleast to people like the Uzukage who alongside the Ninja Council had built their village to primarily protect the Uzumaki clan.

How could the Uzumaki clan and Uzushiogakure as a nation allow a Namikaze to lead them of all people?

It made her once again curse the old farts so stuck in their rigid thinking that affected the future of their nation. They would have even been comfortable to let Nagato succeed had he grown up to be a worthy successor because he was atleast half Uzumaki through his father-Yahiko Uzumaki.

Something which his older half brother didn't have.

Gengetsu Hozuki, you may not have won great battles and your reign ended in disgrace. Yet even in death, you secured the future of your nation. You rose above politics, clan rivalry, self interests and even your own son and family. From your ashes, you gave birth to a worthy successor that will herald your nation towards a better future and change the course of this world. You were a more worthy Kage than mine ever was...

"Lord Fourth, I volunteer for the first phase of our operation" offered Mangetsu resolutely, which only made Kushina see the legacy of the Second Mizukage even more clearly.

As few more commanders started voicing their own desire to lead the most dangerous part of the mission, their Mizukage raised his hand making them fall silent once again and look at him.

"The bait has to be tempting enough for the Raikage to make a decision that would prove too costly for him eventually. Forgive my directness, but the only thing that can gain the reaction we desire is my own presence" answered Naruto,

Kushina watched him quell multiple protests from his commanders with more patience and compassion than she thought he was capable of.

"I am the only one who can get away from there in time with my teleportation. I need every fighter and commander from this army for a very long and brutal war. I won't throw your lives away even if it means risking my own"

"I'll go with him" she volunteered, much to everyone's surprise and her friend's displeasure.

"Kaori-" he began,

"I'm a mercenary. I understand you don't want to lose your men and commanders, but I can't afford you getting hurt or killed. My paycheck depends on it" she retorted fiercely, unwilling to let her dear friend and her clan's future fade into oblivion alone.

Naruto looked around and saw his commanders were not opposed to her presence if their Kage was not allowing them to get involved in the first place.

"Very well" he agreed

He finished up the meeting by debriefing the key aspects of their strategy before asking his childhood friend to stay back, an order she accepted with great reluctance.

"What was that?" he asked sharply, as soon as the others were gone from the room.

To her credit, Kushina looked at him unflinchingly.

"I left you once...I won't do it again. Even if you ask me to" she promised him fearlessly,

"But-"

"It's done, Lord Fourth"

He was quite surprised with her defiance and before he could protest further, she simply marched out of the room leaving him speechless. He understood where she was coming from and what made her make such a reckless choice...

For he would have made the same if their roles had been reversed.

Maybe it was their destiny as the last remaining Spartans to avenge the deaths of their comrades together by destroying the nation that sent them to the afterlife well before their time.

(One Week Later)

"Lord Raikage! We have located the enemy!"

The dark skinned was up on his feet instantly alongside his advisors as the Scout crashed to his knees in the war tent due to sheer exhaustion and respect at the same time.

"Clarify" he ordered swiftly,

"We found the enemy's main base camp. They quickly detected our presence, my team sacrificed themselves so I could get this message to you. The Fourth Mizukage is there" reported the Scout seriously, some sadness present in his voice for the comrades he had lost in getting this critical information.

He dismissed the man after taking the location of the enemy from the man while allowing his supporters to take care of the shinobi.

"What do you think?" he asked Dodai, his most trusted advisor.

"Forgive my disbelief, but I think this is a trap. The Fourth Mizukage is known for his teleportation, he wouldn't allow any of our Scouts to escape should they discover his army's main base" warned Dodai,

"Are you doubting our men now, Dodai?" asked the Anbu Commander with a disappointed glare,

"No, they are good warriors. But we need to be cautious" argued Dodai fiercely,

"We have marched all this way, disobeyed the Daimyo, placed our village in a vulnerable fashion all in order to crush him once and for all. If he wants a fight, then we shall make sure it is his last" declared the Raikage,

"My lord-"

Dodai was silenced with a heavy glare from the dark skinned man who had apparently decided that he would be fighting this battle.

"Let's see what the Fourth Mizukage is made of!"

(Kirigakure Camp)

Naruto watched Kushina get up from her kneeling position and give him a firm nod making him glance at the thousands of warriors waiting by their side.

In truth, most of them were all mere shadow clones supplied by his entire army with only a small elite guard of real Anbu Blackops mixed in, something which Mangetsu had insisted he take with him if he was to do this.

Their base camp was situated on a huge hilltop with only one route that could lead to its entrance which was heavily fortified and full of booby traps. At the same time, the same route led deeper South towards the feudal Capital, something he knew the Raikage would want to prevent at all costs if he wanted to keep his title.

"They are coming" his friend told him, as she joined by his side.

"Enough for a good fight?" he asked with a smirk, making Kushina sigh.

"More than enough"

Naruto nodded confidently at that answer as he unleashed Muramasa from his back as his friend, their Anbu and the shadow clone army prepared their own weapons.

"I've waited a decade for this moment. It's not just about you that made me come here" whispered Kushina earnestly, earning a subtle and understanding nod from her old friend.

"For Hayate and Kasumi" proposed Naruto respectfully, as he remembered two of his dear comrades who had fallen in these very lands.

The enemy came into sight, hundreds upon hundreds of bloodthirsty Hidden Cloud Ninjas charging towards them with fearsome war cries and monstrous killing intent.

"For Nagato and all our Spartans!" she whispered with determination, before raising her sword high in the air.

"Today, Kumogakure pays their tribute in blood!" roared Kushina murderously,

His blood boiled with a thirst for vengeance that had burned within him ever since the fall of his comrades. It was to avenge them!

"NO PRISONERS!" he yelled thunderously, as he finished his set of hand seals.

"Earth Style: Great Mud River!"

A cold smirk arrived upon his lips when a dozen Kumo shinobi were swept off their feet when the ground beneath their feet turned into a slippery river of mud that mercilessly sent them crashing down from the mountain to a gruesome death.

He created dozens of boulders next which Kushina wrapped with the help of her chakra chains before unleashing them with devastating speed upon the disarrayed enemy forces.

The veterans among the warriors reacted better this time and unleashed combination lightning strikes that obliterated most of the approaching boulders swiftly. What they didn't know however was that each of those boulders were strapped with a explosive tag which Kushina unleashed one after another and instead of fiery explosion, the weapons rained down a flood of shrapnel that tore through eyes, necks, armor, limbs and heads.

The sheer brutality of the attack decimated the entire frontline of the enemy, the ground littered with the bodies of their dead or critically wounded comrades.

It made the Second wave pause for several long seconds before they were galvanized when an Panther masked Anbu took charge earning a roar of approvals from the previously demoralized enemy forces.

"That's the Anbu Commander of Kumogakure. I saw him a few times when he visited the previous Daimyo with the Raikage" pointed Kushina,

"Finally a real challenge" replied Naruto with a smirk,

"We are here to act as a diversion. Let's stick to that until necessary" she warned him, making him sigh but give a nod regardless.

(Few Miles South)

"PICK UP THE PACE!"

Kisame's fierce command made the 501st commandos flying alongside him channel more chakra into their winged devices on their back thereby increasing their speed.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw great explosions happening across the far off hills where their Mizukage himself was acting as a diversion for them to complete their mission.

It was beyond insane and reckless but he could not deny the enemy had fallen for the trickery. In their haste to eliminate the man leading an invasion into their lands alongside the majority of his army, they had marched most of their forces including their best fighters to eliminate the Kiri army alongside its leader.

In doing so, they had left their base camp undermanned and vulnerable to an extent.

A location which held most of their supplies be it food, water, clothing, armor, weapon cache, relief materials for the territory they wanted to liberate from the invaders, and even money.

All of it now ripe for destruction or looting by the very same enemy.

He laughed upon seeing the alarm bells ringing across the enemy base camp when their defenders caught sight of hundreds upon hundreds of Kirigakure commandos flying towards them led by one of the most feared Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

"Capture or destroy?" asked one of the squad leaders, pointing towards the supply caches that the enemy was now desperately trying to evacuate but it was already too late.

"While I would love to take their resources and use it against them, Naruto warned us to bug out quickly. The moment the Raikage learns about this attack, he'll come here personally. You don't want to be around to face him" explained Kisame seriously,

"We can take him, Captain" promised the Squad leader boisterously, earning a frown from the older swordsmen.

"He may not be a great tactician like our Kage, but the Raikage is a beast in battle. If he gets here in time, most if not all of us will die painfully. Your orders are to destroy this base and its supplies before bugging out. No ground based combat, is that clear?" asked Kisame sternly, looking at the other squad leaders around him with a challenging stare and was satisfied when they all backed off after watching his murderous gaze.

Kisame gave the signal which made his entire force split into smaller groups among multiple waves instead of one large formation.

The first wave flew over the enemy camp and dropped a barrage of smoke bombs that shrouded the entire camp swiftly making visibility extremely low. The arrows sent by the civilian defenders alongwith few lightning strikes by the enemy shinobi managing to hit two of the Kiri commandos who were swiftly grabbed by the rest of their squadron and pulled away to safety.

The second wave had been right behind the lead of the first and unleashed Sealing scrolls full of shrapnel projectiles that exploded across the entire camp as soon as they hit the ground. Dozens upon dozens of painful screams echoed among the Kumo defenders as many died instantly while others were severely wounded. What little cohesion they had been able to mount in their defense broke down due to the smoke across the entire camp and their increasing casualties.

Kisame himself moved in with the third wave and together they bombarded the entire camp with hundreds upon hundreds of explosive tags that obliterated the supply tents first, followed by the medical station, then came their headquarters before the destruction befell upon the makeshift barracks/tents for the army.

He could not help but smile on watching the destruction and death he and his men were wrecking upon the broken enemy. It was not something he was not used to already, having killed hundreds of men in battle during his entire life, but the carnage he was inflicting today was surgical and deadly.

It was war.

And he loved it.

The Third Raikage had sent 5,000 of his men- the best shock troops of his army to weaken the enemy considerably before he descended upon them with the rest of his 9,000 strong force. He had left the last 1000 of his men, mostly young ninjas and medical staff under the command of few Anbu Blackops squads to defend their basecamp that was a few miles down South from their current position.

He had ordered those reserves to fortify their base and set up traps, while having a communication team on continuous duty to inform him should the base come under attack.

He highly doubted the enemy had the strength to do just that considering the majority of their army was present here, even if they managed to send a ground force of few hundred ninjas...his men would be able to hold off long enough for him to arrive with reinforcements.

"They are fighting admirably" he commented begrudgingly,

"Unfortunately yes, my lord" agreed Dodai reluctantly, as he caught sight of a redhead kunoichi leading a brutal melee fight with dozens of Kumogakure shinobi.

Her chakra chains were a power to be feared as another two dozen men lay dead around her with few more unlucky ones already smacked down from the mountains into the steep valley by those very chains.

"I have seen her somewhere, my lord" he whispered hesitantly,

"Where?" asked the Raikage curiously,

"Rezang La"

The dark skinned Kage's eyes widened in shock as he was reminded of a battle his village had tried their best to conceal for so many years.

"You're not joking, are you?" asked the Kage seriously,

"I wish I was. But I cannot forget those chakra chains, they butchered many of my men from Raijin Battalion that day" confessed Dodai,

The Raikage was alarmed.

Dodai had been the Commander of Rajin battalion, an elite unit of their village in the First Great Ninja War. Alongwith the Kinkaku Blackops, he had been tasked to prevent the Spartans of Uzushiogakure from rescuing the captured Hashirama back to his homeland.

He had even been reinforced by the Two Tailed Beast to succeed in that task.

Only for that very Biju to be brutally murdered, the entirety of Raijin Battalion perishing except for their Commander who only survived because the Kinkaku reached the battlefield and wiped out the Spartans to the last commando but still failed in preventing them from rescuing Hashirama Senju.

That defeat costed them the war as the First Hokage gathered his forces upon his return to Konoha and smashed his enemies to force a truce.

For that victory, the Spartans had sacrificed themselves.

If Dodai was unnerved by watching that female kunoichi who could possibly be a rare Spartan survivor, he literally blanched in terror and took several steps back when a blonde warrior teleported beside the redhead.

"The Mizukage" growled the Raikage furiously, as he felt his own bloodlust come alive.

"That teleportation...that dark chakra...it can't be" whispered Dodai in a trembling voice, completely in contrast with his usual composed self.

The Raikage had never seen his trusted advisor be so alarmed, it was as if he had seen a terrifying ghost as he saw the Fourth Mizukage unleash dark ash like chakra from his body to set many of their men on fire including the Kumogakure Anbu Commander himself.

"The Black Flash...it's him" said Dodai nervously, memories of the Biju's murder from that day coming back to haunt him.

"Don't be foolish, Dodai! Uzu itself confirmed that the Spartan died of his wounds from the Battle of Rezang La. You're being delusional!" reprimanded the Raikage disappointedly,

"I was there, my lord. You have to believe me-"

Dodai's frantic pleas were cut short when the Raikage watched a disshelved Mabui from the Communication team of their basecamp appear beside him in a quick shunshin.

"Lord Raikage...the basecamp is under attack! Heavy casualties!" she reported quickly, even as blood continued falling from the deep wound across her back in watch the Raikage saw several shrapnel pieces were still buried.

"How bad?" he asked with as much composure as he could, unwilling to let his men see any panic in their leader when their situation was deteriorating.

"The enemy attacked from the air. They carried themselves upon winged devices and bombed us brutally. Most of the camp is destroyed, without reinforcements the rest will be gone too. I barely managed to get away" she whispered in a trembling voice,

"Winged Devices?" asked the Raikage hesitantly, as an old battle report he had read long ago came back to haunt him.

"My lord, only one foe in our village's history attacked us with such weapons. I am begging you this is not a coincidence!" pleaded Dodai desperately,

Before the Raikage could reply, few of his men swarmed around him and protect him from a rain of severed heads that came crashing down upon them. Their Anbu Commander also among them...

His Panther Anbu Mask now carrying only one world covered in blood- S

He turned back towards the mountain and saw the Mizukage alongside the redhead kunoichi and few other warriors had joined together in a tight circle by holding each other's hands while the rest of their army held back Kumo's enraged warriors that were trying hard to avenge the murder of their Anbu Commander.

For a moment, his gaze landed upon the Fourth Mizukage and there was a cold and merciless smile upon his lips.

He disappeared alongside his group in a dark flash and the next moment the entire hill exploded in a catastrophic detonation which drowned out the screams of thousands of Kirigakure and Kumogakure shinobi that were reduced to ashes in less than a few seconds as the rest of his army scrambled to save themselves from the crumbling hill.

Only later the Raikage would learn the enemy had barely lost any real shinobi in that battle and by the time he returned back with reinforcements- his basecamp, logistics and medical teams and most if not all of his supplies were a smoldering pile of dust and ash.

This was not an act of a young Kage eager for glory, but of a shinobi who had been trained for war. To hit the enemy where it hurt most with minimum cost, just the training a good Blackops Commander would receive.

It made him realize an important aspect of the enemy he was facing...albeit at the cost of 6,000 lives lost and his war supplies destroyed.

It was a dark day for Kumogakure where the consequences of the past had came back to haunt them.

Author's Notes: End of Chapter.

Hope you guys liked it.

I'll answer some of the questions raised by few of you guys last chapter. The Long March in this story while bearing a real resemblance if only in name to the one of our real world will be completely different.

One of you also asked if Konoha will join Kiri in this invasion, now you know what they are upto and why. More information will be provided in the upcoming chapters.

And yes I may start working on Namikaze Legend: Titan War once my current stories are over. One of you has been bringing this up and I have taken notice of that.

Let me just say things are going to turn even more fierce and dark very soon.

Keep up the Review War Machine! I'll keep the Update War Machine running at top speed! (PS: Just kidding)

Until Next Time,

Blackwolf501