Chapter 116: Alliance Reached
The core strength of the Allied Shinobi Army was, without question, Konoha.
To avoid confusion and minimize friendly fire, Konoha shinobi had removed their village flak jackets and forehead protectors. Blending into the ranks, they fought alongside their allies, their overwhelming presence unmistakable.
Whether it was Hyuga Iroha, a Jōnin, or younger shinobi from the Sarutobi, Ino–Shika–Cho, and Utatane clans who were still Chūnin, they all stood out—displaying talent, teamwork, and battlefield instincts that far exceeded the norm.
But their exceptional performance wasn’t just a product of individual ability.
It was because Ryosuke was watching—analyzing the battlefield from a god’s-eye view.
---
"Five hundred ters to your left and rear—a Snow squad is requesting backup. There’s a Sand Ninja unit within one hundred and fifty ters. Have them converge."
"The Enemy coalition commanders—Kitsuchi and Darui—are positioned at the enemy rear. They’re stationed on a reef under the cliff, attempting to organize a breakthrough."
"Eight hundred ters to your right—enemy forces are massing. Likely prepping another joint ninjutsu formation."
These orders echoed clearly in the minds of every Hyuga clan mber on the battlefield.
They didn’t need to plan on their own.
All they had to do was follow Ryosuke’s commands, relaying his directives to the squads around them.
And every ti they did—victory followed.
---
The Kumo-Iwa coalition, believing they had the upper hand in terrain and ambush tactics, launched several coordinated strikes against the Sand, Leaf, and Snow ninja.
But each attempt was crushed before it began.
By the ti enemy forces arrived at their targeted ambush zones, all they found waiting for them was a preemptive barrage of ninjutsu—well-planned and perfectly tid.
---
It was all thanks to a unique ability Ryosuke had developed during the Land of Waves incident: ultra-long-distance consciousness communication.
Using the sensory capabilities of the Byakugan and his own evolved illusion techniques, Ryosuke had achieved sothing akin to the Yamanaka Clan’s Mind Transmission—but far more advanced.
At first, Ryosuke could only relay thoughts by taking partial control of his allies’ bodies—just enough to establish a link between their minds.
But now, he no longer needed to manipulate physical movents at all.
He could transmit conscious intent—pure, silent thought—without interrupting his comrades’ actions or reflexes.
It was clean.
It was efficient.
And it was terrifyingly effective.
Even better, the chakra cost was significantly lower than his earlier illusion-based communication.
---
With Ryosuke commanding from the shadows, the Allied Shinobi Army operated like a single, living organism.
In contrast, the Kumo-Iwa coalition was beginning to collapse—step by step, retreat by retreat.
They had never faced such coordinated resistance before.
As the battle dragged on, and the coalition failed to gain ground or push into the island’s interior, Ryosuke began to understand their leadership’s intentions.
The enemy commanders clearly hadn’t expected the Allied Shinobi Army to respond with such precision.
Their battle plan had unraveled, and now—uncertain of the bigger picture—they were falling back on caution.
They wanted to keep a retreat path open.
That ant one thing: they would not commit their full force.
Which also ant... Ryosuke still wouldn’t get his long-awaited chance to fight.
So he shifted focus.
If the enemy wouldn’t collapse on their own, then he’d tear them apart from the inside.
To disrupt the coalition’s cohesion, he enacted a subtle but devastating tactic:
Expand the battle zone.
Widen the circle of conflict little by little—so slowly and smoothly that the enemy wouldn’t even notice it happening.
At the sa ti, sever their lines of communication.
Without orders from their commanders, even veteran squads would struggle to keep formation or coordinate strategies.
With just a little nudge in the right places, Ryosuke could fracture their collective strength—without a single direct confrontation.
"Any word from the rear?"
Darui sliced down another enemy with surgical precision, his long blade arcing in a flash.
He exhaled sharply, glancing around the increasingly chaotic battlefield.
More and more coalition teams were falling out of contact.
His composure—usually rock solid—was starting to waver.
Not far from him, Kitsuchi gritted his teeth, eyes flicking across the burning coastline.
They hadn’t realized it, but the war had spread. The battlefront had shifted inward.
And now, even the commanders—Darui and Kitsuchi themselves—were becoming directly involved.
The Land of Waves had turned into a trap.
A vast, unseen net, tightening around them with every passing mont.
They both knew it:
The Allied Ninja Army wasn’t fighting blindly.
They had seen through everything.
---
As battlefield commanders, Darui and Kitsuchi had tried to stay on the periter—managing the front lines from the edge of the Land of Wave, maintaining the flexibility to retreat if things went sideways.
But unfortunately, the other side seed to have realized who was truly controlling the battlefield.
They had taken advantage of the Kumo-Iwa coalition’s cautious ntality, using subtle psychological manipulation during combat to slowly draw enemy squads deeper into the island.
By the ti the commanders noticed, it was too late.
The battlefront had already spread across nearly the entire island, and many of the Kumo-Iwa alliance’s units were now trapped deep inside, isolated and out of contact.
"Any word from the rear?" Darui called out, his brows furrowed, slicing down another enemy who had tried to flank from the coastal ridge.
The communications ninja beside him shook his head.
Still nothing.
From the mont the war began, the two figures standing at the rear—Ōnoki and the Fourth Raikage—had remained like immovable mountains at the front of their warship.
They hadn’t so much as flinched.
Hadn’t spoken.
Not even a single response to the incoming battle reports.
---
"Tch... damn it!"
Darui clenched his fists, frustration boiling over as he turned toward the distant silhouette of the warship.
Nearly abandoned.
"Send the retreat signal," he ordered. "We’re pulling out. Start evacuation prep!"
He hesitated for only a second—then turned to Kitsuchi, standing nearby. His tone was firm.
"But... you’re not the Tsuchikage," Kitsuchi murmured, eyes narrowing. His voice carried a trace of protest.
Before he could finish, Darui cut him off.
"I’m the one calling the shots for Kumogakure right now. I choose to retreat. If you won’t follow, then I’ll leave without you."
Though the Allied Shinobi Army had taken casualties, even a quick scan of the battlefield made the truth obvious: the Kumo-Iwa coalition’s losses were far heavier.
No need for formal statistics—any trained eye could see it.
Worse still, more and more of their squads were vanishing inside the island, their statuses unknown.
The situation was spinning out of control. If they didn’t pull back now, they’d be throwing away lives for nothing.
Even without official orders from the Raikage, even if he’d be punished later...
Darui had made his decision.
"You—"
Kitsuchi gritted his teeth, fists clenched.
But once again, before he could argue—
Bang! Bang!
Two explosions shattered the air.
Twin flares soared into the sky, bursting into brilliant color with a deafening crack.
The signal.
But... it didn’t co from them.
It ca from the center of the island.
---
"...They reached an agreent?!"
Darui stared in disbelief.
"No! Impossible!" Kitsuchi barked, his expression twisted in shock. "Gato’s dead! Without the Shipping Chamber of Comrce acting as a broker, how could they have ford an alliance?!"
---
It was a reasonable doubt.
)
Ninjas, by nature, are wary—distrustful of those outside their own village.
They rarely form bonds without solid, tangible benefit.
If peace could be achieved so easily, the shinobi world would’ve been united long ago.
Yet... they couldn’t deny what they were hearing.
Cheers.
Shouts.
Unified roars of triumph echoing from all across the island.
And Ryosuke—he saw everything.
From his new position near a ruined fishing village on the edge of the central castle, Ryosuke observed it all through his Byakugan.
He had moved here after spreading his battlefield net.
And now, at the rear of the Allied forces, he stood like a commander surveying a vast chessboard.
While he could only directly control the Hyuga under Hizashi’s command, that was more than enough.
As long as each Hyuga relayed his orders to their surrounding allies, Ryosuke could effectively coordinate the entire Allied Shinobi Army—managing its tempo, its flow, and its assault strategy.
It felt almost surreal.
Like orchestrating a live-action war ga—panoramic, dynamic, and ever-changing.
But it wasn’t just strategy.
It was responsibility.
Each Hyuga was a real person under his direction.
He couldn’t afford to be indifferent.
Every call, every calculated maneuver... had to minimize casualties without sacrificing the mission.
"The alliance plan has been confird. Reinforcents will join the battle shortly. This war is about to end. Spread the word—ignite the coalition’s final push."
As soon as Hyuga Hizashi and the other key leaders in the castle finalized the division of interests and officially signed the agreent, Ryosuke transmitted the ssage through the Hyuga network.
The net had been cast.
The enemy was entangled.
Now—it was ti to finish the job.
"Konoha shinobi, with ! Advance! Cut down every last one of these pirates!"
"Sunagakure! Regroup! Launch a full-scale counteroffensive!"
"Snow Ninja—prepare your strike formations!"
"Samurai—hold nothing back!"
One after another, the temporary commanders of each faction shed their hesitation.
Now that the alliance was official, they no longer needed to guard against their allies.
They moved forward as one.
Then, from the castle’s heart, two more flares rocketed into the sky.
Bang! Bang!
Ryosuke blinked, watching them burst overhead.
"...The second and third signal shots?"
The first signified the successful formation of the alliance.
But the second? The third?
He paused.
Then—
Sothing clicked.
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