"Someone actually dares to oppose the orders of the village's top brass?!"
"Who is this person?"
"I don't know, but it looks like he's siding with the Red-Hot Habanero."
Kurama's voice carried his objection clearly.
The gathered Konoha shinobi immediately erupted into hushed murmurs.
If this situation wasn't resolved soon, it could disrupt the entire chain of command.
Sarutobi Yaomaru's expression darkened.
He was ready to take action.
If such insubordination remained unchecked in the ranks, it would shake the army's morale.
However, before he could make a move—
Kushina stepped forward.
She twirled a strand of her vibrant red hair between her fingers, bringing it to her nose and inhaling with a knowing smirk.
"I refuse to take part in this mission. There's too much we don't know—it reeks of a trap."
She then turned to her subordinates with a sharp gaze.
"If you trust me, don't go."
An uproar followed her declaration.
If it had been an ordinary shinobi objecting, they could have been dismissed as insignificant.
But Uzumaki Kushina was different.
Her name had become legend in this war, her title—the Red-Hot Habanero—spoken with both awe and fear.
Her leadership had crushed countless Iwa forces, her tactics leaving over five thousand Rock shinobi dead in their wake.
Those under her command trusted her completely.
She had never led them to defeat before—why would she start now?
The tension was palpable.
"What should we do?"
"Kushina-sama, are you openly defying the command of your superiors?"
"Ninjas put their missions above all else!"
Many still sided with Sarutobi Yaomaru.
They understood the risks of disobeying direct orders.
To refuse would be treason. They would be hunted down, branded as traitors of the village.
Sarutobi Yaomaru's patience had run out.
He knew how influential Kushina was.
His voice thundered across the encampment.
"Uzumaki Kushina! Do you intend to defy the orders of your superiors?!"
On the battlefield, obedience was paramount.
Betraying orders was no different from betraying the village itself.
But Kushina remained unmoved.
"You can go if you want," she said with a casual shrug, "but I won't."
Her indifference stoked Yaomaru's fury.
Just then, another voice rang out—
"The Uchiha clan will not participate in this mission."
Uchiha Mikoto stood firm, her sharp gaze sweeping across the assembled shinobi.
A moment later, another voice followed—
"The Hyūga clan will also stand down."
Hyūga Hikari declared, stepping beside Mikoto.
The Uchiha and Hyūga clans operated differently from the average Konoha shinobi.
They answered only to their clan heads.
And now, the heads of both clans had openly refused to comply.
The effect was immediate.
All murmuring ceased.
A chill ran through the assembled shinobi.
The war hadn't even begun, yet a civil dispute was already breaking out.
Sarutobi Yaomaru clenched his fists in anger.
This was Kushina's doing.
Because of her, both the Uchiha and Hyūga clans had abandoned the mission.
His position as commander-in-chief was now being undermined in front of the entire army.
Humiliated, Yaomaru roared—
"Arrest them!"
"Wait!"
Nara Shikaku's voice cut through the tension.
"We can't afford infighting before facing the enemy."
The Nara clan, known for their strategic minds, often served as military advisors.
And Shikaku had his own reasons for stepping in.
"Lord Yaomaru," Namikaze Minato added, stepping beside Shikaku, "we should put aside internal conflicts for now. Even without the Uchiha and Hyūga clans, we have enough manpower."
Indeed, the absence of the two clans meant losing around three thousand shinobi.
But the total army still numbered over twenty thousand.
They had defeated Suna's forces without the Uchiha or Hyūga before.
They could do it again.
Yaomaru exhaled sharply.
He wanted nothing more than to punish Kushina and the others immediately.
But now wasn't the time.
Fine.
Let them stay behind.
He would return victorious and rub the success in their faces.
Then, when they returned to Konoha, the village elders would deal with the Uchiha and Hyūga accordingly.
"Hmph. We don't need you to win."
With that, Yaomaru finalized the strategy.
A pre-dawn surprise attack on the enemy's base camp.
Minato saw no reason to doubt the Third Hokage's intelligence reports.
A swift strike would end the war in one fell swoop.
Shikaku also supported the move.
Even if it weren't an official order, the opportunity was too good to pass up.
Now or never.
Sarutobi Yaomaru led over sixteen thousand Konoha shinobi toward the enemy's encampment on the Forgotten Red Island.
Included in this force were the Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Inuzuka, Aburame, and Sarutobi clans.
Many shinobi had doubts.
But refusing would be tantamount to insubordination.
Some went purely out of duty.
Some went because the battle promised high rewards.
Bloodshed was inevitable.
Those who remained numbered just under five thousand.
Aside from the Uchiha and Hyūga clans, other Konoha shinobi who had fought alongside Kushina, Mikoto, and Hikari also chose to stay.
Among them, over two thousand trusted their commanders more than the village elders.
Uchiha Fugaku hesitated before approaching Mikoto.
"Clan Head," he knelt, his voice uncertain, "I worry for Minato's safety. Please grant me permission to go."
Mikoto studied him for a long moment before nodding.
"If you must, then go. But be careful."
Fugaku bowed deeply, then rushed to rejoin the departing army.
Kushina watched him leave with a chuckle.
"Hah. That Fugaku's really something, huh?"
Kurama narrowed his eyes.
"Kushina, do you think they'll return?"
She turned to him with a smirk.
"I don't know," she said. "We'll find out soon enough."
If Kurama had gone with them, the battle would have been over in an instant.
No matter what traps awaited them, he could have shattered them all.
But he had no intention of doing so.
The Third Hokage's arrogance would cost him dearly.
A heavy price would be paid for this order.
The Forgotten Red Island was already a graveyard waiting to be filled.
—
"Lord Ao! Sarutobi Yaomaru is leading the Konoha army in an assault!"
"What?!"
Ao's eyes widened in shock.
They weren't planning to attack Konoha.
Yet Konoha had come knocking first?
Clearly, the enemy had discovered their location.
But Ao did not panic.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had been expecting this.
And they had a special surprise waiting for the Konoha army…
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1st Bonus Chapter - 500 Power Stones
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