Chapter 301: 294: Infancy
The Land of Winds, Sand Dunes located in the Northwest.
On the endless yellow sand, a circular base building with an unusually large scale rose from the ground.
The outer layer was built with hard, special stone materials, which could effectively prevent bombardnt from explosive tags and ninjutsu. The 20-ter high wall kept everything inside tightly confidential, making it impossible for outsiders to peek inside.
On the tall and thick walls of the base, a ninja from the Land of Demons stood guard, keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding desert scene to prevent potential enemy raids.
Above the vast circular base, a spherical light film shimred under the sun’s refraction, casting a faint blue glow. It was a barrier which served to thwart infiltration and intercept ezplosive tags and ninjutsu. This protective barrier extended not only across the sky but also enveloped the underground area. It facilitated rapid rescue operations for the Land of Demons’ ninjas in case of an air strike or underground infiltration.
However, this base had only completed its outermost protective layer for the ti being. The various buildings inside were still under frenzied construction. These construction materials had been prepared years ago, ready to be used to completely blockade this area and establish firm control once they invaded the Land of Wind.
Since overcoming the support troops led by the Fourth Kazekage, Suna’s frequent small-scale harassnt occurred, yet large-scale invasions were absent. Suna aid to test the Land of Demons’ next strategy through these repeated small-scale operations.
Having lost the advantage, Suna adopted a cautious approach. For example, how many ninja from the Land of Demons had invaded the Land of Wind, whether there were air troops among them, how many Jonin were present, whether Chiba Shiraishi and Hyuga Ayane had arrived alongside Uchiha Ruri - these were all unknown and dangerous factors for Suna.
Despite various small-scale squad harassnts, approaching the tall military base remained impossible. Ninja Eagles attempting aerial reconnaissance were t with explosives fired from the base, shattering in mid-air.
The more this was the case, the more Suna wondered about the purpose of the military base established by the Land of Demons in the northwest Land of Wind. They could not figure out the Land of Demons’ intentions or what secrets were hidden inside that base.
There were 2,000 ninjas led by Ruri who entered the Land of Wind’s territory. Among them, a hundred were adept at construction, they rapidly built the base into an impregnable fortress.
Accompanying the army were ninjas from the Uzumaki clan who were skilled in sealing and barrier, maintaining the outer protective barrier. On the high wall were ninjas from the Hyuga who stood by, conducting all-around investigations of approaching Suna ninjas, recording their movents, and intervening if necessary.
The base’s orderly construction marked the initial step in temporarily establishing the Land of Demons’ presence on the land of the Land of Wind. The subsequent phase aid to expand jurisdiction until full control over the northwestern region of the Land of Wind was achieved, anticipating a strong counterattack from Suna and an inevitable large-scale battle.
In her office, Ruri unfolded a detailed map of the Land of Wind. On the map, all towns and main roads of the Land of Wind were clearly marked.
Currently, the army had seized the northwestern part of the Land of Wind, adjacent to the Land of Honey and Bears. The challenge now was determining the next steps in their march and ensuring that the captured territories wouldn’t be reclaid by Suna... a more complex problem.
Compared to the vast expanse of the Land of Wind, their forces were insufficient to annex extensive territories. Even if captured, defending such areas would be challenging. A prolonged route would create issues with the supply line in the rear. Ruri believed Suna was already contemplating how to sever the supply line of the Land of Demons.
The only positive news was that the Land of Wind remained unaware that the power of the Land of Demons had infiltrated the lower-level areas of the Land of Bears. High-level officials were also part of this infiltration, alleviating concerns about the rear supply.
The concern now was not to lengthen the in-depth route. The goal of the Land of Demons was only to invade the northwest region of the Land of Wind, not the entire territory.
Prolonging the in-depth route would only infinitely extend the battle situation, dragging the Land of Demons into the entire battlefield of the Land of wind. A prolonged stalemate would harm the Land of Demons without providing any benefits.
Therefore, the next strategy was clear: "fast and ruthless" fighting while steadily occupying the rich resource area in the northwest of the Land of Wind. The subsequent step involved bringing the Land of Wind to the negotiating table to end the war initiated by them.
However, to secure a dominant advantage at the negotiating table and force the Land of Wind.to cede land, a decisive blow against Suna was necessary to make them feel the pain. This constituted a deterrent by force.
Honestly, if killing the Kazekage beca unavoidable, Ruri would prefer the Fourth Kazekage falling on the battlefield directly, creating a deterrent effect on Suna. While quick and cost-effective, letting the fourth Kazekage die on the battlefield would achieve deterrence but likely lead to a strong backlash from Suna, resulting in a fight to the death with the Land of Demons. Hence, milder ans were preferable.
Just then, the office door opened, and an Oni ninja entered.
"Ruri-sama, Shiraishi-sama has arrived." The ninja announced.
Ruri nodded. "Understood, I’ll be there right away."
The battle with Suna proved more complicated than imagined, and Shiraishi’s arrival could relieve much of the pressure.
As Ruri stepped outside, she spotted Shiraishi’s figure from a distance. Behind him, accompanied by a tal robot, was Destroyer 001. Alongside were his wind clone and the new yang clone, with the yin clone, as usual, concealed in his shadow.
While the other three clones likely had other things to do, these four cpuld provide powerful support. Especially, the uang clone, appearing harmless, he possessed abilities and nature that might not be benign. In essence, he was the most dangerous among all Shiraishi’s clones.
Ruri herself preferred not to deal with him.
Approaching Ruri, Shiraishi inquired, "I didn’t have ti to ask before I ca, how is the situation here?"
"Let’s talk while walking." Ruri replied, leading Shiraishi to her office. She continued, "The Fourth Kazekage has assembled about 5,000 ninjas, setting up a camp in the desert 30 miles south. Recently, they’ve been coming here in small groups to harass this side. At the sa ti, they are exploring supply routes behind us."
For Suna, discovering the secret supply line of the Land of Demons troops was crucial during war. Disrupting the supply line would interfere with their deploynt, it was a strategic aspect that couldn’t be ignored.
"You noticed as well? Well, it’s expected. I’m here to bring you good news and bad news. Which one would you like to hear first?" Shiraishi asked with a smile.
Ruri frowned and said, "Let’s hear the bad news first."
Shiraishi smiled, "Konoha has already planned to join forces with Suna. Although they aren’t supporting with a large army, they ford a small-scale elite force who would be joining forces with Suna, aiming to eradicate us."
"What about the good news?" Ruri wasn’t surprised by this. Konoha’s actions were expected, not necessarily bad news.
"The good news is that I already know the mbers of the Konoha elite unit reinforcing Suna."
"The second one isn’t good news at all, is it?" Ruri rolled her eyes at Shiraishi.
"At least we can make preparations in advance, can’t we?"
"I don’t think there’s any effective counterplan under such circumstances. After all, Konoha and Suna are united. Even I will find it difficult." Ruri sighed.
The situation was still challenging. The opponents included not only Suna but also Konoha, a formidable adversary. If it were just Suna, the Land of Demons could handle it, but with Konoha involved, the confidence waned.
Ayane couldn’t act rashly now; she needed to guard the rear against Kumo and Iwa.
"Are you worried?"
"No, I just feel my blood boiling." Ruri replied bluntly. The thought of facing so many powerful enemies made her blood boil with excitent.
"It really looks like your style. But don’t worry too much because this ti I brought more than one killer weapon, although after using it, there will be a long cooling period." Shiraishi said aningfully.
"Do you want to do that?" Ruri narrowed her eyes.
Shiraishi was silent for a mont, then let out a breath. "There is no way to do it... However, I will judge the situation. Maybe I won’t be able to use that thing. Immature jutsus still have great risks, and..." Shiraishi hesitated, clenching his fists tightly.
Ruri didn’t say anything; whatever he planned to do, she was ready to be an ’accomplice.’
....
"Strange, where is the supply point behind the Land of Demons?"
In the Suna camp, ninjas, led by the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, gathered in a simple tent eting room to discuss the next tactical arrangents.
For Suna, cutting off the supply line of the Land of Demons was the best way to ensure victory. The aim was to drive their ninjas out of the Land of Wind swiftly, relocate the battlefield to a different country, and minimize losses for the Nation of Wind.
In past ninja wars, Suna never had the habit of fighting in their own country; usually, battles occurred in other smaller countries. It was considered a failure on the part of the Kazekage to allow the Land of Demons troops to establish roots in the northwest region of the Land of Wind.
"If it’s to ensure the smooth operation of the supply line, it’s not realistic to directly cross the Land of Bears or the Country of Honey. In that case, the supply line would be too long, and there’s no protection area for transit, which is prone to problems." A Jōnin made a speech.
After all, crossing territories of different countries was unrealistic. During the third ninja war, from Sunagakure to the Land of Rain, two supply transfer areas were established to prevent the supply line from being damaged by enemy ninjas.
To ensure the logistics supply, the Land of Demons must have set up a transit area in the middle, and the only feasible locations were the two Land of Bears and Hoy. Most Jōnin agreed, understanding the logistical challenges. Rasa also found the reasoning sensible.
Extending the supply line without setting up a transit area would indeed be prone to problems.
The Land of Demons’ provocation against the Land of Wind must have been planned for a long ti. Since it was a long-planned sche, they wouldn’t take the risky path of lengthening the supply line.
Moreover, the Land of Demons’ army was able to construct an extrely strong military fortress on the sand dunes in the northwest within a very short period, blocking the advance of Suna’s attack. It was evident that the Land of Demons prioritized the issue of supply lines.
Rasa was also surprised by the logistical efficiency of the Land of Demons. Why did the Land of Wind not receive any news after nurous supplies were delivered? From the onset, Rasa had this doubt.
Uchiha Ruri, leading a large number of ninjas from the Land of Demons to invade the Land of Wind, managed to avoid detection by Baki’s vanguard troops infiltrating the Land of Wind silently. How did the Land of Demons troops operate so covertly and swiftly? What thods did they employ, and what route did they take?
Suna’s patrol team seed to have overlooked certain aspects of the problem, leading to disadvantages in the early stage. The more he thought about it, the more complications Rasa felt, causing him a headache.
Rasa has no idea how to cut off the supply line or break through the strong fortress that the Land of Demons built on the sand dunes in the northwest.
"It seems that I have to seek help from thr Daimyo. I sent envoys to the Land of Honey and Bears to et their daimyos. With their assistance, I hope to identify the transit supply point of the Land of Demons that might be hidden in their territories."
Since it was uncertain which country the Land of Demons had chosen for the transit area of their supplies, perhaps sowhere within the territory of the two countries, eting with the daimyo of both countries had beco necessary.
Rasa wasn’t worried that the leaders of the two countries wouldn’t cooperate with Suna’s operation. He believed that with rational explanations and emotional appeals, the Daimyo would understand Suna’s intentions, similar to their cooperation with the Land of Rain in the past.
All the Jōnin within had no objection to Rasa’s arrangent, although it wass more complicated, in the short term, they won’t be able to expel the ninjas from the Land of Demons. The enemy’s strength and numbers were unknown, and uncertainties about the air force that wiped out the 1,000 Suna ninjas led by Baki added to the challenges. Any mistake could cause significant damage to Suna.
It had been a while since they’ve gone all out to study an enemy’s battle plan on the battlefield. In the past, this level of seriousness only occurred when facing ninja villages the sa major country. Against ninjas from smaller countries, they had always relied on absolute strength and force. However, this thod proved ineffective against the Land of Demons. They needed to adopt a steady offensive strategy.
At this ti, a Suna ninja entered reporting to Rasa: "Kazekage-sama, the Konoha support force led by Jiraiya-sama has arrived."
Hearing the report, the Suna ninjas, including Rasa, relaxed. Konoha’s reinforcents finally arrived.
With Konoha’s assistance, Suna’s situation will improve. Although Konoha was a strong opponent as an enemy, as an ally, there’s probably no more reassuring reinforcent in the ninja world than Konoha.
Despite so complaints from the elders, who consider this Suna’s business and believed Konoha shouldn’t be involved, Rasa understood their sentints. The retired Chiyo siblings seem critical of this decision, but Rasa could still comprehend their viewpoint.
Fortunately, the two have retired, and their opinions were more of casual conversations. Considering the current predicant Suna was facing, joining forces with Konoha is the best solution.
"I’ll go and et them in person."
During this period of cooperation, Rasa didn’t want to assu airs of Kazekage. Jiraiya’s strength, as one of the Sannin, was undeniable. In terms of seniority, he was a generation higher than him the Kasekage.
Moreover, sending a Sannin indicated Konoha’s sincerity in this cooperation and their firm attitude towards zero tolerance of traitors.
Before Konoha’s support troops arrived, Rasa was worried about whether Konoha would be perfunctory, sending only a few unknown Jōnin to gather numbers without intending to cooperate. Hearing that Jiraiya also ca in person, Rasa was genuinely relieved.
.....
"Thank you very much for your assistance, Jiraiya-san. I am relieved to see you coming." Rasa said solemnly as he shook Jiraiya’s hand, expressing his gratitude for the Konoha ninja.
Jiraiya also replied with a smile: "You flatter
too much, Kazekage-sama. Frankly, it was Konoha’s failure to thoroughly pursue the rogue ninjas that led to this situation. Our support for Suna aims to make ands for our past oversights."
Rasa nodded, glancing at the ninja accompanying Jiraiya. His gaze lingered on Sarutobi Takashi and Sarutobi Masaki as he seed to recognize their identities.
Though officially secret as Anbu mbers, the two were not only director and deputy director of Konoha Anbu but also direct relatives of the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, making them quite prominent figures. As Kazekage, Rasa would naturally know of them even without access to detailed information.
Not only was a Sannin sent over, but the Anbu minister and deputy minister also served as reinforcents to assist Suma. Rasa beca more confident in the upcoming battle with the Land of Demons.
"Speaking of which, hasn’t the other Sannin Tsunade co as well?"
Tsunade wasn’t found in the crowd, so Rasa asked softly. In fact, compared to Jiraiya, he hoped Tsunade would co to support Suna. There was no better reason than the vital importance of dical ninja in war. As the number one dical ninja in the ninja world, Tsunade’s participation would greatly reduce Suna’s casualties.
Jiraiya expected that Rasa would have such doubts, so he could only say: "Tsunade has other important tasks to deal with, she could not co as reinforcents. Please forgive us, Kazekage-sama."
Rasa secretly thought it was a pity but still smiled, "No matter. I’m asking too much. Please co in with , Jiraiya-san and Sarutobi-san. Regarding strategy against the Land of Demons, I wish to hear your suggestions to see if anything needs addressing."
"Of course."
Jiraiya agreed readily. He asked the other Konoha ninja to follow Suna’s staff and rest while he followed Rasa into the eting room with Takashi and Masaki to discuss their next moves.
....
Into the night
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. In the desert, Shiraishi enjoyed the serene night view with a smile on his face. He never had the chance to appreciate such a spectacular and beautiful scenery in the territory of the Land of Demons.
Shiraishi looked down, tilting his head up slightly to get a panoramic view of the camp hidden in the sand dunes in the distance. In the camp, a bonfire burned brightly, illuminating the area and dispelling the cold.
The night air in the desert was a bit chilly and Shiraishi felt a slight chill, but as a ninja it was still bearable. Although he wanted to enjoy the scenic desert nightscape longer, there were more pressing matters to attend to.
"Go." He said.
With that, two figures took to the sky.
Ayu and Destroyer 001 had powerful wind manipulation abilities. Under Shiraishi’s direction, they flew towards the Suna camp in the distance to launch an aerial attack.
Beside Shiraishi, the white-haired boy held his spear with both hands, softly snoring as he dozed. The night breeze ruffled his unkempt hair while he blew bubbles from his nostrils, seemingly lost in sweet dreams.
Ruri’s footsteps approached as she ca up beside Shiraishi, eyeing Ayu and Destroyer 001 who had beco black specks in the sky. She turned to him and asked, "Should this child go with them too?"
Shiraishi smiled affectionately at the dozing boy, stroking his hair. "It would be better to save his grand entrance for later on. There’s no need to show of his abilities yet when there’s no one to impress. Don’t you agree, Kosei?"
The bubbles popping roused the boy from his slumber. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, glancing confusedly at Shiraishi. Although unsure of what his respected father just said, he knew if Shiraishi thought so, then he must be right.
"Yes, Father." Kosei said, his childish yet ominous words hanging in the air. "Enemies...destroy them all."
Reviews
All reviews (0)