Upon entering the command post, Orochimaru sat at the head seat, and Nara Shikaku immediately assumed his role as an assistant.
He obediently stood by Orochimaru's side, handing over the prepared documents to the trio.
While Xin, Minato, and Nawaki were going through the documents and intel, Orochimaru leisurely started brewing tea, looking as though he planned to enjoy a couple of cups.
This war wasn't going to be easy.
As he read through the reports, Minato frowned. Kirigakure was too cunning, never engaging Konoha head-on, instead resorting to constant ambushes.
Since they held the initiative, Kirigakure could dictate the pace of battle, while Konoha was left passively responding. "Sensei, we're really on the back foot here," Nawaki said, feeling the weight of the situation. Xin quietly read, withholding any comments for now.
After finishing the tea, Orochimaru poured a cup for everyone, and Shikaku pushed the cups towards the trio.
"Yes, we are indeed at a disadvantage. The Land of Water is an island nation, while we are not. This means that Konoha lacks sufficient naval vessels, putting us on the back foot whenever a war comes to the sea," Orochimaru said slowly, sipping his tea with a slight smile. There wasn't the faintest hint of anxiety on his face.
After putting down the documents, Xin spoke up, having figured out Orochimaru's plan: "You want to break Kirigakure's chain of islands, right?"
Kirigakure had constructed military facilities across many small islands, precisely to prevent Konoha from using them as stepping stones for an invasion. No matter who held the initiative, if Konoha launched a direct attack on Kirigakure, Yagura would be forced to abandon his advantage and return to defend. At that point, Kirigakure would lose the upper hand.
Other than ambushing and disrupting the rear lines, they would no longer have any major advantages. Instead, they'd need to worry about defending against Konoha's full assault.
"Exactly," Orochimaru nodded, confirming Xin's guess. "I need a force capable of being the spearhead, breaking through Kirigakure's chain of islands, capturing some of them, and pushing ever closer to Kirigakure-forcing them into a head-on battle."
"This spearhead needs enough strength. If they're too weak or average, even if they do break through, they'll just find themselves in a crisis, unable to force a direct confrontation."
Classic Orochimaru-when he moved, it was always big and bold.
Xin couldn't help but admire his daring approach.
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