Baki, who was almost sixteen, was already stronger than many veteran Jonin.
With the aid of Breathing Style and Qingshui's guidance in Wind Release and Swordplay, his future potential was expected to surpass the Elite Jonin level he was limited to in the original timeline. He'd at least reach near Kage-level, comparable to experts like Mitokado Homura of Konoha Village.
If he was lucky enough in the future to master a forbidden jutsu of the caliber of White Secret Technique or Flying Thunder God that was compatible with him, there was a good chance he could advance even further.
Sasori's potential was also undeniable; he was currently stronger and more formidable than in the original timeline.
Though not yet fourteen, with one Silver Horn, one Hiruko, and several other Puppets, Sasori's strength was already sufficient to surpass a significant number of Elite Jonin.
The Puppet Force in this current team was led by Sasori.
This group, along with Karura, who was currently assisting Chiyo, was expected to form Qingshui's senior leadership team when he eventually became the Fourth Kazekage.
Inside the conference room.
Fukami Senran, Pakura, Sasori, Baki, and a portion of the Jonin who weren't currently on missions had gathered here.
In the center of the large round table was a detailed sand table, meticulously simulating the topography and town strongholds of most of the area from the eastern Land of Wind to the western Land of Fire.
"Everyone's here? I'll start by briefly outlining the current situation and intelligence."
Qingshui scanned the conference room. Seeing that everyone except himself and Rasa had arrived, he took the main seat and began.
"First, as confirmed by the intelligence division, Konoha has deployed at least five thousand troops in the Hyakkawa City area to establish a defensive line protecting the Land of Fire's border. The commander is expected to be Jiraiya or Orochimaru."
"Secondly, you should have just received the news that the vanguard unit led by Rasa was ambushed by Orochimaru in the East Water River area. The enemy force is estimated to be around 1,500, mostly elite ninja of Chunin rank or higher."
As Qingshui spoke, the sand table below lit up with holographic projections illustrating his words.
This was actually something Sasori had developed himself, using the principles of Genjutsu.
After realizing that computer software modeling on a screen felt somewhat lacking, Sasori combined it with Genjutsu to create this holographic projection-like display.
However, it couldn't yet be interacted with via infrared like other holographic methods; it was merely a VR-like holographic display.
Of course, it still appeared very intuitive.
"Everyone, please look at the terrain. Hyakkawa City is built against the mountains on the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Fire. It's strategically located and easy to defend, with multiple rivers and waterfalls within the city, ensuring no risk of water supply being cut off.
The East Water River is not far from Hyakkawa City; even a Genin can reach it in an hour. Although there are no high mountains behind the river, there's a vast swamp forest. The terrain is complex, with a dense network of rivers, and it extends broadly all the way to the Land of Fire's border.
If we attack Hyakkawa City, Orochimaru will move to contain or attack us, forcing us to divert a significant portion of our forces to guard against him. If we decide to prioritize dealing with Orochimaru, they can retreat into the forest, leveraging the reconnaissance capabilities of clans like Hyuga, Aburame, and Inuzuka to circle us and fight a guerrilla war within the forest.
And we would still need to leave enough forces to guard against the defenders inside Hyakkawa City."
Through the holographic map and Qingshui's analysis, Konoha's strategy for this defensive line became very clear.
It was an excellent strategic plan, designed by someone with considerable wisdom and courage.
It looked quite risky, demanding high standards for the personnel quality of the stationed unit and the capabilities of its leader.
But in reality, as long as Orochimaru was capable enough, the plan's feasibility was very high—simple yet interconnected, adapting to the local conditions.
It was highly likely that Orochimaru himself had devised this plan.
Rasa stared at the holographic map, stroking his chin in deep thought, but couldn't come up with a solution.
His mind only knew two types of plans: infiltration and assassination. If assassination failed, then a frontal assault.
Qingshui didn't rush to speak, instead looking at the people gathered.
Sasori glanced coolly at the map and said:
"The main attack direction cannot be Orochimaru. His team can flee at any time, giving him the initiative. If we're going to fight, we must attack Hyakkawa City. Regardless of whether Orochimaru is outside, this city will always be a bone we have to gnaw."
Qingshui nodded slightly.
Sasori's view was the same as his.
"Sasori is right. Orochimaru's move is an overt one, leaving us with few choices. Attacking Hyakkawa City directly is currently the best option. At the very least, it keeps the initiative on our side. As long as our forces can establish an absolute advantage against Hyakkawa City, then no matter how brilliant Orochimaru's tactical arrangements are, it will just be a waste of time."
Pakura interjected at this point:
"Then who will be responsible for guarding against Orochimaru, who could attack from other directions at any time during our battle?"
"I'll handle it personally. My mobility is the strongest. No matter which direction Orochimaru attacks from, I can arrive to block him immediately. I can't guarantee I can eliminate Orochimaru, but I can at least cripple him and severely damage his unit's structure, that shouldn't be a problem."
Qingshui replied.
Hearing this, Sasori's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "What about the main battlefront? Isn't it time to deploy those new things? With Jiraiya and a large number of Konoha ninja defending, the old tactics won't be enough to suppress them."
"Indeed, it's time for the Konoha ninja to experience the taste of Fear Toxin and Ice Bomb. And the Semi-Automatic Puppet Line, it hasn't had a large-scale practical exercise yet, has it? Well, no need for exercises, let's just put it to the test directly."
Qingshui smiled faintly, answering.
...
...
The next day, early morning.
The Sand Hidden vanguard unit had completed its rest and rejoined the main force, beginning its advance towards Hyakkawa City.
At the edge of the forest behind the East Water River.
Dewdrops dripped from the broad green leaves.
A small white phosphorus snake watched curiously as an insect flew in from a distance, flicking its pink tongue.
The insect landed on a young Aburame Clan ninja, dressed in a long, brownish-gray hooded cloak and wearing sunglasses.
Then came a second, and a third.
"Shiro, what's the situation?"
Orochimaru emerged from the woods, dressed in a white kimono, and asked the young Aburame Clan ninja.
"Lord Orochimaru, the main force of Sand Hidden has already set out and is expected to arrive at Hyakkawa City very soon."
"Their entire army? And their main camp has been moved directly to attack Hyakkawa City?"
"Yes, the Destructive Insects haven't detected any Chakra fluctuations near the old camp of Sand Hidden's main force."
Aburame Shiro reported to Orochimaru.
The latter's slender eyebrows twitched, and he furrowed his brow slightly.
"More decisive than I expected. Send word to prepare for departure. Also, if we encounter Sand Hidden's Separation Release Qingshui on the battlefield, we are permitted to avoid him directly."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."
Aburame Shiro didn't hesitate and walked away.
Meanwhile, a thin, middle-aged ninja emerged from the other side and questioned Orochimaru:
"Orochimaru, what exactly did you encounter in the Land of Iron last time that makes you so wary of Sand Hidden's Qingshui?"
Orochimaru's face darkened.
Could he say that in the Land of Iron, he not only lost a bunch of things and failed to get the Kusanagi Sword, but was also set up by Qingshui and Hanzo, becoming the mantis that caught the cicada, only to almost be swallowed by the oriole?
"His strength shouldn't be underestimated. Although he's very young, in terms of danger, he poses a greater threat to me than even Hanzo. No matter how cautious we are, it's worth it."
Orochimaru mused for two seconds before answering.
"Caution is good, but Lord Orochimaru, I hope you won't forget Lord Danzō's instructions. If you can achieve a sufficiently impressive victory in this far-reaching war, Lord Danzō can put you in the Hokage position."
"Danzō is one thing, but what right do you have to lecture me, Shimura Genichi?"
Orochimaru's face turned cold. He stared at the middle-aged ninja with sinister eyes, emitting the unique cold, eerie aura of a snake, which was chilling.
"My apologies, Lord Orochimaru!"
Shimura Genichi lowered his head.
"Sand Hidden is no longer the Sand Hidden of ten years ago; it's a powerful ninja village with strength comparable to Konoha. With the forces we have, it will be difficult to defeat them in a short time. In fact, even a slight misstep could lead to defeat. What we need to ensure now is not victory, but not losing first!
We need to entangle, probe, contain, and stall. While ensuring we don't lose, we must figure out all of their strengths and methods before we can consider our next move more securely, rather than just charging in head-on.
Don't tell me Danzō didn't even teach you this."
Orochimaru looked at Shimura Genichi, who was bowing his head in acknowledgment, and couldn't be bothered to say anything more. With a cold snort, he headed towards the already assembled troops.
Hyakkawa City.
It was located on the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Fire, with the city built against a mountain.
As a defensive stronghold for the Land of Fire in the direction of the Land of Wind, this was naturally a military stronghold.
The architecture inside and outside the city was naturally different from other conventional cities, with everything built around military defense.
The city had no shortage of water sources and had stored large quantities of food, fodder, and conventional military supplies. The city walls were tall, and to prevent them from being easily destroyed by Earth Release, they were constructed from specially treated masonry that had a rough Chakra reaction.
However, the city walls weren't the key.
For ninjas, city walls were just a minor inconvenience.
The key was that there were multiple nodes on top of the city walls. As long as a few Sealing Squads were present, they could rotate, maintaining a sealing barrier for extended periods.
One of the most important functions of this city was to support this barrier.
"It's indeed tough to fight. If we don't have an absolute advantage in power, it really could hold off most conventional ninja forces for a long time."
Looking at the large city in the distance, almost merged with the mountains, Qingshui waved his hand slightly, giving the order to attack.
In the distance, on the city wall.
Jiraiya leaned his hands on the raised part of the city wall, his eyes fixed on a small dot appearing on the distant plain.
That was the large army of Sand Hidden ninjas. Even several thousand people, seen from a distance at a high vantage point, were just a small outline.
The two sides were far apart, not within the range of conventional combat engagement.
"The barrier has been raised, Lord Jiraiya. What should we do next?"
"Let's stay put for now. Sand Hidden is inexplicably staying so far away from us, but no matter what their scheme is, we just need to hold our ground and cooperate with Orochimaru's harassment and containment."
Jiraiya had some doubts, then said firmly.
The current distance between the two sides was several miles.
This attack range was beyond the reach of most ninjas. Even a combined Ninjutsu performed by an entire allied ninja force would struggle to reach it.
What was Sand Hidden's intention in staying so far away?
Could it be that they're deploying a Jinchuriki to launch Tailed Beast Bombs from a distance to bombard the barrier?
The next second, however, missiles trailing flames flew out from the Sand Hidden military formation, arcing through the air before plummeting onto the protective barrier.
The translucent surface of the barrier rippled slightly, appearing largely unaffected for now.
Jiraiya's expression, however, was grim.
The good news: the enemy hadn't deployed a Jinchuriki.
The bad news: even without a Jinchuriki, they seemed to have a way to deplete, or even break, the city's protective barrier without direct engagement.
If these rockets continued to bombard it, the barrier would eventually be breached.
"There's no Chakra signature. Are these simply cannonballs made with gunpowder? Their power and range are surprisingly impressive. Is this the Sand Village's so-called new Puppetry?"
Jiraiya calmed himself slightly.
Since the Sand Hidden ninja were using these cannonballs for the siege now, it likely meant they had a large reserve of them, enough to directly wear down this barrier until it broke.
Historically, Konoha and the Sand Village had fought here more than once, so Sand Hidden undoubtedly knew the defensive capabilities of this barrier.
"How much longer can the barrier hold?"
Jiraiya asked a Sealing Squad ninja beside him, who was maintaining the barrier.
"The enemy's attack frequency is very high. The Sealing Squad can rotate, but the damaged seals will need to be repaired approximately every two hours. However, the barrier cannot be maintained while repairs are underway."
"Two hours, huh? I doubt it can last that long. And this is just Sand Hidden's first move."
Jiraiya sighed softly.
A choice lay before him.
Should he cooperate with Orochimaru, attacking from both inside and out, to try and destroy the Sand Village's projectile-launching tools and close the combat distance between them?
There was no other option. The opponent's attack range was too great, and that alone forced Jiraiya and his allies to abandon the advantage of defending the city.
If they didn't do this, they could only wait for the barrier to be breached.
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// beta.randomtranslator.com/
Read 1111+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский at: https:// beta.randomtranslator.com/
Join our Discord: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------