Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage of Konoha Village, at that critical moment when the conflict first unfolded in the Land of Wind, was haunted deep within his heart by lingering fears from the Second Ninja War.
This fear felt like an invisible chain, gripping his thoughts and clouding his judgment. In managing relations between the Five Great Villages, he feared igniting war and became overly cautious and conservative.
When crucial intel came pouring into his hands, his excessively conservative response caused a brief hesitation—a fleeting moment which the Land of Wind swiftly seized upon.
It not only emboldened the ambitions of the Land of Wind but also provided them with an opening. The commander of the Land of Wind quickly noticed the numerous weak spots in Konoha's Border Defense Unit due to insufficient manpower. Exploiting their numerical advantage, they launched an assault like a storm, easily breaking through the frontline base which had seemed impregnable.
This sudden blow fell like a boulder crashing into a calm lake, sending ripples surging outward. After securing victory in the first battle, the Sand-nin's ambition surged even more powerfully—like a beast awakened from slumber, eyes gleaming greedily, as if longing to devour Konoha entirely.
Turning back to Konoha Village, this sudden attack threw the entire village into shock. Yet, Hiruzen Sarutobi, a master politician, did not panic in the face of such a severe crisis. At the moment he received the news, though regret churned inside him, he resolutely chose to accept this harsh reality.
Knowing the consequences of his mistake all too well, he immediately devised a countermeasure. His ability to fix things even after the damage was done showed itself fully now. He dispatched a team of experienced and powerful ninja, led by Anbu units, who rushed to the frontlines like brave warriors without delay.
These ninja carried heavy burdens on their shoulders, driven by boundless loyalty toward Konoha. They quickly linked up with the surviving members of the Border Defense Unit who had retreated from the front. In that moment, it seemed as if a flame of hope rekindled at the frontline—their unity forged a new, solid defensive line based on unyielding determination and exceptional skill.
With the Sand-nin's reinforcements still on the way, the previous large-scale offensive had already consumed significant troops and resources. The drop in numbers was mainly because many were injured in the earlier battles and couldn't fight anymore, while reinforcements had yet to arrive.
Supply shortages arose for similar reasons—the prior engagement drained much of their reserves, and replacements had not yet reached them. Thus, as they attempted subsequent attacks, they found themselves somewhat lacking sufficient strength to sustain momentum.
During several consecutive attempts to launch new offensives, despite Rasa's outstanding leadership and extraordinary combat skills that showcased his remarkable capabilities, his subordinates lost the numerical advantage. Konoha had the advantage of defensive lines and was deploying vast resources without regard for cost, ultimately leading to failures in all these attacks.
On Konoha's side, after going through numerous difficulties, they finally managed to temporarily stabilize their newly constructed defensive line, giving Konoha's ninja a rare moment to regroup and hold an emergency meeting about the serious issues along the border regions.
Just as Konoha was busy stabilizing the defense and holding discussions, the Sand-nin were elated after successfully ambushing Konoha's border forces. To the Sand-nin, the vulnerable borderlands of the Land of Fire now seemed like an undefended jewel—pristine and ripe for the taking.
This sudden tremendous victory and easily accessible riches instantly ignited the deep-seated greed hidden within the hearts of the Sand-nin. Unable to resist such intense temptation, they transformed into ruthless robbers just like enraged wild beasts without hesitation.
Subsequently, these frenzied Sand-nin began wantonly plundering the interior regions of the Land of Fire, easily acquiring massive wealth through their savage methods while causing great harm to the civilians of the Land of Fire.
The endless stream of immense riches flooding into the hands of the Sand-nin and the Sand Village acted like a powerful stimulant, driving even more greed among those Sand-nin who had long been accustomed to poverty.
At this moment, the morale among the Sand-nin reached its peak. After all, even during the Second World War when the Sand-nin participated, they never dared carry out such bold actions as deeply invading the interior of the Land of Fire, let alone obtaining large quantities of spoils—something they could not even dare to imagine.
Precisely for this reason, Rasa's reputation within the Sand Village skyrocketed to previously unimaginable levels, with countless Sand-nin calling upon him to officially assume the position of Kazekage, hoping to leverage his unparalleled leadership to guide the Sand-nin toward an even brighter future.
As for Konoha, they barely managed to hold their brand-new defensive line at the moment—this already considered an impressive achievement made possible solely by the superior command skills and remarkable wisdom of the former border commander, Inuzuka Rō.
Precisely because of this, they were simply unable to organize effective counterattacks, only able to watch helplessly as the Sand-nin recklessly looted along the border regions. Any offensive action they attempted would immediately invite Rasa of the Sand to seize the opportunity, inflicting even greater damage upon Konoha.
When the Sand-nin launched brutal raids across the border regions of the Land of Fire, many nobles of the Land of Fire suffered devastating losses to their properties.
How could they simply endure such blatant aggression and robbery?
So, they banded together and headed straight to the Daimyo to vent their frustrations and formally complain about Konoha.
Driven by fury and a deep sense of injustice, they laid out the Sand-nin's atrocities in vivid detail before the Daimyo, hoping he would stand up for them and demand accountability from the supreme military commander of the Land of Fire.
At that moment, the Daimyo himself was just as furious—he hadn't escaped the damage either, and his businesses had taken a serious hit. Memories kept flooding his mind of how every year, he poured massive resources into funding Konoha's enormous military expenditures.
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