Sunagakure, In a conference room.
"The Land of Demons resistance is more violent than expected. I never expected Baki would be pinned down over there. Given the current circumstances, the strategy of of ending thid conflict within a month would be challenging."
The first speaker at the meeting was a rather elderly figure.
Baki had truthfully reported the difficulties their forces encountered in the conflict with Land of Demons. His letter was devoid of exaggeration or belittling, providing a precise and objective account of the situation on the Land of Demons battlefield.
This allowed rhe council present to more intuitively grasp the true strength of the Land of Demons. While the regular ninja troops of the Land of Demons, as seen in the group of debt collectors, had decent strength, their frontal combat ability was not comparable to that of Sunq.
It also revealed the true ace of the Land of Demons, their air force. Fifty ninjas, with the assistance of specialized flying weapon, could effectively hold down a thousand Suna ninjas under certain circumstances. This achievement was undeniably brilliant.
In the past, ninjas from the Land of Sky faced the official troops of the five major countries using similar flying equipments as well, but their theirs were far from being as exaggerated as the Land of Demons.
Strength was strength, and despite the Land of Demons' many weaknesses, the advantages of their ninja troops couldn't be overlooked.
"Baki is a pragmatic ninja, and his statements are generally not suspected of being exaggerated. Therefore, from the current standpoint, sending additional troops in advance is a critical move." Another elder expressed.
"And how many additional ninjas would be appropriate?" Another inquired.
All of them in the conference room fell into contemplation. According to the original plan, 2,000 to 3,000 ninjas were to be dispatched to conclude the battle with the Land of Demons' within a month.
However, the information Baki sent back revealed a significant disparity between the original plan and the current reality.
"One thousand... No, send another two thousand ninjas, and I will lead the team myself."
A voice suddenly resounded, leaving all visibly surprised.
"Kazekaze-sama?"
The speaker was the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa. He looked solemnly at all the high-level individuals present and exhaled lightly.
"This war shouldn't be prolonged. It needs to be resolved as soon as possible to prevent greater losses. Besides, my abilities will be greatly restricted in a water environment, and the sky is one natural habitats for my abilities. Let's decide on this."
Rasa's reasons made it challenging for the council to counter.
Rasa, as the Fourth Kazekage, was one of the most powerful ninjas in the world. As he mentioned, besides water environments, both the land and sky were his domains, enabling him to grasp the battle's rhythm effectively.
"Since Kazekage-sama has made this decision, then the guard work must be foolproof."
Concerning the issue of Kazekage participating in the battle, the council didn't find it noteworthy. In the ninja villages of the five major countries, except for Konoha and the absent Kiri from the first ninja world war, the Kages of Suna, Iwa, and Kumo were often active on the battlefield, personally leading their ninjas in fierce battles with their opponents.
While dangers and challenges might arise, the decision also significantly boosted the morale of their forces. Moreover, if proper defensive measures were implemented, the safety of Kazekage on the battlefield could be largely ensured, as long as they avoided reckless actions like the third generation of Raikage.
"That's correct; the situation on the battlefield is changing rapidly. Although Kazekage-sama is powerful, it's impossible to oversee all aspects. The number of guards has been increased to more than six. If there's a shortage, additional personnel will be dispatched from the Anbu masters."
Originally, three jounin were responsible for Kazekage's safety.
Each of them was a leading ninja in Suna, no weaker than Baki..
Considering the dynamic dangers of the battlefield, coupled with the Land of Demons' air force, whose depth couldn't be accurately gauged, the guard count has been raised to more than six, prioritizing Rasa's safety.
Rasa had no reason to decline these arrangements.
After all, the tragic example of the previous Kazekage lingered in his mind. He mysteriously disappeared from the village, and the real culprit remained unknown.
If the Jonin guards beside the Third Kazekage had been increased by at that time, the course of the third ninja world war might have been different.
Suna wouldn't have faced a prolonged stalemate with Konoha in the Land of Rain. Under the leadership of the third Kazekage, they could have launched a single, decisive attack on the Land of Fire.
"Okay, I'll leave it to you to dispatch people from the Anbu. I'm going to assemble the troops and make all the preparations before five o'clock tomorrow morning."
Time was of the essence; it was already three o'clock in the afternoon, leaving a limited window until five o'clock the next morning.
The duration Baki could endure was uncertain. To be cautious, leading the troops for a rapid reinforcement was imperative.
Regardless of the Land of Demons' hidden trump cards, once the Kazekage took action, any conspiracies and tricks becomes inconsequential in the face of absolute power.
.....
The Land of Bears, Hoshigakure.
On the surface, it appeared to be the original Hoshigakure, having undergone simple repairs. From the outside, it seemed like a small village with a relatively neat and orderly building structure.
Villages of this level were scattered throughout the five major countries. What was unknown was that the underground of Hoshigakure has already been hollowed out by the ninja engineering team from the Land of Demons'.
It was a vast underground town larger than Hoshigakure on the surface.
Military bases, schools, hospitals, shops, power supply facilities, concrete residential houses – everything was available.
The Uzumaki had even interfered with the entrances and exits, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to discover.
In the military area, Ruri wasn't confined to dealing with complicated affairs in the office; instead, she continued honing her ninjutsu in the training room.
Holding a dark red chakra sword, a split from her Susanoo. It didn't require activating her Mangekyou Sharingan to wield at will. The sword's hardness surpassed ordinary swords, it adjusted with the amount of chakra input. Subsequently, intense lightning enveloped the sword, further enhancing the power of the sword with lightning release.
Since awakening the Mangekyou Sharingan, Ruri had concentrated her research on transitioning from fire release to lightning release.
Lightning chakra infusion came easily to Ruri, who had been diligently training in lightning release.
With unwavering determination, Ruri vigorously swung her sword. A stone pillar before her bore witness to a white streak of light, displaying sword marks discernible to the naked eye. The stone pillar's upper portion tilted and eventually descended to the ground.
Comparable in hardness to steel, the stone pillar yielded to Ruri's sword as if it were tofu. Ruri still not satisfied, recognized substantial room for improvement, acknowledging a considerable distance from her current limit.
In the state of her three tomoe Sharingan, self-improvement had reached a bottleneck, making incremental strength gains challenging. However, since obtaining the Mangekyou Sharingan, capacity growth naturally circumvented immediate concerns about bottlenecks.
At the moment, a black four-legged cub approached from a distance, carrying a document in its mouth. This cub was Raimei, Shiraishi's lightning clone. He currently acted as the guardian dispatched to Hoshigakure. While not typically managing affairs, Raimei meticulously reported the village's situation to Shiraishi.
So if any issues arises in Hoshigakure, they were promptly known to Shiraishi, enabling for a quick resolution.
Given that Hoshigakure was a crucial branch and logistics supply base for the impending Land of Wind battle, Shiraishi monitorsled the situation through his clone, adhering to a cautious approach that Ruri sometimes views as a fear of death.
"Mother, the order from my father has arrived, we can officially begin taking action against the Land of Wind from now on."
Ruri accepted the document from Raimei's mouth, confirming its contents aligned with his statement – an official document from Shiraishi authorizing his to attack the Land of Wind.
Reviewing the document, Ruri muttered, "So, he has already initiated a declaration of war against other countries, hasn't he?"
While some viewed international agreements as arbitrary rules used by major powers for their amusement and to constrain the development of smaller countries, Ruri acknowledged that these seemingly hypocritical agreements hold significance during formal actions. It ensured that the Land of Demons appeared to adhere to the agreements between major powers, refraining from breaking these rules and adopting alternative rules for their actions.
"Yes. It will take about two to three days for all countries to be informed of the situation here."
"Almost as expected. Then, logistics supply operations here will be in yours hands." Ruri dispersed the chakra blade and lightning chakra in her hand.
"Please be rest assured, and leave it to me, Mother. Hoshigakure has gathered enough supplies which can finally be put to use."
Raimei nodded in agreement.
Afterward, Ruri exited the training room, summoned the two thousand ninjas who had followed her from the Land of Demons, and they began the irjourney toward the Land of Wind.
...
Medical supplies, food, water, tents, and other materials were all prepared.
The Fourth Kazekage Rasa led 2,000 Suna ninjas toward the Land of Bears before dawn.
As for the potential battle ahead, Rasa had already rehearsed countless times within his mind. To put it simply, the regular ninja troops in the Land of Demons would struggle to achieve much under the leadership of Suna.
The main concern lay in the Land of Demons' air force, the trump card of their military and a crucial element that would be able to resist them.
However, once he was dispatched, Rasa beloved he would eliminate the Land of Demons' air superiority. The earth and sky serve as the home ground for his gold dust ninjutsu. Defeating the Land of Demons' air force would render their resistance insignificant.
Considering Rasa's comprehensive assessment of the Land of Demons', victory seems imminent with no apparent errors.
The 2,000 Suna ninjas were accompanying Rasa wore confident expressions. For them, the upcoming battle harbored no consideration of failure at all; their focus lay solely on the gains awaiting them as victors.
Since their morning departure, their force had been advancing rapidly.
Their goal was clear: first, reach the territory of the Land of Bears, then proceed to the Land of Demons. This route proved the most convenient and secure.
There were ninjas responsible for intelligence communication along the way to ensure a smooth and safe journey through the boundless desert.
On the boundless desert, the 2,000 Suna troops were advancing. In order to ensure that they got out of the desert area as soon as possible, they dedicated minimal time to rest and eating, emphasizing efficiency on the road.
For ninjas, this efficiency was a fundamental skill, especially in the harsh environment of the Land of Winds, fostering their fearless approach to combat.
"Kazekaze-sama, if we move for another ten kilometers, we will arrive the territory of the Land of Bears."
At dusk, a Jōnin reported and pointed ahead.
"Let's stop here today..We will enter the Land of Bears early tomorrow morning. Let the whole army stop and set up camp here." Rasa waved his hand, giving the order.
"Yes."
The Jonin nodded, left, as he conveyed the Kazekage's order.
Upon receiving the order, the Suna troops halted, and the logistics troops began constructing the camp to finish before nightfall.
Despite Rasa's eagerness to join Baki's troops as soon as possible, considering the situation, it would take at least two to three days to cross the Land of Bears and reach the border of the Land of Demons. To ensure the troops maintain sufficient combat energy upon entering the Land of Demons, proper rest was essential.
As the sun went down, the desert environment dimmed, and a two-man Suna reconnaissance team patrolling the camp to assess the surroundings.
The patrolling team, who had assumed that there would be no special situation, suddenly discovered an abnormal situation right in front.
"What's wrong?"
The Chunin inquired, noticing his companion's strange expression.
The companion, equipped with binoculars, immediately spotted a figure approaching the camp quickly. No... whoever they were, they had no intention of hiding, they were directly exposed to him.
"There is a situation, someone is approaching here."
"How many people?"
"One person."
"One person? A traveler passing by chance, perhaps?"
The Chunin suggested, facing 2,000 ninjas led by the Fourth Kazekage. Attacking alone would be foolish, yet if it were a lost traveler, it could explain the situation.
"No, the other party is clearly heading towards the camp, and...this appearance..."
Lurking in the sand, carefully concealing his figure, using the binoculars to see the true face of the person, the Suna ninja felt unnatural cold sweat dripping from his forehead, a gurgling sound in his throat, and his heart suddenly became tense.
"Oops, retreat! She found us!"
Suddenly, the Suna nin lying on the sand jumped up in horror and ran backward desperately.
The Chunin next to him also reacted immediately. Although he didn't see the unexpected guest that his comrade mentioned, being able to make him yell in such panic meant that this unexpected guest was very dangerous and they could not be dealt with it.
Currently, it was necessary to convey this important information to the camp. However, when the two of them had just taken action, a force that made them feel pressured suddenly came.
There was a poof.
A dark red blade penetrated from the back to the chest of the Chunin. His body twitched for a while and then fell stiffly to the ground.
The Suna nin, holding the binoculars, turned around and looked at the woman who was already close at hand. A bitter taste suddenly appeared in the depths of his tongue, and his heart was beating restlessly.
He took out the kunai and wanted to fight.
The figure swayed from the spot, disappearing from his eyes.
The Suna nin only saw that the kunai in his hand had broken from the middle, and the upper part of the kunai fell to the sand. He suddenly felt pain in his neck. A cold cut appeared there at some point, and a large amount of blood gushed out. He fell to the ground with an expression of unwillingness
Not looking at the two corpses lying behind her, Ruri gently raised her hand, and the dark red sword blade in her right hand disappeared like a phantom. Her Sharingan activated, the red light in her eyes was fixed at the Suna troops camp.
"This distance seems to be just right. Let's use them to test it out."
Her hands began forming seals, gathering a large amount of chakra in the mouth, she then released it towards the direction of the Suna camp.
"Great Fire Annihilation!!!"
A surging sea of flames immediately emerged on the desert, and the red flames swept away the darkness of the night.
Facing the sudden terrifying sea of flames, a Sun ani ja on the simple sentry tower of the camp widened his eyes directly, showing a deep look of despair and fear, he stopped breathing.
See this overwhelming jutsu, even knowing that it was extremely dangerous, was still fascinating, he forgot to resist, his mind blank.
Boom!
What was more dazzling than flames was the color of sand.
Exuding a golden color, in front of the Suna camp, a thick wall with a height of more than ten meters was built to resist the erosion of the sea of fire.
The fire and san attacked each other and launched a contest of equal strength.
Rasa inserted his hands into the sand infusing his chakra continuously. The sand rushed forward continuously and finally extinguished the sea of fire with a slightly better attitude.
Although the sea of flames was successfully extinguished, Rasa didn't show a relaxed expression. Instead, he looked at the messy sand in front of him with lingering fear.
"Such a powerful fire release, what the..."
It was impossible to imagine anyone in the ninja world who could use such ridiculous fire release. At least in his impression, there was no ninja who could match the fire release in front of him.
Who the hell was that? And why would a ninja of such caliber attack Suna? Was it an inadvertently offended enemy, or something else?
"Kazekage-sama."
The guard team composed of six Jōnin came to Rasa's side, staring ahead vigilantly. The surrounding Suna ninjas had also reacted, putting down whatever they were doing, entering a state of preparation.
Rasa shook his head lightly, indicating that he was fine.
"As expected of one of the five Kages, Kazekage-dono, you were able to easily block my fire. It seems like you will be a good opponent."
The sound of appreciation echoed through the air.
A figure walked on the sandy ground where fire powder was still flying. Ruri didn't hide her figure and faced Rasa directly. Her eyes made Rasa's body tremble slightly.
Undoubtedly, within this short period, Rasa recognized the other party's identity - Uchiha Ruri, an S-rank rogue ninja who had defected from Konoha more than ten years ago.
Team White Fang she used to belong to had a sworn feud with Elder Chiyo.
'Why would a Konoha traitor appear here?'
This was what Rasa couldn't understand. Judging by Ruri's attitude, it was by no means a coincidence she happened to pass by the Land of Wind to pick a fight with Suna. Her very goal was likely to attack them.
Ruri didn't speak but slowly pulled out her gunbai behind her. The glow in her Sharingan became stronger, releasing a terrifying pressure.
'Damn it!' Rasa grumbled secretly.
The sand on the ground immediately gathered in front of him, condensing into a thick sand wall.
Boom!
In an instant, the sand wall shattered. Sand grains flew everywhere.
Ruri's moving figure broke through the barrier of the sand wall, pointing at Rasa. Her opponent was the Kazekage. As long as he was defeated, this army composed of 2,000 elite would be self-defeating.
Seeing Ruri attack Kazekage whom they respect in their hearts without saying a word, this move undoubtedly angered al the Suna nins. Wordless anger shrouded the Suna camp as the ninjas rushed towards Ruri one after another.
Ruri glanced around with the Sharingan, then jumped into the air with her mouth slightly puffed out.
"Fireball Jutsu!"
Huge fireballs with a diameter of more than four meters flew out of Ruri's mouth, attacking the surrounding.
The fireballs hitting the sand, like cannonballs, produced an extremely terrifying explosion. The flames devoured the life of several Suna nins, and the shockwave generated by the explosion swept away the sand around Ruri. She landed, rushing to the nearest crowd, the flames fanned a terrifying storm, blowing all the ninjas close, causing them to scream in terror.
Rasa's face darkened, and he was about to take action when he suddenly noticed something. His eyes swept towards the starry sky under the darkness, and his expression changed drastically.
Kunai... Countless kunai were flying from a distance like a pitch-black rainstorm. Indistinctly, there were countless black spots appeared on the sand dunes in the distance.
That was a huge crowd.
The black torrential rain hit, and the Suna nins, who couldn't react in time, fell under the attack of Kunai. Those who had no idea what was going on, had an expression of shock and anger.
Ruri used her dynamic vision to dodge the Kunai shot down from the sky while fighting with ease.
The sound of huge waves shouting to kill came from the crowd in the distance, rushing towards the battlefield.
Rasa saw the true colors of these people, he was filled with rage. These people wore uniform black ninja uniforms and foreheads engraved with a rose. Many of them held the Kunai guns that Baki had described in their hands, and they attacked them aggressively.
"Ninjas from the Land of Demons... how is this possible!!?"
Rasa's pupils widened in shock, showing disbelief. Why would ninjas from the Land of Demons appear in the Land of Wind? It was impossible for a ninja of this scale to bypass the Land of Bears quietly, since there was no news from their side.
Was Baki blind? Such a large number of ninjas had sneaked into the Land of Wind, yet there was no response, not even a reminder. It infuriated Rasa. Then he turned his head to look at Ruri, who was killing from all directions, she appeared invincible.
Like a thunderbolt, it hit Rasa hard in the heart. A very absurd to bizarre guess was suddenly born within his heart. Konoha's rogue nins... had been controlling the Land of Demons behind the scenes.
-----
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