Two weeks had passed since the major confrontation between Konoha and Suna in the Land of Rivers. It had been a massive clash: 5,000 Konoha shinobi against 4,700 Suna elites. In that brutal engagement, Suna lost 1,043 ninja while Konoha suffered 1,184 casualties. Despite Konoha's numerical advantage and the Uchiha clan successfully suppressing Suna's Kage-level forces, Suna's puppeteers proved to be an incredibly tricky foe to handle. Most Chunin were capable of controlling two puppets simultaneously to a certain degree, while their Jonin could manipulate two with such great proficiency that the wooden constructs practically seemed alive. A select few masters were even capable of directing three or more puppets with that same terrifying fluidity.
Since that bloody day, there had been no further large-scale confrontations between the two armies. Instead, the conflict devolved into small-scale skirmishes between scouting teams and localized squads. Although the war had not officially ended, a silent consensus had formed between Suna and Konoha that neither side would initiate another massive, full-scale battle.
A similar stalemate had settled over the Iwa and Konoha front in the Land of Grass. Mū, the Second Tsuchikage, had ordered the Iwa forces not to advance any further into the territory, but the Iwa vanguard never fully retreated from the Land of Grass either. They remained heavily stationed in the region, continuously harassing Konoha's scouting parties. Every single day, both nations suffered two or more casualties from these relentless, petty skirmishes.
It could be said that for now, with the sole exception of Kirigakure—which remained completely isolated from the mainland—all the great shinobi forces were still locked in a grueling state of war.
Then there was Kumogakure in the Land of Hot Springs. The situation on the northeastern front was by far the strangest of all. At the onset of the global conflict, Kumo had been the most aggressive hidden village of them all. Kumo's vanguard division, the infamous Kinkaku Force, had earned a terrifying reputation across the nations. Led by the notorious Gold and Silver Brothers, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, the division completely destroyed Yugakure and effectively seized control of almost the entire Land of Hot Springs. They had also clashed fiercely against the Konoha forces led by Shimura Danzō and Akimichi Torifu.
Konoha's counter-offensive on this front featured a powerhouse lineup, including the clan heads of the Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi, Hyūga, Shimura, and Kurama clans. While they successfully halted Kumo's rapid invasion, Kinkaku and Ginkaku's monstrous strength far exceeded Konoha's wildest expectations. After their first two major clashes, Konoha suffered nearly 3,000 casualties, and both the Shimura clan head and Kurama clan head were slain at the hands of the Gold and Silver Brothers. Kumo also suffered over 2,000 casualties in the meat grinder. Following that catastrophic mutual loss, the Second Raikage strictly ordered Kumo to halt their advance and cease all direct confrontations with Konoha.
***
A few days after the major confrontation, inside the Sunagakure command tent in the Land of Rivers.
A heavy, suffocating silence dominated the room.
The results of Suna's massive assault on Konoha were far from the decisive victory they had anticipated. Although Konoha had suffered higher overall casualties, Sunagakure had lost a Kage-level ninja in Yakumaru. To make matters worse, both the Kazekage and Monzaemon Chikamatsu had lost their most powerful, irreplaceable puppets.
"Chikamatsu, you are certain the Uchiha clan did not suffer a single permanent casualty?" Shamon questioned with a slight, tense trembling voice.
"Yes, Kazekage-sama," Chikamatsu replied, his voice hoarse and frail. The horrifying imagery of the dead Uchiha physically returning to life, alongside Naka's armored Susanoo and reality-bending dōjutsu, refused to leave his mind.
"DAMN IT!"
Shamon fiercely slammed his fist onto the war table before him, shattering the thick wood into a dozen splintered pieces.
"Uchiha Naka's Mangekyō Sharingan possesses a dōjutsu that literally reverses death for his kinsmen," Chikamatsu explained to the gathered council. "I managed to completely annihilate their force of two hundred or so Uchiha Chunin and Jonin twice with my puppets. Yet, every single one of them came back to life."
"""??!!!!!"""
The commanders gasped, their faces instantly freezing in collective shock and disbelief. A wave of despair rippled through the tent. If the Uchiha clan commanded godlike, reality-warping abilities of that caliber, how could Suna ever hope to achieve victory on this front?
"…There is no other choice, then," Shamon announced coldly, surveying the room. "We will execute a phased retreat back to Suna over the next two months. Use this remaining time to covertly pillage and stockpile as many food supplies and resources from the Land of Rivers as possible. After that, we return to Sunagakure. We have already played our part in wearing down Konoha's military might."
"But Kazekage-sama…" a Jonin ventured hesitantly, "stealing rations for two months won't be nearly enough to compensate for the extreme financial cost and heavy casualties of this campaign."
"Do not worry. I have just received urgent intelligence from the village," Shamon countered, a rare, calculated smirk touching his lips. "We have successfully received Iwagakure's massive shipment of raw supplies and resources. Combined with the extensive funds and rations we extorted from Kirigakure earlier, we now possess more than enough wealth to sustain and expand Suna for the next ten years."
The room erupted into stunned whispers.
Shamon stared down his commanders with a sharp, intimidating gaze. "Why else do you think we participated in this global war? Our Land of Wind is blessed with rare metals, gold, and gemstone mines that rival Iwagakure's wealth, but we lack the arable land to produce sustainable food supplies. For the past several years, the vast majority of our village's funds were drained just trying to import basic food. But now, with these foreign supplies and coin, we can secure our food reserves and finally invest in developing our mining economy!"
"""!"""
Relief washed over the tent, and the dark mood instantly vanished. The shifting expressions of the Jonin said it all: This was exactly why Shamon was their Kazekage. His strategic foresight went far beyond a single battlefield.
"Issue orders to our frontline troops: avoid all direct, large-scale confrontations with Konoha," Shamon commanded. "Ambush their scouting parties if the opportunity arises, but if they spot you beforehand, retreat without a moment's hesitation!"
"Yes, Kazekage-sama!" the commanders roared in unison.
"You are all dismissed. Chikamatsu, stay behind."
Chikamatsu raised an eyebrow in mild confusion. Before the tent emptied, he gently placed a hand on the shoulder of his young apprentice, Chiyo, signaling her to remain by his side.
Shamon silently observed the young kunoichi for a brief moment, a look of quiet understanding passing over his features, before he shifted his attention back to the legendary puppet master.
"Is she your chosen successor?"
Chiyo gasped softly, her eyes widening in sudden shock and perplexity.
"Yes. She represents the future of our Puppet Brigade," Chikamatsu nodded slowly with solemn expression. "With my severe physical injuries and advanced age... I do not believe I will survive past next year."
"MASTER!" Chiyo exclaimed, her voice cracking with fear and grief.
"Calm yourself, young Chiyo. This is merely the natural culmination of a shinobi's life," Chikamatsu comforted her softly. He then turned his focus back to the leader of the village. "…Shamon-sama, what are your thoughts on the Puppet Brigade? What do you believe we can do to elevate our combat strength?"
Instead of replying, Shamon looked back at him with great anticipation. The Kazekage had his own theories, but he wanted the professional perspective of the brigade's founding father.
"Shamon-sama… this old man is nearing death and no longer possesses the creative vigor to solve Suna's structural limitations," Chikamatsu sighed gently, turning to look at his pupil. "Why don't we ask the generation of tomorrow for the answer? What do you think, Chiyo? What can we do to improve our Puppet Brigade?"
Both the Kazekage and the legendary master locked their intense gazes onto the young girl. Chiyo flushed with embarrassment, momentarily overwhelmed by the immense weight of their expectations. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and let her sharp mind analyze the harsh realities of their village. After a few minutes of dense silence, she opened her eyes and delivered a single, chilling word.
"Poison."
"!!!", "?!!"
Shamon blinked in surprise, while Chikamatsu's breath hitched.
"The core reason we conceptualized the Puppet Brigade in the first place was to compensate for Sunagakure's low population and brutal living conditions," Chiyo explained, as her voice grew steady and confident. "Our population remains the lowest among the Five Great Shinobi Nations. We desperately require weaponry and ninjas capable of confronting multiple enemies simultaneously while preserving our own lives. To achieve that, we cannot hesitate to be ruthless! Our deserts are crawling with rare fauna and flora that produce lethal toxins. Our medical corps and specialized clans possess some of the most infamous poison recipes in history. We can harness those toxins to coat the hidden mechanisms of our puppets, safely storing them within their inner compartments until the moment of impact."
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Shamon let out a rare, booming laugh, his chest heaving with deep satisfaction as he looked at the girl. "That is exactly what I was considering! Knowing that Suna still breeds a promising, ruthless younger generation like you brings me immense relief!"
Chikamatsu remained completely silent. A complex wave of emotions washed over the old master. He felt a deep, profound pride that Chiyo could formulate an answer brilliant enough to perfectly align with the Kazekage's strategic vision. Yet, a small, idealistic part of him felt a twinge of disappointment. As the first puppet master and the pioneer of the art, he had secretly hoped Chiyo would find her solutions through pure mechanical innovation, advancing the structural craftsmanship of the puppets themselves.
The old man slowly shook his head, a soft, self-deprecating smile forming on his face.
'What am I thinking? What is truly wrong with utilizing poison? Mechanized puppets coated in lethal toxins... is that not its own form of structural evolution? I shouldn't overcomplicate this. My only duty now is to support Chiyo and the future of Suna.'
With his internal conflict resolved, Chikamatsu placed a warm, validating hand on Chiyo's shoulder.
Chiyo let out a long, quiet sigh of relief. She had been terrified that her pragmatic, cutthroat answer would offend her mentor. She knew Chikamatsu held a sacred, artistic obsession with puppetry, and she hadn't been certain if he would accept the introduction of biological warfare into his beautiful craft. After all, from a certain purist's perspective, such methods could be viewed as cheap or impure.
With their ultimate strategic direction solidified and a generational torch passed, the Suna forces in the Land of Rivers quietly began executing their long, calculated withdrawal.