"We need to find their offshore bases—the islands they're using as relay stations. If we destroy those bases, Kirigakure's logistics network will collapse."
Baki pondered for a moment.
"But that would require precise intelligence and rapid response. The Mist aren't fools. Their bases are bound to have tight defenses."
"That's why we need reconnaissance," Tsunade said, picking up the thread.
"The Hyuga clan has already sent out three scout teams. We should have preliminary results by tonight at the latest. Before then…"
She looked at Baki.
"Jonin Baki, how do you want to deploy Suna's forces?"
Baki pulled out a hand-drawn Suna battle map from inside his robe and spread it across the table.
"Of our thousand men, three hundred are puppet users. They're best suited for defensive warfare in difficult terrain. I suggest placing them in the hill zone to establish a defensive line and prevent Kirigakure from wrapping around our flank."
He marked several positions on the map.
"As for the remaining seven hundred, three hundred will move with Konoha's main force, while four hundred will stay as a mobile unit ready to reinforce wherever needed."
It was a very reasonable arrangement.
Puppet users could be incredibly effective in defensive combat, and Suna was clearly putting forward the part of its forces it was best at.
"That works."
Tsunade nodded.
"Then we'll finalize the detailed battle plan once the reconnaissance reports come back. For today, rest and let the troops familiarize themselves with the terrain."
Once the initial operational framework had been settled, the atmosphere inside the tent eased a little.
Baki did not leave right away. His dark brown eyes turned toward Kiyohara, and he paused, as if choosing his words carefully.
"Vice-Captain Kiyohara."
Baki spoke.
"There's one more thing. I need to thank you on behalf of Sunagakure—especially on behalf of Kazekage-sama."
Kiyohara looked up.
"Thank me?"
"For the intelligence on Sasori of the Red Sand."
Baki's voice was low and steady, the edge of the white cloth covering the left side of his face shifting slightly.
"We've now received more detailed information from Konoha and confirmed that Sasori has defected. He has already been designated an S-rank missing-nin by our village, with an extremely high threat level. The leads you brought back after your encounter near Kikyo Mountain were critically important to us."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"You're giving me too much credit, Jonin Baki. I just happened to run into him."
Kiyohara figured Konoha's higher-ups had probably volunteered the intelligence.
Back when Konoha and Suna were still actively at war, Konoha's leadership had not released that information.
Now that Baki knew about it, it was most likely because Konoha had decided to share it in light of the alliance.
After Baki left, Tsunade spoke.
"So what do you think?"
She meant Baki.
"He's got a good head on his shoulders."
Nara Shikaku was the first to give an assessment.
As for Kiyohara, he didn't have much to say.
After all, Baki's methods didn't really mean much to him.
His Wind Release could be dodged at will—or even tanked head-on.
"Baki didn't propose a single risky plan. Every part of his deployment is built around stability. That means Suna's current strategy is to preserve its strength and avoid losing too many people."
"Rasa's style."
Tsunade gave a slight shake of her head.
"This generation's Kazekage is better at calculating than fighting, I guess."
Then she turned to Kiyohara.
"This afternoon, go inspect the camp—especially the zones bordering Suna's. With both villages' troops mixed together, friction is inevitable. Keep an eye on it."
She was reminding him that the two villages had only just stopped fighting a war. Plenty of ninja on either side might still have personal grudges.
"Understood."
That afternoon, the sunlight filtering through the Land of Rivers' damp air took on a hazy quality.
Simple boundary markers had already been set up at the edge between the Konoha and Suna camps. Ninja from both sides were busy building tents, laying out warning lines, and familiarizing themselves with the terrain.
There were still some measuring, suspicious looks whenever people's eyes met, but for the moment things were orderly. No major conflict had broken out.
For ninja, orders were everything. Everything else had to be restrained.
After making a full round of inspection, Kiyohara returned to the private tent assigned to him.
The inside was simple: one bed, one table, and on the table a map of the Land of Rivers alongside several ninjutsu scrolls.
He didn't rest.
Instead, he took a few things out of a sealing scroll.
Some finely jointed wooden components, and a small piece of chakra metal.
The chakra metal was the birthday gift Asuma Sarutobi had given him.
The guy had actually gone home just to fetch it.
As for the chakra metal itself, Kiyohara planned to fuse it directly into his ninja blade to increase the blade's durability.
"If I actually got serious about puppetry, I'd probably handle it better than a lot of puppet masters."
Kiyohara thought to himself.
He started assembling the wooden parts into a simple puppet.
Sasori's puppetry stood at the very peak of the art, and his core Red Secret Technique had even crossed into the realm of human puppets.
Kiyohara, though, only intended to understand it, not devote himself to it.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can win a hundred battles.
The puppet path still had worthwhile aspects.
As an aside, the strongest puppets in the ninja world weren't actually in Sunagakure.
They were on the moon.
The Otsutsuki on the moon had also created many puppets, and theirs possessed a certain degree of intelligence—they could act on their own so long as the user issued commands.
Aside from Sasori's Red Secret Technique, Kiyohara had also copied many orthodox Black Secret Techniques from past Suna puppet masters, as well as some of the more widespread White Secret Techniques.
Blue chakra threads wrapped around Kiyohara's fingertips as he began trying to connect the threads with the parts.
He wasn't trying to build some especially powerful combat puppet.
This was more a form of advanced chakra control training, and a way to verify the principles behind puppetry.
Once his mind settled fully into the work, time passed quickly.
"Kiyohara?"
The tent flap lifted slightly, and Kurenai peeked her head in.
There were fine beads of sweat at her temples. She had clearly just finished a round of training.
"Kurenai? Come in."
The chakra threads at Kiyohara's fingertips quietly dissipated.
Kurenai stepped inside and looked curiously at the half-finished puppet parts on the table.
"You're studying puppetry? Suna-style techniques?"
"Yeah, more or less. Controlling chakra strings overlaps in some ways with the chakra scalpel used in medical ninjutsu, or with remote weapon control techniques."
Kiyohara explained.
Using a single thread to perform all kinds of precise manipulations was also a good way to improve chakra control.
Then his gaze settled on Kurenai, and a thought struck him.
"Kurenai, can you help me with something?"
"What is it?"
Kurenai asked, puzzled.
"I want to try directly controlling a living body with chakra threads. You don't need to actually lose consciousness or stop resisting completely—just relax your body and let it follow the guidance of my chakra threads."
Kiyohara said it simply.
In the original story, Chiyo had done exactly this with Sakura Haruno, using chakra strings to control her body and fight Sasori.
But it required an enormous amount of trust, because handing over even part of your body's control to someone else was extremely dangerous for a ninja.
Kurenai didn't hesitate at all. She nodded immediately.
"I'm ready."
Kiyohara raised his right hand again.
This time, five pale blue chakra threads shot out, much more condensed than before, and connected precisely to Kurenai's shoulders, knees, and the center of her back.
The threads quivered slightly, carrying Kiyohara's will and fine-tuned chakra flow.
"Let's start with basic taijutsu movements."
Kiyohara murmured, flexing his fingers like he was plucking the strings of an instrument.
Kurenai's body moved.
Raise the arm. Block. Sidestep. Pivot…
At first the motions were slightly stiff, but they quickly became smooth and natural—more fluid than when Kurenai practiced them by herself.
Kiyohara found the whole thing a little strange.
It felt like he was controlling a video game character.
"Next, let's try hand seals and releasing a jutsu."
Kurenai did as instructed and completely released active control over the chakra in her body.
The next moment, her hands rose on their own and began forming seals.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
She exhaled a fierce gust of wind.
The airflow carved deep trenches through the ground ahead.
Kiyohara gave a slight nod.
So his chakra control really had reached a very high level.
Even among puppet masters, few people could manage something like this.
A moment later, Kiyohara withdrew the chakra threads, and Kurenai's body swayed as she returned from the controlled state.
She stared at the wrecked ground in front of her, her beautiful eyes full of shock.
"I… did that?"
She looked at her own hands in disbelief.
"That was your body and your chakra foundation."
Kiyohara walked over to her and studied her expression.
"How do you feel? Any discomfort?"
Kurenai carefully examined herself, then frowned.
"My chakra consumption… was way higher than when I cast by myself. And my chakra pathways feel kind of swollen."
"That's probably because I'm used to outputting chakra at my own level."
Kiyohara said.
He had overlooked the fact that Kurenai's chakra reserves were nowhere near his own.
"Come sit and rest a bit."
"Mm."
Kurenai nodded.
She really did feel a strong wave of weakness and soreness in her muscles.
Kiyohara poured her a cup of warm water and handed it to her, then crouched in front of her.
He raised one hand, green medical chakra glowing in his palm, and gently placed it against her lower abdomen. Yang chakra rich with life flowed in.
The warmth came through even through her training clothes, and Kurenai's body stiffened slightly. A flush spread across her cheeks before she could stop it.
She lowered her eyes, too embarrassed to look at Kiyohara's face at such close range. All she could do was feel his chakra circulating through her body as the fatigue quickly faded, replaced by a warm, comfortable sensation.
A moment later, Kiyohara withdrew his hand.
"That's enough. Rest for fifteen minutes and you should recover for the most part."
"Thank you, Kiyohara."
Kurenai felt much better, though her legs still felt a little weak and loose.
"I… I might need a moment before I can walk back to my own tent."
Kiyohara looked at her condition, then naturally turned his back to her and crouched slightly.
"Get on. I'll carry you back. We should be heading for breakfast soon anyway."
"Huh? N-no, it's fine. I can just sit a little longer…"
Kurenai's face turned even redder, and she hurriedly waved her hands.
"Come on. Do you really want someone to see you walking out of my tent with your legs all weak?"
There was a teasing edge to the words, but they worked. Kurenai's hesitation vanished.
She bit her lip, then finally leaned lightly onto his back.
Kiyohara reached back with both hands, securely supporting her legs, and lifted her up.
Her body was light and soft. Even through their clothes, he could feel the warmth of her skin—especially the soft, springy warmth where his palms supported her.
Kurenai lay against his back, her cheek pressed to his broad, firm shoulders.
The scent and warmth of a man surrounded her, making her heart race for no clear reason. The blush spread all the way to her ears.
She instinctively tightened her arms around him, though she didn't dare grip too hard. Her whole body felt stiff.
The distance from Kiyohara's tent to the common dining area wasn't far, but to Kurenai, the walk felt both especially long and far too short.
"We're here."
Kiyohara's voice snapped her out of her embarrassment.
He carefully lowered her back onto her feet.
When her feet touched the ground, Kurenai took a couple of tentative steps. Her legs were still a little weak, but she could walk normally again.
"Kurenai? What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
A concerned voice came from the side.
Rin was walking out of the temporary kitchen tent with a tray in her hands. The moment she saw Kurenai being carried on Kiyohara's back—her face flushed, her steps weak—she hurried over in concern.
"N-no, I'm fine!"
Kurenai suddenly felt inexplicably guilty and waved her hands quickly.
"I just overdid it in training a little. Kiyohara helped me adjust my condition, and I'm much better now."
Rin looked at Kurenai, then at Kiyohara, whose expression was perfectly normal, and blinked her big eyes.
"Really, it's fine, Rin. Look, I can walk."
To prove it, Kurenai even gave two little hops on the spot.
Her legs nearly gave out, and Kiyohara had to reach over and catch her by the arm.
"Careful."
He said it mildly.
"Hehe…"
Kurenai smiled sheepishly.
Seeing that, Rin finally relaxed and smiled gently.
"That's good. Breakfast is ready anyway. Want to join us? Kiyohara-kun hasn't eaten yet either, right?"
"Right."
Kiyohara nodded.
A little later, Kiyohara headed to the main command tent.
Inside, besides Tsunade, Kiyohara, Nara Shikaku, Baki, and the other commanders, there were also more than a dozen jonin present. Among them were five or six members of the Hyuga clan.
The Hyuga clan's Byakugan could see through the Hidden Mist Technique that Kirigakure specialized in.
Because of that, the Hyuga had been contributing a lot more than usual in this war against the Mist.
Hyuga Tetsumon was giving the reconnaissance report. A heavily marked coastal map lay spread out in front of him.
"...In summary, we observed the transport fleet making landfall and unloading supplies twice. Among the escort ninja, at least one figure matched the known traits of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Combined with yesterday's intelligence, the probability that it was Fuguki Suikazan is very high."
Hyuga Tetsumon pointed to several sea zones marked in red circles on the map.
Kiyohara stared at the map, his finger tracing slowly along the coastline before finally stopping at the suspicious waters Hyuga Tetsumon had marked.
"They're sailing directly from the waters off the Land of Water, which means they must have a lot of resupply points."
Kiyohara looked up.
If Kirigakure lost its supply chain—especially fresh water, food, and ninja tools—even elite forces would lose combat effectiveness very quickly.
"We can start by proactively wiping out some of the smaller islands where members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen are stationed. That'll throw their plans into chaos."
"That makes sense."
Tsunade nodded.
But neither Konoha's ninja nor Suna's had much real experience fighting at sea.
"Then let's start assigning ninja."
Tsunade said it decisively.
Sitting and waiting would only drag them into a passive situation.
"I can fly, so I can go scout the nearby islands first."
Kiyohara said.
"Take a Hyuga ninja with you,"
Tsunade replied.
At that, Hyuga Tetsumon turned and beckoned to Hyuga Ginka.
Hyuga Ginka stepped forward.
"Ginka is from the main house. Her long-range vision is much stronger than that of the average clan member."
Hyuga Tetsumon introduced her.
Kiyohara looked at Hyuga Ginka.
This was not their first time meeting.
But the balance of power had changed.
Now, there was not a trace of arrogance visible on her face.
After all, the Hyuga clan didn't really have any advantage in front of the Uchiha, and Kiyohara's strength and fame far exceeded Ginka's.
"Kiyohara-kun, I'll be responsible for… assisting you."
Hyuga Ginka pressed her lips together before speaking.
"All right."
Kiyohara agreed.
At the same time, he couldn't help feeling a little envious of the Byakugan's abilities.
The Sharingan's eyesight was excellent, but compared to the Byakugan, it was the difference between a youth model and a premium model.
If he had to describe it, the Sharingan was an all-purpose multi-tool package, while the Byakugan took the single path of perception to its absolute limit. Whether it was x-ray vision or long-distance sight, both were just extensions of the same perceptive power.
The Willbook should be arriving soon too, Kiyohara thought.
It had almost been thirty days since Toad Kiyohara's spirit dissipated.
Going by the usual pattern, a new Willbook should be arriving soon.
"We'll go this afternoon."
Tsunade's voice broke into his thoughts.
Kiyohara answered with a simple nod.
After the meeting ended, Kiyohara, as vice-captain, had the authority to assign ninja.
So he chose his own team.
He stuck with his usual lineup.
He picked Kurenai and Rin again, and this time also took along Might Guy and Kakashi.
He did not bring Shizune.
At the moment, Shizune's combat ability was the weakest in the group.
She was far more useful helping the medical division.
Not long after, the group arrived at the rugged coastline.
Kiyohara, Kurenai, Rin, Kakashi, Guy, and Hyuga Ginka formed a six-person squad and boarded a small boat, advancing toward the position indicated by the intelligence.
Hyuga Ginka stood at the front, periodically scanning the distant sea with her Byakugan.
Time passed slowly.
Aside from the sound of Kiyohara and the others talking, the only other sound was the steady slap of waves against the boat.
"I found it."
After a while, Hyuga Ginka finally spoke.
"Eleven o'clock direction. Straight-line distance, about three kilometers. There's an island there, and there are ninja on it."
"In the center of the island there's a structure that looks like a watchtower. There seem to be more than twenty ninja."
She spoke quickly, relaying everything she had observed.
"I see…"
Kiyohara did not tell everyone to prepare for a water assault or stealth approach.
Instead, he stepped forward, wrapped an arm around Hyuga Ginka's waist, and lifted her.
"Captain?"
Hyuga Ginka's body stiffened instantly, and a trace of confusion flashed across her pale face.
She asked quietly by instinct, "What are you doing?"
"Don't move. I'm taking you up so we can fly."
Kiyohara answered it simply.
A moment later, Hyuga Ginka suddenly felt her feet leave the boat.
Kiyohara had already taken her up into the air.
On the boat, Rin watched Kiyohara holding Hyuga Ginka, and couldn't help feeling a little envious.
She wished, just for a moment, that the one he was holding was her instead.
"This is youth!"
Might Guy was instantly fired up by the sight.
If he could fly too, he'd do a thousand handstand laps through the air on the spot as training.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 120 Chapters Ahead of Others!