Every time she recalled the past, Karura would be grateful that she hadn't impulsively chosen to commit suicide due to the village's demands and the harsh external environment. Because of the mental torment and the worry of potentially facing misfortune upon returning to the village, Karura, in a moment of rashness, agreed to surrender. Later, after calming down, she became somewhat afraid of the bad treatment she might receive as a prisoner.
Although Konoha Hidden Village was not as brutal as her village claimed and was willing to accept prisoners, she didn't have high expectations for how she would be treated as a captive. After all, she and her companions were ninjas who had invaded another country; if they were unfortunately captured, how could Konoha ninjas, as their enemies, treat them well? Even if her sensei had spoken favorably of them, it might only mean the treatment would be slightly better than traditional methods.
However, she never expected that after being brought to the prisoner-of-war camp, aside from the use of sealing jutsus to suppress their chakra and a marking jutsu to monitor their location, the Konoha ninjas imposed few restrictions. They were given decent living quarters, food, and water. This treatment far exceeded the traditional rules of the ninja world.
Later, the Konoha ninjas required everyone to perform physical labor. As long as they worked hard enough, they would receive rewards, such as improved living conditions and food. Those who performed exceptionally well could move out of multi-person rooms into private rooms, and their meals would also be more refined.
This was undoubtedly very appealing. As a kunoichi, Karura was not afraid of hardship or exhaustion, but as a woman, she naturally preferred cleaner and better environments. Even men felt the same, though perhaps to a greater degree of acceptance.
The labor required by the Konoha ninjas was only conventional physical work, such as farming, harvesting fruits and vegetables, and grinding tools. Although they couldn't use chakra, their bodies were exceptionally strong, incomparable to ordinary people, so their efficiency was naturally higher.
Through her performance, Karura quickly earned good reviews from the Konoha ninjas. After a period of hard work, she was allowed to move into a private room, and her living conditions and other aspects were better than those of the others.
All this time, Karura felt that her days in the prisoner-of-war camp were like a dream. There was no violent oppression, no personal humiliation. As long as she was willing to work, she could receive the treatment she desired. Although it couldn't be said to be completely free, she felt it was fair enough.
She also wondered, if enemy prisoners in the POW camp received such treatment, what kind of treatment would the civilians living in Konoha Hidden Village receive?
Karura's sensei, Bunpuku, had a very high regard for Konoha Hidden Village, believing it was likely the successor to the Sage of Six Paths' teachings. Bunpuku was originally a monk in a temple and had studied the classics of Ninshū. After Konoha Hidden Village published its revised classical scriptures, Bunpuku came to understand traditional Ninshū more deeply, and also gained a deeper understanding of Konoha Hidden Village.
To be honest, Karura sometimes fantasized about what her life would be like if she were in Konoha Hidden Village. Would it be better than in her own village? And would Bunpuku, who was like family to her, receive different treatment in Konoha Hidden Village? The cruel treatment of Bunpuku by Sunagakure had always been a thorn in Karura's heart. She used to think that the village's arrangements were unavoidable, but now she increasingly felt that her village should learn from Konoha Hidden Village.
— If there's an opportunity in the future, I wonder if I can visit Konoha Hidden Village. When the war ends and the two countries are at peace, what kind of relationship can Sunagakure and Konoha Hidden Village establish?
This thought occasionally flashed through Karura's mind. Of course, she couldn't consider these things now. Currently, she could only work in the POW camp and try to survive. As for the future situation, it would depend on the outcome of this war.
One day, while out working, Karura saw a group of people pulling carts arrive. These were supplies from Konoha Hidden Village. She had seen them before, but back then, all the transporters were ninjas aged fifteen or older.
This time, some of those who came were younger ninjas, around her age.
Karura recalled the Konoha ninjas she encountered in the Land of Rain; they all seemed to be fifteen or older. She couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness. While she was forced onto the battlefield, her peers in Konoha Hidden Village were responsible for logistical tasks. The care for young ninjas in the two villages was truly worlds apart.
At this moment, Karura's gaze met that of a blond boy. He politely nodded, and Karura quickly returned the gesture before rushing off to her designated work area. Although the Konoha ninjas were generous with their treatment, they were very strict with task requirements. Perhaps this was a form of fairness: you could receive good treatment, but you had to obey orders.
After watching the brown-haired girl leave, Minato Namikaze withdrew his gaze and said to Fugaku Uchiha beside him, "That girl should be one of the captured Sunagakure ninjas, right?"
"Yes, she looks quite well. You wouldn't think she was a captive," Fugaku Uchiha replied.
"Our village treats prisoners fairly well. As long as they are willing to cooperate, we don't engage in any abusive behavior. Of course, if they are disobedient, that's another matter. Fortunately, there aren't any ungrateful ones among these Sunagakure ninjas. To be honest, these Sunagakure ninjas are truly pitiful, being sent to the battlefield at such a young age. Our village has never made such arrangements," said the Konoha ninja leading the way, turning his head after hearing the voices behind him.
This Konoha ninja had also worked in the POW camp for quite some time. Seeing many of these Sunagakure ninjas, some as young as twelve or thirteen, he genuinely felt sorry for them. The village's arrangements didn't require any abuse, so he treated them according to regulations. The Sunagakure ninjas were also very obedient, with no attempts to escape or resist, which made the guards' job very pleasant.
Minato Namikaze and the others were hearing about the specific situation of the POW camp for the first time. Previously, they had only read about Konoha Hidden Village's policies during the First Great Ninja War in books. Due to the need for secrecy regarding the Sunagakure ninja prisoners, the village newspapers were divided into those for ordinary people and those for ninjas. At that time, Minato Namikaze and the others, not yet ninjas, naturally didn't know about this. Now that they were ninjas, they had the right to know. Becoming a ninja was the first step towards truly entering the higher echelons of the ninja village.
When they first heard about it, these newly graduated young ninjas were truly shocked. They had only known from the newspapers about the tragic fate of the Sunagakure ninjas, but they didn't know that the village had properly arranged for these captives. After seeing the lives of these Sunagakure prisoners with their own eyes, the young ninjas immediately felt a sense of pride—Look, how magnanimous our village is, while Sunagakure is so detestable. Indeed, our own village is better—the exact same feeling as the Konoha ninjas in the POW camp.
After all the supplies were transferred, the Konoha ninjas in the POW camp saw off the transport squad, wishing them a safe journey home. On their way out, Minato Namikaze and his group saw the Sunagakure ninjas working in the nearby fields. They were working very hard, as if it were their own land.
"I wonder if they'll still be willing to return to their village after the war ends," someone asked.
"Definitely not, with Sunagakure looking like that, who would want to go back? At least I wouldn't," someone next to him said.
"But that's also their hometown, isn't it? If it were me, I wouldn't give up my feelings for my hometown so easily. Ultimately, that order was issued by Sunagakure's higher-ups, so it shouldn't have much to do with Sunagakure itself."
"But as long as those higher-ups are still there, won't Sunagakure remain the same? Unless Sunagakure's higher-ups are removed from their positions," someone scoffed, saying.
"Then I don't know what the outcome will be. If such high-ranking officials continue to stay, it truly makes one sympathize with the lives in Sunagakure. Fortunately, our village's higher-ups aren't like that."
"How dare a village like that compare itself to ours? Their former Kazekage should be ashamed for letting such people rise to high positions. The entire village has been ruined by them."
"Look at Kumogakure. Their higher-ups are good people; they know to stand with our village. I used to doubt them, and I truly feel a bit ashamed now."
Amidst the discussions of the transport squad, the POW camp gradually disappeared behind them. Until the war ended, the POW camp would continue to operate like this, until changes occurred.
Next, the transport squad was responsible for transporting supplies to the towns in the south. Since the Land of Lightning was no longer a target for combat, Konoha's Third Ninja Platoon, originally stationed at the Land of Lightning's border, would be split into two. One part would be incorporated into Konoha's First Ninja Platoon, which was fighting the Land of Water, while the remaining part would retain its structure and be deployed to the southern front under the name of Konoha's Third Ninja Platoon, primarily to prevent infiltration by Kirigakure ninjas.
After the Land of Lightning officially declared its stance, the Third Ninja Platoon began to turn back and was still en route. The transport squad, however, was a step ahead in delivering essential supplies there. The southern front was originally not very dangerous, and although there were towns, the troop deployment was not strong, and the strategic reserves could not meet the needs of Konoha's Third Ninja Platoon.
As the transport squad rushed to the soon-to-be-established southern defense line, ships departing from Uzushiogakure secretly bypassed the eastern front and sailed south. Even though the Fūma clan received the news in time, it was too late by the time it was relayed, as the enemy had already approached the southern coast.
"Hmph, as expected, the defenses here aren't very strong," Gengetsu Hōzuki, the person in charge, looked at the faintly visible town in the distance and nodded slightly.
The southern part of the Land of Fire had almost no neighboring countries, and the islands of the Land of Water were very far away. Generally, no battles would occur here. With prolonged peace, military affairs here naturally fell into disuse. Even if war broke out, the military preparations here did not receive much attention.
This was also a habit of thought, believing that the Land of Water's army would not approach here. In reality, if it weren't for a risky maneuver, Kirigakure would certainly not have chosen this location. The distance here was too far, and if troops were deployed, the supply lines would be stretched very thin. In the past, with Uzushiogakure intercepting, this route would definitely not have been chosen.
Now, the islands of Uzushiogakure have fallen into Kirigakure's hands, so there's no need to worry about interception along the way. However, the problem of excessively long supply lines still exists. But as long as there's no interception, it's still a feasible route, though it requires a quick victory and connection with other areas to solve the supply line problem. Otherwise, for the resource-scarce Land of Water, deploying troops so far away would be a burden.
Therefore, in order to rapidly advance and stabilize the front line, Kirigakure had invested heavily, deploying half of the village's elite ninjas here, along with a Six-Tails Jinchūriki. Without a doubt, this battle would determine the future fate of Kirigakure.
"Everyone, after landing, we must act quickly, push forward as fast as possible, and clear a path for the troops that will be sent later," Gengetsu Hōzuki said to the Kirigakure ninjas in front of him.
Everyone quickly agreed. Gengetsu Hōzuki said no more, but silently looked at the area, calculating the upcoming battle. Soon, several Kirigakure ninja squads jumped off the ship first, quickly submerged in the sea, and stealthily approached the sentry posts on the coast. Relying on their ninja stealth abilities, they immediately moved in and eliminated everyone inside to prevent the presence of the ships from being reported.
There were also Konoha Hidden Village personnel in the sentry posts, but in front of Kirigakure's most elite squads, they had no ability to retaliate. They were eliminated before they could even send out a message, allowing the ships to silently dock.
Gengetsu Hōzuki left some people to receive the regular army from the rear, while he led the remaining forces to quickly advance to the nearest town. Although the samurai and ninja strength of the Land of Fire were superior to that of Uzushiogakure, before it officially became a battlefront, its defensive capabilities were still inferior to other areas. Facing such an elite Kirigakure ninja squad, its performance was surprisingly similar to those towns in Uzushiogakure, like a re-enactment of the Uzushiogakure incident, but this time there were no Konoha ninja troops pre-positioned.
After the first wave of Kirigakure ninjas infiltrated and caused chaos in the town, the Kirigakure ninjas outside immediately began to breach the city. Accompanied by a thunderous explosion, a gap quickly opened in the wall, allowing the Kirigakure ninjas to surge in and eliminate the unprepared defenders one by one.
This day was destined to be a bloody night, and it marked the beginning of Kirigakure's counterattack. This time, they were determined to let the Land of Fire and even Konoha Hidden Village know that Kirigakure was by no means an enemy that could be easily suppressed.