Under Gengetsu Hozuki's command, the Kirigakure ninja squad immediately began scouting ahead. After a while, a message came back, informing Gengetsu Hozuki that there were already traces of Konoha ninja activity nearby. However, judging by their scale, they weren't fully assembled yet, but rather in the process of gathering.
Gengetsu Hozuki now truly confirmed that the enemy was employing a feint. He grew even more displeased with that Kirigakure ninja squad, but since they were still in the midst of battle, it wasn't a good time to pursue their negligence. He merely sent someone to verbally relay a message to that Kirigakure ninja squad, both informing them of the current situation and letting them know that if they didn't want to be punished, they should exert themselves more in the upcoming operations.
That Kirigakure ninja squad understood Gengetsu Hozuki's hint and couldn't help but feel incredibly lucky. If it had been the old Gengetsu Hozuki, they would have likely been punished directly, without being given a chance to atone through meritorious service. It could only be said that after losing his former status and becoming closer to the lower ranks, Gengetsu Hozuki's temper had also improved. He was no longer solely prone to rage, and the Third Mizukage was very pleased to see such a change.
After the Kirigakure ninja reconnaissance unit determined the enemy's defensive line, Gengetsu Hozuki carefully considered the situation. Although he hadn't immediately detected the enemy's feint, which caused some delay, the number of Konoha ninja units deployed here was limited. Even if they assembled, their defensive capabilities might not be very strong. Moreover, there was a possible supply depot nearby.
Gengetsu Hozuki decided to attack immediately, to disrupt Konoha Village's deployment as much as possible before the enemy's main forces arrived. If they encountered any trouble, they could quickly retreat and consolidate the occupied areas, thereby creating a standoff with Konoha Village's forces.
It must be said that Gengetsu Hozuki had indeed become more like a commander than before. If Hiruzen Sarutobi were to encounter the current Gengetsu Hozuki, he would probably also feel that he was even more difficult to deal with than during the Battle of Uzushiogakure. If he had faced this version of Gengetsu Hozuki in Uzushiogakure, Hiruzen Sarutobi, even if he could still lead the villagers out of Uzushiogakure, might have had to pay a much greater price in losses.
After that defeat, Gengetsu Hozuki not only honed his own strength but also reflected on his command abilities. Recalling his decisions during the Battle of Uzushiogakure, he realized that his main mistakes lay in being too impetuous, easily provoked by the enemy's actions, and failing to look at the overall picture, focusing instead on localized positions. As a result, he was often exploited by Hiruzen Sarutobi, turning unfavorable situations around.
Thus, through his time learning by the Third Mizukage's side, Gengetsu Hozuki slowly cultivated his temper. Although his inner self remained the same as before, he was indeed able to control his emotions more easily. While he knew that Konoha Village's defensive line was currently at a relatively vulnerable point, he chose not to launch an all-out attack. If Konoha Village's reinforcements suddenly appeared during the battle, they might face a crushing defeat similar to the Battle of Uzushiogakure.
Gengetsu Hozuki felt that such a possibility was not out of the question. Since Konoha ninja were transporting supplies here, it meant that Konoha Village likely considered this a battlefield. According to intelligence obtained by Kirigakure Village, Konoha Village had arranged a ninja unit to the border of the Land of Lightning, originally intended to confront the Land of Lightning's forces. However, after the Land of Lightning announced its alliance with the Land of Fire, the whereabouts of this unit became somewhat intriguing.
Since it was a ninja unit intended to confront Kumogakure Village, its scale must have been considerable. Even if recalled, it wouldn't simply be sent back. It was highly likely to be integrated into Konoha Village's forces on the eastern front, but not necessarily all of it. At least, Kirigakure Village had not received intelligence of a large-scale increase in Konoha Village's eastern front forces.
Gengetsu Hozuki had a premonition that Konoha Village's supply transport unit might be for a portion of the ninja unit originally stationed at the Land of Lightning border. It was unlikely that they would all be deployed here, after all, the south was not connected to an enemy country, so its importance wasn't very high. Kirigakure Village had also risked a landing from this direction.
Therefore, Gengetsu Hozuki would not choose to take such a risk and commit his forces to annihilate the nearby Konoha ninja units. He hadn't forgotten that the true objective of Kirigakure Village's operation this time was to establish a new base here, threatening Konoha Village's forces on the eastern front from behind, and supporting the original base to open up a new situation.
He couldn't, at this moment, cast aside the village's interests due to momentary anger. Gengetsu Hozuki only needed to do his best to eliminate the enemy. Even if he couldn't completely wipe them out, causing some losses to Konoha Village would be enough.
As the Kirigakure ninja unit marched towards the Konoha defensive line, Might Duy and others met with the Konoha ninja responsible for searching. Under their cover, they entered a safe route and returned to the temporary base defense line established by Konoha. As part of the logistics department, they returned to the vicinity of the supply depot, while the unfortunate Kirigakure ninja was taken to the prisoner holding area.
Minato Namikaze and the others had already returned here, anxiously worried about the whereabouts of their seniors who had gone out to contain the enemy. Seeing them now, they breathed a sigh of relief and all stepped forward. Noticing Might Duy's poor physical condition, they eagerly inquired about what had happened, only to be astonished when they learned of his heroic deeds.
They had always had a very good impression of Might Duy, but they naturally didn't dare to compliment his strength. Even after many years of graduation, in terms of strength, he was still inferior to excellent students like Minato Namikaze and Fugaku Uchiha. What they admired was Might Duy's strong will and enthusiasm.
However, Might Duy actually had the ability to unleash that level of power. Even if it took a toll on his body, considering Might Duy's normal abilities, it was a remarkable achievement. Moreover, Might Duy's actions also ensured the success of the feint. If it weren't for Might Duy quickly ending the battle, that Kirigakure ninja squad wouldn't have made a wrong judgment. From this perspective, these young ninjas greatly admired Might Duy.
"You're amazing, Senior Duy," the young ninja said to Might Duy, who rubbed his head and laughed, saying it was nothing much. Although he said that, his expression showed that he was quite pleased with himself.
Might Duy had always hoped to distinguish himself on the battlefield. Although it was just a mission to cover the transport squad, it was Might Duy's first face-to-face encounter with the enemy, and he had achieved such a feat. All things considered, it could be said that he had bought a considerable amount of time, which for him was already a very significant accomplishment.
Due to the side effects of the Eight Gates Formation, Might Duy's physical condition was very poor, so he called for a medical ninja to take him away for a good rest. The others then began to deal with the remaining matters. Since the Kirigakure ninja unit was nearby, the transfer of supplies and the establishment of defensive lines were of paramount importance, and there could be no slackening.
Just as everyone was busy, the impending arrival of the Kirigakure ninja unit caused a bit of panic among everyone. They hadn't expected the enemy to come straight here. After a moment of thought, they realized it was likely that the traces left by the transport squad had been discovered by the Kirigakure ninja unit, leading them here.
Of course, the Konoha ninja unit currently stationed here was not unaware of this. Before the Kirigakure ninja unit tracked them down, they had several clashes with Konoha ninja reconnaissance teams, buying time for the transfer of supplies. Now, the remaining supplies in the depot were less than one-third of the original amount, but they still hadn't been completely transferred.
According to reports from the front, all the ninjas in these Kirigakure ninja units were elites. The Kirigakure ninja reconnaissance squad that Might Duy had dealt with was only considered to be of weaker strength and did not represent their full power. Moreover, the commanding officer who came this time was Gengetsu Hozuki, the leader of the currently prominent Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Information about him was relayed to every Konoha ninja outpost.
When the reconnaissance team reported encountering someone suspected to be from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, the Konoha ninja immediately fell into disarray. On the eastern front, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had performed exceptionally well, so much so that even the elite units led by Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura had to take them seriously. The Konoha ninja unit here might not be able to stop them.
The Kirigakure ninja unit advanced very quickly, and the transfer of the remaining supplies could not be completed in a short time. The commander here couldn't help but hesitate. It would be best if this batch of supplies could be transferred, but if not, he would have to see if they could withstand the Kirigakure ninja's attack. If the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were not present, he might have chosen to hold out and wait, but now—
Time was pressing, and the commander couldn't afford to think too much. He also had no way to seek a solution from the village—if he waited for the village's orders, the enemy would have already attacked—so he decided to have the remaining people take as many supplies as they could, and destroy everything else that couldn't be carried away. After all, it was all a loss, and they couldn't let the enemy get it.
While the transport squad was in the process of transferring, the commander concentrated his forces to meet the approaching Kirigakure ninja unit, providing time for the supply transfer. The logistics department naturally couldn't go to the front lines at this time; they were responsible for taking the supplies away. Young ninjas like Minato Namikaze and Fugaku Uchiha also knew the situation was dire and quickly focused their energy on the task at hand.
An hour after the transport squad departed, the vanguard of the Kirigakure ninja unit arrived. The leader was Bakuretsu, wielding the Exploding Sword. Since the supply depot was a relatively important location, Gengetsu Hozuki had sent him to deal with it, while he himself led the troops to deal with other areas. The Konoha ninjas had chosen relatively important strongholds, and taking down any one of them would give their side an advantage.
When Bakuretsu arrived near the supply depot and saw the Konoha ninja's defensive line ahead, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. Ordinary samurai armies, no matter how numerous, offered no challenge to Bakuretsu. But when the opponents became Konoha ninjas, Bakuretsu felt it was something he could take a little more seriously.
"Come on, let me see your strength—though I'm sure you're not as good as those Konoha ninja on the eastern front." Bakuretsu only felt that the opponents were somewhat interesting. On the eastern front, he had used the convenience of the sea route to move around, and even the squad led by Danzo Shimura couldn't deal with these people, let alone these Konoha ninja stationed in a peaceful area.
As Bakuretsu, under the cover of others, approached the temporary defensive line established by the Konoha ninja, a blinding flash of fire exploded with the swing of his Exploding Sword, blasting all the nearby Konoha ninja away and instantly tearing a gap in the defensive line. The Kirigakure ninja behind immediately charged forward, engaging in battle with the somewhat disoriented Konoha ninja.
"Hey, hey, is that all you've got? At least send out a Jonin with some skill!" Bakuretsu laughed loudly as he swung his Exploding Sword.
Although they knew the Exploding Sword had unparalleled destructive power at close range, the Konoha ninjas chose to attack from a distance. However, Bakuretsu's strength wasn't entirely based on the Exploding Sword. He skillfully dodged their kunai with agile movements and easily countered ninjutsu like Earth Dragon Bullet with his Exploding Sword. With his masterful taijutsu, no Konoha ninja here could stand against him.
"Tsk, I thought I'd find some capable opponents among the Konoha ninja here. It seems this place has been peaceful for too long, even Konoha Village isn't overly concerned? They haven't assigned a single Jonin here. Well, that makes sense. Jonin hold very high status and power in the village; it's impossible for them to waste their days in such a comfortable place." Bakuretsu sighed helplessly, intending to simply eliminate all the enemies before him.
Before the arrival of the Konoha Third Ninja Unit, even if all the forces originally stationed here were gathered, they would be unable to fight against the Kirigakure ninja unit. However, by leveraging their familiarity with the terrain, they devised many tactics and barely managed to withstand the enemy's offensive. But, given enough time, they would inevitably reach the brink of collapse.
Just as everyone felt the situation was dire, reinforcements, having received urgent intelligence, finally arrived. The leader was Choza Akimichi, the commander of the Konoha Third Ninja Unit. Choza Akimichi, upon learning of the attack in the south, aiming to quickly halt losses and stabilize the front line, brought only an elite squad. Relying on his powerful strength, he immediately subdued the Kirigakure ninja upon his appearance.
The secret technique used by the Akimichi clan is the Multi-Size Technique, which allows them to greatly enlarge their bodies. The Akimichi clan, whose training foundation is to increase body fat and convert it into chakra, has, through this secret technique, become a clan with unprecedented frontal combat capabilities on the battlefield.
When Choza Akimichi arrived on the battlefield and used the Multi-Size Technique to make his body incredibly massive, casting a giant shadow over the battlefield, it undoubtedly shocked the minds of every Kirigakure ninja, while greatly boosting the morale of their Konoha ninja allies.
Although Choza Akimichi had actually only brought a few elite squads, if both sides engaged in an all-out conflict, it would be hard to say who would win. However, his very arrival signified the arrival of reinforcements. The Kirigakure ninja mistakenly believed there were more reinforcements behind them, and Gengetsu Hozuki's objective was never to completely annihilate the enemy. Upon seeing Choza Akimichi appear, Gengetsu Hozuki ordered a retreat, and Choza Akimichi, eager to stabilize the front line, did not pursue. Thus, the battle concluded.