Chapter 13 This is the resolve of a ninja
Sarutobi Shinnosuke was second only to Orochimaru in both status and strength. Since he proposed a compromise, the group discussed it briefly and quickly agreed.
While a direct assault is not the best strategy, simply staring at Sunagakure here is also not a solution.
The general manager was essentially just a backdrop throughout the entire meeting.
Although I had thought about offering some suggestions and showing off in front of so many Jonin.
However, for a newcomer who has just been promoted to Special Jonin, showing off like this might seem arrogant and could backfire.
If you happen to encounter someone who takes advantage of their age and seniority, and their opinion is rejected based on their experience, that would be incredibly embarrassing.
Besides, given his previous low status, he had limited access to intelligence and lacked understanding of the situation. If he rashly offered any suggestions, it would be best if they came true, but if it caused Konoha to suffer a defeat, he would be severely penalized.
So Souji calmly became a background character and decided to find out the situation first.
The meeting ended, and everyone left one by one.
Shinnosuke suddenly stopped Souji, took him aside, and talked about some differences that needed to be noted when advancing from Chunin to Special Jonin.
These things weren't really that important, and there was no need for the acting commander to tell him, so the commander-in-chief was naturally quite puzzled.
Until Shinnosuke said:
"You were able to defeat and kill two special Jonin in succession, which shows that you are indeed quite strong. However, I hope you will be careful. There are many special ninjutsu in the ninja world that are difficult to defend against. Even a Jonin may make a mistake when facing multiple special Jonin."
"Unless you receive orders to fight to the death, you must make a reasonable assessment of the strength of both sides. If the other side poses a significant threat, you can... consider retreating."
Shinnosuke always had a stern face and a very serious attitude.
Only when these words were mentioned did a hint of embarrassment appear on his face, especially when he said the last sentence.
Upon seeing this, the commander-in-chief suddenly realized what was going on.
This is a story that doesn't mention Asma in a single sentence, yet every sentence is about Asma!
It seems that he led Asuma and the other two to fight, defeating a large number of Sunagakure ninjas in succession, and finally facing three special Jonin.
This made Sarutobi Shinnosuke somewhat dissatisfied with him.
Or perhaps it hasn't reached the point of dissatisfaction. Shinnosuke probably still has the resolve to accept his loved ones going to the battlefield, but ultimately he's still a little worried.
So I'm saying this to him now, to remind him to pay more attention to his younger brother's safety.
The commander felt somewhat helpless; indeed, children with powerful backgrounds were truly difficult to manage.
He had earned a lot of merit with them, but when he encountered some danger, his family members actually came to remind him to be careful and retreat.
The commander pondered for a moment, then spoke calmly:
"Thank you for your guidance, sir. However, in the ninja world, many children as young as 10, or even as young as 6 or 7, go to the battlefield to carry out dangerous missions that could result in death at any moment."
"As an adult of my age, I naturally wouldn't retreat easily just because the battle situation is a little dangerous."
"This is the resolve of a ninja, please understand, sir."
"you..."
Shinnosuke's eyes widened in shock!
This guy, who was originally a Chunin, actually dared to refuse his orders to his face!
The other person isn't stupid. Shinnosuke is sure he understood the implication in the previous words. But even though he understood, he still dared to refuse, and there was even a hint of lecturing in his words!
This person is incredibly brave!
Shinnosuke's expression changed, and he fell silent for a moment. Souji didn't say anything either, but simply looked at him calmly.
Finally, Shinnosuke sighed softly and spoke:
"You're right, this is the resolve of a ninja… I apologize for what I said earlier."
...
They left the operations headquarters.
Having completed a Rank B mission and brought back an elite Chunin prisoner, Souji gained another 100 reputation points, though that amount is insignificant these days.
The commander looked back and felt a little helpless.
"This has offended some people, but there's nothing I can do about it..."
Finally, he also rejected Sarutobi Shinnosuke's suggestion to pay attention to Asuma's safety in a way that was neither explicitly mentioned nor explicitly stated, and even gave the other a lecture in his words.
There are plenty of other kids of the same age who went to war, some even as young as a few years old. Why is it that only your younger brother's safety needs special attention?
Shinnosuke is a reasonable person, and out of shame, he ended up apologizing to him.
However, even if one accepts this principle rationally, it is still difficult to accept it emotionally, which is only natural.
Like Itachi, he could even harm his parents, but he couldn't bring himself to harm his younger brother.
If something were to happen to Asuma, Shinnosuke might cause him trouble, and it's even possible that the Hokage himself, Hiruzen Sarutobi, would personally come after him.
But there's nothing we can do about it; he came to the battlefield to make a name for himself, not to be a babysitter for the Hokage clan.
His goals and Shinnosuke's demands are naturally in conflict.
He gave a perfunctory agreement here, and then turned around and took Asuma and the other two on an adventure. At that time, Shinnosuke's opinion of him will probably be even worse.
Rather than doing that, it's better to simply refuse outright now.
He could also take the opportunity to show off to Shinnosuke and make him apologize to him.
Opportunities to show off to the Hokage's eldest son don't come around every day.
...
At the same time, the Sand Village faction.
A large number of ninjas are using ninjutsu to construct defensive fortifications such as earthen walls, watchtowers, and traps.
Most ninjas are proficient in a variety of different types of ninjutsu. The Sand Village is not only skilled in Wind Release; many of its members can also use Earth Release. Using ninjutsu to construct these defensive fortifications is highly efficient.
Due to the disadvantage in high-level combat power, Sunagakure has decided to adopt a defensive posture and will remain entrenched in its camp for the foreseeable future.
While the Sannin and Jinchuriki are undoubtedly powerful, ninja wars are not solely fought by top-tier fighters. A sufficient number of ordinary ninjas can also pose a threat to Kage-level beings.
Previously, it was because the ordinary ninjas had exhausted a lot of chakra after a round of battle, which is why they seemed helpless against Manda.
If it's a well-prepared positional battle, then with four thousand Sand Village soldiers, even if Orochimaru went, he would have to overthrow Manda on the spot!
Jonin Bowser supervised the construction work while listening to his subordinates' reports.
"You said the person who killed the Blazing Flame used a very strange ninjutsu, and his kunai hit the target almost every time?"
"Yes, according to Serga and several eyewitnesses, many people tried to avoid or block the attack by various means, but they were still hit by the kunai thrown by that Konoha ninja... The technique used is still unknown."
"A peculiar kunai manipulation technique... is it wielding a blade?" Bowser said thoughtfully.
The B-rank ninjutsu, Manipulating Blade, uses silk threads to flexibly manipulate kunai to attack enemies. Because kunai are inherently weak in damage, and given the difficulty of mastering B-rank techniques, the cost-effectiveness ratio is not high. Therefore, this is a niche ninjutsu with very few practitioners.
It's not surprising that most people don't recognize this obscure ninjutsu.
End of this chapter...