svetikya Chapter 94 If Minato were to come, he would definitely be able to defeat Makoto!
Chapter 94 If Minato were to come, he would definitely be able to defeat Makoto!
Chapter 94 If Minato comes, he will definitely be able to defeat Makoto!
Kushina was far too important to Konoha.
She is not only the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but also the last remaining member of the Uzumaki clan in Konoha, a descendant of Mito Uzumaki, and holds the last legacy of the Uzumaki clan after the fall of the country!
Although the Uzumaki clan's secret techniques, sealing spells, and the like, had long been incorporated into Konoha.
But data is data; Kushina was a living, breathing individual!
She was a pioneer; she could be a teacher, an educator, and that kind of teaching was completely different from cold, hard data recording!
"Iwagakure is already relying on the Four-Tails and Five-Tails. If you really want to send Jinchuriki to the front lines, then send Kushina to the Iwagakure battlefield."
Mitokado Homura looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi seriously and spoke solemnly.
He knew the immense pressure his old friend was under and the extent of his hatred for that Gouju Cheng.
But that's precisely why he needs to keep Hiruzen Sarutobi rational. That's the significance of these old guys existing as elders!
"----I see."
After a long silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally agreed to Homura Mitokado's plan.
Koharu looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi's face, which seemed to have aged several years overnight, and couldn't help but sigh, feeling a pang of heartache.
"Hiruzen, I know you're under a lot of pressure, but this war won't last long."
"The situation in Kumogakure and Sunagakure is basically stable, and Iwagakure is just holding on. As long as we deal with Kirigakure, we will be the final winners in this war!"
"I know."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded emphatically, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination.
"Then, execute it immediately."
"Menyan, you are responsible for coordinating the troop deployment on the northwest defense line, communicating with Orochimaru, and making sure to stabilize the Sunagakure front."
"Koharu, go to the Sealing Team and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio in person, select the most suitable personnel, form Kushina's guard support team, and assist Akimichi Torifu in formulating a detailed battle plan."
"I will immediately contact Minato and Kushina, issue them orders, and personally explain to Minato the specific situation on the eastern front and the threat posed by Makoto Karatachi."
"Furthermore, regarding the matter concerning Fugaku this time, Danzo is not to blame, but it was indeed his negligence and mistakes that led to all of this—let him make amends."
"yes!"
"The water gate is coming—great!"
Jiraiya looked at the latest order that had just been delivered through encrypted channels, along with a detailed report about Minato Namikaze's impending transfer to the East. He let out a long sigh of relief, and his tense nerves finally relaxed slightly.
He knew, of course, that this transfer order meant that other fronts would inevitably be under tremendous pressure, especially the Iwagakure front, which would probably have to take a huge gamble.
But as the commander of the Eastern Front, he could only feel fortunate and excited at this moment.
Minato Namikaze, his prized disciple, the Yellow Flash of Konoha, is widely recognized in the ninja world as one of the strongest ninjas in terms of mobility and explosive power.
-
Back then, on the battlefield of Kumogakure, Minato Namikaze single-handedly held off the AB brothers. Later, he even took on 50 Iwagakure ninjas in a 1v5 battle, making him famous throughout the ninja world!
Furthermore, Minato is calm, meticulous in his thinking, and possesses extremely high combat intelligence.
Furthermore, his mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique, considered the pinnacle of space-time ninjutsu, made it perfectly suited to counter Makoto Karatachi's elusive and harassing tactics!
"Shikaku, what do you think Kirigakure will do next?"
Jiraiya put away his scroll and asked Nara Shikaku, who had just arrived at the front lines, in a deep voice.
Almost all members of the Nara clan are born commanders, and Nara Shikaku is the current clan leader and the absolute core of Konoha's strategist!
Because of the troublemaker Makoto Karatachi's appearance, the entire Kirigakure battlefield and the Hokage's position are now in chaos. When Hiruzen Sarutobi sent the message, he also immediately dispatched Shikaku Nara to help Jiraiya deal with the situation and take control of the overall situation!
Nara Shikaku did not answer immediately upon hearing this.
He walked to the huge sand table, placed his hands on the edge, and scanned the dense markings on the sand table representing the troop deployments of both sides inch by inch.
Jiraiya did not urge him, but simply waited quietly.
"First, we need to make one thing clear."
After a long while, Nara Shikaku finally straightened up slowly and spoke in a deep voice.
"Makoto Karatachi has completely changed the rules of the game on the Eastern Front."
"Previously, our rear was relatively safe; the front line was the front line, and the rear was the rear. The garrison troops..."
Logistics nodes and intelligence networks each have their own responsibilities, working in a hierarchical manner.
"But now, Makoto Kari and his Mistblade squad have proven that they are capable of bypassing our tight frontal defenses, penetrating our heartland like a sharp knife, and striking our vitals with precision."
"What's even more troublesome is..."
Shikaku paused, then looked at Jiraiya: "The power that Makoto Karatachi possesses is too unique. Even if his power is time-limited, how much time can we ninja waste in a battle, even a large-scale war?"
"The Mangekyou Sharingan, space-time ninjutsu—he doesn't even need to activate these powers. Just by having a pair of Sharingan or copying a pair of Byakugan, he can openly and legitimately enter the heart of our territory!"
Jiraiya's expression was solemn.
Lu Jiu's analysis is correct; this is what makes Goji Ju Cheng truly terrifying.
Today he is Makoto Karatachi, but tomorrow he could be Makoto Uchiha or Makoto Hyuga.
This is far too troublesome for the Hidden Mist Line, which relies heavily on the power of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans!
"so."
Nara Shikaku summarized: "The current tactical advantage of Kirigakure is twofold: on the front line, without Fugaku, we are at most 40/60, or even 30/70, against the main force led by Yagura; in the shadows, there is also Makoto Karatachi, an all-pervasive poisonous blade, who may deliver a fatal blow at our weakest point at any time."
He looked at the sand table again, his finger extending forward from the Mist Hidden Defense Line, pointing to several key frontline strongholds of Konoha.
"In this situation, Jiraiya-sama, if you were Yagura, what would you do?"
Jiraiya pondered for a moment and said, "I will—intensify our frontal offensive, while simultaneously using the chaos and panic created by Makoto Karatachi to find weaknesses in our defenses, employing a two-pronged approach to crush us in one fell swoop?"
"good!"
Shikaku nodded: "In my opinion, Kirigakure won't employ any particularly special tactics next. They might even avoid letting Makoto Karatachi disrupt our logistics and instead directly join the main battle and launch a hard attack!"
"After all, Makoto Karatachi possesses space-time ninjutsu and can fly. None of us know whether he has actually infiltrated our territory. We can only passively expend a lot of manpower, resources, and energy to strengthen our defenses."
The scene of Makoto Karatachi flying through the air and scattering countless explosive tags that day brought a tremendous shock to these Konoha ninjas who were engaged in land warfare every day.
No wonder the Cangnan Supply Station and Fengming Valley were destroyed; who would have thought the threat would come from the sky?!
"In this situation, the best course of action for Kirigakure is to launch a direct frontal assault, using overwhelming force and lightning speed to crush our main force and then advance deep into the heart of our Land of Fire."
"—This is truly suffocating."
Listening to Nara Shikaku's analysis, Jiraiya sighed with a wry smile and rubbed his temples.
"So, Shikaku, how should we respond to Kirigakure's almost overtly calculated offensive strategy?"
"Counter-attack".
Nara Shikaku uttered four words without hesitation.
"A defensive counter-attack?" Jiraiya murmured twice, then sighed softly, "Indeed, the only option now is to solidify our defenses and wear down their morale and manpower."
"Indeed, but there's no need for Jiraiya-sama to be so tense."
"The appearance of Makoto Karatachi has given Kirigakure a huge tactical advantage, but it has also brought a potential problem."
"Oh?"
Jiraiya looked at Shikaku with some curiosity. Given the current situation, how could Kirigakure still have problems?
"The power that Makoto Koji has displayed is too astonishing and will inevitably attract the attention and fear of other forces."
Nara Shikaku said in a deep voice, "Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Sunagakure—no one would want to see a Kirigakure genius who wields such dangerous power and acts recklessly grow up completely."
"The higher-ups in Kirigakure, especially Yagura and Makoto Karatachi, couldn't possibly be unaware of this."
"Therefore, what they want most is a quick victory! Before Konoha can catch its breath or before external forces react, they want to crush the eastern front in one fell swoop, establish a decisive victory, and then use the momentum of a great victory to intimidate all sides and consolidate their gains."
"On the contrary, the longer it drags on, the more variables there will be. Unexpected events may occur on other fronts, we may need to call in more reinforcements, external forces may intervene, and even—the Hidden Mist Village may experience new conflicts due to Makoto Kotachi's excessive brilliance."
"That's true!"
Jiraiya's eyes lit up.
"So what we need to do is stall! Drag this war into a quagmire, until Kirigakure can't hold on any longer, or until they reveal a weakness!"
"That's right."
Nara Shikaku nodded: "But dragging it out isn't passive defense, it's an active war of attrition."
He pointed to several strategically important and easily defensible strongholds on the sand table.
"Abandon some unnecessary perimeter positions, consolidate forces, and concentrate on defending these core support points."
"At the same time, we will form several elite mobile guerrilla units. We will not seek to engage the main force of Kirigakure in a direct confrontation, but will instead use our familiarity with the terrain and our advantage of small-scale coordination to constantly harass Kirigakure's flanks, supply lines, and isolated units. We will strike and leave immediately, never lingering in battle. Our goal is to harass and wear them down."
"Of course, we also need to be careful of Kirigakure's psychological tactics. The tactic that Jiraiya-sama used to spread the word that Fuguki is one of our people is quite good. We can try it more often."
"In short, we must prepare for a protracted battle, Lord Jiraiya!"
Jiraiya nodded repeatedly, his mind suddenly clear.
As expected of Nara Shikaku, he analyzed the situation so thoroughly in such a short time.
Counter-attack, aggressive attrition warfare, psychological warfare —
Both our own disadvantages and the enemy's advantages were taken into account in a comprehensive assessment!
"Very well, Shikaku, we'll do as you say!"
Jiraiya slammed his palm heavily on the edge of the sand table, his fighting spirit rekindled in his eyes.
"Immediately issue orders to all units to adjust their deployments! Shift the focus of defense as planned. You will personally select the personnel for the guerrilla forces and form them as quickly as possible!"
"yes!"
Nara Shikaku accepted the order, but did not leave immediately. Instead, he added, "Lord Jiraiya, there are two more things."
"explain."
"First, regarding Lord Danzo and Root—they still play an irreplaceable role in rear area cleanup and intelligence warfare. Although the previous pursuit of Makoto Karatachi was thwarted, they should not be completely abandoned. It is recommended that their mission scope be clearly defined, primarily focusing on assisting in reconnaissance, counter-infiltration, and protecting key logistical nodes."
"Even Root members can be placed in guerrilla units; they are all extremely sharp blades that cannot be left idle."
Jiraiya nodded: "Okay, I will communicate with Danzo personally."
"second."
Nara Shikaku's tone became even more serious: "All our plans are based on 'delay' and 'waiting.' And the key to this, besides Minato's support, is our own stability."
He looked out of the command post, as if he could see through the tents and into the Uchiha clan, who resembled a powder keg.
"—No matter what, we must stabilize the Uchiha clan. We need their strength, and Konoha needs their strength too!"
"I see."
Jiraiya took a deep breath: "I've already communicated with the teacher, and I think they'll come up with a result soon."
"Okay, then I'll go and carry it out."
Nara Shikaku bowed, turned and quickly left the command post to relay orders and allocate manpower.
How to negotiate with the Uchiha clan and stabilize them was no longer his concern.
This is a political event.
But it's nothing more than an exchange of benefits.
Just as Nara Shikaku said.
In the following days, Kirigakure launched a series of offensives, all of which employed the simplest and most ruthless tactics.
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A frontal assault!
After creating an environmental advantage by covering the area with water and shrouding it in dense fog, they launched a direct and fierce attack!
Makoto Karatachi also listened to Yagura and stepped onto the front lines, unleashing his Mangekyou Susanoo and hacking away, leaving the Uchiha on the other side momentarily dazed.
This is our bloodline limit, this is the power of the Uchiha clan!
Faced with the intensified frontal assault by Kirigakure, Konoha followed Shikaku's advice and did not choose to confront them head-on. Instead, they decisively abandoned several outer positions and quickly withdrew their forces, retreating to several pre-selected strategic locations and key strongholds that were easy to defend and difficult to attack.
At the same time, several highly skilled mobile guerrilla squads, led by experienced Jonin, were quickly formed.
Like hyenas lurking in the shadows of the battlefield, they did not seek a decisive battle with the main force of the Hidden Mist Village, but instead targeted the Hidden Mist Village's flanks, supply lines, isolated patrols, and reconnaissance squads.
Strike and run, never linger!
This tactic caused considerable trouble for the Fog Shadows.
Under Yagura's command, the main force of Kirigakure was in high spirits and launched a series of offensives, capturing the outer positions abandoned by Konoha and steadily advancing the battle line from the Higashiki Mountain area for dozens of miles, all the way to a complex canyon area called Kazama Valley.
But every step forward was accompanied by considerable casualties and losses.
Konoha's guerrilla tactics are extremely disgusting. Small groups of troops constantly emerge from unexpected places, fire a barrage of arrows, throw a bunch of explosive tags, destroy a section of road, and then quickly disappear into the thick fog of the mountains and forests.
The advance on the main battlefield was progressing smoothly, but the flanks and rear remained constantly unsettled.
More importantly, as the battle lines stretched out, the supply pressure on the Mist Village began to emerge.
Inside the Fog Concealment Frontline Command Post.
Yagura frowned slightly as he looked at the jagged battle lines on the sand table.
Beside him, a Kaguya Jonin who had just been rotated off the front lines was panting heavily. He took a big gulp of water, wiped his mouth, and said, "Lord Yagura, the terrain of Kazama and Kazuya is too bad. It's easy to defend and difficult to attack. If we fight head-on, our casualties will be very high."
"Furthermore, several of our supply lines have been attacked. Although they were not significantly damaged and we successfully held them off, there are already signs of trouble."
"That's the real reason why they've retreated every time we've attacked these past few days!" A Jonin from the Snow Clan said in a deep voice, "Now they plan to rely on the terrain of Kazama and Kazuya to forcibly defend, stall, and wait!"
What does war involve? Is it a direct clash of forces?
No.
Real wars are about money and military equipment, food and supplies, and tactics and strategies!
A direct, head-on confrontation is the lowest level and most meaningless clash in war.
Previously, the battlefield between Kirigakure and Konoha was located at the border of fire and water, and the border of fire and waves. Konoha's supply lines were long, and although Kirigakure's supply lines were also long, most of their supply points were overseas. Konoha was like a headless fly, with no chance to cause any damage.
But it's different now.
As the battle lines advanced, they had entered the heart of the Land of Fire.
Those Konoha ninjas can raid their logistics stations as easily as going home. Even if they haven't caused any serious damage yet, what about later?
"Send the order to all departments."
Yagura composed himself and ordered in a deep voice, "The main force will rest for three days to consolidate our gains. Three days later, we will launch a full-scale attack on Kazama and Kazuya!"
"In addition, double the number of reconnaissance teams, especially targeting the activity patterns and hiding places of the Konoha guerrilla teams. After finding out, report back and organize elite counter-ambush operations."
"Furthermore, urge the rear to ensure supplies keep up, especially medical supplies and detonators. Tell the logistics department that if supply delays affect the battle, court-martial will be pursued!"
"yes!"
The order was quickly relayed.
One should press on with one effort, but the momentum will wane with each attempt, and eventually be exhausted with each subsequent one.
Instead of slowly wearing down the enemy, which would deplete morale and cause us to hesitate, we should launch a fierce attack!
Even if we have the advantage of terrain, so what? At worst, we can have A-Cheng sneak into the valley and open a few gaps with his Susanoo!
The Hidden Mist's offensive has temporarily slowed down, and the focus has shifted to consolidating the newly captured positions while intensifying the clearing and counter-attack against the Leaf Village guerrillas.
The two sides were locked in a brief stalemate and tug-of-war in the Kazama and Yagaya area.
But everyone knew that this calm was just the prelude to a storm.
Konoha is waiting for Minato Namikaze, and for changes to occur on other fronts.
Meanwhile, the Hidden Mist Sect was also gathering strength, preparing for an even more intense offensive.
Just before the battle began, an unexpected guest arrived at the Mist Fortress.
When that figure with long reddish-brown hair and a slender figure stepped into the command post under the escort of a team of elite guards from the Hidden Mist Village, Makoto Kuraki was immediately stunned.
"deep?"