The Battle Concludes

"Finished work, let's call it a day."

Gamabunta's massive short sword slashed a deep trench in the ground, sending flying pebbles flying and leaving pits of varying depths.

Jiraiya then began to shout.

However, after fighting fiercely for a while, the enemy's offensive slowed down, and they began to retreat slowly. Jiraiya and Orochimaru did the same thing.

Both sides began to retreat, preparing to end the stalemate.

In situations like this, Jonin to determine a winner quickly without overwhelming strength. Especially in a chaotic battle like this, the difficulty of killing someone with a single blow is simply off the charts.

The Sand Ninjas attacked Katsuki and his group in the end, partly to salvage the face they had lost in the Genin, and partly to genuinely test whether they could defeat Katsuki.

Targeting and assassinating geniuses is a common occurrence in the Shinobi World.

The principle of prevention is universal: to nip an enemy's genius in the bud before they grow up. Major ninja villages have always been enthusiastic about this kind of work, and even have special genius-sniping squads on the battlefield.

It was only because Konoha took the initiative to attack this time, and because the Sand Ninja had internal reasons, that they Katsuki Mizuki and the others to run wild without facing too much danger.

The battle had dragged on until now, and the two Sand Ninja had lost all will to fight. A battle destined to be fruitless was simply uninteresting, and they were unwilling to reveal too much of their abilities under these circumstances. Thus, the raid finally came to an end.

The Sand Ninja successfully defended against the Konoha's surprise attack, while the Konoha Village obtained the information they wanted and also tested the quality of their new recruits.

Each gained something, in different ways!

Back at the main camp, the Genin went back to rest, but the Chunin, who were squad leaders, were still busy compiling lists of the fallen and dealing with the bodies they brought back. As mid-level backbone members, their tasks were quite heavy.

Of course, Katsuki couldn't escape either. Sitting behind the table, she painstakingly recorded the names of the fallen. The densely packed names looked like incantations, making people's scalps tingle. She clearly showed no mercy when killing people on the battlefield.

But when I saw those vibrant lives transformed into cold, black words, my stomach began to churn and convulse, a feeling of nausea welled up inside me, and I couldn't help but feel a bit irritable.

"I wouldn't even react this strongly to a dead person, it's truly... unbelievable."

The tent was filled with warm, stale air. Three other people were responsible for compiling the list of the dead, and two others were responsible for reviewing and checking it to prevent any mistakes.

It wasn't just Katsuki who felt uncomfortable and out of place; the other two young-looking Chunin reacted similarly, finding it hard to remain unmoved as they looked at the familiar and unfamiliar names on the list.

Ninjas' emotions are extreme. A child as young as ten can decisively pick up Kunai and stab it into the heart of an enemy, cutting off the head of the dead without any discomfort. However, when faced with the sacrifice of their relatives and friends, they will weep bitterly and be overwhelmed with grief.

"Hey, you three, stop throwing up here. It'll be a huge hassle to clean up, and there'll be a disgusting smell left behind. Plus, we'll have to move to a different work location... Just thinking about it is a hassle."

The senior colleague in charge of reviewing and inspecting the work showed no sympathy whatsoever; instead, he displayed a look of disgust.

"Everyone's reaction is pretty much the same the first time they do this kind of work. There's no need to pay attention to what Chui Liu is saying; he's always been sharp-tongued."

Another, older, and more experienced senior colleague offered words of comfort.

"However, it's best not to spit it out if possible!"

While Katsuki was struggling with his work, Sakumo and other high-ranking leaders were also having headaches.

"I don't understand, what exactly are the Sand Village trying to do?"

With a heavy sigh, Jiraiya looked up at the top of the tent, seemingly studying its supporting structure.

"It's hard to say. We have too little information, so making a judgment won't be easy."

Seemingly oblivious to Jiraiya's purely complaining tone, Orochimaru's reply was very formal.

"Hey Orochimaru, stop with that stern face, it's scary! Smile!" Jiraiya started teasing Orochimaru again.

"Shikaku, you can share your thoughts too."

Sakumo clearly saw the interaction between Jiraiya and Orochimaru. Orochimaru's talent was indeed outstanding, but he was rather arrogant and aloof, and had very few friends. In fact, he only Jiraiya, and Tsunade was at most half a friend, even though he had a large number of followers.

But every time Sakumo met Orochimaru, a chill would creep into his heart. Orochimaru was not one to fit in with others, and Jiraiya's presence was like a rope, tightly binding Orochimaru and preventing him from getting lost. Therefore, he would occasionally say a few words to the two of them, but most of the time he would try to ignore them.

Now, using Jiraiya as a background figure, we consulted Shikaku was sitting at the bottom taking notes on the meeting documents.

"That might not be in accordance with the rules. I'm only responsible for taking meeting minutes; I don't have the right to speak..."

"Not following the rules, does that mean you already have an idea?"

Sakumo interrupted Shikaku's remarks with a domineering wave of his hand.

"You are permitted... no, I command you to speak."

The Jonin present had a variety of expressions, but almost none of them had any expression related to Shikaku. Some were deep in thought, some were daydreaming, some were dozing off, and some were playing dice.

Shikaku there, the twelve-year-old boy looking quite out of place, but the high intelligence of the Nara clan's bloodline endowed him with enough wisdom to rival that of everyone present.

"Ahem! If you're asking for my opinion, I personally think the Sand Village's underhanded tactics could be one of the following."

Jonin the Shikaku and spoke.

"The Sand Village's troop withdrawal is either a trap or part of their planned operation."

"A trap... that's highly unlikely. Trying to defeat us using traps is a joke," Tsunade interjected, toying with the three dice in her hand.

"Yes, just as Lady Tsunade said, traps might be useful in small-scale battles, but in a war involving thousands of people, traps can't turn the tide of battle. So... the Sand Village must be planning other actions, such as attacking our supply lines and granaries."

Shikaku did not show any change in expression despite Tsunade's interruption. He continued to speak eloquently, showing no sign of fear, and presented his views in a very organized manner.

The Jonin, who had been nonchalant, suddenly became alert, their piercing gazes fixed on a single point.