The Weak

From a god's-eye view, whether compared to the First and Second Hokage eras or the later Third Great Ninja War period, Konoha was indeed experiencing a generational gap. Leading the front lines were Mitokado Homura and Shimura Danzō, neither of whom carried much weight.

Where were the absolute powerhouses on the battlefield capable of ending conflicts with a single blow? Konoha seemed to lack such individuals at this time.

Hatake Sakumo was just beginning to make a name for himself on the battlefield, while Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade had yet to earn the title of "Sannin."

The only ninja in Konoha who could be considered significant was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, but he could not easily go to the front lines. He could only remain at headquarters, Konohagakure, directing operations.

In just twenty years, Konohagakure, once the most powerful village in the Shinobi World, had fallen into such a state. Konoha's overall combat power was now barely on par with other ninja villages, even considered weak.

Of course, Yuzuru didn't need to ponder why Konoha had become this way; after all, ninjas like him were part of a weakened Konoha.

Iwagakure was a formidable enemy of Konoha, as was Sunagakure, and even Amegakure was a strong opponent.

"Regarding Iwagakure changing their invasion route, I confirmed it on the way back... The information is accurate. Iwagakure will no longer go through the Land of Birds but will advance through the Land of Grass," Torifu Akimichi reported.

"Iwagakure is withdrawing from their stalemate with Sunagakure to prioritize crushing us in Konoha?" Mitokado Homura was filled with anxiety. Iwagakure's mere change of invasion route had put Konoha in a significantly disadvantageous position.

If Iwagakure entered the Land of Rain from the direction of the Land of Birds, the pressure would fall on Amegakure and Sunagakure. But if Iwagakure took the Land of Grass route, the pressure would fall on Konoha and Amegakure.

Even setting aside Kumogakure and Kirigakure, who remained inactive, did Konoha have the capacity for multi-front warfare at this time?

Iwagakure, Amegakure, Sunagakure, and Konoha were all facing enemies, bearing immense operational pressure on almost every front.

As far as Yuzuru was concerned, the current predicament facing Konoha was not difficult to solve. Konoha should shift from offense to defense, become a complete turtle, and completely withdraw from the Land of Rain. Then, they should establish a defensive line a considerable distance within the Land of Fire, employing an "iron turtle" tactic. This way, whether Iwagakure or Sunagakure wanted to attack Konoha's front lines, they would have to pass through the Land of Rain first.

It would be equivalent to using Amegakure as Konoha's shield.

However, as one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Konoha would not easily withdraw from the Land of Rain. In a sense, it wouldn't be a show of weakness, but surrender. Retreating too little would be meaningless, while retreating too far would be akin to abandoning territory, which Konoha and the Land of Fire could not accept.

"There is no ninja village in the Land of Birds, but there is one in the Land of Grass. Iwagakure directly passing through the Land of Grass infringes upon Kusagakure's interests... Perhaps we can gain Kusagakure's support," Torifu Akimichi offered a suggestion that seemed feasible but was ultimately meaningless.

At this point, was Konoha resorting to seeking support from minor ninja villages?

"Kusagakure is neither Amegakure nor Takigakure; their strength is considerable. More importantly, Iwagakure is not the only one invading the Land of Grass," Shimura Danzō stated coldly.

Fine, this was rather awkward. To Kusagakure, Iwagakure was overbearing and wicked, disregarding their borders with impunity. But what about Konoha? Was Konoha any better in Kusagakure's eyes?

Konoha ninja did not always adhere to the rules either. Major ninja villages had always treated minor ones this way... After all, during conflicts with Amegakure and Iwagakure, Konoha ninja frequently crossed the border into the Land of Grass.

Not to mention anything else, when Torifu Akimichi led his team behind enemy lines previously, didn't they wander into the Land of Grass?

"Notify Hiruzen and request reinforcements. There is no other way."

Shimura Danzō was relatively reliable. There was no time for dithering; requesting reinforcements was the most logical solution... The unreasonable part was, who knew how many reserve troops Konoha actually had left.

Thus, Danzō easily shifted the front-line problem to Hiruzen Sarutobi's responsibility.

"That's all we can do," Mitokado Homura said after a brief silence, finally agreeing to Shimura Danzō's decision.

"What about the other piece of intelligence? Concerning the Four-Tails Jinchuriki and the Five-Tails Jinchuriki acting in concert and directly participating in the battle, how should we handle it?" Compared to the previous intelligence, Torifu Akimichi placed more importance on this matter.

Konoha could respond to Iwagakure's routine movements with routine measures, but how should they deal with unconventional tactics?

Konoha could not field a Jinchuriki against a Jinchuriki. Mito Uzumaki was too old and could no longer leave Konohagakure... If Mito Uzumaki were still young, why would they worry about Iwagakure's Jinchuriki?

In a short while, Konoha would have to replace its Jinchuriki.

Iwagakure's actions were coincidental. Neither Konoha's old Jinchuriki nor the new one would be able to serve as direct combatants on the battlefield.

"Why is Iwagakure acting so extreme? Aren't they worried about anything happening to their Jinchuriki on the battlefield?" Mitokado Homura intensely disliked Iwagakure's reckless approach.

"Hmph, Iwagakure and Kumogakure have always been like this. They only see the benefits and never consider the consequences of their actions."

"Perhaps we should request aid from the Land of Whirlpools."

Since they were requesting aid anyway, Mitokado Homura simply expanded upon Shimura Danzō's strategy.

It was extremely difficult to deal with a Jinchuriki or a Tailed Beast head-on, but it was not as difficult to act from the side. If they dispatched Uzumaki ninja, who were exceptionally skilled in sealing jutsu, dealing with the Jinchuriki threat might not be difficult.

However, although the Uzumaki Clan was a traditional ally of Konoha, they were ultimately not part of Konoha but an independent ninja village... With the current chaotic battle involving the three major ninja villages plus Amegakure in the Land of Rain, it would be difficult for Uzumaki ninja to participate directly.

"No," Shimura Danzō immediately stopped him. He was silent for a moment, then offered a new strategy: "We are not the most urgent party in this matter. Iwagakure's Jinchuriki are, after all, active in the Land of Rain. Who would be most concerned about the destruction they might cause at this time? The answer is self-evident... Find a way to leak this information to Hanzo of Amegakure. He will deal with the Jinchuriki for us."

This was why Shimura Danzō was called the "Pot Kage." He was cunning, and the most cunning part was that he was using an overt strategy.

But Danzō's words held truth. The one who least wanted Iwagakure's Jinchuriki active in the Land of Rain could only be the leader of Amegakure, Hanzo of the Salamander.

Hanzo was currently at the peak of his strength. With his "power close to that of a god," perhaps dealing with one or two Jinchuriki was not a problem.

In short, after the squad reported the intelligence they had gathered, Torifu Akimichi's team was temporarily disbanded.

Torifu Akimichi remained on the spot for the time being, while Yuzuru was to head to the Konoha Hospital to thoroughly treat his injuries. Kairi Omori and Hazuki Uchiha could rest well for a few days.

After the irrelevant personnel withdrew, only Mitokado Homura, Shimura Danzō, and Torifu Akimichi remained in the tent.

"Torifu, do you have anything else to say?"

"Our front-line reconnaissance posts were almost simultaneously destroyed. The enemy's actions were so precise that I suspect the relevant intelligence was leaked... There is likely an Iwagakure spy within the command, and this spy is in a high position, at least able to access some classified information."

Torifu Akimichi's words immediately put the other two on alert. If such a spy truly existed, the damage they could cause would be immense.

"Oh no, doesn't that mean the location of the front-line hospital is exposed? It could be attacked by the enemy at any moment..." Mitokado Homura was startled. Once a critical location was exposed, the enemy could strike at Konoha's weak points at any time.

"Relocate?"

"Not yet. We need to find a way to catch the spy first. Otherwise, no matter where we move, we'll be exposed again soon."

"If the spy is located too close to the core intelligence, we can't just interrogate them blindly, or it will cause widespread panic."

"Hmph, don't worry, it's just catching a rat, I have many ways."

Whether in times of peace or war, different shinobi villages have a habit of sending spies to each other. For a long time, the one in charge of intelligence in Konoha has been Shimura Danzō.

He viewed the enemy's act of planting spies in Konoha's frontline camps as a provocation.

In many cases, the various shinobi villages tacitly acknowledge that there are spies within their own ranks. As long as the spy's position isn't too high and they aren't allowed to access core intelligence, thus avoiding irreparable and massive losses, it can be considered proof that their counter-espionage measures are adequate.

Information like the location of the Frontline Hospital, with its constant flow of personnel, could never be completely concealed.

The weaker one becomes, the more they must resort to schemes and conspiracies. Back when Konoha was just founded, there was no need for all this calculation and scheming. No matter how many moves the enemy made, I could just punch them back.

When the First Hokage was alive, there were never any major Shinobi World Wars.

Alas, those days are long gone.