Rasa had made up his mind to go to war with Konoha, and Konoha had already begun preparing for its arrival.
Every move Sarura made was clearly observed by the Aburame Clan's Kikaichū. As soon as Sarura returned to the Sand Shinobi, Yamanaka Tohru received the news and immediately went to Hatake Sakumo's tent.
"Kid, you're finally here!" Jiraiya had heard the news before Tohru and had been waiting for him for some time.
"Tohru, time is short. Let's begin the strategy meeting!"
Tohru nodded, and he, Hatake Sakumo, and Jiraiya discussed their next moves.
That night, a squad led by Jiraiya went out from Konoha Camp to plant Explosive Tags along the route the Sand Shinobi would take.
Meanwhile, Yamanaka Tohru set some well-hidden traps on the battlefield. Most of them were Explosive Tags, too.
With help from the Hyuga and Aburame Clans, the two men and their squads quickly finished setting the traps, then returned to Konoha Camp under cover of darkness.
The next day, the Sand Shinobi didn't rush into battle. Instead, they began checking the road for traps.
Yamanaka Tohru knew that Chiyo's caution meant she would send Sand Shinobi to search for traps, so he hadn't asked Jiraiya to set any large-scale ones. They had used only Explosive Tags, and hidden them in remote places—among piles of rubble that people would have to cross only when traveling in large groups.
Since the battlefield lay in the desert, the Sand Shinobi were extremely confident in the terrain and would be less vigilant. Yamanaka Tohru had left them several big surprises in the desert.
Without sensory ninja, the ordinary Sand Shinobi searched the area but found none of Jiraiya's Explosive Tags. They didn't check the battlefield, either. Yamanaka Tohru's plan had worked.
After confirming that the route