The Genius Strategist

"As a frontline commander, do you have any idea what the current situation is!"

Danzo was always known for being gloomy and calm, but at this moment, Guo Wang could not help but fly into a rage. The Konoha jonin inside the command post could only lower their heads, enduring his spit. Because this matter was truly too shameful to be made public.

As the leader presiding over the entire Land of Lightning battlefield after Jiraiya was injured, Namikaze Minato had actually disappeared at a time like this.

Anyone with a brain knew the reason behind it: was it not for love?

But even close friends like Shikaku Nara, upon hearing this news after arriving at the battlefield, could not help but press their hands to their foreheads.

No matter how much you miss your wife, you cannot just abandon the soldiers on the front line and run off at such a critical moment. Kushina was the same; if she hadn't left, Minato would not have lost his composure and committed such a grave offense.

"Strip Namikaze Minato of all his duties. Once he returns, have him dragged directly to the Konoha High-Security Prison. Along with the Jinchuriki, I will let them be a married couple inside a cell."

Mimicking the temperament that Danzo should have, Guo Wang issued a punishment that made the brows of the jonin present twitch.

"Lord Danzo, although Namikaze Minato has committed a grave offense, we are currently in a time of war. He is an essential Wind-style expert for dealing with the Third Raikage. Could we allow him to make up for his crimes through service?"

"That's right, this is also to ensure fewer sacrifices for our comrades in Konoha."

"Although the Jinchuriki made a mistake, Kumogakure has already deployed the AB Duo. Her coming to the front line is not strictly a violation."

The Land of Lightning front had always been commanded by Jiraiya and was essentially the Hokage's direct lineage troops. Upon hearing such a heavy punishment, they could not help but speak up one after another, hoping to persuade Danzo to show mercy.

"Hmph, if Namikaze Minato still had the Will of Fire in his mind, he would not have abandoned his comrades on the front line to go play around with a willful girl. Truly, like master, like student!"

Hearing Guo Wang's merciless words, Jiraiya, who had wanted to speak, was rendered speechless.

During the Second Shinobi World War, at the height of the fighting, he had once left the village for three years to look after three children from the Land of Rain. While such an act was great from a humanistic perspective, it was not so noble from the village's point of view.

"Lord Danzo, the most important thing now is not to let Kumogakure notice anything unusual, otherwise Minato and the Jinchuriki will likely be in great danger."

Shikaku Nara still had a clear head. Although he was also annoyed that Namikaze Minato had dropped everything to go find his wife, thinking of the instructions the Third Hokage gave before leaving, he still bit the bullet and offered a side-handed persuasion.

"Then, let's start with the intelligence on the enemy."

Guo Wang sat down, his gaze shifting toward the pale and weak Jiraiya. Although this brat was unreliable in his actions, his Sage Mode was a unique skill that only the First Hokage had mastered.

Danzo had once teamed up with him to fight the Third Raikage and knew that after entering that state, one's power, Chakra, recovery, speed, and reaction would all increase more than tenfold. It turned the most mediocre brat among the Sannin into an all-around ninja who could almost rival Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"The intelligence is scarce. The current situation is that the old Raikage is personally holding down the battlefield, leading his Shadow Guard to advance steadily, while the AB Duo is constantly harassing our supply lines. It was manageable when Minato was here, but ever since I was severely injured and he had to come to the front to resist the Raikage, the situation has become much more troublesome."

In fact, if Choza Akimichi's supply team hadn't set out early and replenished sufficient resources, the front line between the two countries might have already been pushed by Kumogakure into the territory of the Land of Fire.

"The bottom line is to maintain the front line in the Land of Hot Water. We must not allow the flames of war to ignite even a single bit of the Land of Fire's territory. This is the highest directive from the Daimyo."

Guo Wang used his right hand to rub the cross-shaped scar on his chin, his gaze looking coldly at the incompetent Jiraiya.

In the struggles between great powers, those who suffer the most are always the small countries caught in between.

Between the territories of the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning lay the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost. The latter had always been a vassal of the Land of Lightning, while the former was on good terms with the Land of Water. At the beginning of the war, to prevent losses within his own borders, Danzo had decisively sent troops to occupy the Land of Hot Water, pushing the front line with Kumogakure to this country.

Of course, the fighting between the pawns would not implicate the upper echelons.

The Daimyo of the Land of Hot Water was "politely" sent to the Land of Water by Danzo. Facing the famous "Darkness of the Shinobi," even if it pained him, this Daimyo could only apply for political asylum and go into exile in another country.

"The AB Duo is troublesome, but it's not impossible to deal with. The most important thing now is to stop the Raikage's advance on the main battlefield."

Before coming to the battlefield, Shikaku Nara had already committed all the intelligence to his memory. He knew that no matter how well the side issues were handled, if the main trunk was not severed, this war would still lead to terrible consequences.

"Lord Danzo, according to information from the Intelligence Division, Iwagakure has assembled thirty thousand ninjas on the borders of the Land of Waterfalls, the Land of Grass, and the Land of Rain, with the Third Tsuchikage leading the army himself."

A blonde woman wearing a white mask suddenly spoke, delivering a shocking piece of news to the Konoha jonin.

"Is the intelligence reliable! If that's the case, the combat strategy must be changed."

Shikaku Nara's expression was grave as he stood up and looked at Danzo. Even Konoha could only scrape together ten thousand troops at this time; the thirty-thousand-strong Iwagakure army led by Ōnoki himself was enough to rival the combined forces of the two great nations, the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.

"The one who sent the message is the strongest spy under my command. You, who personally formulated the Battle of Mount Kikyo, should have heard of her name."

"The Wandering Miko! If it is that person, the intelligence is absolutely true. We need to shift this battle toward Iwagakure."

In just a few breaths, Konoha's genius strategist had already formulated the strategy best suited to the current international situation.

"The Land of Waterfalls, the Land of Grass, and the Land of Rain are all countries bordering Konoha and Iwagakure. It is evident that the truce agreement Ōnoki proposed a while ago was primarily to test us, and incidentally, to stir up the already dormant flames of war between Konoha and Kumogakure. The valuable areas within the Land of Wind have almost all been occupied by Iwagakure, yet that ambitious old man is still not satisfied and is waiting for the next great power to reveal a flaw."

Guo Wang stood up, his gaze exceptionally cold.

"With me, Hiruzen, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the sinner Namikaze Minato in Konoha, even if we only had one thousand ninjas, Ōnoki wouldn't dare to wage a full-scale war against us even if he had the guts. His goal has always been one thing."

"The Land of Lightning. As long as the Raikage is eliminated, the immature AB Duo will simply be unable to stop the cunning Tsuchikage."

Shikaku Nara's eyes gleamed as he stated his plan.

"We must make the Raikage retreat in the face of difficulties. Let him know that opposing Konoha will only lead to a dead end. Only then will he abandon the Land of Hot Water and advance toward the Land of Fields, to fight to the death with Iwagakure in the Land of Waterfalls!"