"Twenty-two people attacked the camp last night. Around five to seven of them showed combat ability at the Chunin level or above, and that's not counting the Earth Grudge Fear user you took out... It seems the patron secretly hiring the Waterfall Ninja is willing to spend a lot of money."
"Just to clarify, that monster was mostly dealt with by the bodyguards Director Inoue sent."
"I know, I know... I was just taking the easy way out and giving a simplified version."
As Nara Motonari spoke, he rolled his arm a little. He had sustained a minor injury to his left arm during last night's melee, but the medical ninja accompanying them had treated it, and it had mostly healed. It wouldn't interfere with the discussion ahead. "As someone who was on the front lines, after two successive skirmishes, have you formed any initial judgment about the hand behind the scenes, the one plotting all of this?"
"..."
The stench of blood still hung over the battlefield, but Nara Motonari had already turned the page on what had happened and was focusing on what lay ahead.
As the commander coordinating all the forces involved in this operation, his habit of staying grounded in the present while looking to the future not only bolstered the confidence of those carrying out the mission, but was also an excellent way to build rapport with his subordinates.
But since this conversation wasn't limited to the teacher-student pair of Motonari and Soji, the seemingly casual question clearly carried a deeper meaning...
In theory, Motonari and Soji occupied opposite ends of the hierarchy, making theirs a typical relationship between a superior and a subordinate.
Yet despite knowing this, Teacher Motonari, the overall commander of the operation, chose to set aside their difference in status and speak to his student in a tone that was almost equal.
That sort of behavior couldn't be explained away as simply tailoring his teaching to the student...
After all, unlike their previous meetings, which had taken place at night, the two were now speaking in broad daylight in the Temporary Command Post of the Frontline Support Battalion!
Every word they said would be carefully recorded by Inoue Reina, who had distinguished herself the night before, and submitted to the Hokage Office afterward as an important written report!
That meant this conversation could very well determine the Frontline Support Battalion's next move, indirectly affecting the construction plans for Jingu Forest Field Hospital, a project personally overseen by the Third Hokage.
More importantly, for the first time since arriving in this world, Soji had caught a tailwind of history and gained an opportunity to demonstrate his abilities and worth directly to Konoha's highest decision-makers!
The boys and girls who had graduated alongside him might not realize how rare this historic opportunity was...
But how could a transmigrator who had lived two lives possibly let it slip by!?
Soji knew perfectly well that the next fifteen minutes could dramatically alter the course of his life.
He stole a discreet glance at Inoue Reina, pen in hand, then subtly adjusted his stance until he was in the best possible position.
"Please forgive my frankness, but I'll have to divide my answer to your question into two parts." The young man stepped forward from the line where he stood beside Erina, Todo, and the others, and came out from the crowd of his own accord.
Motonari didn't take offense at his deliberate attempt to build suspense. Instead, he raised a hand, signaling Soji to speak freely.
"First, before deciding on a specific response, we should make a basic assessment of the enemy's true identity." Soji walked over to Motonari's side and began his analysis, pointing in a serious manner at the strategic map behind him.
"Although the Waterfall Ninja group that attacked the Frontline Support Battalion seems to have closer ties to the Rock Ninja, given the geography and the political situation in the past, and the young, vigorous Tsuchikage has ample reason to provoke a border conflict, it seems too hasty to equate them with the mastermind."
"Tell us your reasons."
"There are three main ones.
"First, their motive. We chose to advance along the route through Ota Castle, the Amber River, and Jingu Forest. This route clearly deviates from the areas where the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire have clashed in the past. Even if the Field Hospital is completed, its strategic value would be more useful for holding back the Land of Wind's forces to the west."
Rising onto his toes, the boy reached out and traced a curve across the southwestern part of the map. "At present, the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth aren't engaged in a border conflict like the one between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire. It's hard to imagine that the Tsuchikage, known as Two-Scale, would waste enormous quantities of supplies on this kind of enemy infiltration mission, which would offer almost no return."
"Well said. What's the second point?" Nara Motonari propped his chin on one hand and nodded encouragingly to his prized student.
At the hint, Soji immediately realized that his view happened to match the commander's. He grew more at ease.
"Second, a simple logical deduction based on the scale of this Waterfall Ninja invasion." Soji's finger continued sliding west across the map. "The conflict between the Land of Wind and our side has been going on for nearly half a year. Both sides have been mobilizing supplies and reinforcing the second line of defense. Overall, the situation is one of outward calm and inward tension.
"As a third party, the Waterfall Ninja are nowhere near the Five Great Shinobi Villages in terms of combat strength. Their other capabilities, including intelligence gathering, are even further behind those of the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire.
"In other words, if the Rock Ninja had planned this operation alone, a Waterfall Ninja force of nearly thirty people could hardly have slipped past our surveillance without a sound and launched such a precise attack on the Frontline Support Battalion."
After Kakuzu defected, the Waterfall Ninja, having suffered a devastating blow, lost their status as the "Shinobi World's Sixth Great Power" long ago.
To survive, they had continually adjusted their role over the years, eventually becoming mercenary ninja who took payment for their services, just like those from the other minor shinobi villages.
Thus, the Waterfall Ninja had no particular allegiance and could serve as temporary allies to anyone, joining any conflict.
But conversely, their ability to carry out large-scale military operations was restricted by their backers, and they had almost lost the ability to fight independently.
At this stage, the Rock Ninja couldn't provide those desperate men with intelligence that precise.
The Sand Ninja, whose forces were intermingled with Konoha's along the border, would have had a much easier time uncovering such sensitive information!
So the moment Soji finished speaking, the other onlookers immediately voiced their agreement.
Everyone nodded along with the boy's reasoning. Erina and Todo even stood taller, looking as if they shared in his glory!
"Soji, you're amazing!"
"Shh... Erina, he hasn't finished yet."
Todo tugged at Erina's sleeve, reminding her that the meeting was still in progress.
Nara Motonari lightly tapped the tabletop too, helping the brief interruption subside. "Yamada-kun, if you have any other thoughts, go ahead and share them with everyone."
"Yes. But this third point is only a conjecture based on a hypothetical scenario of what the attackers stood to gain. It has no reliable basis in reality."
Soji left the map and returned to stand in front of the others. "If the Waterfall Ninja had succeeded, the Sand Ninja's military pressure along the border would have been greatly reduced. That goes without saying.
"Even if the assassins failed, as long as they could make us suspect the Land of Earth, they'd still achieve their goal of diverting our military forces away from the border.
"Going a step further, even if the Waterfall Ninja attack caused no friction between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, an enemy operation of this scale could still serve as a rehearsal for the infiltration tactics the Sand Ninja might use at any moment. If they're already preparing for all-out war, a minor diplomatic setback probably wouldn't trouble an ambitious leader."
Before you continue