15 Minutes That Decide Fate

"There were 22 attackers in total last night, with about 5 to 7 displaying combat prowess at or above the level of a Chunin. Add in that user of the Earth Grudge Fear forbidden technique you took down... it seems the benefactor secretly hiring the Waterfall Ninja is quite willing to spend."

"Just to clarify, that monster was primarily dealt with by the bodyguards dispatched by Director Inoue."

"I know, I know... Your teacher was just being brief for the sake of convenience."

Nara Motonari stretched his arms as he spoke—he had sustained a minor injury to his left arm during the chaotic brawl last night, but thanks to the accompanying medical ninja, it had largely recovered and would not hinder their ongoing discussion. "As a frontline combatant, having gone through two consecutive skirmishes, have you formed a preliminary judgment regarding the mastermind pulling the strings behind all this?"

"..."

The scent of blood on the battlefield had yet to dissipate, yet Nara Motonari had already turned the page, focusing instead on the subsequent development of the situation.

As the commander integrating the various forces in this operation, this habit of basing decisions on the present while keeping an eye on the future not only invisibly boosted the confidence of the frontline personnel but was also an unparalleled method for bridging the gap between superior and subordinate.

However, given that this conversation was not limited to just the master-disciple pair of Motonari and Soji, this seemingly casual inquiry clearly held far more profound implications...

Theoretically speaking, Motonari and Soji were worlds apart, representing a typical relationship between leader and subordinate.

Yet, even knowing this, Master Motonari, as the overall commander of the operation, chose to selectively ignore the disparity in their status, communicating with his student in a tone that was nearly equal.

This demeanor was clearly something that could not be summarized by a simple phrase like "teaching according to aptitude"...

One must realize that, unlike the previous meetings held under the cover of night, the master and student were now conversing in broad daylight at the temporary command post of the Frontline Support Battalion!

Every word they spoke would be strictly recorded by Inoue Reina, who had shone so brightly last night, to serve as vital written material for the report to the Hokage Office!

This not only meant that the current conversation would likely determine the next moves of the Frontline Support Battalion, indirectly influencing the construction plan for the Jingu Forest Field Hospital personally overseen by the Third Hokage;

It also meant that since his transmigration, this was the first time Soji had caught the wind of the era, possessing the opportunity to directly showcase his abilities and value to the highest decision-making level of Konoha!

The boys and girls who graduated in the same cohort might not realize what a rare historical window this was...

But how could a transmigrator who had lived two lives miss such a golden opportunity!?

--Soji was acutely aware that the next 15 minutes would drastically alter the trajectory of his destiny.

Thus, he cast a subtle glance at Inoue Reina, who was busy writing, and used the minor movement of adjusting his stance to calibrate himself to his best state.

"If I may speak frankly, Master, I must answer your question in two parts." The youth stepped forward, actively moving out from the ranks alongside Erina, Todo, and the others.

Facing this deliberate suspense, Master Motonari was not annoyed; instead, he raised a hand, signaling for Soji to speak his mind.

"First, before deciding on a specific response strategy, we must form a basic judgment regarding the true identity of the enemy." The youth walked to the side of Master Motonari and began his analysis, pointing seriously at the strategic map behind him.

"Although, based on geography and past political trends, the Waterfall Ninja group that attacked the Frontline Support Battalion has closer ties to the Rock Ninja, and the vigorous Tsuchikage has sufficient reason to provoke border conflicts, it seems too hasty to simply equate them with the mastermind."

"Explain your reasoning in detail."

"There are three main reasons:

The first is motive. Our chosen march route through Ota Castle, the Amber River, and Jingu Forest clearly deviates from the areas of past conflict between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire. Even if the field hospital were completed, its strategic role would be more inclined toward containing the armed forces of the Land of Wind to the west."

The youth reached out and drew a curve across the southwest of the map: "Currently, there is no conflict between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth at the border like there is between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire. It is hard to imagine that the Tsuchikage, known as the Two-Scale, would waste massive material costs on such a deep-penetration mission behind enemy lines with near-zero returns."

"Well said. And the second point?" Nara Motonari rested his chin on one hand, nodding encouragingly at his prize pupil.

Receiving the hint, the latter immediately realized his insights aligned perfectly with the commander-in-chief, and his entire demeanor became more natural.

"Second, it is a simple logical deduction based on the scale of this Waterfall Ninja incursion." Soji's finger continued to slide westward on the map: "The conflict between the Land of Wind and our side at the border has been ongoing for nearly half a year. Both sides have mobilized supplies and increased troops on the second line, forming a state of stalemate that is loose on the outside but tight on the inside.

As a third party, the Waterfall Ninja are not in the same league as the Five Great Shinobi Villages in terms of combat power, and their soft power, including intelligence gathering, is far inferior to both the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire.

In other words, if this operation were independently planned by the Rock Ninja, it would be nearly impossible for a force of nearly 30 Waterfall Ninja to bypass our eyes and ears without a sound and launch such an accurate attack on the Frontline Support Battalion."

Ever since Kakuzu defected, the heavily battered Waterfall Ninja had long since lost the halo of being the "sixth greatest power in the ninja world."

To survive, they had spent years adjusting their positioning, eventually becoming, like other small ninja villages, mercenary ninjas who worked for pay.

Therefore, while the current Waterfall Ninja had no principles and could join any conflict as a temporary ally to any side, conversely, their ability to conduct large-scale military operations was constrained by their financial backers, leaving them almost entirely devoid of the capacity for independent warfare.

At this stage, the Rock Ninja lacked the ability to provide such precise intelligence to these desperadoes.

On the contrary, the Sand Ninja, who were locked in a fierce struggle with Konoha ninjas at the border, would find it much easier to scout such sensitive information!

Consequently, as soon as Soji's words left his lips, they were immediately recognized by the other onlookers present.

Everyone nodded in agreement with the youth's thoughts, and Erina and Todo even stood taller, looking as if they shared in the honor!

"Soji is amazing!"

"Shh... Erina, Soji isn't finished yet."

Todo tugged at Erina's sleeve, reminding her that the meeting was still in progress.

Nara Motonari tapped the table lightly, allowing the brief interruption to subside: "Yamada-kun, if you have any other thoughts, feel free to share them all for everyone to hear."

"Yes. However, this third point is merely a conjecture based on a hypothetical scenario regarding the expected gains of the attack; it has no reliable basis in reality."

Soji stepped away from the map and returned to the front of the group: "If the Waterfall Ninja had succeeded, the military pressure from the Sand Ninja at the border would have been greatly reduced; that goes without saying.

Even if these assassins failed, as long as they could provoke our suspicion toward the Land of Earth, it would still achieve the goal of diverting our border military deployment.

Going a step further, even if the Waterfall Ninja did not cause a rift between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, this scale of operation behind enemy lines could be seen as a rehearsal for the infiltration tactics the Sand Ninja might implement at any time—if the other side is already prepared for total war, a little diplomatic passivity is likely not something an ambitious schemer would take to heart."