One year later.
Within a Konoha outpost in the Land of Wind, Uzumaki Kuming sat at the head of the conference table, listening intently to his subordinates' reports. Not long ago, the Stone Ninja had successfully recaptured the Five-Tails Kokuō and sealed it away again. Afterward, Kitsuchi led a large force of Stone Ninja to join up with Roshi's troops and strike at Konoha's outposts in the Land of Earth.
After clashing with the enemy, Kuming's side had chosen to withdraw into the Land of Wind, preserving their strength as they waited for another opportunity.
After years of development, this outpost's facilities were now quite advanced. The Barrier Ninjutsu protecting it had also been improved repeatedly by Kuming. The front-line force had grown back to two thousand, with more than fifteen hundred combat personnel.
Even on the battlefield, they had become a force to be reckoned with. As the threat along the border intensified, the Stone Ninja had also amassed a terrifying seven thousand guards. Their leaders were Kitsuchi and Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki.
Meanwhile, Konoha's only remaining high-level combatant was Kuming. A year earlier, after Kuming had taken full control of the Surprise Attack Force, Third Hokage had reassigned Hatake Sakumo, Might Duy, and Fukuyama to reinforce Jiraiya on the northern front.
Without support from other high-level combatants, Kuming had fought Roshi and Kitsuchi several times without gaining any advantage. After that, he had largely avoided large-scale battles with the Stone Ninja and lain low in the Land of Wind.
The situation on the Land of Rain front was very different. Orochimaru's forces had fought several large-scale battles against the Stone Ninja's main force, and both sides had suffered heavy losses. Jiraiya's troops had also fought several major battles against Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning. If Hatake Sakumo