The Deeper You Think, The More Terrifying It Becomes for Various Countries

With Rasa deliberately let go by Nawaki, the surprise attack launched by Sunagakure finally came to an end. A total of 400,000 troops from three sides had been involved in this battle. Sunagakure had deployed 100,000 troops, nearly 40,000 of whom died, while more than 60,000 were captured, including the Kage-level powerhouse Pakura and the hundred-plus jonin who had stayed behind with her to cover the retreat. Konoha had committed 200,000 troops and suffered fewer than 500 casualties. As an ally, Amegakure intercepted 20,000 remnants at the border, bringing the operation to a perfect close without losing a single soldier.

Judging by the figures and the outcome, Konoha had won a crushing victory in this war, while Sunagakure had suffered a total defeat. Its army of 100,000 had been completely wiped out, with only its commander-in-chief, Rasa, escaping unharmed.

Because Nawaki, a transmigrator, had intervened, the war between the two sides had been altered beyond recognition from the very beginning. In the original storyline, Sunagakure should have caught Konoha off guard with a successful surprise attack and invaded the Land of Fire. After months of bitter fighting, Konoha would have driven back Sunagakure's main force at Bellflower Mountain. Though Konoha would ultimately win, it would suffer devastating losses as well. The elite of the older generation would be nearly wiped out, and small and mid-sized shinobi clans such as the Kurama, Yuhi, and Mitarashi would be almost exterminated. Meanwhile, Sunagakure's raiding force would not have been annihilated; a considerable portion would successfully retreat, preserving the Land of Wind's strength.

Thus, Konoha would only have won a pyrrhic victory. After the war, it would still need to keep part of its forces tied down by Sunagakure in the west to prevent another invasion. The other nations would also see the weakness