Destruction, Behind the Scenes

Nowadays, in the rear of Sunagakure, teams traveling between Sunagakure and the front-line Camp are required to form at least a company before they can move, except for a few teams with special missions or those who are exceptionally confident in their abilities.

This was a last resort, as they were terrified of being harassed by Taiichi. Although it put Sunagakure's logistics under strain, it was still safer this way.

Compared to that slight difference in efficiency, it's clear that the Sunagakure's higher-ups prioritized preserving the lives of their ninja.

At this moment, Taiichi was using his Chakra Perception to focus on a Resupply convoy in the distance.

After such a long period of fighting, Sunagakure had a general understanding of Taiichi's various abilities. For example, Taiichi's Chakra Perception had a range of about two kilometers, and the closer one was to Taiichi, the clearer the perception became. Similarly, Taiichi was also more easily detected by other ninjas with keen senses.

Therefore, Taiichi now has to be extremely cautious if he wants to successfully ambush a Sunagakure Resupply team. He can no longer release his Chakra Perception as freely as before.

He had to carefully control the spread and intensity of his Scout, otherwise he would be easily detected by the Sunagakure's Sensor Ninja.

Just like now, when this Resupply team appeared at the edge of Taiichi's perception range, Taiichi immediately perked up and moved towards them while constantly reducing the intensity of his detection, for fear that his presence would be discovered by the other party in advance.

After the team came into his line of sight, he carefully withdrew his Chakra Perception and directly used the corner of his eye to detect the team's movements.

This was an escort team of nearly 100 people, escorting a long camel caravan. The Sunagakure Ninja's formation was also very good, with guards stationed at the front, middle, rear, and both flanks.

What troubled Taiichi was their zigzag route of advance. Although this would lengthen their marching time to some extent, it would effectively prevent Taiichi from setting up ambushes.

This was a trick that Sunagakure had developed after Taiichi Sunagakure, in order to prevent Taiichi from hiding under the sand or launching a surprise attack using pre-buried Flying Thunder God Kunai.

But for every clever plan you have, there's a countermeasure.

While the Sunagakure Ninja were summarizing their experiences, Taiichi was also constantly trying new methods.

A desert lizard, about 30 centimeters long, with Flying Thunder God Formula drawn on its waist, was seen crawling rapidly across the sand. Its target was clear: the Resupply team that was gradually approaching.

This Sand Lizard is one of Taiichi's achievements during this period. He used Genjutsu to give the small animal a command, making it act according to a certain pattern.

Compared to controlling humans, controlling animals, especially reptiles which have little intelligence, is much more difficult. Taiichi experimented and improved many times before finally succeeding today.

Genjutsu: Guided by Intent

This is the first time this Ninjutsu has been used, and so far the effect seems to be quite good.

The Sand Lizard was wriggling its slender waist as it rapidly approached the Resupply convoy.

40 meters.

Taiichi kept a close eye on the Sand Lizard's every step.

30 meters.

Taiichi's peripheral vision began to unconsciously sweep towards the direction the Sand Lizard was heading.

20 meters.

Taiichi slowly stood up, drew the Short Sword from his back, and prepared to start the battle.

10 meters.

A Kunai whizzed past and pierced the Sand Lizard's head, pinning it to the ground in the desert.

"Qiya, go check it out. That Sand Lizard is rushing towards the group from so far away; it looks really strange!"

"Yes, Captain."

As expected, none of the ninjas are simple; even such a slight anomaly immediately alerted them. It seems my Ninjutsu still needs improvement.

However, this distance is sufficient for a surprise attack.

The ninja named Qiya had already arrived in front of the Sand Lizard's corpse. Without him even needing to examine it closely, he could tell that the Sand Lizard was wearing a ninja's jutsu tied around its waist.

Qiya's pupils dilated instantly, and she opened her mouth to warn him.

But it was still too late.

A Short Sword had already pierced his chest from the front; with a gentle push, he fell backward.

The Captain was keeping a close eye on Qiya's operation, naturally noticed the anomaly immediately.

The cry of "Enemy attack!" instantly echoed throughout the entire team.

Meanwhile, Taiichi also completed the Hand Seals.

Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.

Bright Gold fire dragon was instantly blown out of Taiichi. As if it had intelligence, it rushed straight into the Sunagakure Ninja's ranks, then with a flick of its head, it charged horizontally.

Instantly, the Sunagakure Ninja Village was thrown into chaos, with everyone and everything in disarray.

However, to the delight of the Sunagakure Ninja, although the Ninjutsu attack was sudden, they did not suffer many casualties.

Although everyone was a bit disheveled, except for a few unlucky individuals, everyone was basically unharmed.

"Damn it, caravan, put out the fire!"

Taiichi, who was not far away, couldn't help but find it amusing to see the group of Sunagakure Ninja who had just breathed a sigh of relief after escaping danger being scolded by their Captain who had arrived.

My primary objective was the Resupply, not these ninjas.

How could we possibly watch you so easily go and put out the fire?

Taiyi activated his Instantaneous Movement Technique and charged into the still somewhat chaotic crowd, sword in hand.

Most of the people here are Chunin, so how could they possibly withstand Taiichi's attacks?

The Short Sword was enveloped in Bright Gold flames. Taiichi slashed left and right, and any Sunagakure Ninja who did not have the ability to enhance their weapons with Chakra was either cut in two along with their weapon, or lost an arm or a leg.

In just a few breaths, not a single Sunagakure Ninja dared to approach Taiichi.

This situation only came to an abrupt end when Taiichi was Jonin by a Sunagakure Jonin.

However, it was clear that this Jonin was barely holding on.

"You bunch of idiots, using Ninjutsu for ranged attacks!"

"Oh, even in this state, you still have the energy to get distracted!" Taiichi's lips curled up slightly, unable to resist making a sarcastic remark, but his hands quickened their pace.

Immediately, the Jonin stopped speaking and focused entirely on dealing with Taiichi's attacks.

Meanwhile, Ninjutsu attacks came from afar. In order not to accidentally injure the Jonin who was entangled with Taiichi, the Sunagakure Ninja used single-target Ninjutsu such as Wind Bullet and Wind Blade.

Taiichi wielded his sword with his right hand, easily suppressing the Jonin, while still having the energy to scan his surroundings. Looking at the Ninjutsu attacking him, he smirked disdainfully, "Child's play!"

Immediately, One-Handed Seal with his left hand, and instantly Fireball appeared around him, crashing into the Ninjutsu.

Instantly, bursts of dazzling Kakkou erupted around Taiichi, and the scattered sparks quickly spread around Taiichi. These were not ordinary flames, but blazing Bright Gold flames.

Even if it lands on empty sand, it can burn for a while before its Chakra runs out. This is going to be tough Jonin the Taiichi.

He was no match for Taiichi to begin with, and now, with these deadly flames all around him, his room to maneuver was extremely compressed. If he didn't have to concentrate on dealing with Taiichi's attacks, he would have already started cursing.

"You bunch of fucking useless trash, are you here to help me or to get me killed?"

This was a fleeting thought in the Jonin. However, prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat. After taking Taiichi more blows from Taiichi, the Jonin finally became careless and stepped on the Bright Gold flames that had splashed onto the ground.

"Ah--" A shrill scream rang out, and the Jonin. Taiichi was not about to let such a good opportunity slip by. He skillfully bypassed the opponent's block with his Short Sword and easily stabbed it into the opponent's throat.

The screams stopped abruptly, and the whole scene fell silent for a moment.

Although the entire battle took a long time to describe, from the Jonin rushed up and entangled Taiichi to the Taiichi ended his life, it only took about twenty seconds. At this point, the other Jonin who were providing support arrived just in time.

Seeing the boy standing with his sword amidst the flames, the Sunagakure Ninja who had rushed over gritted their teeth, wishing they could tear him apart. Taiichi's harassment lately had been a real headache.

If there are fewer people, he can't win; if there are more, he runs away. He's like a leech, sticking to you and impossible to get rid of. It's utterly hopeless.

Just now, Taiichi was completely surrounded, but the leading ninja sighed inwardly, thinking it was yet another futile battle.

Sure enough, before Sunagakure could take any further action, Taiichi, amidst the flames, merely flicked his sword to shake off the bloodstains, then raised it to point at the Sunagakure Ninja surrounding him, glancing around with an arrogant expression.

I will be back!

Then, right before everyone's eyes, his figure vanished from the spot.

Only a group of Sunagakure Ninja were left behind, their expressions a mixture of anger and helplessness. They had experienced this many times before, and they were currently powerless against Taiichi's shameless tactics.

The only option is to deploy enough manpower to drive Taiichi away before the damage escalates, thereby minimizing the team's losses.

Compared to the furious Sunagakure Ninja, Taiichi was much happier. This sneak attack not only burned a large portion of the Sunagakure's Resupply but also successfully killed one of their Jonin, making it a truly fruitful operation.

It's important to understand that Jonin are not as Dabai. Even the weakest Jonin cannot be defeated in Taiichi moves. With this buffer period, Sunagakure's reinforcements can usually arrive in time.

If that Sunagakure Jonin a mistake, Taiichi would have had to retreat if he had held on Taiichi longer. Otherwise, if he had been surrounded by so many Sunagakure Ninja, even with his Flying Thunder God, he might not have had time to escape.

Overall, the results of this First Shinobi World War were enormous, with the capture of that Jonin being the biggest gain in recent times.

He reappeared in an underground cave that Taiichi had prepared beforehand. After cleaning the blood off his body, Taiichi used Earth Style is a technique in Chinese fantasy novels) to leave the place.

During this time, Taiichi was not only targeting Sunagakure, but his Shadow Clone were also attacking everywhere. They have now traveled all over the Land of Wind, creating underground caves in various places and setting up Flying Thunder God Formula in them.

Firstly, it provides a convenient evacuation point for strategic retreats like today, since the Flying Thunder God consumes a significant amount of Chakra when moving long distances. Secondly, it allows for rapid deployment to various locations in the Land of Wind when necessary.

This is the closest underground cave to the battlefield. After resting for Taiichi while and recovering his strength and Chakra, Taiyi immediately used the Flying Thunder God to return to the vicinity of the previous battlefield.

The battlefield had been cleared, leaving only traces of Ninjutsu damage, charred camel carcasses, and some unusable supplies.

Sand was already swirling in the air above the corpse, its altitude decreasing as it flew lower and lower, clearly checking if the surrounding area was safe.

Taiichi activated his Chakra Perception and quickly discovered that the Sunagakure's Resupply team had already moved far beyond his Scout range. Following the traces left at the scene, he tracked down the Resupply team and found the Sunagakure's team after only five minutes of travel.

Having just been attacked, the team was on high alert. Soon after Taiichi spotted them, the entire team reacted immediately.

The originally long line was rapidly shrinking, and the pace of movement slowed down. One of the men, who appeared to be Sensor Ninja, was pointing in the direction of Taiichi and talking to the ninja beside him.

It seems they've discovered me. This team's Sensor Ninja skills are truly impressive. I wonder what the principle behind their perception is; they've already detected me, yet I haven't felt any sense of being probed.

If this were a situation where someone was being pursued, it would be truly dangerous. The initiative would be in the hands of the other side, and you would always be a step behind in everything you did.

It seems that when I have some free time, I need to make some improvements to my Chakra Perception. The fluctuations in my current Chakra Sensory Technique Scout still too great, and it can be easily detected by people with keen senses.

This was most evident in the clashes with Sunagakure during this period. Many advantageous sneak attacks were detected by Sunagakure in advance, allowing them to prepare.

Just like now, Taiichi knew that he was out of luck with this team. Such a heavily guarded team of over a hundred people was not something he could force his way through. Moreover, they were already close to the border. Once they entered the Land of Rivers, the team would be protected by the Sunagakure front-line Camp.

Unwilling to give up, Taiichi tried several more times from different directions, but after discovering that the Sunagakure's Sensor Ninja had detected him each time, he finally gave up on his goal.

There are plenty of opportunities; there's no need to take greater risks for this one goal.

Having left the battlefield, Taiichi headed deeper into the Land of Wind. Now, with his superior skills and daring, he was not worried at all about the Sunagakure discovering his whereabouts, and just boldly made his way through the swirling sandstorm.

Rather, he was hoping that a Sunagakure mission team would discover his whereabouts, thus saving him the time of searching for targets.

In a secluded underground base on the distant border of the Land of Earth.

In the deepest part of the hall, a frail old man with a full head of white hair and a withered face sat on a huge chair made of Withered Tree stump.

--

Behind him, three flexible tubes connected his body to a huge flower bud. Judging from the wriggling on the surface of the tubes, they were clearly constantly delivering some special substance into the old man's body.

This person was none other than the former Asura of the Ninja World — Madara Uchiha.

In the silent hall, only the faint sound of Ban's breathing could be heard. It was unclear how long he had been sitting there, his entire being in a state of deathly stillness.

At this moment, not far from the Withered Tree seat, a mound of earth gradually rose from the ground, and a figure slowly rose from the ground. This person was half black and half white, and it was Black Zetsu, who had recently Scout the scene of Taiyi 'First Shinobi World War.

"Lord Madara, I'm back!"