Orochimaru's idea is to build up momentum. Both sides are fighting in mountainous terrain, which is disadvantageous to them. In this balanced and equal environment, whoever can force the other to retreat will undoubtedly have greater morale. However, if I had to choose... I would choose Tsunade's idea.
Sato Hideaka compared the information he knew with the facts, frowned for a moment, and then said.
Upon hearing this, Tsunade Senju smiled and said, "As expected of my personally taught disciple, your decisions are exactly the same as mine. And what about your thoughts...? Let's see if your reasoning is the same as mine."
"Because of the disparity in the number of troops on both sides, if my intelligence is correct, we only have about one ninja on the Western Front, while the Sunagakure side has mobilized almost all of its troops, reaching a terrifying 16 or so. If we push the front line forward, we will not only be facing the Sunagakure vanguard... but we may also encounter the enemy's left and right flanks and be surrounded by the enemy." Sato Hideaka continued without hesitation, appearing quite confident.
"Hmm, hmm, just as I thought. However, Orochimaru's idea is that we must win this battle and push forward a bit to restore the morale that has been demoralized, before beginning a slow retreat to avoid being trapped in a prolonged passive situation." Tsunade Senju nodded and said.
I see. It seems Orochimaru hasn't gained much of an advantage in the recent battles.
Sato Hideaka's eyes flickered slightly, and he immediately guessed the situation of the past few days. Clearly, under the numerical superiority of the enemy ninjas, Orochimaru had not achieved good results. After all, Konoha was at a disadvantage in terms of numbers. If they retreated again without making any progress...
Such a decision undoubtedly conveys to the subordinates that the leadership fears the Sunagakure, which will certainly affect the overall morale of the army. However, if there is a great victory before the retreat, then even when facing a strong enemy and needing to retreat, the Konoha troops who have defeated the Sunagakure will not experience such a psychological gap so easily.
Sannin, one of the Legendary Orochimaru, certainly possesses unquestionable strategic vision and command abilities!
Sato Hideaka nodded secretly. Whether it was assassinating the Third Kazekage, instigating a war between the Land of Fire Land of Wind, or making the decision to advance the battle line despite being outnumbered, it was clear that Orochimaru's way of thinking was completely different from ordinary people. These were all actions that incisively targeted human psychology...
" Hideaka, Oni... Oni, do you have any good ideas? If you do, come out and give me your opinion." Tsunade Senju looked at Sato Hideaka, who was in a daze and seemed a little lost, and waved her long, white right hand in front of his eyes.
Sato Hideaka his daze and immediately shook his head, saying, "My thoughts... I'm only eight or nine years old. How can I have so many ideas when facing such a large-scale and important battle? My thoughts are too simplistic, too simplistic... It would be bad if something went wrong."
Seeing Sato Hideaka's overly protective attitude, Tsunade Senju said irritably, "Who cares about its simplicity or rudimentary nature? You come up with your plan, and we'll make our own judgment. Besides, do you look like an eight-year-old demon? Look at what you've done..."
Ugh, where did I fall short of the mark...?
"Pah, pah, pah!" Sato Hideaka cursed inwardly. He thought of those freaks from the Uchiha clan. He was already being very passive, decadent, and unambitious. Uchiha Itachi graduated from the Ninja Academy in one year and had the resolve to kill his entire clan at the age of thirteen to maintain peace.
As for Uchiha Shisui, it was even more extreme. Before he was even ten years old, he began to think about the conflict between the Uchiha and the village, and started to seek solutions, even elevating it to the higher level of peaceful coexistence between people, no longer confining himself to just one village...
I sighed helplessly. The problem is, none of these people have become famous yet. Do I really have to bear the heavy burden of being number one all by myself?
"Logistics, right? Sunagakure has mobilized almost all of the village's ninjas. There are 16 mouths to feed, plus Explosive Tag and other supplies. Their logistical pressure must be immense. We can slowly stretch out our battle lines and launch surprise attacks on their rear-area forces... to cut off their supply lines."
Sato Hideaka Tsunade Senju, who had rolled her eyes at him, rubbed his chin, and said slowly.
"This method also works, but even if we cut off their supply lines, it won't solve the problem at its root... This war still needs a decisive battle to severely weaken Sunagakure, otherwise, even if the enemy retreats temporarily, they will come back again..." Tsunade Senju listened to Sato Hideaka's words, compared them on the map, and said thoughtfully.
Sato Hideaka nodded, agreeing with Tsunade Senju's words. Cutting off supply lines was merely a supplementary tactic; crucial, decisive battles could be combined with this supplementary measure. For example, cutting off supply lines first could cripple the enemy's combat capabilities, allowing for a decisive blow that would further worsen the Sunagakure forces' situation...
If a double blow can be dealt as planned, Sunagakure will have no choice but to surrender!
However, such an approach could force the Sunagakure into a desperate situation. If that happens, it would be better to first fight a battle that demoralizes the enemy, and then cut off their supply lines to create a double blow. No matter what the plan is, it needs to be considered and weighed based on the actual situation.
However, regardless of the circumstances, although Sato Hideaka's plan could not play a decisive role, it at least had a shifting effect on the course of the battle, Tsunade Senju also kept his plan in mind.
Two days later, the Sunagakure attacked again. Three thousand ninjas led the charge, and another three thousand followed. At the foot of the mountain in the northwest, countless dark figures leaped swiftly through the forest, densely packed like salmon swimming upstream.
The roars, shouts, and the deafening sound startled countless birds and beasts...
"Is this another probing attack? Tsunade, it seems your sudden reinforcements a few days ago caused Rasa to lose intelligence. However, as the commander, his reaction was too slow. That's fine... Let's leave all these people behind as a final celebration before retreat."
Orochimaru's pale face extended a long tongue, which licked his lips. His vertical pupils, like those of a venomous snake, gleamed with excitement, like a bloodthirsty beast smelling the pungent scent of blood.
Tsunade Senju, watching the Sunagakure ninja rush forward, rolled up her sleeves to reveal her fair wrists, her fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and said, "This time, I'll teach these Sunagakure ninjas a lesson, let them know the consequences of recklessly starting a war..."
Orochimaru's eye twitched slightly. He glanced at Tsunade Senju but didn't respond to her. He was one of the people who knew most about the death of the Third Kazekage. He knew his own family's affairs, and he obviously couldn't fabricate a lie in front of his friend.
The Sunagakure ninjas quickly reached the mountainside, but the Konoha Ninja were already on high alert!
Sato Hideaka stood with his arms crossed on a lone pine tree on a cliff at the mountaintop, watching the Sunagakure who had already rushed up to the mountainside. His blue eyes narrowed slightly, because from this moment on, the battle had officially begun.
"Bang bang bang--"
Countless Kakkō and smoke billowed from the mountainside; these Sunagakure had fallen into a trap.
"A trap! It's a trap set by Konoha! Damn it, they actually planted Explosive Tag here! Everyone, be careful, watch out for the Explosive Tag on your feet and around you..."
"There are steel wires here, everyone be careful."
"It's a spike trap. This trap is so clumsy, did they think I wouldn't notice after they covered it with a few pieces of dry grass?"
"Ah, ah... Help, help me!"
"You wretched ghost! If you're going to die, don't drag us down with you! With eyes this big, you didn't know there was a thread in front of you? That's the thread connecting to the Kunai trap! You idiot, you made me fall for it!"
The three-thousand-strong Sunagakure Village force was a mixed bag, ranging from highly experienced Genin to older Genin. However, faced with the dense traps halfway up the mountain, most of the ninjas, with their poor observation skills and lack of experience, seemed to have returned to their mother's embrace and plunged headlong into the traps.
The sound of Explosive Tag, kunai flying like Kunai, and countless steel wires...
Many experienced Jonin were caught in the crossfire of these rookies, muttering curses under their breath as they climbed the mountain. Halfway up the mountain, there were traps that left no fewer than those of the famous Sunagakure, who were either killed, seriously injured, or had vital parts damaged, making it impossible for them to continue.
The two thousand Sunagakure who continued their advance had just climbed halfway up the mountain when they saw black-clad ninja wearing Konoha Forehead Protector and green vests appearing one by one on the distant mountaintop. Their battle line almost covered half the mountain peak...
They quickly formed the same mudra with both hands at their chests, and almost simultaneously slapped the ground with their right hand.
This is ninjutsu...
This is an earth-attribute ninjutsu, right?
Could this be... Earth Release: Cliff Collapse Technique?
Different ninjas had different understandings of their hand seals. Experienced Sunagakure ninjas had already begun looking around, searching for relatively high ground or some thick, tall trees, while some ninjas remained wide-eyed, staring blankly at what was happening...
After over a hundred Konoha ninjas channeled their earth-attribute chakra, the solidified rocks and thick soil on the cliff began to crumble in large swathes. Under the weight of the steep slope, the collapsing rocks formed a surging, turbulent river, seemingly capable of swallowing everything whole...
The mountains trembled and surged, and a rumbling, muffled thunderous sound echoed through the valleys.
Countless trees and rocks along the way were mercilessly crushed and swallowed up by this devastating mudslide!
At the foot of the mountain, at the forefront of the Sunagakure crowd overseeing the battle, stood a solitary figure adorned with red and black circles. Seeing the scene unfolding on the mountain, a raging fire flashed in his eyes—the fire of fury... A surge of power erupted, causing the surrounding vegetation to tilt and collapse. (To be continued.)