Chiyo was furious. She wanted to head to the front lines and fight Tsunade to the death. Sunagakure had been suppressed for a whole month. If things continued like this, its forces would collapse without Konoha even needing to attack.
Just then, Ebizo walked in. "Sister, good news! The Kazekage knows what's happening. He's ordered another three thousand men to reinforce us."
Seeing the anger on Chiyo's face, Ebizo could tell something had happened, so he immediately shared the good news. Then he continued to urge her, "We can only retreat for now and wait for the reinforcements from the village. Konoha's forces have already advanced deep into the Land of Wind. They don't know the terrain, transportation is difficult, and their supply lines are under even greater strain. This is a great chance for us to counterattack and wipe out their forces!"
Chiyo exhaled. "All right, then. Sooner or later, I'll kill that Monster Strength Woman! By the way, I want my son and daughter-in-law to return to the village."
Ebizo looked puzzled. "Hm? Your nephew and niece would be a powerful force if they stayed here."
Chiyo shook her head. "This battle is no small matter. They have to return and hold down the fort in Sunagakure, so we'll have a way out. If anything changes, my son can join forces with our old friends in the village and back us up. That way, even if we lose, Lord Kazekage won't be able to casually make the two of us scapegoats."
Chiyo continued, a trace of guilt on her face. "Besides, my grandson hasn't seen his parents in a long time. I hope they can go back and spend some time with Sasori."
Ebizo nodded. "Yes, that's true. Sasori has spent far too little time with his parents as he's grown up... Then let's do that."
Chiyo stared at the map and clenched her fist. "Konoha, Monster Strength Woman, White Fang! Don't celebrate too soon. I haven't lost yet!"
Chiyo never expected that this one decision would change the future of Sunagakure. Riyue also had no idea that his counterattack plan would let Konoha win battle after battle. Unlike in the original timeline, Konoha was no longer locked in a stalemate with Sunagakure. This forced Chiyo to seek a decisive battle with Konoha as soon as possible. To be safe, she sent her son and daughter-in-law back to Sunagakure.
White Fang of the Leaf would no longer need to assassinate Sunagakure's senior commanders to break the stalemate. His team's targets were now ordinary ninja, so they would have no chance to kill Sasori of the Red Sands' parents. Sasori's future, the Third Kazekage's future, and the course of the Third Shinobi World War would all change in unpredictable ways.
The little butterfly that was Riyue had begun to influence the course of history.
"What? Chiyo retreated again?" Riyue asked, looking at Shikaku.
"Yeah. We didn't manage to draw her out this time. Also, we've received word that the Kazekage flew into a rage when he learned how the battle was going and ordered another three thousand troops to reinforce them. They'll reach the front lines soon." Shikaku nodded.
"It's not that we failed to provoke her. She's waiting for the reinforcements so she can fight a major battle!" Riyue thought for a moment and reached his conclusion.
"Yeah. Our counterattacks have cut off Sunagakure's supplies. Chiyo can't afford to drag this out anymore, so she wants to fight us decisively. If she doesn't fight now, Sunagakure won't get another chance." Shikaku thought so too.
"She'll probably keep retreating for the next few days, waiting for the reinforcements and trying to secure terrain that favors her in the decisive battle." Riyue nodded.
"Riyue, do you think Konoha should slow its advance?" Shikaku asked after a moment's thought.
"Chiyo wants to turn the tide, and we want to wipe her out in one fell swoop. We could wear her down slowly, but if we want to end the war quickly, we might as well give her what she wants and fight a decisive battle. If we win, even if Sunagakure doesn't surrender immediately, it won't be able to launch another attack."
"But if we lose, our forces will be routed across the desert. We've advanced far too deep into the Land of Wind. If we're defeated and our retreat is cut off, our entire army could be wiped out!" Shikaku felt they needed to think carefully.
"That's true. It all comes down to this battle..." Riyue's expression grew serious, too.
"By the way, we just received word that Hidden Cloud has clashed with Iwagakure, and its forces have already entered the Land of Earth. Lord Orochimaru has been keeping an eye on Hidden Mist. Nothing's happening over there, though. It seems the Mizukage wants to sit back and reap the benefits." Shikaku told Riyue the latest news from the other fronts.
"Then shall we figure out how to fight this battle?" Riyue asked with a mischievous grin.
"Riyue, if you have an idea, just tell everyone. Why do you insist on having the two of us work it all out first and then make me explain it? What a pain." Shikaku sounded annoyed.
"In that case... how about we play a couple of games of chess first? That won't be a pain, will it?" Riyue pulled out a chessboard.
"All right." Shikaku immediately perked up, his laziness forgotten.
The next day, Tsunade summoned all the jōnin to a meeting to prepare for the coming battle.
"Looks like Sunagakure is ready to fight to the death. If they don't fight now, they won't get another chance," Tsunade said solemnly, her hands clasped in front of her.
"Then we should mobilize everyone and fight this battle well!" one jōnin said excitedly.
"Now that we've entered the Land of Wind, supplying our forces has become even more difficult. If possible, we should defeat Sunagakure once and for all in this battle," another jōnin said.
"This battle could be the decisive one. We absolutely cannot lose!" Tsunade felt the weight on her shoulders.
"Shikaku, do you have any good ideas?" Tsunade looked toward him. Everyone else did, too. Shikaku's counterattack plan had been a great success, so they all valued his opinion.
Shikaku stood and said, "Tsunade should remain in command on the main battlefield, while Lord Sakumo leads the main assault force. I'd like to gather all the sensory and reconnaissance ninja and send them out before the battle to watch for enemy ambushes. We should also hold back a thousand men as a reserve force that can be deployed wherever needed."
Everyone agreed. This would give them a much clearer picture of the battlefield.
"Then that's what we'll do! Shikaku, you'll lead the reconnaissance team. Everyone else, mobilize all available combat personnel for this decisive battle!" Tsunade nodded.
They discussed a few more details, then each went off to prepare.
Shikaku began assembling the reconnaissance team. He gathered the Hyuga Clan, the Aburame Clan, the Inuzuka Clan, and other sensory-type ninja. Members of the Nara Clan, the Yamanaka Clan, and the Akimichi Clan were also placed under his command.
As a member of the Hyuga Clan, Riyue naturally received orders to join Shikaku's reconnaissance team and take part in the battle. The team now had more than 420 ninja. Konoha also had 12,000 ninja in its main forces, giving it an advantage over Sunagakure.
Riyue arrived at the ninja assembly area. The 420 sensory-type ninja stood in orderly ranks on the training ground while Shikaku assigned everyone their battlefield duties.
Riyue glanced up at the sky. So I'm finally going to the battlefield, too? God, give me a Dynasty Warriors System, will you? I could mow down enemies on the battlefield with Musou attacks. Hahaha! Heaven looked down on Riyue's request with contempt.
I hope everything goes smoothly...
Chiyo and Ebizo stood on a raised platform, looking down at the nine thousand Sunagakure ninja below. Most of them had low morale and stood with their heads bowed, waiting for their commander to speak. Only the three thousand reinforcements seemed in good spirits.
Ebizo shook his head at the sight, then stepped forward and addressed them in a booming voice. "Ninja of Sunagakure! We're about to fight Konoha in a decisive battle!"
Most of the Sunagakure ninja below looked at one another in surprise. Their faces showed reluctance, fear, dread, and pessimism. It seemed Konoha had left a deep shadow over them in recent days.
"But Konoha's forces are extremely powerful. They have no fewer than ten thousand ninja, led by White Fang of the Leaf, Sakumo Hatake, and one of the Sannin, Princess Tsunade. Their supplies are plentiful, their medical support is excellent, and they fight with courage and ferocity! More importantly, they've won battle after battle and advanced nearly 240 kilometers into the heart of the Land of Wind! Their momentum is unstoppable!"
The commanders standing nearby stared at Ebizo in shock. Had he gone mad? Instead of boosting morale, he was laying out the enemy's strength. Would these demoralized ninja still have the nerve to go to battle? If he made the dire situation clear—that the enemy was strong and they were weak—wouldn't everyone become even more pessimistic? Wasn't he just making the enemy look good and undermining his own side?
Sure enough, after Ebizo finished speaking, the ninja below looked even more dejected. Fear and reluctance to fight quickly spread among them. Nobody wanted to die for nothing!
"So if any of you are afraid to die, you can leave right now. I'll personally allow you to return to the village. You won't be punished, and you won't be held responsible for anything. I, Ebizo, keep my word!" His declaration left everyone stunned.
The crowd erupted into an uproar, and the ninja began whispering among themselves. Some were excited, some worried, and others confused. A few were already itching to leave and return to the village.
Ebizo continued in a regretful tone. "It would just be a shame! Those who leave will never again get the chance to avenge their comrades, never again get the chance to kill those treacherous Konoha ninja, and never again get the chance to kill the ones who plunged you into this nightmare!"
Ebizo spoke calmly, and the people below fell silent. Guilt, grief, and anger quietly welled up inside them.
Ebizo's voice suddenly sharpened. "Who made you lie awake at night in fear? Who left your comrades to die in despair and helplessness in the Medical Station? Who kept you from getting the precious supplies you need? Who made you suffer, despair, and cower in fear? Konoha! Those damned Konoha ninja!"
His words struck home. Something called hatred ignited in their hearts, and the tiny sparks quickly turned into a blazing fire.
"If you want to be cowards, then run away! If you want your families back in the village to suffer the same pain, then get back there! If you're willing to give up a victory that's already within reach, then get out of my sight!"
"This battle is ours to win! I, Ebizo, am certain of victory. Follow me, and we will win! Would you really turn down the victory you've longed for? Do you trust me?!" Ebizo looked down at the ninja and shouted with commanding force.
The Sunagakure ninja fell silent. Did they want to be cowards? Did they want their families put in danger? Didn't they want to win? No! No one wanted that. Their gazes grew firm, and thoughts of leaving or running away disappeared. They didn't want to run!
"Do you trust me?!" Ebizo asked every person there again, his words carrying an undeniable conviction that moved them.
"I trust you!" one Sunagakure ninja shouted. As soon as he spoke, many others joined in:
"We trust you!" "We believe you!" "We'll follow you to the death!" "Victory! Sunagakure will win!" "Fight! Avenge them!" "Kill every last Konoha ninja!"...
Konoha had suppressed these ninja too harshly over the past month, and Ebizo had unleashed the hatred pent up in their hearts. Now their eyes blazed not with fear but with anger and resentment. They wanted revenge. They wanted to defeat the enemy and show Konoha what they were made of. And Ebizo had already said he possessed a secret weapon that could secure victory. How could they not be excited? With just a few words, Ebizo had stirred them up and filled them with fighting spirit and strength.
"Sunagakure will win! Crush Konoha! Sunagakure will win! We'll have our revenge!" At last, their voices came together, a deafening roar that swept across the field.
Ebizo watched from the platform and nodded with a smile.
"With morale like this, they're ready to fight!"
Before you continue