The Enraged Kumo Ninja

This was the Kumo Ninja's first large-scale clash since they had taken the initiative to provoke friction three months ago. More accurately, it was Kumogakure's greatest loss, an opportunity decisively seized by Nara Suzaku during a brief disparity in strength between the two sides.

It was not merely the Southern Fortress that had suffered a fierce blow.

The most important point was this.

Because of the war.

Nearly two-thirds of Kumogakure's large and small outposts within the Land of Hot Springs had been wiped out. Two logistical supply points had even been uprooted. More than a hundred Kumo Ninja had been killed, while the number wounded was more than double that. It could be said that the Kumo Ninja forces on the front lines had truly been dealt a crippling blow.

One had to know that the number of Kumo Ninja originally deployed throughout the Land of Hot Springs had barely exceeded a thousand.

Over the past three months of clashes.

Only a little over two hundred Kumo Ninja had died. Yet in this single clash today, they had lost more than a hundred Kumo Ninja. The moment he received the precise figures, Gintaku, the Jōnin serving as Kumogakure's frontline commander, turned livid, his eyes filled with fury.

Especially the deaths of more than fifteen Jōnin.

It was enough to make Gintaku's heart ache.

Even for a village as large as Kumogakure, losing fifteen Jōnin was already a devastating price.

And they had suffered such enormous losses in merely a small-scale war.

Gintaku did not even know how he was supposed to report this to the village, to his Fourth Raikage.

Yet no matter how furious he was.

Gintaku could only endure it for the time being.

He first dispatched personnel to stabilize their defensive line once more.

Then, he sent dedicated personnel to relay the relevant intelligence back to the village. The point that needed the greatest emphasis was that the front lines required reinforcements.

Konoha's forces had already gained the upper hand over the Kumo Ninja.

If they did not respond in time, the front line truly would not be able to hold.

The message had only just been sent.

When the afternoon came.

Kumo Ninja reinforcements arrived.

Moreover, the person leading them was Dodai, a Jōnin who had handled important village affairs since the era of the Third Raikage.

It had to be said.

Kumogakure's intelligence work was actually quite good.

When Konoha dispatched its reinforcements, Fourth Raikage A received the corresponding news as well. After convening an emergency meeting of the higher-ups and reaching an agreement, he also sent reinforcements. They had simply been one small step too slow.

That slight opening was precisely what Nara Suzaku had seized.

As a result, he dealt the Kumo Ninja forces deployed in the Land of Hot Springs an extremely devastating blow.

The moment the newly arrived Dodai learned of this news from Gintaku, the experienced Jōnin who served as the Raikage's chief of staff frowned.

"They really know how to seize an opportunity, those Konoha bastards. Hmph. Gintaku, immediately send personnel to reinforce the areas where the outposts were previously established. We cannot abandon those locations, or our operational space will be greatly restricted. Replenish supplies locally; do not fuss over the details. Also, send someone to Yuhara Castle and have the Land of Hot Springs deliver a batch of supplies!"

Dodai snorted coldly as he spoke to Gintaku beside him.

"Yes, Lord Dodai!"

After abruptly lowering his head in acknowledgment, Gintaku immediately turned and left to carry out Dodai's orders. There was no doubt and no resistance.

War between the Five Great Nations was simply like this.

They never cared about the opinions of smaller countries. If one had to say it, the Land of Fire and Konoha were somewhat more merciful. Back in the era of the Second Hokage, they had established a rule against harming civilians in principle, though it was impossible to enforce it completely in practice.

Not to mention the ninja villages of other nations.

Seizing civilians' supplies was commonplace.

Dodai's act of directly sending people to the capital of the Land of Hot Springs to demand wartime supplies, while swaggering about on their soil, was simply too ordinary to be considered noteworthy.

It was practically standard practice among the ninja of the Five Great Nations.

What Dodai needed to consider was how to win the war and suppress Konoha as much as possible.

As for the Land of Hot Springs' losses and the miserable lives of its civilians, what did that have to do with the Kumo Ninja?

They served only Kumogakure and the interests of the Land of Lightning.

In the eyes of some great figures from the major nations, allowing these smaller countries to exist at all was already the utmost mercy.

It had to be said.

This was the cruelest, darkest, and yet most real side of this world.

Weak countries would never have a voice.

The Kumo Ninja needed to regroup.

The Konoha Ninja had successfully withdrawn.

Both sides would once again enter an even more tense standoff.

As Nara Suzaku led the army back to the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost, he received word from the scouts that Kumo Ninja reinforcements had arrived.

At that moment, Suzaku raised his brows. Where no one else could see, he quietly let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, his timing had been good. Had they been any slower, Konoha would have been the side defeated in this clash.

The risk had indeed been real, but the final result was excellent. Suzaku had also prepared contingency plans in advance. Now, everything had proceeded according to plan. From here on, they needed to shift fully into a defensive posture.

Kumogakure was the side that needed to be anxious.

Not Konoha.

This had also been the sole instruction Sarutobi Hiruzen gave Suzaku before his departure.

Suzaku had acted in accordance with that core requirement.

The initial attack had likewise been for the sake of better defense afterward.

Of course.

Suzaku would not disband the special operations team.

The Kumo Ninja would inevitably rebuild their defensive lines and reconnaissance outposts later.

That would be the time for the operations squad to strike. With Suzaku's intellect, he could clearly see that unless both the Hokage and the Fourth Raikage truly made up their minds, the two countries would most likely remain locked in a tug-of-war along this border for one or two years.

Depending on the situation.

It might even last longer.

Until one side truly could no longer hold on, or a third party entered the conflict, or unforeseen factors intervened.

Stabilizing their own foundational defenses.

That was the most important thing.

Akimichi Motoyasu's unit had also returned to the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost, arriving even earlier than the main force led by Suzaku and the others.

In this raid.

They had lost only two comrades during the final assault on the logistical supply point.

And Aburame Shiki, a Jōnin, had been seriously wounded after carelessly falling into a Kumo Ninja ambush.

Other than that, it had been an overwhelming victory.

Compared to the other three teams.

Akimichi Motoyasu's squad had proceeded the most smoothly.

Although Konoha had not yet compiled the statistics, the raiding unit in the northwest had not only achieved very little, but had also paid a considerable price.