It was clear from Akatsuki's attack that, for shinobi villages, even the Five Great Shinobi Villages could not rely solely on having many shinobi. Powerhouses capable of standing on their own were especially important.
In this kind of assault, the importance of powerhouses who could hold their own would be magnified endlessly.
The value of sheer shinobi numbers would be reduced to its lowest point.
Just like Nine-Tails Night, without someone powerful enough to decide the outcome, sending out more shinobi would only be sending them to their deaths.
Fortunately, the Flying Thunder God was powerful enough. Otherwise, Konoha's losses would have been even worse.
Just imagine it: what would have happened if Minato had failed to transfer away the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball, allowing it to explode in Konoha?
Without Rasa, Sunagakure only had the two old-timers, Chiyo and her younger brother Ebizo, who could shoulder responsibility. Among the younger generation and those after them, there was practically no one capable of carrying the banner.
When facing Akatsuki's attack, Sunagakure had been completely at a loss.
Because none of the Five Kage had been in their villages, and because Akatsuki's assault had come too fiercely, communication signals had been cut off. This directly led to Akatsuki's first wave of attacks ending in complete success.
Not long after Akatsuki left, Ōnoki brought everyone to Sunagakure.
From high in the air, the sight of Sunagakure in complete chaos left them silent. Rasa's usually stern face instantly darkened.
The damage Sunagakure had suffered was worse than they had imagined.
"Lord Kazekage..."
Facing Rasa, who had hurried back to the village and looked like a volcano on the verge of eruption, Chiyo lowered her head bitterly and said regretfully, "Akatsuki used Deidara, Iwagakure's S-rank rogue shinobi, to bomb the village everywhere with clay