The Enraged Hidden Sand

Konoha, Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe had long since gone out. The desk before him was covered with battle reports and casualty statistics from Mount Kikyo.

He took a deep breath and suppressed the turmoil within him.

The intelligence Inoichi had sent back was not only detailed, but also included his assessment: Hidden Sand's retreat was not a rout. They had merely shifted from a strategic offensive to a strategic defense. Something was very wrong.

"Hidden Sand's offensive has been beaten back for now, but the price... was too great."

His voice was low. "Inoichi believes Rasa has not yet gone all out. It seems more like... a probing assault, or perhaps a feint meant to pave the way for someone else." He raised his head and looked at the core leadership before him—Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, Shimura Danzō, and several core Jonin who had just been urgently recalled.

"Danzō!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze sharpened.

"Fully activate Root's intelligence network! I want to know every move made by Hidden Cloud, Iwagakure, and Hidden Mist, especially the movements of their border forces! They won't let this opportunity pass them by."

Leaning on his cane, Shimura Danzō's lone eye glinted coldly beneath the shadows.

"Hmph, I understand, Hiruzen. They're just a pack of sharks that smelled blood. Don't worry. The moment they extend their claws, Root will know."

"I said from the start that we should have concentrated our forces, coordinated from within and without to detonate Hidden Sand's tailed beast, then charged straight in and intimidated those petty schemers across the ninja world. You're too soft, Hiruzen!"

"Danzō, I am the Hokage!"

"Hmph!"

Bang!

Shimura Danzō stormed out, slamming the door behind him in anger.

"Koharu, Homura."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed helplessly and could only turn to his other two old friends and advisers.

"Immediately activate the wartime emergency plan. Mobilize every force we can mobilize. Call up five thousand Konoha reserve ninjas and prioritize reinforcing the Mount Kikyo defensive line! Order every border outpost to enter maximum alert!"

"At the same time, request more material and financial support from the Land of Fire's daimyo! This war... may only just be beginning."

His gaze drifted out the window, as though he could see the dark clouds of war gathering from every direction.

"The victory at Mount Kikyo bought us a chance to catch our breath with flesh and blood. We must make good use of this time and prepare to face... the real war!"

The battle at Mount Kikyo was like a spark cast into a dry forest.

Hidden Sand's fierce offensive and its failure at the last moment completely ignited the long-suppressed ambitions of the other three great ninja villages.

Konoha's weakness had been laid bare before the ninja world. In the conference rooms of the other four great nations' upper echelons, a grand feast meant to carve up the strongest ninja village had already begun.

The flames of the Great Ninja War would no longer be confined to the clash between Wind and Fire. They were about to spread across the entire continent.

And that was exactly what those ambitious figures eager to profit from war had been waiting for. Profits from war, profits from war—without war, where would the profits come from?

A certain military-industrial conglomerate: Why the hell do I feel like someone's calling me out?

Land of Wind border, within the Land of Rivers.

The dry wind swept up endless sand and dust as it blew across land ravaged by war.

Within a hidden mountain hollow, the atmosphere at one of the remaining Hidden Sand encampments was so heavy it seemed ready to drip with water.

The dim lamplight illuminated several exhausted, terrified faces.

They were Jonin captains who had just fled from the Land of Rivers frontline, and one of the few remaining Hidden Sand forces in the surrounding area whose organization was still relatively intact.

"Another... another squad has gone missing."

A Chunin in charge of administrative work reported hoarsely to Baki, who sat at the head of the table.

His trembling finger pointed at a spot on the map marked with a huge red cross.

"The last message came from here. According to their patrol route, they should have reached the rendezvous point two hours ago."

Elite Jonin Baki, seated at the head of the table, had his brows drawn tightly together, his expression terrifyingly grim.

Before him lay a bloodstained scroll, covered in hasty, scrawled notes recording a series of horrifying losses from recent days.

"This is already the seventh encirclement operation Konoha has launched against us this month!"

A scar-faced Special Jonin beside him slammed his fist onto the crude wooden table, making the oil lamp sway.

"There's nothing we can do. Konoha's ninjas have too much of an advantage in reconnaissance. No matter how we ambush or hide, those Byakugan users find us."

"Especially since their high-end combat power and numbers both surpass ours. All we can do is fight as we retreat."

"But we've reached the Land of Wind's border now. I refuse to believe Baiyun Zaojian would dare charge into our desert!"

"However... Captain Baki, our southern army now has fewer than three hundred men left. Konoha's clearing forces have been too ruthless!"

"Yes, especially that Konoha ninja named Uchiha Lan. I heard the Uchiha squad he leads has captured nearly a hundred Hidden Sand ninjas."

"According to the intelligence sent back, we still haven't been able to determine their method of operation."

"There are no corpses at the scene aside from signs of battle. There are only... only traces of people being forcibly dragged away. Right now, our morale is low and our supplies are insufficient!"

"Uchiha... Konoha Spark!"

Baki forced the name out through clenched teeth, his eyes filled with wariness and barely contained fury.

That name had become synonymous with humiliation among the Hidden Sand ninjas on the Land of Rivers frontline.

He paused, his voice carrying a tremor he did not even notice himself.

"This can't continue. Make a plan. Set a bait and wipe out that Uchiha squad completely!"

The reason Uchiha Lan's squad operated so efficiently was simple: they often struck like lightning when Hidden Sand squads were at their most exhausted or least vigilant.

Uchiha Lan used the Sharingan to instantly suppress the core combatants, while Uchiha Tetsuka and Inasui relied on their superb taijutsu and Fire Release ninjutsu to rapidly clear the battlefield and seize control.

Finally, Uchiha Inada would bring out specially made ropes and sealing needles with powerful sealing effects, swiftly binding the unconscious captives like merchandise, sealing their chakra, and then... "packing" them up and taking them away.

The entire process flowed smoothly, their coordination flawless. It was simply the result of practice.

Of course, even more crucial was Hidden Sand's cooperation.

In order to delay Konoha's garrison forces in the Land of Rivers, draw Konoha's attention, and prevent Baiyun Zaojian's clearing forces from wiping them all out in one sweep, Baki—

—directly adopted an elder's suggestion: break their forces into smaller units, spread out to strike, and use guerrilla tactics to hinder Konoha's logistics and sabotage its transport lines.

Yet they had not expected Uchiha Lan's squad to be even better at guerrilla warfare, picking them off one by one.

And whenever those Hidden Sand ninjas tried to gather together for protection, they would immediately be discovered by Hyuga Clan ninjas, drawing Baiyun Zaojian's main force into an encirclement operation.