Shinobi World No. 1, year 41 of Konoha, summer.
The southern border of the Land of Fire, the former territory of the Land of Rivers, and newly occupied areas.
The battlefield was like a vast, greedy millstone, constantly grinding away lives and resources, slowly and steadily. For several months, the fighting on the southern front had settled into a strange, tacitly understood "low-intensity" stalemate.
On Sunagakure's side, the elite "tin can" units that had inflicted such terrifying devastation early on had all but vanished from the main battlefield. In their place were large numbers of comparatively simply equipped Sunagakure recruits who had received only basic enhancement with the "Gene Serum" and short-term tactical training, along with some ordinary Sunagakure ninja units.
In companies and squads, they engaged the ninja units of Danzo's Southern Army along the lengthy border in frequent, brutal encounters, infiltration and counterinfiltration, and struggles over strongpoints and raids.
By tacit agreement, the fighting was largely restricted to Chunin and Genin.
Both sides seemed to be playing an enormously costly game of chess, competing in their ability to replenish troops, the endurance of their logistics, and... the efficiency with which they squeezed out their war potential.
Behind Sunagakure's camps, transport convoys ran day and night, carrying a continuous stream of minerals-especially iron and copper ore-timber, medicinal herbs, grain, and even some "requisitioned" artisans and laborers back to the Land of Wind, all plundered from the Land of Rivers and the newly occupied Lands of Birds and Bears.
Resistance in the occupied areas was scattered and feeble, swiftly collapsing under the sweeps and oppressive policies of Sunagakure's new-model troops.
War had become the perfect excuse for Sunagakure to sustain its war through warfare, temper its new army, and plunder resources.
After undergoing several bloody battles that stopped short of