In the conference room of the capital of the Land of Grass, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe, as if an invisible gloom shrouded everyone. The torches on the walls flickered dimly, illuminating the tired and solemn faces of the people.
Tennin Hyuga sat at the head of the table, his fingers tapping the table intermittently, producing a dull sound that broke the suffocating silence.
Finally, Tennin Hyuga spoke first. His voice was low and hoarse, as if carrying the smell of gunpowder from the battlefield. "We used to fight wars with thousands or tens of thousands of people. However, today's scale of hundreds of thousands of people is really different. Let's all share our thoughts and opinions!" He frowned slightly, a hint of worry in his eyes, and slowly scanned everyone present.
Reiko Kurama's leg was bandaged, clearly injured. He complained, leaning forward with his hands heavily on his knees. "It's really tough. Jonin the battlefield, a simultaneous area-of-effect attack comes out of nowhere, there's nowhere to dodge." As he spoke, he exaggeratedly gestured, "It's very unfriendly to fragile Genjutsu ninjas like me." Thinking of the dangers on the battlefield, he couldn't help but shudder, his heart filled with lingering fear.
Kaima Senju suddenly burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the conference room, "I'm alright, I had a really enjoyable fight today, I haven't fought this freely in over ten years." His face was flushed, his eyes gleaming with excitement, as if he were still immersed in the intense battle. "It was just that enemy commander who emitted the white light that was a bit troublesome, I almost got hit by him." He touched his chest, as if he could still feel the deadly threat he had felt at that moment.
Eiichi Yamazaki smiled bitterly, a smile tinged with resignation. He lowered his head slightly, a hint of sorrow in his eyes. "A war of this scale is still disadvantageous to us Konoha Ninja. If it weren't for several Clan Head Level leaders who died for me on the battlefield today, I would be dead already. That person who used Explosion Release was terrifying." His voice trembled slightly, the figures of his clansmen who had sacrificed themselves on the battlefield seemingly still before his eyes, his heart filled with guilt and grief.
Ryosuke Sato smiled bitterly, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. "And that little dwarf flying in the sky, his Earth Release a technique that allows one to escape from danger) is extremely skillful. I'm constantly being ambushed by him, I can't fight back freely. We all have to be careful of him. He's a very cunning and treacherous dwarf." Just thinking about the enemy who ambushed him made him grit his teeth in anger, his heart filled with rage.
Vincent Mitarashi then said, "The wound on my stomach was inflicted by his sneak attack." His face was pale, he clutched his stomach, and a look of pain appeared on his face as he recalled the scene of the sneak attack, a wave of fear washing over him.
Masatake Kyogoku's left hand was gone, the empty sleeve swaying with his movements. He smiled bitterly, "My hand was taken by the enemy commander's white light. Once hit, it's gone, without even a chance to heal. Luckily, I'm a right-handed swordsman, so it doesn't affect my combat ability too much. Tomorrow I must go and kill that brat. All he does is sneak attacks." His eyes flashed with a fierce light, filled with a desire for revenge.
Kotobuki Kujo quickly chimed in, "I was also ambushed by that kid in the sky, it's so annoying." He frowned, his face full of annoyance, and kept scratching his hair.
Akiya Imai and said, "Me too, let Senju Yasuhei shoot him!" His eyes were full of expectation, as if the enemy would be eliminated as long as Senju Yasuhei made a move.
Yamaro Sakai looked at Tennin Hyuga and said loudly, " Tennin- sama, those Grass Ninja ninja are too weak. What's the difference between 60,000 ninja and 10,000 ninja?" He was full of dissatisfaction, put his hands on his hips, and made no attempt to hide his disappointment.
Hongyezi quickly added, " Tennin, our advantage lies in our elite ninjas being stronger than the enemy's, but the enemy is waging a war of attrition, and our ninjas will eventually be worn down. Also, the enemy excels at ambushes and coordinated Ninjutsu attacks, so we must be wary." He looked anxious, his eyes filled with worry, constantly glancing at Tennin Hyuga, hoping he could come up with a solution.
The people of the Land of Grass stood to the side with their heads bowed, not daring to utter a sound. Their heads were lowered even further, their faces burning with shame. Their fighting strength was indeed rather weak; their only purpose was to hold back and wear down the enemy.
Tennin Hyuga's face darkened horribly. He abruptly stood up, placed his hands on the table, and said with unwavering determination, "Leave the enemy commander to me. The powerful Explosion Release user is yours, Kaima Senju. If you get the chance, Reiko Kurama should kill him instantly. I can't bear the embarrassment of being the first to call for backup for one person. Don't mention it again." He surveyed the crowd, his eyes revealing an undeniable authority. "During this time, send out more scouts and patrols. Unless the enemy is going to engage in a full-scale battle, we'll use our Clan Head Level elite teams to ambush and wear them down. Meeting adjourned." His voice was resolute, full of confidence and determination.
Everyone stood up, their faces still showing fatigue and worry, but encouraged by Tennin Hyuga, their fighting spirit was rekindled.
Ten days of rest were merely a brief respite for the soldiers who had endured brutal fighting. Although the smoke of battle had temporarily dissipated, the chilling atmosphere still lingered like a dark cloud over everyone's hearts. Now, tensions were high again, and a fierce clash was imminent.
Tennin Hyuga rode atop the city wall, his posture upright. He knew this battle would be more difficult than any before, yet his eyes showed no fear, only a resolute determination. He raised his longsword high and shouted to his soldiers, "We cannot retreat! Our fallen comrades are watching us; we must avenge them!" His voice, like a resounding bell, echoed across the battlefield, instantly igniting the soldiers' eyes and unleashing a torrent of fighting spirit.
This time, the Land of Earth changed its strategy. They meticulously planned and adopted an encirclement tactic.
Standing on high ground, Ōnoki of Both Scales surveyed the battlefield with unwavering composure. He knew that only by deploying his forces in a wide-open manner could he perfectly leverage his numerical advantage, maximize firepower, and annihilate the enemy in one fell swoop.
Wu led a contingent of elite troops, flanking and encircling the enemy from the flanks. Their movements were swift and ghostly, darting along the edge of the battlefield, each step concealing deadly intent. Meanwhile Ryoichi Kondo's army launched a frontal assault, their vast and mighty force surging towards the forces of Konoha and the Land of Grass like a tidal wave.
The armies of Konoha and the Land of Grass also responded swiftly.
Tennin Hyuga Tenjin, quick-witted and methodical, issued his orders. He looked at Reiko Kurama, his gaze resolute. "Use your Genjutsu to disrupt Ōnoki's movements in the sky. We absolutely cannot allow him to freely use Earth Release!"
Reiko Kurama accepted the order, his hands quickly Hand Seals. In Setsuna, the light of Genjutsu soared into the sky, attempting to disturb Ōnoki's mind.
Ōnoki felt the interference of the Genjutsu and frowned. With his strong willpower, he tried to stay awake while his hands constantly changed hand seals, manipulating the giant boulder in the sky to smash downwards. The boulder fell like a cannonball with a whistling sound, raising dust wherever it went.
Reiko Kurama cursed under his breath; he was too high up, he could only interfere. He had to find a way to get closer to him.
Kaima Senju led a group of ninjas to directly resist the Land of Earth's powerful attack.
He stood at the very front of the group, radiating a powerful aura. Facing the overwhelming attack from the Land of Earth, he roared and slammed his hands into the ground, unleashing a surge of immense Chakra. In Setsuna, a solid earthen wall rose from the ground, attempting to block the Land of Earth's first wave of attacks.
Upon seeing this, the ninjas of the Land of Earth unleashed their Explosion Release, causing countless explosions to erupt on the earthen wall, sending Kakkō soaring into the sky. The earthen wall trembled precariously under the impact of the explosions.
Kaima Senju and the other Earth Release ninja gritted their teeth, channeling more Chakra to reinforce the earthen wall, while shouting, "Hold on, everyone! We absolutely cannot retreat!"
The eight generals of Konoha each led a small team to counterattack the encirclement of the Land of Earth.