Although it was just a probing attack by Kumogakure against Konoha, Konoha still lost a total of forty-three ninjas, including two Jonin, thirty-three Chunin, and eight Genin.
The number of surviving wounded was much smaller. There was only one Jonin who fought to the very end and held on until the reinforcements arrived before falling into Jonin to serious injuries, and three Chunin were sent to deliver military intelligence were also injured. They were all lying in Konoha Hospital at the moment.
However, it is worth celebrating that the Kumogakure suffered greater losses than the Konoha. Among those whose identities and ranks could be confirmed, there were as many as six Kumogakure Jonin and more than twenty Chunin died. The rest of the Kumogakure did not even leave behind their bodies, as they were blown to pieces by Explosive Tag and died a terrible death.
The border of the Land of Fire is, after all, Konoha's home turf. Invading the Land of Fire is a disadvantage that the Kumogakure must face and a loss that they must bear.
The main battlefields of the three Shinobi World Wars were all small neighboring countries, which led Kumogakure to almost forget that Konoha was the largest producer of Explosive Tag, with six out of every ten Explosive Tag being produced by Konoha.
While the advantages of fighting in unfamiliar territory are not yet apparent, once they step into the territory of the Land of Fire, the wealthy and powerful Konoha will show them just how powerful a trap made entirely of Explosive Tag can be!
Despite the impressive results, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not forget that Konoha was a key reason why it was the victorious village in each of the three Shinobi World Wars.
That is unparalleled cohesion! In terms of individual combat ability, Konoha is no match for Kumogakure, whose members are all brutes; in terms of cruelty and bloodlust, Konoha is no Kirigakure, whose members are masters of assassination techniques.
However, Konoha, whose average ability was not outstanding and whose internal conflicts were intensifying year by year, defeated the other four major ninja villages one by one. During the Third Shinobi World War, Konoha even took on three opponents at once and defeated three factions in one fell swoop.
Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure were all defeated by Konoha. As for why Sunagakure wasn't included... it's because Kumogakure easily crushed Sunagakure, although this was partly due to the Third Kazekage's death at the hands of Sasori of the Red Sands, leaving Sunagakure leaderless.
Fortunately, on the main battlefield, the main force of Kumogakure was defeated by Konoha, and even the A B Combo were defeated by the Yellow Flash. Only then did Sunagakure manage to preserve its last remaining strength and barely gain time to recuperate.
Unfortunately, this time they were targeted by a venomous snake again...
Hiruzen Sarutobi is currently taking the necessary steps to unite the people and pay tribute to the Konoha who sacrificed their lives in the war!
Besides the daily brainwashing of the Will of Fire, whenever a war is about to break out or a major victory is achieved, the Konoha Memorial Stone is always covered with flowers, welcoming wave after wave of Konoha Ninja to mourn their fallen friends.
The forty-three Konoha comrades who sacrificed their lives in this small-scale battle have all been laid out in front of the Konoha Memorial Stone. After the memorial ceremony, they will be buried in the cemetery along with many other Konoha martyrs.
This provided extremely favorable conditions for Kabuto Yakushi's Impure World Reincarnation allied forces...
On November 13th, 1959, a scout unit from Kumogakure Konoha Konoha's warnings and brazenly entered the territory of the Land of Fire. To protect the peace between the Land of Fire and Konoha from invasion, forty-seven Konoha Ninja, including Jonin Kyosuke Kazato, Hayama Shirakumo Hayato, and Shino Mitsui, chose to confront the enemy and successfully kept them at bay from the Land of Land of Fire's territory!
"But as the price, forty-three Konoha comrades paid with their lives. They may have been your fathers, husbands, wives, or children, but they all shared one common identity—they were all Konoha Ninja! Our comrades!"
The Third Hokage straightened his hunched back and recounted the heroic deeds of the fallen with great emotion, causing the families of the martyrs, dressed in plain black, to shed tears like broken kites.
Apart from the families of the martyrs, all the Konoha Ninja who had not accepted any missions were present. Even Tsunade, who was usually carefree and easygoing, was dressed in plain black clothes and looked solemn and respectful.
All the major clans that had long harbored grudges against the Konoha High Command were present without exception. The grudges with the Konoha High Command could be resolved politically, and Konoha's high level of cohesion was the foundation. Unless someone's head was kicked by the Raikage, no one would be willing to disrupt the current favorable situation.
"Let us pay our deepest condolences to our Konoha comrades who sacrificed their lives to protect the peace of Konoha."
The Third Hokage removed the straw hat that symbolized his Hokage status and bowed deeply before the monument to the fallen heroes.
Following the Third Hokage's gesture, everyone bowed deeply to pay their respects to the fallen heroes.
After a three-minute moment of silence, the Third Hokage stepped aside, and the crowd orderly offered the white calla lilies that had been prepared beforehand. The monument to the martyrs was soon covered with white flowers.
As the last flower was offered, a full hour had passed, and the memorial service drew to a close. The Third Hokage then delivered another speech:
"Where the leaves dance, the fire will never die; their Kakkō will illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout!"
" Konoha! Konoha! Konoha!"
The memorial site, which had just been filled with a somber atmosphere, instantly erupted in cheers, with shouts of " Konoha " rising in waves.
The First pacified the Shinobi World and established Konoha. The Second founded the Ninja Academy, the Anbu, and the Konoha Military Police Force, perfecting Konoha's basic system. The Third's most outstanding achievement was probably establishing Konoha's core ideology, making Konoha an unbreakable whole.
The body will die, the spirit will dissipate, and even the historical traces left behind will be erased, but only faith will never die!
The Will of Fire takes root in the heart of every Konoha Ninja. Perhaps it is not apparent at the moment, but when the time is right, this seed will quickly take root, sprout, and grow into a towering tree, just like Shisui Uchiha and Uchiha Itachi in the past.
Even after the memorial service ended, Konoha remained in a state of heightened excitement, clearly demonstrating the remarkable effectiveness of the Will of Fire's indoctrination.
However, it would have little effect on Naoki Senju. As a "decadent" who grew up amidst countless toxic motivational quotes, trying to sway his mind with just a few words is simply wishful thinking.
What the people of Konoha didn't know was that this small-scale conflict with Kumogakure was just an appetizer. The main forces of Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure had already begun to gather in the village. Although they were still wary of each other, the scale of the war and the number of ninjas mobilized were already comparable to the Second Shinobi World War.
Among them, Kirigakure was the most radical, with the current Mizukage Mei Terumi, leading a team to infiltrate Konoha under the guise of the Joint Chunin Ninja Exams, aiming to destroy Konoha's command center in the most risky way.
War could break out at any time.