After inspiring the ninja below, Rasa returned to the meeting room. However, his expression remained rather grave. Although he had reignited the fighting spirit of the Sunagakure, the practical problems still lay before them.
That means there is still a significant gap in strength between Sunagakure and Konoha.
This cannot be smoothed over by high morale alone, so he must seriously discuss countermeasures with the higher-ups, especially with Chiyo.
Now he realized why Chiyo had remained silent and ignored his pleas for help before.
He guessed that Chiyo was guiding him to take on the responsibilities of Kazekage, boosting morale while also making the Sunagakure ninjas truly acknowledge his identity Kazekage.
Therefore, he thought that Chiyo must have already made a plan to deal with Konoha, otherwise she wouldn't have done this.
" Elder Chiyo, thank you for your help, but how should we deal with Konoha's attack next?"
Although he already knew about Chiyo's help, he couldn't say it aloud; he could only keep it to himself and express his gratitude verbally.
Rasa could see through her scheme. Chiyo had been prepared for this for a long time. After all, the chosen Kazekage had to have some political acumen. A person without some shrewdness couldn't manage a village well.
However, Chiyo did not directly answer Rasa's question, but instead asked in return, "Is the Lord Kazekage truly prepared to face Konoha?"
In her view, the most crucial point in the upcoming battle still lies with Rasa. Her backup plan is merely supplementary.
Therefore, she was very concerned about Rasa's current condition. Rasa was now practically the same as the true Kazekage, and if he faltered in the war against Konoha, it would be a major blow to Sunagakure.
Rasa was well aware that his current status was different from before, and that every move he made could have repercussions for Sunagakure. Therefore, he nodded solemnly, " Elder Chiyo, I am prepared."
"Alright, then I'll get straight to the point. For the time being, we don't have any advantage against Konoha. The only thing we can do is stall for time. And I've received news from Ebizo. He has successfully persuaded Bunpuku, but it will still take him a few days to reach the battlefield. So what we need to do now is hold this position. This means that your task from now on will be very difficult."
Therefore, to lighten your burden, I will entrust you with the puppet squad I specially trained. They may not be strong enough to defeat Orochimaru, but they should be able to hold him off. Once Orochimaru is engaged, you can then attack and repel the Konoha forces.
Upon hearing this, a look of surprise appeared in Rasa's eyes.
" Elder Chiyo, are you referring to your unique Chikamatsu Puppet Squad?"
He hadn't expected Chiyo to offer such strong support. She even brought out a specially trained puppet squad.
This gave him confidence for the upcoming battle.
The Chikamatsu Three Chiyo. As the name suggests, they are related to Chiyo's White Secret Technique: Chikamatsu Ten Puppets.
Here we must introduce Chiyo's strength. Chiyo is recognized in the Shinobi World as a master of Puppet Technique. Ordinary puppeteers need to use both hands to control puppets, but Chiyo can control them with just one finger. This means that the number of puppets Chiyo can control is several times that of an ordinary puppeteer, making it no problem for her to command an army on her own.
What's even more impressive is her ability to multitask, simultaneously controlling ten puppets— the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets —left behind by Monzaemon, the creator of Puppet Technique, using only her ten fingers.
Furthermore, these ten puppets can cooperate with each other to launch a variety of attacks, including ranged, melee, area-of-effect, single-target, physical, and elemental attacks. They can attack or defend, and their combined power is immense. The claim of "destroying a city" is not just empty talk.
This secret technique of simultaneously controlling ten puppets was called the White Secret Technique by Chiyo. This technique was revered as a divine skill in the history of Puppet Technique by the puppeteers of Sunagakure, and they all asked Chiyo for instruction.
Chiyo, aware of Sunagakure's weakness, did not hoard her knowledge and generously helped the Sunagakure puppeteers.
Unfortunately, the puppeteers of Sunagakure did not possess the talent to master this secret technique.
In the end, Chiyo felt that she was too old and couldn't bear to see her secret skills lost. She thought that since adult puppeteers lacked talent, she would find talented young children to train from a young age. Moreover, since one person couldn't control ten puppets, she would bring in more people.
Therefore, she broke down the White Secret Technique into smaller parts and then identified the three most talented children among a group of children with the talent of a puppeteer.
After having the three of them live and eat together and develop a certain level of understanding, he taught them his improved White Secret Technique and had them try controlling the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets as a daily practice.
It took more than ten years of training for these three children to finally master the White Secret Technique and unleash the full power of the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets.
Although it doesn't have the same power as when Chiyo controlled the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets by herself, the current three ninjas controlling the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets a hundred people.
Such strength might not be enough to defeat a Kage Level expert, but it's more than enough to hold Kage Level off.
This is the supporting trump card that Chiyo is going to hand over to Rasa today.
"That's right. Nagi, Raizo, and Saki are waiting for your orders outside. I've already handed over the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets to them. I hope you can make good use of their abilities. Remember, your next task is to hold off Konoha's attack. You must keep Konoha's forces out of the defensive line before Bunpuku arrives."
Finally, a word of caution: beware of Konoha's traps. Don't forget your identity as the Kazekage. If you sense something is amiss, don't act rashly and don't fall into the enemy's scheme.
Faced with Chiyo's patient persuasion, Rasa nodded. He knew he was no longer in a position to be reckless; holding the Sunagakure Village's position and repelling Konoha's attack would be a victory. Therefore, he had decided that his only goal now was to repel Konoha's attack.
" Elder Chiyo, I understand. I'll have the puppet squad hold off Orochimaru while I defend against Konoha's attack. My Gold Dust is perfect for this kind of large-scale warfare."
"Alright, then be careful. I'll be waiting for you at the camp."
Chiyo has no reason to go to the battlefield now. Firstly, like Orochimaru, she has to guard her own camp. Secondly, the loan of the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets has weakened her strength. Although she is not afraid of ordinary ninjas, she is still no match for Orochimaru.
Of course, she didn't know that Orochimaru, like her, hadn't chosen to fight, but instead chose to guard the camp. Otherwise, who knows if Chiyo would regret missing an opportunity to deal a heavy blow to Konoha.
After discussing the matter with Chiyo, Rasa looked at the other high-ranking officials present and asked, "Everyone, is there anything else you'd like to say?"
Upon hearing Rasa's question, the higher-ups all shook their heads. What other options did they have? If they had a solution, why would they have waited until now? They would have said it already.
Moreover, they felt that Chiyo's suggestion was indeed very good. They should first block Konoha's attack, and then settle accounts with Konoha when the One-Tail Jinchuriki arrived.
Seeing that no one around him had any objections, Rasa stood up and said loudly, " Sunagakure, let's go!"