Thus, Kōki dared not expend too much Chakra, and Rasa dared not approach the ground. With neither side able to gain the upper hand, they continued to engage in minor skirmishes.
They only stopped fighting and called a retreat when the ninjas on both sides were too exhausted to continue.
Overall, Sunagakure suffered considerable losses, because while Kōki and Rasa were locked in a stalemate, the forces of Konoha and Sunagakure were engaged in fierce fighting.
Because Kōki defeated the powerful Chikamatsu Three in Sunagakure, Sunagakure's high-end combat strength was severely lacking, putting them at a significant disadvantage when facing Konoha's attacks. They had to suffer even greater losses before they were able to stop Konoha's offensive.
Upon returning to Sunagakure's base, Rasa did not delay and went straight to the conference room to discuss countermeasures with Chiyo and other high-ranking officials.
Seeing everyone already seated in the conference room, he strode to his seat and sat down. "I'm sure you all know what happened on the battlefield."
News on the battlefield is not stagnant but circulating. Generally, there are dedicated liaison officers on the battlefield who will report any major changes on the battlefield to the high command who remain at the front lines, so that the high command at the front lines can be prepared for what is happening at the front and not be caught off guard when things come to a head.
"We already know about the Wood Release brat you wanted to talk about."
Before Rasa could speak, Chiyo, who was standing next to him, had already told him what he wanted to say. Her expression was very serious, as if the situation was not very optimistic.
But this was different from what Rasa had expected. Logically, shouldn't the news from the Wood Release brat have made Chiyo happy? Why was she frowning?
" Elder Chiyo, we should be happy that the Wood Release brat is no longer hiding and has appeared directly, so why are we..."
Before Rasa could finish speaking, Chiyo understood his meaning. She sighed, "His timing was perfect. Before Bunpuku arrives, even if Konoha reveals its Wood Release, it will be difficult for us to restrict it. You've fought against the Konoha Wood Release brat and know its power. Once Wood Release Wood Release appears on the battlefield, we could suffer heavy casualties. Besides, besides the Wood Release brat, Orochimaru is also on the Konoha front lines. If Orochimaru joins forces with the Wood Release brat tomorrow, we'll have a hard time dealing with it."
After listening to Chiyo's analysis, Rasa also became somewhat worried. Just as Chiyo said, Wood Release was already difficult to deal with, and with Orochimaru added to the mix, their situation would only become more difficult.
Currently, there are only two Kage Level in the Sunagakure camp, him and Chiyo, but both of them would have difficulty dealing with Wood Release. Moreover, due to the losses of the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets, Chiyo's strength has greatly decreased, and at most she can only play a role in restraining Orochimaru, not in dealing with Wood Release. In other words, if a real fight breaks out, he will have to face Kōki again.
Thinking about what happened when he faced Kōki today, Rasa's face showed even more distress.
"Alright, there's no use thinking about it anymore. Just try to hold on for one more day. I received news that Bunpuku is almost here." Seeing the melancholy emanating from Rasa, Chiyo offered some comfort and delivered what could barely be considered good news.
There's nothing I can do.
Meanwhile, at the foot of the Hokage Rock, outside the Hokage's private office, came a series of loud footsteps. The footsteps grew closer and closer, and the next moment, they forcefully pushed open the door to the Hokage's office.
An elderly man with a bandage around his right eye and radiating a dark aura approached the desk of Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi. Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi behind the desk, he asked with a hint of unease, " Hiruzen, what's going on with Kōki Itō?"
Danzo was sitting comfortably in his Root Base when he suddenly received news from his subordinates about the front lines.
What he found was astonishing: a user of Wood Release Wood Release appeared on the battlefield, and this user was none other than the young genius he had been following. This left him completely stunned.
He reviewed the intelligence he had over and over again, and repeatedly confirmed the accuracy of the information with the Root ninjas below him. Only then did he truly believe the bizarre fact that Kōki had awakened Wood Release.
Moreover, judging from the strength that Kōki showed on the battlefield, even without using Wood Release, this young genius, whom he originally thought had a ceiling of only Jonin, completely exceeded his expectations. He was even more outstanding than Kou, on whom he had placed high hopes.
Most importantly, the boy he had misjudged was actually working for his nemesis, which fueled his intense jealousy.
Why is it that after all his scheming and expending countless resources, he only managed to obtain an ordinary Wood Release ninja, while Hiruzen Sarutobi did nothing but pick up a lucky break and obtained a super genius who had awakened Wood Release?
Growing increasingly angry, Shimura Danzō left the Root Base, intending to confront Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Later, halfway there, he realized that he had planned the Wood Release Hiruzen Sarutobi's approval. If he were to bring this up, Hiruzen Sarutobi would only use it as an excuse to punish him, which would be a losing proposition.
However, he couldn't keep his resentment to himself, so he still needed to talk to Hiruzen Sarutobi to see if he could get his hands on Kōki Itō.
" Danzo, don't you know everything about Kōki's situation? Do I need to explain?" Danzo Hiruzen Sarutobi any face and retorted in a questioning tone.
He had already investigated Kōki's situation quite thoroughly, but he didn't intend to pursue it further to save face for his old friend. Now, these people actually have the nerve to ask him what's going on? Do they really think he has no temper?
Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's dissatisfied tone, Danzo's expression changed slightly, but he quickly composed himself, feigning ignorance. He knew that Hiruzen Sarutobi's indecisive and sentimental nature wouldn't punish him. But the prerequisite was that he had to give Hiruzen Sarutobi face and a way out.
"What do you mean I know everything? Should I know anything about Kōki Itō's affairs?" Danzo would never admit to the Wood Release experiments unless Hiruzen Sarutobi was prepared to bring it up. Otherwise, he would only have three words: "I don't know."
But he miscalculated. Hiruzen Sarutobi took a document from his drawer and threw it in front of him, saying, "You dare say you didn't know about the Wood Release experiment?"
Danzo was truly dumbfounded. He never expected that the Hiruzen Sarutobi he knew would suddenly become so powerful today, which gave him a bad feeling.
Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi was ready to explain, he didn't even glance at the documents on the table and went straight to the point, saying, " Hiruzen, I did all this for Konoha. Look at Kōki Itō, who is shining brightly on the battlefield now—isn't that thanks to me? This living example proves that my point of view is correct."
Danzo was wronged. He brought Wood Release to Konoha, yet he was still blamed. He really was the best candidate for Hokage.