Naruto's civilian cannon fodder starts with the three-body technique

Chapter 381 Sharing the Nation's Fate
Having determined their strategy, the Konoha Allied Forces immediately sprang into action.

Since the Kingdom of Wind is consolidating its forces, it must seize the time. Thus, a bold "lightning leap" tactic was proposed.

Sasuke Umino drew a straight line on the map, pointing directly at the Daimyo's capital: "Skip those small and medium-sized oasis outposts along the way. Our target is the Daimyo of the Land of Wind and his capital. The forces left behind at those outposts are limited and dare not come out to pursue us. Even if they do come out, with our army's combat power and mobility, we can easily turn around and annihilate them. We will concentrate all our forces and strike straight at the heart of the city!"

Xiaochun, who was switching dorms, was still a little worried: "Isn't this too risky? The supply line will be stretched out; what if it gets cut off..."

Sasuke Unno smiled confidently: "Elder Koharu, don't worry, I'll take care of the logistics. Even if we are cut off, I'll just have to work harder. Using the Flying Thunder God Technique and large-capacity storage scrolls, we can sustain the army's short-term combat needs. Moreover, with the strength of our army, I don't think any other force in the Land of Wind can successfully cut off our logistics."

Upon hearing about the "Flying Thunder God Technique," a space-time ninjutsu, and considering Sasuke Umino's unfathomable strength and the elite combat power of the Iron Wall Legion, Koharu Utatane's last doubts were dispelled. Yes, with such a strategic-level space-time ability as a backup, what is there to fear about logistics?
"Alright! Let's proceed with this plan!" Tsunade made the decision.

The Konoha Allied Forces immediately changed their strategy of steady advance, and the troops sped up again, like a lightning bolt in the desert, bypassing oasis strongholds and rushing towards the Daimyo's capital.

The difficulties of the desert march were overcome one by one thanks to Sasuke Umino's precise route planning and the ninjas' perseverance.

In less than two days, the army arrived at the natural barrier of the Wind Country—Death Valley.

This is the last and most dangerous natural barrier leading to the heart of Daming Prefecture.

The canyon is flanked by steep cliffs hundreds of meters high and a vast expanse of deadly sand. There is only one narrow passage in the middle, which is so narrow that only one horse-drawn carriage can pass through at its narrowest point. It stretches for hundreds of miles. The Kingdom of Wind has been operating here for many years, setting up countless fortresses, outposts, traps and defensive works, making it a place where one man can hold off ten thousand.

When Umino Sasuke and Hatake Sakumo wanted to attack the Daimyo's capital, Chiyo set up a checkpoint here to intercept them. After seeing that it was an impregnable natural barrier, she risked riding her Great White to bypass it and enter the heart of the Daimyo's capital from the 800-mile-long Death Sand Sea.

The 800-mile-long Death Sand Sea has an extremely harsh environment, which is quite dangerous even for elite ninjas. It is impossible for the Konoha Allied Forces to pass through the Death Sand Sea safely. Back then, Sasuke Umino dared to take the risk with Sasuke Hatake only because they had the Flying Thunder God Technique as a backup. Otherwise, they would have had no choice but to pass through this insurmountable barrier.

Looking at the treacherous canyon before them, which resembled the entrance to hell, Koharu Utatane's expression became extremely grave: "How can we get through this quickly? If we launch a full-scale attack, even if we manage to take it down, we will inevitably suffer heavy losses and it will take a long time. Three days is simply not enough!"

In conventional ninja warfare, this kind of terrain is indeed extremely troublesome, and the only option is to use lives to slowly fill the gaps.

Tsunade frowned, pondering a solution.

However, Sasuke Umino simply looked up at the sky, a slight smile playing on his lips: "The conventional methods are naturally difficult, but we have the air force."

He turned and ordered, "Tekudo! Air Force squadron, take off!"

"Yes, sir!" Tejiu-do shouted as he accepted the order.

The Iron Wall Air Force Squadron, which was already prepared, immediately took action. Nine rigorously trained and enormous desert falcons took to the air, each carrying nearly ten fully armed aerial ninjas. Immediately afterwards, hundreds of elite ninjas from the Umino clan activated the chakra flying devices on their backs, spewing out pale blue chakra flames, and quickly ascended into the air, forming an attack formation above the canyon.

Although there were fewer than two hundred aerial units, the sense of oppression they created when they densely filled the sky above the canyon was immense.

"This is—" Koharu Tsurugi looked up at this small but extremely powerful air force, her eyes filled with surprise.

Although she knew that the Iron Wall Legion had air combat capabilities, this was the first time she had ever seen it appear in formation.

Without offering much explanation, Umino Sasuke leaped and landed lightly on Byakuya's broad back.

"Big White, let's go up."

"Screech!" Big White let out a clear cry, flapped its wings, and carried Umino Sasuke into the sky, arriving at the forefront of the air force formation.

The Wind Kingdom's garrison in the canyon also noticed the strange phenomenon in the sky. Immediately, a chorus of panicked shouts and whistles rang out, and countless arrows, crossbows, and even rudimentary anti-aircraft ninjutsu were fired into the air. However, they had little effect in the face of high-speed movement and altitude advantage.

Umino Sasuke stood on the back of the giant white tree, looking down at the densely packed defensive fortifications and garrison in the canyon below, like ants. He slowly clasped his hands together, gathering a piercing buzzing chakra.

"What kind of technique is that?" Koharu Utatane, standing on the ground, sensed the heart-pounding chakra fluctuation.

The next moment, the answer is revealed.

"Wind Release: Spiral Shuriken!"

With a cold shout, Umino Sasuke hurled the chakra orb containing destructive energy into the most fortified large fortress at the entrance of the canyon.

call out--!
The spiral shuriken, accompanied by a piercing whistle that tore through the air, struck its target precisely.

There was no deafening explosion, only a teeth-grinding cutting noise.

Om-! ! !
With a burst of light, the incredibly sturdy fortress built of massive stones, along with the dozens of guards inside, were instantly sliced, disintegrated, and annihilated the moment they came into contact with the Spiral Shuriken, as if they had been thrown into an invisible crusher.

Not only was the physical structure destroyed, but even the chakra defense was completely pulverized, turning into molecular-level dust.

The light faded, leaving only a massive fan-shaped crater nearly a hundred meters in diameter, its edges smooth as a mirror. The fortress, fortifications, and personnel had all vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed. Silence!

A deathly silence enveloped the entire battlefield. Both the Konoha Allied Forces on the canyon and the Wind Country garrison inside were terrified by this terrifying power that far exceeded their comprehension.

"Monster!!" It was one of the Wind Kingdom's guards who screamed in despair, and panic spread like wildfire.

After a brief moment of deathly silence, the Konoha Allied Forces erupted in a deafening cheer.

Morale instantly soared to its peak!

"Attack!" Sasuke Umino's icy voice resonated throughout the entire air force unit via chakra. "Air Force Squadron, Free Hunt! Ground Assault Forces, Advance! Mobilize the remaining enemy!"

"kill!!!"

The air force in the sky swooped down like falcons swooping down on their prey, raining down all sorts of ninjutsu, explosive tags, and specially made shuriken on the heads of the canyon defenders below.

The narrow canyon terrain and densely packed garrison made it an easy target for the air force, while the garrison's long-range attacks struggled to effectively hit high-speed, maneuvering aerial targets.

On the ground, the elite Konoha assault force, composed of a large number of Jonin, launched a swift assault along the canyon passage immediately after Umino Sasuke broke through the breach. Lacking strong fortifications and unified command, and suffering a fatal blow from above, the resistance of the Land of Wind's defenders quickly collapsed.

The Konoha Allied Forces advanced with unstoppable momentum, breaking through one defensive line after another in a short time. Sasuke Umino didn't even have a chance to make a second move. Relying solely on air superiority and elite ground assaults, they cleared the Death Valley, which would normally require a huge price to cross, in a very short period of time.

When the army traversed the long canyon and a relatively fertile oasis plain suddenly appeared before them, with the outline of the magnificent capital city faintly visible in the distance, everyone felt a surge of excitement.

Looking at the air force ninjas still circling and keeping watch in the sky, and then at the calm-looking Sasuke Umino beside her, Koharu Utatane couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief and sincerely exclaimed, "The power and tactical effectiveness of the air force are truly enormous. It seems that vigorously developing Konoha's air force was indeed a far-sighted strategic decision."

At this moment, she fully understood why Sasuke Umino was able to create miracles time and again. He not only had great personal strength, but also had tactical vision that was ahead of his time and the ability to create new combat capabilities. This air force played a decisive role in specific terrains and battles.

Tsunade walked over to Sasuke Umino, patted him hard on the shoulder, and her blue eyes sparkled with excitement and admiration: "Well done, handsome boy! It seems that taking over the Daimyo's prefecture was easier than I thought. Now, it's up to me!"

After a brief rest, the army, with high morale, marched in a mighty force toward the daimyo's residence in the Land of Wind.

The Daimyo of the Land of Wind soon received the devastating news of the defeat at the Death Fortress.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash, all of them useless!"

The roar, a mixture of shock and rage, nearly lifted the palace dome. The daimyo of the Land of Wind was ashen-faced, his body trembling slightly from extreme anger and fear.

"This is a formidable barrier that has been cultivated for hundreds of years and guarded by thousands of elite troops. Even if a thousand pigs blocked the canyon, Konoha couldn't catch them all in a day. How could it have collapsed completely in less than a day... no, in less than a few hours?!"

The daimyo suddenly tore the intelligence report in his hand to shreds, and paced back and forth in the hall like a trapped beast, his fierce gaze sweeping over the ministers below who were silent with fear.

A minister in charge of military affairs stepped forward with a trembling voice and reported, “Your Majesty, please calm down. It’s not that the defending troops didn’t try their best, but the way the Konoha ninja attacked is unheard of. They have an extremely powerful air force. Our air ninja units were almost wiped out in the previous blocking battle. Now, only the last squadron guarding the Daimyo’s mansion remains, which is no match for them. What’s even more terrifying is that Umino Sasuke unleashed a ninjutsu that was like a natural disaster. The most fortified fortress number one in Death Valley, along with a large battalion of defenders inside, vanished instantly, leaving not even a single intact rock! Moreover, according to previous intelligence reports, he seems to be able to unleash that terrifying ninjutsu continuously. Any of our fortifications are useless against such an attack!”

After the minister finished speaking, a look of lingering fear appeared on his face.

"Air Force! It's the Air Force again?!" The daimyo trembled with rage, pointing at the minister's nose and cursing, "We allocated so much funding to rebuild your air ninja force, and what happened? You were reduced to just one squadron, and now you're telling me you're powerless? Useless! Good-for-nothings! What use are you to the country?!"

All the ministers in the hall lowered their heads even further, wishing they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into, fearing they would become the next target of the daimyo's wrath and follow in the footsteps of the old minister who had tried to persuade him to surrender.

After venting his anger, the daimyo, breathing heavily, suppressed his panic and asked in a hoarse voice, "When will those fat, big-eared monks from the Wind Temple arrive? How much longer can we hold out? Will we be able to wait for their reinforcements?"

An elderly minister in charge of military affairs hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, his tone clearly uncertain: "Your Majesty, according to the journey, the high monks of the Wind Temple will arrive at least half a day later. However, as long as we unite as one, with the strong defenses of the Daimyo Prefecture and the remaining garrison, if we hold out for half a day, we should... we should still have a chance. As long as we hold out until the high monks arrive, and with reinforcements continuously arriving from the various oases, we will definitely be able to hold out!"

His words sounded like they were meant to boost morale, but the trembling at the end of his sentence and the flickering in his eyes betrayed his lack of confidence.

Everyone knows that although the Temple of Wind holds a superior position and has many powerful guardian monks, the number of people willing to come to its aid this time is probably limited. After all, those monks are more concerned with the temple's incense offerings and their own cultivation than with the survival of the daimyo. As for the reinforcements from the various oases, who knows whether they will rush to the aid under the cover of night after receiving the order, or whether they will hesitate or even have other plans?
However, at this moment, Daimyo was like a drowning man grasping at a straw. He automatically filtered out the bad information and only heard the three words "can hold on." He seemed to regain a bit of courage and suddenly looked at the richly dressed nobles and ministers in the hall.

"You all heard that! Just hold on for half a day! Half a day is all it takes!" The daimyo's voice carried a hint of urgency and command. "Now is the time when the nation needs you. Bring out all the private soldiers, guards, weapons, provisions, and money you've hidden in your homes! The whole nation must resist and fight Konoha to the death! Defending the daimyo's residence is defending your own wealth and status!"

However, he was met with an awkward, deathly silence.

The ministers and nobles who had been so obsequious just moments before now seemed to have collectively become deaf and mute, their eyes darting away and no one responding.

After a long while, a fat nobleman cautiously spoke up: "Your Excellency, it's not that we are unwilling to contribute, but... it's just that we have endured many years of war, and our homes are already empty. We simply don't have much cash left in our treasury. I am willing to donate 10,000 taels to recruit warriors!"

(End of this chapter)