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

Chapter 398 Dust Escape Ruins
The progress is quite good. As long as those captured Sand Ninja are not released back into the wild and the core military force of Sand Village is lost, the Jing Sha New Army will be the most powerful military force in the Land of Wind.

By combining this with the legal principles of the 'Daimyo' (feudal lord), it is entirely possible to gradually shrink the living space of the nobility.

Although the Wind Temple is powerful, its number of ninjas is limited, making it difficult to stop the expansion of the Jing Sha New Army on the front lines. Currently, the only force within the Land of Wind that can substantially stop the Jing Sha New Army, besides Konoha itself, is the Sand Village prisoners who are under strict guard.

Thinking of these Sand Village prisoners, Sasuke Unno came up with a plan. If a large number of Sand Village ninja were left inside the Land of Wind and were used by noble forces to cause a riot, it would completely disrupt his plans.

So he said to Koharu Utatane, “Elder Koharu, I have an idea regarding the Sand Village prisoners. Now that the Land of Wind has allied with us, as allies, the Land of Wind has an obligation to contribute to the alliance. We can have the Daimyo issue an order, in the name of the allied forces, to transfer some Sand Village prisoners to accompany us to the Land of Waterfall. This would not only replenish our forces for some… consumptive missions, but also further weaken the remaining forces of Sand Village and reduce the risks they might pose within the Land of Wind. It would be a win-win situation.”

Koharu Utatane's eyes lit up. After thinking carefully for a moment, she nodded and said, "This is a good idea! It can weaken the power of Sunagakure and prevent problems before they arise. However, we still need to be careful. Sunagakure has already been crippled by us and is severely weakened. If we bleed them too much and force them into a corner, those released Sunagakure ninjas may choose to become rogue ninjas after leaving the Land of Wind, committing crimes everywhere. This would be very detrimental to the stability of the ninja world in the Land of Fire after the war. What we need is a controllable weakening, not chaos that breaks the balance of the ninja world."

Umino Sasuke assured, “Elder, rest assured, I know what I’m doing. I will have the intelligence team specially select a group of ninjas who have families in Sunagakure, value family ties, and are relatively easy to control. With their families in hand, they won’t dare to easily betray us on the road or on the battlefield. These people are perfect for attacking strongholds, clearing minefields, and carrying out dangerous missions.”

"Okay, let's do it your way." Xiaochun, who was turning over the dorm, agreed to the plan.

Soon, under the personal orders of the Daimyo of the Land of Wind, an "alliance" consisting of four hundred Sand Village prisoners was forcibly formed.

Initially, there was strong resistance among the Sunagakure prisoners, but under the powerful deterrent of Konoha, and faced with the cruel reality that all the high-ranking officials, women and children of Sunagakure were hostages, coupled with the daimyo's orders, they, as ninjas, had no choice at all.

Even outside of Konoha's tight control, they might not have the courage to become rogue ninjas. Once they become rogue ninjas, it means that their relatives left in the village will face annihilation, and Konoha will not be lenient.

Based on the information provided by Aoba Yamashiro, Sasuke Umino carefully selected Sunagakure ninjas who had strong family ties and attachments within the village. These individuals were essentially the true elite of Sunagakure.

This special unit, though demoralized and not necessarily willing to fight for Konoha, is undoubtedly excellent cannon fodder for probing attacks, drawing fire, and clearing obstacles on the battlefield in the Land of Waterfall. It can both deplete Iwagakure and further bleed Sunagakure, while eliminating the risk of them creating chaos within the Land of Wind. It is indeed a win-win situation.

After spending two days reorganizing the troops and replenishing supplies, Koharu Utatane urged Sasuke Umino again: "Sasuke, we must set off as soon as possible! The Hokage has already left Konoha with the Fire Release battalion and the mobilization troops to the front line. Judging by the time, they should be entering the Land of Waterfall soon. If we delay any longer, we may not be able to catch up with the final battle!"

Umino Sasuke, however, seemed confident: "Elder Koharu, there's no need to worry too much. The mobility of my Iron Wall Legion is unparalleled in the ninja world. Even if we set off a few days later, catching up with the main force won't be difficult."

Koharu Utatane frowned and said, "How could we possibly catch up? The journey north is arduous. The northern desert of the Land of Wind is harsh, and the Land of Rain is also difficult to traverse. Hanzo's attitude is ambiguous, so even if he doesn't obstruct us, our marching speed won't be fast. And the mountain range bordering the Land of Grass and the Land of Rain is even more difficult to cross quickly. We have to traverse the northern part of the Land of Wind, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Grass to reach the Land of Waterfall. The straight-line distance doesn't seem particularly long, but the road conditions are extremely poor, which will definitely severely affect the marching speed of a large-scale army!"

Sasuke Umino smiled slightly, walked to the large hanging map, and pointed to the southern coastline of the Land of Wind: "Elder Koharu, why should we insist on the difficult land route? We can take a detour and go by sea."

"By sea?" Xiaochun, who was turning the room, was taken aback; this plan was completely unexpected.

Traditional ninja wars were mostly fought on land, with cross-sea expeditions being extremely rare, especially for a ninja village like Konoha, which was mainly located inland.

She subconsciously thought that the sea route was longer and took longer: "Take the sea route? That would be a huge detour, increasing the distance several times over."

“Elder, please take a look.” Sasuke Umino drew a route on the map with his finger. “We will set sail directly from the port in the southern part of the Land of Wind, and then sail along the coastline. We can resupply at the ports of the Land of Rivers, the Land of Tea, the Land of the Sea, and the Land of Waves along the way.”

Then they landed at a coastal port in the eastern part of the Land of Fire.

After that, we can take advantage of the flat and well-developed official roads within the Land of Fire to quickly advance towards the battlefield of the Land of Waterfall in the northwest.

As you can see, although the absolute distance of sea voyages is not short, seagoing vessels have a large transport capacity, stable speed, and are not hindered by terrain. Furthermore, the official roads of the Land of Fire make it easier for large armies to move.

Overall, compared to traversing mountains, deserts, and swamps, this combined sea and land transport route to the east might actually save a considerable amount of time, at least ensuring that troops arrive at the battlefield in good condition.

Xiaochun, who was turning over in her dorm, stared at the map, her eyes growing brighter and brighter.

She carefully compared the two routes and found that what Umino Sasuke said was true.

The sea route combined with the official road of the Fire Country, although seemingly a longer route, avoids all the difficult sections and could indeed improve the overall marching efficiency.

"Brilliant! Sasuke, your idea is superb! How come I didn't think of that? This route can definitely speed up the march and allow the troops to rest better!"

Suddenly, Koharu Utatane thought of something and added, "Moreover, since we conquered the Land of Wind, our alliance with the Land of Lightning has become meaningless. The Land of Water has also been somewhat restless lately, seemingly showing a tendency to join forces with the Lands of Earth and Lightning to attack our Land of Fire. When you sail along the coastal route this time, you might as well set up a formation. This will be a good opportunity to intimidate those Kirigakure members in the Land of Water, let them see the military might of Konoha, and prevent them from making any rash moves!"

Sasuke Unno smiled inwardly. This was another important purpose of his proposed sea route plan. Through the database intelligence network established by Aoba Yamashiro, he had already learned that Kirigakure, seeing Konoha's conquest of the Land of Wind, was wary of Konoha's strength and was eager to make a move. It seemed that Kirigakure wanted to use the Land of Waves, which was across the sea from the Land of Fire, as a pawn to test Konoha's reaction.

He had originally planned to take this opportunity to lead his army through the Land of Waves to teach Kirigakure a lesson and make them behave themselves.

Since Koharu Utatane had brought this up herself, he naturally went along with it: "Elder, your considerations are thorough! It is indeed of utmost importance to deter the Water Kingdom and ensure the stability of the eastern coast."

Koharu Utatane found the plan increasingly ingenious and even offered a further suggestion: "In my opinion, you don't need to land at the eastern port of the Land of Fire. You can continue north along the coastal road and land directly at the port of the Land of Iron."

The Land of Iron is a neutral country, but its relationship with our Land of Fire is relatively good, so passing through shouldn't be a problem.

This move can also serve as a deterrent to the Land of Lightning, making them think twice before breaking the alliance.

Then you will advance westward from the Land of Iron, entering the Land of Fire, following the official roads. You can even stop by Konoha for a short rest and resupply. Finally, head north along the official roads directly to the battlefield in the Land of Waterfall. This route is not much longer than the eastern landing, provides strategic deterrence, and is entirely on good roads, minimizing troop losses.

Upon hearing this, Sasuke Umino was overjoyed. It was like a godsend. He was just thinking about how to "conveniently" resolve the potential troubles facing the Land of Waves and return to Konoha.

Koharu's suggestion perfectly met all his needs. Compared to the difficult journey of crossing the northern desert, the swamps of the Land of Rain, and the snow-capped mountains of the Land of Grass as originally planned, this sea route combined with the official road was simply too comfortable.

His face immediately lit up with admiration, and he exclaimed, "Elder Xiaochun is brilliant! This plan is excellent! It achieves three goals at once: it ensures the speed of the march and the condition of the troops, it intimidates the Shui and Lei kingdoms, and it allows us to return to the village for a short rest! I admire you, I will make the arrangements right away!"

With the plan set, Konoha's war machine began operating efficiently once again.

The massive Iron Wall Legion, along with the newly formed Sand Village servant allies, began to assemble at the southern port of the Land of Wind.

A large amount of supplies and spoils were loaded onto the ships. Umino Sasuke also sent out the communications ninja hawk in advance to inform the Land of Waves of the new marching route and intentions, so that they could send submarines to secretly meet them.

And so, an unprecedentedly large mixed fleet set sail from the port of the Land of Wind, with banners waving and an imposing presence. The flags of the Wind and Fire Allied Forces fluttered, signifying that this was a force representing the alliance between the two nations.

The fleet cut through the waves and sailed northeast along the coastline, finally arriving at the first supply station at sea: the Kawano Defense Maritime Fortress.

The familiar coastline came into view, and the coastal fortress, clearly showing signs of repair, could be seen in the distance.

As the fleet slowly approached and entered the estuary, many ninjas who had followed Umino Sasuke in his campaigns since the days of the frontline mobile support force stood on the deck, gazing at the ruins of the fortress. Overwhelmed with emotion, they pointed to the fortress ruins and recounted their glorious deeds to the reorganized members of the legion.

"See that mountainside that's half collapsed? Back then, when our commander led us through the Land of Rivers, it was this coastal fortress that blocked our way!"

"At the time, the defending troops relied on the fortress's strategic importance and put up a stubborn resistance. But when the commander made his move, the heavens and earth collapsed..."

Most of the Iron Wall Legion ninjas, after being reorganized, knew the strength of their commander, but upon seeing this terrifying scene that seemed to have been ravaged by a natural disaster, they all gasped in shock.

"My God! What level of forbidden technique is this? It actually managed to shatter the mountain!"

"This is terrifying! Is this really something a human could do?"

"It's true! I heard from my elders that it's a super S-class forbidden technique developed by the Commander, called 'Dust Release: Multiple Infinite Explosion Array Annihilation Arrow Zero Style'! It has earth-shattering power and can wipe out a thousand troops with a single strike!"

"Dust Release? That's not from Iwagakure..."

"How can the Dust Release technique of Iwagakure compare to the Commander's forbidden technique? Can Dust Release really have such destructive power on a cataclysmic level?!"

"The Commander is truly amazing! How fortunate we are to have joined the Iron Wall Legion and follow such a commander!"

"Yes, Commander, although you are ruthless to the enemy, you are incredibly kind to us subordinates. You reward us generously for our merits and provide generous compensation. You love your soldiers like your own children!"

“That’s right! Compared to other units, our Iron Wall Legion has the best treatment…”

The deck was instantly filled with heartfelt praise and admiration for Umino Sasuke, and morale was incredibly high. The Iron Wall Legion's strong cohesion was being subtly and continuously enhanced through these victories and generous treatment.

Just as the Iron Wall Ninjas were discussing this amongst themselves.

Umino Sasuke, along with his core subordinates including Nara Shikaku and Shiranui Ri, landed first in a small boat.

On the dock, two ninjas dressed in the uniforms of the guardian ninjas of the Land of Rivers had been waiting for a long time; they were Ehiko and Shiranui Mama.

"Sasuke!" Ehiko greeted his better-than-life good brother with a genuine smile, and gave Umino Sasuke a firm hug. "You're getting more and more impressive these days, conquering the Land of Wind and becoming famous throughout the ninja world!"

Umino Sasuke chuckled and patted him on the back: "Come on, is everything ready?"

"Don't worry, everything is ready. It's enough for you to use until you reach the port of the Land of Fire," Ehiko assured him, patting his chest.

"Has there been any unusual activity in the land of Kawano lately?"

Shiranui Shinji chimed in, "It's great! Thanks to the captain, we're doing very well as guardian ninjas in the Land of Rivers. In the past two years, there hasn't even been a decent assassination attempt. My sword is practically rusting."

Konoha occupies three of the Guardian Ninja spots in the Land of Rivers. Shiranui Mama is now the captain of the Guardian Ninja for the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers, enjoying a prestigious position and a comfortable life. The shrewd and resourceful Tekudo is also deeply trusted by the Daimyo.

Umino Sasuke joked, "Then you can't slack off. If you fall behind the younger generation, you'll lose face."

Shiranui Mama waved his hand dismissively, his gaze fixed on his dashing nephew, Shiranui Ri, standing behind Umino Sasuke. His eyes were filled with satisfaction: "Captain, my old bones have limited talent. Reaching the level of Guardian Ninja is already my limit. How can I compare to the young ones? I should thank you, Captain, for nurturing Ri so well. I heard he earned the title of 'Red Flash' on the battlefield of the Land of Wind? He's truly brought honor to our Shiranui clan!"

(End of this chapter)