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

Chapter 414: Seclusion
Seeing this scene, Elder Yuan's heart was bleeding. Those were the treasures of the Water Kingdom!
Now we have to watch helplessly as the enemy takes it away.

He could no longer contain himself and finally issued the order for a probing all-out attack: "All troops, listen up! Target: Diaojing Port, attack! Reclaim our treasure!"

The Mist Ninja roared and surged towards Whale Harbor like a tidal wave.

This time, Master Yuan finally saw through the true strength of the Land of Waves' garrison. The number of Sound Ninja ground troops defending the port was indeed small, only about three or four hundred men. However, relying on the port's original fortifications, the four Kage-level fighters, and the fire support from the Sound Ninja air force, they built an exceptionally tough defensive line.

Although the Kirigakure Legion had a large number of members, it lacked top-tier combat power to lead the charge and break through the enemy lines. Although Chief Terumi, Yuki Minazuki, and others were quite strong, they could only barely hold their own against Kakuzu's shrewdness and Hiruko's unpredictable nature, and could not gain a decisive advantage.

Meanwhile, the defenders of the Land of Waves fought and retreated, their tactical objective being very clear: to buy time and cover the loading.

The battle was fierce, but the advance of the Mist Legion was as slow as if it were stuck in a quagmire.

As the last chest of treasure was loaded onto the transport ship and the heavy hatch slowly closed, the Mist Legion had not even been able to completely break through the outer defenses of the port!
"Chakra Cannon! Cover the area!" Kakuzu gave the order in a cold voice as he covered the retreat.

“Buzz——!!!”

The Land of Waves warships anchored in the harbor roared once more from their broadside chakra cannons, sending thick beams of light streaking across the sky and crashing into the charging Kirigakure forces, creating bursts of fire and dust that caused numerous casualties.

What frustrates Kirigakure even more is that their large-scale water-style ninjutsu is practically like replenishing "ammunition" and repairing the body of Umibozu, who is guarding the estuary.

Any water dragon bullets or water barrier attacks aimed at the fleet will be easily absorbed by Umibozu and transformed into even more powerful water bullets and ice spears, which will then rain down on the Kirigakure camp.

In a watery environment, Umibozu is virtually invincible against Water Release techniques!

"Damn it!!" Yuan Shi was so angry that he almost vomited blood as he looked at his subordinates who had suffered heavy casualties under the artillery fire and water-based counterattacks, yet were still unable to break through the last line of defense.

Kakuzu and Hiruko, acting as the rearguard, fought and retreated, eventually boarding the armored flagship with composure.

Kakuzu stood on the ship's railing, looking at the furious, livid-faced Elder Yuanshi on the shore. A rare, mocking smile appeared on his face, and his voice carried far through his chakra: "Elder Yuanshi, there's no need to see us off! We of the Land of Waves will forever remember your country's 'warm hospitality' and 'generous gifts'! Given the opportunity, we will definitely come to 'visit' again!"

These words were like sharp knives, piercing the hearts of every Hidden Mist ninja.

"Asshole! Don't run!"

"Chase them! Kill them!"

Some hot-blooded, angry Kirigakure ninjas disregarded orders and roared as they waded through the water towards the Land of Waves fleet that was setting sail, attempting to board them.

"Don't go into the water! Come back quickly!" Master Yuan shouted in alarm.

Unfortunately, it's too late.

These ninjas had barely rushed out a hundred meters when Samehada, hidden underwater, reappeared. With a coil of its thick body and a wide-open mouth, a terrifying suction force erupted, instantly draining the chakra of the Kirigakure ninjas who had gone underwater. They screamed and sank to the bottom of the sea, their blood once again staining a small patch of the ocean red.

"Damn it!" Elder Yuan clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, blood flowing from between his fingers. He could only watch helplessly as the fleet of the Land of Waves, laden with enormous wealth plundered from the Land of Water, hoisted its sails and sailed away from the Whale Fishing Port, disappearing into the distant horizon.

Endless humiliation, anger, and a sense of powerlessness nearly consumed the elderly elder.

Just as Elder Yuanshi, filled with endless humiliation and resentment, ordered the clearing of Diaojing Port and the treatment of the wounded, an invisible, deadly net was quietly being cast in the waters surrounding the Land of Water.

The Wolf Fang submarine force, carrying out the "closed-door policy," lurked like ghosts in the outer shipping lanes of all the major ports of the Land of Water.

These underwater predators hover silently in the deep water, their sonar systems operating 24 hours a day, capturing every movement from the surface.

On the third day, several medium-sized merchant ships, laden with cloth and ore, set sail from the largest trading port of the Land of Water in the dim light of dawn, preparing to trade with the Land of Fire.

The captain and sailors were still discussing the recent tense situation and praying that they wouldn't encounter pirates.

Sudden--

"boom!!!"

A dull, loud thud came from the bottom of the ship, and the entire hull shook violently, as if struck by an invisible giant hammer. A huge gash appeared instantly, and icy seawater rushed in.

"What happened? Did it run aground?"

"No! This is deep water! It's an attack! We've been attacked!"

"Abandon ship! Lifeboats!"

The sailors panicked, but before they could lower the lifeboats, the second and third torpedoes struck the sides of the ship with pinpoint accuracy.

The explosion shattered the morning's tranquility. Within minutes, the merchant ships broke in two, carrying their cargo and the sailors who couldn't escape, and sank rapidly into the icy seabed, leaving behind only churning foam and floating debris.

Similar scenes were constantly playing out outside the ports of the Water Kingdom.

Whether it's a merchant ship fully loaded with cargo, a fishing boat going out to sea, or even a communication speedboat trying to transmit information to the outside world, as long as it sails a certain distance from the port, it will be attacked by a deadly underwater attack.

The submarine force of the Land of Waves is incredibly efficient; they never show themselves, communicating only with precise torpedoes and chakra shells.

For a time, the waters surrounding the Land of Water became a veritable "sea of ​​death," with floating planks, oil slicks, and the occasional corpse frequently visible on the surface, and a heavy aura of death permeated the hearts of every seafarer.

The Kingdom of Water, once the dominant power of the ocean, is seeing its lifeline at sea, on which it depends for survival, gradually tightened and severed!
Elder Yuanshi soon received the devastating news that the trade routes of the Water Kingdom had been completely cut off. He was shocked and furious and immediately tried to organize a counterattack.

"Summon all ninjas skilled in Lightning Release! Form an anti-submarine force! These underwater rats must be wiped out!" Master Yuan roared as he gave the order.

A force of Lightning Release ninjas was quickly assembled. They sailed in small boats, patrolling the waters surrounding the harbor, attempting to use the area-of-effect attacks of Lightning Release ninjutsu to force out or destroy the lurking submarines. "Lightning Release: Earth Walk!"

"Thunder Release: Thunder Ball!"

Bolts of lightning shot into the sea, exploding into sparks on the surface.

At first, it seemed to have some effect, with submarines occasionally seen being forced to submerge or move slightly in order to evade it.

However, the Land of Waves' counterattack came faster and more fiercely!
Just as the Lightning Release ninja squad was focused on the underwater area, the seawater near the port suddenly surged violently, and the enormous figure of Umibozu reappeared. Although it was not its complete form, even as a clone, the giant waves it stirred up easily capsized several small boats.

Even more terrifying is Samehada, which attacks from underwater like a ghost, specifically targeting Lightning Release ninjas with active chakra. Once entangled by it, its terrifying chakra-devouring ability makes even a Lightning Release Jonin nothing more than a lamb to the slaughter.

Several futile anti-submarine operations not only failed to destroy any submarines, but also cost the lives of dozens of precious Lightning Release ninjas. Their blood once again stained the seawater near the port, and also stained the despairing eyes of the Master.

He finally realized a cruel reality: under the protection of Umibozu and Samehada, the two overlords of the water, the submarine force of the Land of Waves was virtually invincible underwater. To drive them away, at least a Kage-level powerhouse would need to personally go underwater to fight them.

But now, the Third Mizukage of Kirigakure has fallen, the perfect Jinchuriki has been captured, and the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, Utakata, is still an unstable and useless boy. Kirigakure has lost its top-tier fighting force to contend with the Land of Waves underwater.

After another batch of Lightning Release ninjas were killed, Master Yuan seemed to age ten years in an instant. He waved his hand dejectedly, his voice hoarse and weak: "...Withdraw. Don't make any more pointless sacrifices."

The formidable Kirigakure, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, was actually blockaded on its home island by the Navy of the Land of Waves, a once tiny country. This humiliation suffocated every Kirigakure leader who knew the inside story.

The Grand Master was deeply worried. The Water Country was an island nation with scarce resources and relied heavily on maritime trade to import basic necessities such as food, cloth, and medicine. The blockade might not seem like a big problem in the short term, but the rate at which its stockpiles were being depleted was alarming.

If time drags on, the Land of Waves won't even need to launch a landing attack; the Land of Water will descend into massive internal strife and collapse due to resource shortages and soaring prices.

The reason why there are so many factions and internal strife in Kirigakure is not only because there are many factions, but also because of the struggle for resources due to scarcity. They may not genuinely enjoy the infighting; they are just fighting for the limited resources and living space.

Once the input of external resources is completely cut off, internal conflicts will erupt in the most intense and brutal way.

We must not sit still and wait for death!
Yuan Shiqiang rallied his spirits and convened another high-level meeting.

At the meeting, he solemnly admitted, "Gentlemen, the situation is already very serious. With our own strength, I'm afraid... we are no longer able to break the blockade of the Nation's navy."

The meeting room was deathly silent; the atmosphere of despair was almost solidified.

After a series of crushing defeats and the loss of their elite troops, with even their home gates blocked, this sense of powerlessness could even break the will of a ninja.

"Everyone... do you have any other ideas?" Master Yuan looked around at everyone, his eyes filled with a final hope.

The group looked at each other, seeing confusion and despair in each other's eyes. They couldn't win by fighting, and they couldn't sneak out. What other options did they have?
Master Yuan's gaze finally fell on Qing. Although the young man was not old, his calmness and wisdom in the recent series of events had left a deep impression on him.

"Qing, what are your thoughts?" Master Yuan asked directly.

Qing took a deep breath and stood up. He knew this was his chance. He calmly analyzed, "Elder Yuan, esteemed lords, it seems that relying on our internal strength is indeed difficult to break through the blockade. Since we cannot solve it internally, then... perhaps we can try to rely on external forces."

A glint flashed in Yuan Shi's eyes: "External forces? You mean...Kumakushi Village?"

“That’s right!” Ao nodded firmly. “Currently, in the ninja world, the only one with a powerful navy that has the potential and the will to challenge the Land of Waves is the Hidden Cloud Village! I believe that the Third Raikage, A, will never sit idly by and watch the Land of Waves, this emerging maritime overlord, rise and threaten the maritime interests of the Hidden Cloud Village. In order to compete for future maritime dominance, there will inevitably be a war between the Land of Waves and the Hidden Cloud Village!”

He paused, then continued, "What we need to do is find a way to ignite this war ahead of time! And it must be before our country's economy completely collapses!"

Master Yuan nodded repeatedly, for this idea was undoubtedly a glimmer of hope in a desperate situation.

He looked at the other senior executives: "What do you think?"

"good idea!"

"Qing's analysis makes a lot of sense!"

"We can only rely on the power of Kumogakure!"

In their desperate situation, everyone seemed to have grasped at a straw and unanimously agreed.

Master Yuan looked at Qing, his eyes filled with admiration: "So, how exactly should it be done?"

Ao had clearly given this much thought. He said in a deep voice, "We need a compelling reason, one that will make Kumogakure feel genuinely threatened and compel them to take action. I think we can spread the word that... Konoha and the Land of Waves have secretly signed a defensive alliance!"

He quickened his pace and analyzed, "Kumakushi Village has always regarded Konoha as its biggest rival and is absolutely unwilling to see Konoha's power expand further, especially its influence extending to the sea."

If they were to believe that the Land of Waves was a thorn in Konoha's side in the East Blue, an ally of Konoha used to contain and threaten the Land of Lightning from the sea, and even more threatening than the Land of Whirlpools, then, given the Third Raikage's personality, even if he didn't immediately launch another war against Konoha, he would absolutely spare no effort to eliminate this thorn in his side, the Land of Waves!
"As long as Kumogakure takes any action, the Land of Waves will inevitably have to withdraw its forces to defend its homeland. At that time, our blockade of the Land of Water will naturally fall apart on its own!"

"Brilliant!" Master Yuan couldn't help but slap the table in admiration. "This plan is brilliant! It blends truth and falsehood, reality and illusion, leaving Yun Yin no choice but to believe it!"

He announced on the spot: "Ao, from today onwards, you are officially promoted to Jonin! You will be fully responsible for this 'Ice-Breaking' plan, and all resources of Kirigakure are at your disposal!"

"Thank you for your trust, Elder! I will live up to your expectations!" Qing Qiang suppressed his joy, bowed and accepted the order. He had finally entered the ranks of the high-ranking members of Wuyin through his own wisdom.

After the meeting, Qing stayed behind to express his loyalty to Master Yuan.

Master Yuan was very pleased with Qing's sensibility and offered him a few words of encouragement.

Qing immediately cut to the chase, her tone urgent: "Elder, time waits for no one. We must get Kumogakure to act as soon as possible. I'm worried that if the blockade continues, within a month or two at most, prices in Daimyo Prefecture will run into problems. Once news of the shortage of supplies spreads, rumors will spread, triggering panic buying and soaring prices. The economic turmoil or even collapse of the Land of Water will be irreversible!"

(End of this chapter)