Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 292 How can a Star Ninja have Sharingan, Byakugan, and Wood Release?! [First Update 8K Words]

Conquer the ninja village!

Since the establishment of the ninja village system by Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi, small ninja villages like the Sky Village have been destroyed.

However, none of the five great ninja villages have ever been conquered.

Menma listened attentively to Hikaru's report, her gaze following the movement of the baton on the sand table, nodding slightly from time to time.

This strategic approach is clear and decisive, and it is very much in line with the characteristics of the Star Kingdom's current military strength, which is lean but insufficient in number.

Utilizing the natural barrier of the Death Sands and the mobility and combat effectiveness of our elite troops to keep the enemy outside the country's borders is the best option.

'It will take at least a few more days for Xiao Jiu to absorb the Ten-Tails, and he must not be disturbed during this time,' Menma thought to himself.

He vaguely remembered that in the original story, after Gaara was captured, it took the Gedo Mazo one or three days to absorb the One-Tailed Beast.

Despite the vast disparity in troop strength, the high-ranking officials of the Star Kingdom present did not show much concern.

Whether they were newly joined Uchiha or Hyuga members, or those who had long followed Menma, such as Uzumaki Vanilla and Gota, their eyes burned with a desire for battle and a longing for glory.

This emerging nation needs a resounding victory to declare its strength to the entire ninja world!
The meeting then moved into the discussion phase.

From an administrative and domestic policy perspective, Vanilla Whirlpool offered the following advice: "I agree with the General Staff's proactive strategy. At the same time, we should take advantage of this war to further strengthen internal control and purge. The remaining noble forces from the original five kingdoms, as well as potential opponents who are dissatisfied with the new policies, are likely to jump out and cause trouble during the war. I suggest authorizing the Dark Guard and police forces to conduct a thorough internal investigation and reorganization to ensure absolute stability in the rear during the war."

Uchiha Hikaru raised a more profound and worrying question: "The strategy is good, but we must take into account the possibility of the war escalating."

Her finger pointed to the eastern border of the Land of Stars on the sand table: "The Hidden Stone Village of the Land of Earth has an ambiguous attitude. Some time ago, they made unfounded accusations that our ninjas crossed the border to attack their stronghold. Although we firmly denied it and retaliated in kind, the potential threat on the eastern front always exists."

Then, Hikaru's gaze shifted to Uchiha Shisui and Hyuga Hizashi sitting opposite him, his tone becoming more serious: "Furthermore, there's Konohagakure in the Land of Fire. They have a traditional alliance with Sunagakure. If the war becomes stalemate, or if Sunagakure pays a sufficient price to request Konoha's intervention, it's not out of the question. We must prepare for the worst—"

"That is, to simultaneously deal with the pressure of fighting on two or even three fronts: the Land of Wind in the west and the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire in the east!"

The shadow of fighting on multiple fronts made the atmosphere in the conference room tense once again.

This is indeed a burden that a newly emerging nation like the Star Kingdom cannot bear.

Menma listened calmly to everyone's analysis and concerns. Only after all the voices had subsided did he slowly speak. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a dignified decisiveness that instantly drew everyone's attention:

"Concerns about fighting on multiple fronts are indeed valid. However, everyone can rest assured that this war will not last long."

His gaze swept over the crowd: "I will end it in the fastest way possible."

Menma stood up, walked to the sand table, and began to issue the final battle orders:

"I hereby order: The Star Ninja Army shall immediately organize four standing legions!"

"Each legion is composed of twelve detachments. Each detachment consists of three standard squads (platoons), with each standard squad consisting of four men."

"The First Legion, commanded by Uchiha Hikaru! Responsible for the main offensive direction on the front line of the Death Sand Sea, it must consolidate and expand the forward defense line and tie down the main force of Sunagakure in the Death Sand Sea!"

"The Second Legion, commanded by Hyuga Hizashi! Assisting Hikaru, and fighting in conjunction with the First Legion."

"The Third Legion, commanded by Xia Ri, is responsible for the defense of the eastern front, strengthening the defense of all passes and outposts along the border with the Land of Earth and the Land of Birds, and guarding against any possible disturbances from Iwagakure."

"The Fourth Legion, commanded by Vanilla Whirlpool! As the reserve and logistical support legion, it is responsible for the defense of major cities, the transportation and allocation of strategic materials, and comprehensive medical support. Simultaneously, you will coordinate the internal purge efforts with the combined efforts of the secret service and police forces!"

"The police force will expand the special police force and cooperate with the Fourth Army Corps to be responsible for internal security and logistics in major cities, and when necessary, serve as a mobile reserve force to support the front line."

Each command was issued as clearly and decisively as a rock falling to the ground.

The structure of the four major legions and the special police force not only takes into account the abilities and strengths of each commander, but also balances the various forces to a certain extent.

The First, Second, and Third Legions are mainly composed of regular ninjas, while the Fourth Legion encompasses police, logistics, medical, and administrative support forces, leaning towards auxiliary and logistical transportation organizations. The Special Police Force is composed of elite ordinary people, with the core members being Uchiha and Hyuga ninjas, who serve as both internal security forces and mobile response units.

"Yes, sir!" the four men who were called out answered in unison, their eyes gleaming with determination.

With Menma's order, the Star Kingdom's newly formed war machine began to operate at an unprecedented speed and efficiency.

Thanks to Menma's earlier establishment of a modern administrative and logistical system, distinct from traditional ninja villages, orders were rapidly disseminated throughout the country via emerging scientific communication tools.

The grain and supplies stored in each county, as well as the strategic materials such as weapons, ninja tools, and military rations produced by each arsenal, were continuously gathered in the capital through the already established railway network, and then transported to the western front by a special transport unit.

The mobilization efficiency of the Star Ninjas was even more astonishing.

Since its inception, the Star Ninja Army has adopted a modular organization with the "branch" as the largest combat unit, and its daily training and missions are mostly based on this.

At this moment, more than a dozen detachments quickly converged to form a higher-level "legion" combat cluster, and there was no major chaos in the coordination and connection between the squads and detachments.

Squads of ninjas in dark blue Star Ninja uniforms, organized into small teams and detachments, moved swiftly and silently to the western front via railway and rapid marches, like streams flowing into rivers.

A somber yet uplifting atmosphere enveloped the entire Star Kingdom.

……

That night, in Star City, at the Whirlpool House.

After a long and tense military meeting, Menma and Uchiha Hikaru returned home.

Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki were already waiting in the living room, their faces showing obvious concern.

"Menma, Hikari, how are you?" Kushina asked impatiently. Despite being a reanimated body, the worry in her eyes was no different from when she was alive.

Mianma sat on the sofa and explained the general strategic plan to her parents.

"...That's the basic situation. Xiao Jiu's absorption of the Ten-Tails is not yet complete, and it will probably take another two or three days. The Ten-Tails' resistance is stronger than expected, and I'm worried that its original owner might come looking for it. So, during this time, I must stay by Xiao Jiu's side as much as possible to ensure that the absorption process is not disturbed."

He looked at Uchiha Hikari, his eyes filled with trust and entrustment: "Therefore, the command of the front line in the Sands of Death will be entirely entrusted to Hikari. Hyuga Hizashi is experienced and can serve as her deputy to help stabilize the front line."

Then, Menma looked at Minato: "Father, the front line is bright, and the rear central command, logistics coordination, intelligence gathering, and coordination with various counties are handled by Vortex Herbs, but we still need someone who can keep things in check and is good at coordination. I hope you can stay in Star City and take charge of the overall situation."

Minato Namikaze listened attentively to his son's plan and calmly analyzed, "Your plan is reasonable. Hikari's strength is beyond doubt. However, she does lack experience in commanding large-scale troop operations. With Hizashi, who has experienced two Shinobi World Wars and has a calm personality, assisting her, we can make up for this deficiency and avoid rashness."

He then changed the subject, mentioning the eastern front: "However, is it safe to have Natsumi in charge of Iwagakure on the eastern front? I've heard Xiangcao mention before that Natsumi is a former Jonin from Hoshigakure, and his strength is quite good, but Onoki of Iwagakure is cunning and scheming..."

Menma nodded and continued, "Natsumi's abilities are trustworthy, and the Third Legion is mostly composed of ninjas from former Star Ninja Villages. They are familiar with the terrain of the eastern border and are more suitable for defensive operations."

The Summer Couple once stole the Meteorite to prevent the harm that Meteorite training would cause to the Star Village ninjas. However, they were discovered by the current 'Star Shadow', Yoru, but instead of punishing them, he gave them important responsibilities and made them live in anonymity for several years. He also took the opportunity to abolish the training of the Meteorite. It wasn't until the beginning of the Naruto storyline, when Yoru and others assassinated Yoru and restarted the training of the Meteorite, that the Summer Couple became active again, attempting to steal the Meteorite and stop the training of the Meteorite.

Then comes the storyline of Naruto and his group arriving.

This is one of the reasons why Menma trusts the couple.

He sighed softly, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Father, you know my ideal. I want to break the ninja clan's monopoly on chakra and resources, so that everyone has the opportunity to become stronger and no longer be bound by bloodline and birth. But cultivating a new generation of commoner ninjas takes time, and what we lack most is time."

"At this stage, most of the talents I have are still from various ninja clans. Of the four legion commanders appointed this time, only Xia Ri comes from a small ninja village. I also want to promote civilian ninjas, but... I still need to wait."

Minato nodded understandingly, stepped forward, and gently patted his son's shoulder.

“I understand your difficulties. Breaking down old barriers and establishing a new order is never something that can be done overnight. You have done very well.”

His gaze gradually sharpened: "Don't worry, leave Star City and the rear to me. I will do my best with Vanilla and the others to handle logistics, intelligence analysis, and internal coordination."

"As for the internal situation..." Minato's tone suddenly turned cold, carrying a hint of killing intent: "If anyone dares to cause trouble internally during the war, or even launch a rebellion, no matter what their identity or background is, I, Minato Namikaze, will show no mercy!"

At this moment, he was no longer the Konoha Little Sun with his ever-present gentle smile, but the "Yellow Flash" who was known for his speed and struck fear into the hearts of his enemies during the Third Shinobi World War!
………………

Northwest of the Land of Wind, south of the Sea of ​​Death.

The scorching wind whipped up sand, which stung my face slightly.

A force of over two hundred Sand Ninja is using the undulating sand dunes as cover to quickly and covertly outflank the eastern side of the battle line.

Their goal was to bypass the Star Ninja's main defenses in the Death Sands, infiltrate the Star Kingdom, and then break into smaller groups to carry out devastating damage to key facilities such as railways, bridges, and warehouses, thereby relieving the immense pressure on the main battlefield.

Leading this surprise attack force were Yura and Fushigi, elite Jonin from Sunagakure.

The team has ten special Jonin, fifty Chunin, and the rest are experienced Genin, many of whom even participated in the Third Shinobi World War a few years ago, making it an elite force.

"Speed ​​up! We must get through this area before sunset!" Yura urged in a low voice, his eyes scanning the seemingly endless sea of ​​sand around him, a vague unease creeping into his heart.

The desert was so quiet that you could hardly hear any other sound except for the wind.

However, just as the troops reached a relatively flat sandy area, a sudden change occurred!

Boo hoo hoo-!
“Enemy attack—!!”

The piercing alarm had just sounded when it was drowned out by deafening explosions and the whooshing sound of ninjutsu!

boom! boom! boom!
The once peaceful sandy ground suddenly exploded!

A dozen or so figures dressed in dark blue Star Ninja uniforms suddenly burst forth from beneath the sand!

They seemed to have become one with the yellow sand, only revealing their fangs at the moment of attack.

"Wind Escape·Big Breakthrough!"

A violent airflow whipped up a sandstorm, obscuring visibility!
"Earth Release·Earth Dragon Bullet!"

The earth dragon that spewed out from the ground spewed out countless sand and stones, crashing into the Sand Ninja's ranks like cannonballs!
"Art fire escape ho fireball!"

A fireball carrying intense heat engulfed the terrified Sand Ninja!
What terrified the Sand Ninja even more was that many Star Ninja were wielding a strangely shaped "kunai spear" that they had never seen before!
These weapons can launch kunai with explosive tags attached at extremely high speeds and with great precision. The kunai explode violently the moment they hit the ground or strike their target, causing devastating casualties among the densely packed Sand Ninja formations.

boom! boom! boom!
"what!"

"Damn Star Ninja!"

"It's an ambush! Break through!"

"Damn it! The intelligence has been leaked! There's a spy..."

In just one sudden ambush, this 200-strong Sand Ninja force suffered nearly half casualties!

Screams, explosions, and the sounds of ninjutsu clashing mingled together, instantly plunging the once orderly ranks into chaos.

"Don't panic! Gather together! Earth Release ninjas, create cover!" Fu Yi shouted hoarsely, and together with Yura, they barely managed to gather the remaining, still-shaken Sand Ninjas.

Back to back, they hastily used earth magic to raise several low earthen walls as a temporary barrier.

However, once they had calmed down and could see the situation on the surrounding sand dunes, an even deeper chill rose from the bottom of their hearts.

There were only twelve Star Ninja surrounding them!
Twelve men ambushed and severely damaged their two-hundred-strong force?!
"There are only twelve of them! Charge out! Kill them!" Yura was both shocked and furious, a feeling of humiliation welling up inside him. He gave the order sharply, attempting to break through the encirclement by force, taking advantage of their numerical superiority.

The surviving Sand Ninja were also enraged, unleashing their final ferocity amidst roars and shouts.

The invisible blades formed by Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique roared out, the rock spears formed by Earth Release: Rock Thief Stick were hurled in dense formation, and puppeteers controlled grotesque puppets to pounce. There were also some ninjas skilled in using poison who released purple poison mist, attempting to spread it across the battlefield.

"Watch out for poison gas! Everyone put on gas masks!" A calm yet slightly immature voice rang out.

The one who issued the command was a handsome young man with delicate features and pale skin. He had short white hair, wore a Star Ninja headband around his neck, and had two red dots on his forehead. Most striking of all were his pure white eyes.

It was none other than the captain of this Star Ninja Ambush Squad, Kaguya Kimimaro.

He was the first to put on the standard gas mask, and at the same time gave the final order to his teammates behind him: "Annihilate them all!"

Before he finished speaking, Kimimaro's figure had already transformed into a white lightning bolt, rushing out of the makeshift cover and charging towards the chaotic Sand Ninja team!

In an instant, he drew two gleaming white bone swords from his arms—the bloodline limit of the Kaguya clan: Shikotsumyaku!

Following closely behind were three equally young Star Ninjas.

Mizuki Haku's face was gentle and beautiful. As she formed hand seals, cold ice-style chakra rapidly condensed.

Xuejian's few freckles on her face seemed eager to jump, and her medium-length brown hair danced in the air as she leaped. Her body began to blur during her charge, as if she were about to merge into the air.

Hyuga Neji wore the newly acquired Star Ninja headband around his neck, with no restraints on his forehead. His pure Byakugan was already activated, and the surrounding meridians surged, allowing him to clearly see the chakra flow and movements of every enemy on the battlefield.

The other Star Ninja members also acted swiftly. Some of the taijutsu experts, propelled by the chakra-powered leg support modules, unleashed astonishing speed, closely following Kimimaro and the others as they charged into the enemy ranks for close-quarters combat.

The other group quickly created distance, either forming hand seals to unleash ninjutsu or wielding kunai to provide precise mid- to long-range firepower suppression.

Their deep blue chakra-powered armor gleamed metallically in the sunlight, and the energy circuits at their joints glowed faintly, providing powerful protection and power support.

The battle instantly intensified!

Kaguya Kimimaro charged into the Sand Ninja group like a tiger among sheep.

His bone veins are incredibly sharp, easily cutting through the Sand Ninja's defenses; the bone spikes that occasionally burst out from various parts of his body are even more difficult to defend against.

Ordinary Sand Ninja genin and chunin would be instantly killed in a single encounter with him.

"Shikotsumyaku? Byakugan?! Who exactly is this guy?!" A few Sand Village Jonin managed to exchange a few blows with him, but they were quickly forced into dangerous situations by his ferocious and precise Bone Dance, and cried out in alarm.

Neji followed closely beside Kimimaro. His Byakugan could not only detect the enemy's weaknesses, but also take in the subtle changes on the entire battlefield.

"Three on the left, prepare your Wind Release techniques!"

"The puppet in the rear has fragile joints!"

"Beware of the right-wing poison fog spreading!"

Neji's calm voice rang out continuously, providing his teammates with crucial real-time battlefield intelligence through the communication equipment.

His Gentle Fist precisely struck the pressure points of the Sand Ninja, disrupting their chakra flow. Every Sand Ninja who came close to him felt their chakra flow become sluggish, and their strength greatly diminished.

"Magic Mirror Ice Crystal!"

Bai shouted softly, instantly creating multiple ice mirrors.
His Ice Release technique displayed astonishing power in this scorching desert, not only disrupting the Sand Ninja's formation but also using the reflection of the Ice Mirror for high-speed movement and attacks. However, the scorching environment greatly depleted his Ice Release ninjutsu.

The icy senbon needles rained down on the Sand Ninja, and the occasional use of "Ice Rock Hall" created small-scale ice barriers to provide cover for teammates.

Those Sand Ninja who mostly lived their entire lives in the desert and had never seen ice and snow were stunned and filled with fear when faced with this power that defied common sense.

Xuejian's figure flickered across the battlefield. Her "smoke transformation" bloodline limit allowed her to be immune to physical attacks to a certain extent, allowing her to move across the battlefield like a ghost.

She sometimes appears behind the Sand Ninja to deliver a fatal blow, and at other times she transforms into smoke to disrupt the enemy's ninjutsu release.

Meanwhile, two young ninjas in the team, wearing Uchiha clan uniforms over Hoshinen uniforms, also displayed astonishing combat prowess.

Their movements were swift and deadly. With each swing of their ninja swords, their Sharingan accurately predicted every move of the enemy. They successively killed more than a dozen Sand Ninja who were trying to organize a counterattack, like two sharp knives deeply wedged into the center of the Sand Ninja team.

"Sharingan... Sharingan! It's an Uchiha ninja!" A Sand ninja screamed in terror as he stared intently at the Sharingan of the other person before he died.

Yura and Fushigi were now covered in blood, their hearts filled with unbelievable horror.

The opposing team was not only well-equipped and had excellent tactical coordination, but this small team of only twelve people actually had Byakugan, Shikotsumyaku, Ice Release, Sharingan, and even the legendary Wood Release!
What kind of monster team is this?!
The final breakdown came from Xuejian.

She took a deep breath and slammed her hands onto the scorching sand, trying out her newly mastered bloodline limit.

"Wood Release·The Sea of ​​Trees is born!"

Rumble——! ! !
Before the incredulous and almost desperate eyes of Yura, Fugi, and all the surviving Sand Ninja, a vibrant green forest burst forth from this deathly desert at a visible speed and grew wildly!
Thick trees tore through the sand, and vines climbed up, instantly turning a small patch of desert into a strange woodland!

"Wood...Wood Release?! How is this possible?!" Fu Yi's voice completely changed, and his eyes behind his glasses almost popped out of their sockets!

The legendary power of the First Hokage has appeared here?!

Forests grow in the desert!
This scene, which completely defied common sense and resembled a miracle or a nightmare, utterly shattered the last shred of fighting spirit of the remaining less than fifty Sand Ninja!
They stared blankly at the grove of trees, their will to fight finally collapsing completely. Their weapons fell from their hands, and despair filled their faces.

"Sharingan... Byakugan, and now Wood Release, damn it, are we fighting a Star Ninja or Konoha?!" Yura felt it was all absurd.

"Ah—! Monsters! They're all monsters!" Some Sand Ninja dropped their weapons and ran away with their heads in their hands.

“It’s impossible to win…we’ll all die here…” Some of the Sand Ninja trembled.

Kimimaro coldly watched the collapsing Sand Ninja.

He said softly, "It's over."

The moment Yura made eye contact with an Uchiha ninja, he felt the three tomoe in the other's scarlet eyes turn slightly, and his consciousness went haywire, his movements instantly stiffening.

puff!

A cold, blood-stained kunai was silently pressed against his throat.

The one holding the kunai was an Uchiha ninja.

On the other side, Fugi was also pierced through the shoulder by Kimimaro with a sharp bone spur and pinned heavily to the trunk of a newly grown tree, completely losing his ability to resist.

The battle is over.

The desert returned to silence, with only the sound of the wind whipping up the yellow sand and the faint groans of the wounded.

The twelve Star Ninjas stood like rocks in the center of the battlefield, surrounded by Sand Ninjas whose numbers far exceeded theirs, and whose ranks were littered with dead and wounded.

Yura looked at all this in a daze, as if he had returned to the battlefield of the Third Shinobi World War more than ten years ago, and felt powerless when facing those Konoha elites who were at the height of their power.

No, this squad in front of him is more terrifying than any Konoha unit he encountered back then!
……

After arranging for the cleanup of the battlefield, Kaguya Kimimaro walked up to Neji, who was leaning against a newly grown tree, slightly panting.

Haku is carefully treating a wound on Neji's arm caused by poisoned kunai. They have already found the antidote on the captured Sand Ninja.

"How are you feeling?" Kimimaro's voice remained calm, but his gaze toward Neji carried a hint of approval.

"Fortunately, the antidote was administered in time and won't affect my actions." Neji wiped the sweat from his forehead. The intense battle and the continuous use of his Byakugan had taken a toll on him.

Kimimaro nodded: "You performed exceptionally well in today's battle. Your use of the Byakugan and your execution of the Gentle Fist were impeccable."

"As expected of the top student who graduated early from the Ninja Academy this year!" Yukimi, who was resting on the ground, looked a little pale from the huge exertion of using the Sea of ​​Trees Advent technique, but she still laughed lively: "After the war broke out, I heard that many students applied for early graduation, but it seems that only Neji passed the super strict test!"

Haku smiled gently and added, "The standard for early graduation from the Ninja Academy is at least having the strength to consistently fight against Chunin. Neji's performance has already far surpassed that of an ordinary Chunin."

Neji felt a little embarrassed by his companions' praise. He subconsciously touched his smooth forehead, where the caged bird was no longer restrained.

He changed the subject and asked, "Captain Kimimaro, what do we do next?"

Kimimaro looked around and saw his team members methodically gathering prisoners, treating the wounded on both sides, and collecting useful intelligence and supplies.

Even for Sand Ninja, after surrendering and becoming prisoners, Star Ninja would provide some medical treatment based on the battlefield regulations of the Land of Stars; however, whether they survived depended on themselves.

"The threat of this flanking force has been eliminated," Kimimaro calmly assessed. "We'll escort the prisoners back to our frontline base at Shashen City. If we act quickly, we might still be able to catch up with the main battle on the front lines."

……

Meanwhile, on the edge of the Dead Sand Sea, outside the Sand Ginseng Oasis.

The intensity of the fighting on this main battlefield far exceeded that of the ambush that Kimimaro and his men encountered.

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, almost exhausted the resources of Sunagakure, deploying over 2,500 ninjas to the battlefield, aside from the necessary defensive forces, in an attempt to crush the Land of Stars' defenses with overwhelming numbers.

However, the battle situation was completely beyond the expectations of Rasa and all the high-ranking members of Sunagakure.

The Star Ninja Army's two legions, plus auxiliary troops, have a total strength of less than four hundred men.

However, the fighting prowess they displayed was suffocating for the Sand Ninja, who had an overwhelming numerical advantage.

The chakra-powered armor commonly equipped by the Star Ninjas provides excellent defense, making it difficult for the Sand Ninjas' regular kunai and shuriken to cause effective damage unless they hit directly.

What the Sand Ninjas find even more incomprehensible is that many Star Ninjas can instantly unleash various small-scale escaping techniques without hand seals or with only extremely simple hand gestures!

Fireballs, wind blades, and earthen walls can be used with ease. Although their power is not as great as ninjutsu that requires hand seals, the rapid release of these techniques brings a huge tactical advantage on the ever-changing battlefield.

The conspicuous clan emblems among the Star Ninja lineup made Rasa's heart bleed.

The Sharingan of the Uchiha clan, with its ability to perceive, copy, and create illusions, is a nightmare on the battlefield.

The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan, combined with Gentle Fist, is the nemesis of taijutsu ninjas and Sand Ninjas who rely on chakra release through pressure points. At the same time, it provides the Star Ninjas with a wide reconnaissance field, making many small-scale movements of the Sand Ninjas ineffective.

There are also the Blood Dragon Eyes of the Blood Pool Clan, who wield bizarre blood abilities, and the Red-Eyed Clan, who can interfere with perception...

Various unheard-of and unseen bloodline limits and abilities shone brightly on the battlefield.

Rasa stood on the high ground behind him, watching his nearly two thousand ninjas besiege the enemy's less than four hundred, only to be driven back in defeat, their lines constantly retreating. A feeling of utter absurdity welled up in his heart.

This is hardly a confrontation with a newly rising small country.
This is clearly the feeling of facing Konoha at its peak during the Third Shinobi World War!

Even worse!

On the battlefield, the light of ninjutsu flashed and exploded continuously, fragments of Sunagakure's puppets flew everywhere, and poisonous mist and the purification ninjutsu of the Star Ninja canceled each other out.

The Star Ninja's highly efficient kunai guns continuously spewed flames, launching explosive tag kunai into the densely populated area of ​​Sand Ninja, causing continuous chaos and casualties.

Four hundred Star Ninjas managed to overpower two thousand Sand Ninjas!
The day's fierce battle came to a temporary end in the afterglow of the setting sun.

The Sand Ninja retreated like a tide to their camp in the oasis.

The camp was filled with cries of agony, with bandaged wounded soldiers groaning in pain everywhere. The heavy stench of blood mixed with the smell of herbs was nauseating.

Luo Sha's face was ashen as he patrolled the camp, accompanied by Ma Ji, whose expression was equally grave.

"Lord Kazekage, preliminary statistics show we've lost over eighty more ninjas today." Maki's voice was hoarse. "After four days of continuous fighting, our total casualties have exceeded five hundred. Among them, two Jonin were killed, two were seriously wounded, and the losses of Chunin and Genin are even greater..."

Rasa's heart sank, and she interrupted him: "What were the results? How many Star Ninja did we eliminate?"

Maki shook his head, a bitter and incredulous look on his face: "The enemy... is extremely difficult to deal with. They are well-organized and have excellent teamwork. Even if a team member falls, nearby teammates will fight to the death to carry away the body or the wounded. We... we have only confirmed the collection of five Star Ninja bodies so far. Our initial estimate is that the enemy's casualties are probably... less than thirty."

"Less than thirty people?!" Luo Sha practically spat out these words through gritted teeth, a chill instantly spreading throughout his body.

A casualty ratio of nearly 1 to 17!
He simply couldn't understand why the difference in combat power between the two sides' ninjas was so huge.

Those strange armors, those ninjutsu that require no hand seals, those endless bloodline limits...

What kind of monster is the Star Kingdom?

At that moment, Granny Chiyo, her face haggard but her eyes burning with hatred, approached. Her voice was hoarse and heavy: "Rasa, the casualties are too great... even comparable to the most devastating battles of the Third Shinobi World War. More importantly, the enemy's casualties are negligible. If this continues, the very foundation of our Sunagakure will be destroyed! We can't keep fighting like this!"

Rasa took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the agitation and fear in his heart, and asked, "Elder Chiyo, is there any news about the surprise attack forces on the left and right flanks? Have they successfully infiltrated the Star Kingdom?"

He dispatched not only Yura and Fugi's force, but also another force led by the scorching ninja Yoshikura and the Jonin Ryosuke, to make a larger detour from the west, with the target being the newly annexed Swamp Country by the Land of Stars.

Granny Chiyo shook her head: "No news has come back yet. However, with the main force of the Star Ninja tied down here, their defenses in other parts of the country must be relatively weak. The chances of a successful surprise attack are very high."

She paused, then suggested, "In order to create an opportunity for the surprise attack and maintain the front line, I suggest... we continue to intensify the frontal offensive tomorrow, without letting them realize the possible chaos in our rear."

Rasa remained silent for a moment, looking at the countless pained faces in the camp. He knew that Sunagakure had no way out.

He initiated the war, and if we back down now, not only will the interests of the Land of Wind be jeopardized, but the status of Sunagakure in the ninja world will also plummet.

"Pass down the order: continue the attack at dawn tomorrow!" Rasa's voice carried a hint of desperate resolve: "Tell everyone to hold on! The reinforcements promised by Konoha will arrive soon! As long as we wait for Konoha, and for Iwagakure to declare war on the Land of Stars, victory will ultimately be ours!"

He seemed to be speaking to Maki and Chiyo, but more like he was hypnotizing himself.

Rasa could only pin his hopes on the slim promise of support from Konoha and on the possibility that Iwagakure in the Land of Earth could be dragged into an attack on the eastern part of the Land of Stars.

Only in this way can Sunagakure have a glimmer of hope.

Little did he know that the surprise attack force he had placed so much hope in had been completely crushed deep in the desert by a small team of twelve Star Ninja.

(End of this chapter)