Naruto: I have an attribute panel

Chapter 471 The Second Campaign

The front-line camp of the Land of Demons.

A ninja in charge of data analysis added after Ishikawa's speech: "We have compiled statistics on the Ghost Legion's attack directions over the past ten days. Although they will probe the defenses from different angles, their main force has always been concentrated in the direction of this canyon."

If they truly had no restrictions on their movements, they should have already dispersed their forces, bypassed the canyon from other directions, and directly attacked the heart of the Land of Demons.

Taiyi nodded thoughtfully: "In other words, the Ghost Legion cannot stray too far from the main body of the Wraith."

"That's right." Huang Tu took over, his rough fingers tapping the central area of ​​the oval on the map. "According to intelligence, the Ghost Legion's activity boundary is roughly a radius of about 120 kilometers, with the Wraith as the center."

A brief silence fell over the tent.

This discovery is significant. It means that the Ghost Legion is not expanding indefinitely, and that the Wraiths' control over the Legion is limited by distance.

This also explains why the enemy was willing to attack the canyon at any cost. If the Ghost Legion were allowed to disperse, it could cause even greater destruction, but it would also free up the Iwa Ninja army. If they then launched a direct assault on the enemy's stronghold, it would be the Wraiths themselves who would be in trouble. "No wonder they're so determined to get here," a Jonin murmured. "It's not that they don't want to go around, it's that they can't."

Taiyi's gaze swept across the map: "If this deduction holds true, then our defenses will have a clearer meaning. As long as we hold this pass, we can confine the Ghost Legion to the border region and prevent them from spreading throughout the entire Ninja World."

“But the problem is,” Ishikawa frowned, “can we hold out? Although Lord Taiichi has stabilized the defenses, the soldiers’ and ninjas’ stamina and chakra are limited. And the Ghost Legion—they are tireless.”

This question silenced everyone once again.

Indeed, even with Taiichi's addition, the defense line was only "temporarily stable".

The Ghost Legion is countless in number, and each time they are repelled, it is only through Taiyi's burst of power that they can briefly repel the Ghost Legion and give the defenders a chance to catch their breath.

The defenders are trading their lives and chakra for time, but it remains to be seen which side time is on.

"We need reinforcements," Huang Tu said in a deep voice. "More reinforcements."

As if in response to his call, Konoha's reinforcements arrived the day after the meeting.

Moreover, the scale far exceeded expectations.

Even Taiyi was surprised when the winding column appeared on the east side of the canyon. It wasn't the expected advance team of a few hundred people, but a full-fledged army of two thousand!

At the front of the group, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing his battle suit, walked briskly at the very front.

"Third Generation Lord?" Taiichi stepped forward, unable to hide his surprise. "Why are you leading the team personally?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed heartily and patted Taichi on the shoulder: "What, do you think this old man should retire and stay home to grow flowers and play with birds? Minato has already completely taken control of the village. I'm just idling at home anyway, so I might as well come out and stretch my muscles."

That being said, Taichi understood that the Third Hokage's personal involvement meant that Konoha was taking this matter to the highest level.

Two thousand Konoha ninjas—this is almost the maximum mobile force that Konoha can mobilize without affecting its homeland defenses.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's arrival triggered a chain reaction. Konoha ninjas quickly took over parts of the defense zone; their fighting style was completely different from Iwagakure's, emphasizing teamwork and tactical flexibility.

With the addition of Konoha, the pressure on the defense line was greatly reduced.

What pleased Taichi even more was that there were many familiar faces in the Konoha team. Kakashi, Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma, and other members of the younger generation were all there, and they all came forward to greet Taichi when they saw him.

"Taiyi" Might Guy, as passionate as ever, gave a thumbs-up, his teeth flashing, "I knew you'd be here! Let's burn with youthful energy and kick those monsters away!"

Kakashi, with a deadpan expression, pulled him away: "Gai, be quiet. Tai, what's the situation at the front?"

Taiichi briefly explained the current situation, and when he mentioned the limitations on the Ghost Legion's activity range, Kakashi narrowed his eyes: "So, as long as we defend this place, we can keep them all in the Land of Demons?"

"That's how it works in theory," Tai nodded. "But that's on the premise that the main body of the demon doesn't move. If it moves forward, the area of ​​the ghost army's activity will also move accordingly."

The day after Konoha arrived, the Sunagakure forces also arrived.

Huang Tu and Taiyi personally went to the camp gate to greet them.

The Sunagakure force consisted of about eight hundred people, led personally by Elder Chiyo.

Although this Sand Village elder, who had experienced three Shinobi World Wars, was advanced in years, her eyes remained as sharp as an eagle's. She wore the traditional Sand Village elder's attire, followed by a team of elite Sand Village ninjas, many of whom were familiar faces, including Sand Village Jonin such as Baki and Yura.

"Young man from the loess plateau, it's been a long time. You've become quite capable." Chiyo said to the approaching loess plateau with an air of mature wisdom.

Huang Tu didn't mind and gave a slight bow: "Elder Qiandai, you've finally arrived. You must be tired from your journey."

Chiyo waved her hand, turning her gaze to Taichi. Her previous composure vanished, replaced by a complex expression: "Matsushita Taichi, Konoha actually sent you too. You're the leader this time?"

"You flatter me, senior," Taiichi replied politely. "The leader this time is the Third Generation Lord, who is currently commanding the battle on the front lines."

.

"Oh!" Chiyo gazed at the still-smoke-filled battlefield in the distance, her voice low and deep. "So it was the Third Hokage? Konoha really has a wealth of talent!"

Her words were profound. In the Third Shinobi World War, Sunagakure was the defeated party, suffering heavy losses and a dramatic decline in its international standing. This response to the Land of Demons' plea for help was both a matter of morality and a strategic choice for Sunagakure to rebuild its image.

In contrast, Konoha has the old Hokage who can leave the village at will, the new Hokage who controls the overall situation within the village, and a pillar of stability like Matsushita Taichi, which is truly enviable.

The addition of the Sunagakure and Konoha troops immediately strengthened the defensive line.

More importantly, the medical ninjas from both villages, working in conjunction with Taichi, established a more efficient medical system. The speed of treating the wounded was further improved, relieving the pressure of rotation on the defensive line.

In the following days, reinforcements arrived one after another.

The Hidden Cloud Village dispatched a force of 1,500 men, led by Tsuchida. Upon arriving at the camp, this strategist immediately began studying the terrain map and enemy reports, proposing several joint tactics to counter the Ghost Legion.

The Hidden Mist Village was even led by the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, with a force of one thousand. Although Yagura was short in stature, no one dared to underestimate this perfect Jinchuriki.

His arrival prompted Taiichi to take another look. The Mizukage seemed to be in better condition than he remembered, with clear eyes and a composed demeanor, showing no signs of being manipulated as in the original work.

"Could it be that Obito and Black Zetsu didn't attack Kirigakure, or—the plan has changed?" Taichi wondered to himself.

Finally, scattered units from various small ninja villages arrived. Kusagakure, Takigakure, and Yugakure—although each village only sent teams ranging from a few dozen to a hundred people, the total number gathered was nearly a thousand.

Thus, the first allied ninja force formed by the five great nations was officially established. Konoha had 2,000 soldiers, Iwagakure had 1,500, Sunagakure had 800, Kumogakure had 1,500, Kirigakure had 1,000, and with the troops from other smaller ninja villages, the total strength was close to 7,000, and they were known as the "10,000-strong allied force".

The coalition headquarters was located in a fortified cave behind the canyon. Representatives from the five major powers were gathered together, but the atmosphere was somewhat delicate.

Not long ago, many of these people were fighting each other on the battlefield.

The grudges between Iwagakure and Konoha, Kumogakure and Iwagakure, Sunagakure and Konoha—years of conflict cannot be erased by a simple ceasefire agreement.

"Then, regarding the issue of command—" Tsuchikage spoke first, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable air, "Kumakubi believes that the Allied Forces' Commander-in-Chief should be the most capable person. I recommend Lord Raikage."

"The Raikage did not personally go to the front lines," Granny Chiyo retorted slowly. "I believe the commander-in-chief should be chosen from among the on-site commanders. Sunagakure recommends Lord Hirotsuchi, who arrived first and is familiar with the situation."

Yagura Karatachi said calmly, "Kirigakure believes that the size of the forces should be the basis for decision-making. Konoha has deployed the most troops, so it should take the lead."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, puffing on his pipe, his expression obscured by the swirling smoke, said, "Command is no child's play. It requires consideration not only of troop strength, but also of the grasp of the battle situation and the ability to coordinate various units—"

The meeting reached a stalemate. Each village had its own considerations and demands, and none were willing to give in easily.

Taiichi attended the meeting as one of Konoha's representatives, but he remained silent for most of the time. This kind of political maneuvering was not his forte; he was more concerned with how to deal with the demons.

The debate lasted for an hour, and finally an agreement was reached after Hiruzen Sarutobi proposed a compromise: the Third Hokage would serve as the commander-in-chief of the allied forces, but a joint staff of the five great nations would be established under him, and all major decisions would need to be discussed and approved by the staff.

This arrangement saved face for all parties; Konoha gained nominal command authority, but actual power was decentralized. Major powers like Iwagakure and Kumogakure held veto power in the general staff, and smaller ninja villages also had representatives present.

"Now, let's discuss the battle strategy." Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped the table, drawing everyone's attention back to the main topic. "According to current intelligence, the Ghost Legion's activities are limited by distance, and the main body of the Demon is located on the border of the Land of Swamps. What do you all think is the best course of action?"

Tu Tai spoke first: "I believe we should take the initiative. The allied forces are now well-equipped and can organize an elite force to strike directly at the source of the demons. As long as the source is eliminated, the ghost legion will collapse without a fight."

"I agree." Huang Tu nodded. "We tried before, but failed due to insufficient troops. Now, with the support of the allied forces, the success rate will be much higher."

Chiyo, however, objected: "I believe we should be cautious. The immortality of the spirits has not yet been broken, and a hasty attack may only increase casualties. It would be better to strengthen our defenses and gradually wear down the ghost army."

"Consumption?" Yagura asked rhetorically. "Elder Chiyo, as you saw, those puppets can reassemble shortly after being destroyed."

We are fighting an infinite number of enemies with limited chakra and stamina. The longer we delay, the worse it will be for us.

The meeting descended into debate once again. The offensive and defensive factions each held their own views, and neither could convince the other.

Taiyi listened quietly until both sides had finished presenting their views before slowly speaking: "I support taking the initiative."

All eyes were on him.

"There are three reasons," Taiichi said, holding up a finger. "First, as the Mizukage said, delaying is not in our best interest. The Ghost Legion is tireless, while our manpower, chakra, and resources are limited."

"Secondly, the location of the demon's true form has been determined. If we miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to find it again once it moves or hides."

"Third," Taiyi's gaze swept over everyone present, "and most importantly, we need to verify a hypothesis."

"What conjecture?" Huang Tu asked.

"What exactly is the nature of the 'immortality' of the demons?" Taiyi said in a deep voice. "Ancient legends are, after all, just legends. We cannot completely believe the claim that they are 'unkillable' until we witness it with our own eyes. Perhaps their so-called 'immortality' simply means they have strong regenerative abilities, or that they require specific conditions to be killed."

He paused, then continued, "The Allied Forces have assembled the ninja world's elite forces; this is the best opportunity to verify this hypothesis. If even we can't kill it, then we can consider other options. But if we can kill it—this disaster can end sooner."

Taiyi's words silenced the tent. Everyone was considering the pros and cons of the proposal.

Ultimately, Hiruzen Sarutobi made his decision: "Taiichi is right. We are ninjas, and we should solve problems the way ninjas should. We cannot give up easily before trying all possibilities. I propose that we organize a second decapitation operation."

The vote was four to one. Only Chiyo voted against it, but she respected the majority's decision.

The battle plan was quickly formulated: Taiichi would lead the attack, and each ninja village would select elites to form assault teams, with the total number of personnel controlled to a thousand.

The main force of the coalition launched a feint attack on the front lines to contain the Ghost Legion.

Just as the plan was about to be finalized, a discordant voice arose.

He was an official from the Land of Demons, attending the meeting as an observer. The middle-aged official stood up, his face somewhat pale but his tone firm: "My lords, please forgive my bluntness—according to our country's records over the past thousand years, demons truly cannot be killed by conventional means."

The only effective sealing method requires the power of a priestess. Why not invite the priestess to come and seal it directly?

The tent fell silent. Everyone looked at the official with complex expressions.

Tsuchida coughed. "This—Your Excellency, we understand your concerns. But the shrine maiden is still seriously injured, and the Shrine Maiden's Palace needs her to oversee things. Moreover," he paused, lowering his voice, "if we rely on the shrine maiden for everything, what use is our Allied Shinobi Forces?"

These words are very blunt, even a bit harsh, but they express the sentiments of many people.

As a neutral country, the Land of Demons possesses the unique power to seal the Demon King, which to some extent undermines the authority of the ninja villages in the ninja world.

If this crisis is ultimately resolved by the priestess, wouldn't that prove that ninjas are inferior to priestesses? Where would that leave the dignity of the Five Great Nations?

The official wanted to say something, but Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped him by raising his hand.

"We will consider your suggestion," the Third Hokage said gently but firmly. "But for now, the Allied Forces' battle plan has been finalized. Please believe that the combined strength of the ninja world is sufficient to meet any challenge."

The official opened his mouth, then slumped down in dejection. He understood that the voice of a small nation was weak in the face of the will of a great power.