Naruto: Starting with Creating a Genius Persona

Chapter 149 One Thousand vs. Eight Thousand

Day 21 of the Konoha-Sunagakure War.

Konoha's Southwest Headquarters, Staff Department.

Suzaku Nara sat at a wooden table piled high with intelligence documents, his brow slightly furrowed. (From the original work)

Suzaku Nara is an outstanding member of the younger generation of the Nara clan. He is not only proficient in the shadow magic passed down through generations of his family, but also shows extraordinary talent in strategy. In this respect, he and Shikaku Nara are recognized as the younger generation who have surpassed their predecessors.

This time, however, the two brothers were unable to fight side by side.

Nara Shikaku followed Orochimaru to the northeastern border of the Land of Fire, serving as the strategist for the northeastern front in response to the impending threat from Kumogakure.

He remained here as the chief of staff of the southwestern front, assisting Commander Jiraiya in handling the complex and multifaceted battle situation and coordinating intelligence analysis and strategic planning for this front.

Nara Suzaku put down the intelligence report he had just finished reading, rubbed his temples, and picked up another one.

The Sand Village's movements have been somewhat strange these past two days.

The offensive, which had been intensifying, has noticeably weakened since two days ago.

Normally there are at least a dozen skirmishes of varying sizes every day, but only four happened yesterday, and there has been no activity at all so far today. Reports from the frontline reconnaissance units also indicate that the Sunagakure outposts have retreated about five kilometers, and the patrols that were previously very active have become much quieter.

Abnormal.

This is very unusual.

This silence is more unsettling than the noise.

Nara Suzaku picked up another intelligence report, which was a report sent back this morning by the elite reconnaissance team that was dispatched last night. The report stated that the various teams of Sunagakure had begun to retreat and gather in the direction of Sunagakure's main camp.

He stared at the report, a multitude of possibilities flashing through his mind.

After their offensive faltered, they decided to adjust their strategy.

still...

A thought suddenly popped into his head, sending a chill down his spine.

This means Sunagakure is preparing to launch a full-scale attack!

Chiyo's repeated attempts to change the poison have been thwarted, inevitably dampening the morale of Sunagakure. Rasa, eager to secure his position as Kazekage, is unwilling to continue this stalemate. Pakura is tightly restrained by Tsunade and unable to launch any disruptive attacks.

With all these factors combined, the options for Rosa are actually quite limited.

Nara Suzaku tapped his fingers lightly on the table, reviewing all the intelligence from the past few days in his mind. Then he suddenly stood up, grabbed the key intelligence documents, and strode towards the command post.

He moved quickly, his mind rapidly calculating the possible general attack direction, troop deployment, and time window of Sunagakure.

He needed to convey these analyses to Jiraiya, the commander, as soon as possible so that he could prepare in advance.

The command post was right next to the staff post, just a few steps away.

Suzaku Nara lifted the curtain, and a young, steady voice came from inside.

"Therefore, Jiraiya-sama, in summary, Sunagakure is preparing for a full-scale attack."

? ? ? ? ? ?

Suzaku Nara stopped in his tracks, frozen in place, still clutching the intelligence reports in his hand, his mouth slightly agape.

Inside the tent, the boy who had been standing in front of the map was turning around, having withdrawn his finger from pointing at a certain location.

Shinichi Higashino.

With his usual gentle expression, he nodded slightly when he saw Suzaku Nara at the door.

Suzaku Nara's self-illumination shifted from his face and landed on the map behind him.

There were several marks made there, and he only vaguely felt that the location of each mark, and even several locations, was suspicious, but he had not yet had time to deduce it in depth.

At this moment, however, Shinichi had clearly marked it with different colored pens, and next to it were notes of troop strength estimates, possible attack routes, and countermeasures.

"Suzaku?"

Jiraiya's voice pulled him out of his daze. Nara Suzaku turned around and saw Jiraiya smiling at him: "You've come at the right time! Shinichi just finished analyzing the unusual movements of Sunagakure with me these past few days. I was just about to call the staff over for a meeting, so you should come and take a look too."

Nara Suzaku paused for a second, then nodded, his voice somewhat hoarse, and said, "...Yes."

He stepped forward and took the report from Jiraiya, his gaze lingering on it for a long while.

The unusual movements of Sunagakure in the past few days, their possible intentions, the direction of troop movements, the deduction of attack routes, and the suggestions for countermeasures were all clearly explained.

The things he had pondered over and over again before finally managing to make sense of were now clearly summarized, and the directions he had vaguely suspected but hadn't yet had time to delve into were now thoroughly analyzed.

He looked up and glanced at Shinichi.

The young man remained standing to the side with a gentle expression, and nodded slightly when he saw him looking over.

Nara Suzaku withdrew his gaze, then looked down at the report in his hand, and slowly said, "Shinichi-kun's deduction... is very comprehensive."

It's very comprehensive. The fact that even the elites of the Nara clan can say it's very comprehensive is itself a great recognition.

He truly deserves to be called a genius strategist who accurately predicted the course of the war before it even broke out.

Nara Suzaku sighed inwardly, but for some reason, a strange and inexplicable feeling welled up inside him.

"You also think it's okay, right?"

Jiraiya laughed heartily, clearly unaware of the strategist's subtle mood. He patted the report in his hand and got straight to the point: "Then I will immediately notify all departments and team leaders to come to a meeting. Suzaku, you will be in charge of the presentation later."

Suzaku Nara glanced at Jiraiya, then at Shinichi, who stood calmly to the side, and shook his head.

"Let Shinichi-kun speak."

Jiraiya paused for a moment, his gaze shifting between Jiraiya and Shinichi.

Nara Suzaku continued, "His analysis is more comprehensive and in-depth than mine. He has already deduced those directions that I haven't thought of. His explanation will be more effective."

Upon hearing this, Shinichi shook his head slightly and said, "Senior, you flatter me. I just happened to notice a few details and filled in the gaps. When it comes to battle analysis, troop deployment, and response plans, we still need professionals like Senior Nara to make overall arrangements."

"Lord Jiraiya, let Nara-senpai explain."

Jiraiya looked at this one, then at that one, and finally laughed and waved his hand, "Alright, alright, you two stop pushing each other around."

"Then let's discuss it together! Shinichi will be in charge of analyzing Sunagakure's intentions and attack direction, and Suzaku will be in charge of our response plan. We'll each present our own arguments and complement each other."

At this point, Jiraiya looked at the two of them and asked, "Is there a problem?"

Suzaku Nara and Shinichi shook their heads.

Jiraiya clapped his hands in satisfaction: "Then it's settled! I'll have someone notify all the department heads to come to a meeting, so get ready."

After half an hour.

Inside the command center, all the department heads were present. Nara Suzaku stood before the map, calmly delivering his final summary: "In conclusion, all the unusual movements of Sunagakure these past few days point to the same conclusion: they are preparing for a final assault!"

His finger traced several arcs on the map, finally stopping at a few key locations: "The main attack is concentrated on three points, but the main assault should be near Kikyō Mountain. The initial estimate for the total force deployment across the three routes is around 10,000, and the attack will most likely take place in the next day or two." (Note:)

Shinichi stood at the edge of the crowd, listening quietly. In the end, he handed over the task of explaining the situation entirely to Suzaku Nara.

After all, this isn't his job. Showing off his knowledge is enough; directly taking away someone else's livelihood is not something a smart person would do.

"alright."

Jiraiya stepped forward, his expression turning serious, and his gaze swept over every face present: "Everyone is aware of the situation. Sunagakure is about to launch a full-scale attack, and they will have a large force. The upcoming battles will be very difficult. All units, please go down and prepare immediately according to the plan that Suzaku just analyzed."

"However, there's no need to worry too much. The village has sent us support, and they will arrive this afternoon."

Upon hearing this, everyone present relaxed. Jiraiya continued, "If we can weather this storm, Sunagakure will be in a period of weakness for a long time. Once we fail to take it down, it will be difficult to organize a decent offensive in the short term."

"By then, our goal of wearing down Sunagakure and dragging them into a protracted war of attrition will be completely achieved."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

The Sand Village was poor and could not sustain a long war. They launched an offensive hastily in order to achieve a quick victory.

The offensive has now stalled and yielded no results. If this drags on any longer, their logistics and morale will suffer.

After all, Sunagakure was on an overseas expedition, and their supply lines stretched from the Land of Wind through the Land of Rivers to the border of the Land of Fire. Every grain of food, every explosive tag, every ninja tool, and every medicine they carried had to traverse a long transportation route.

Konoha, on the other hand, was able to wait in comfort within its own borders, with short supply lines, easy mobilization, timely evacuation of the wounded, and rapid replenishment of supplies.

The longer this battle drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for Sunagakure.

As long as we hold this wave, for a long time to come, both sides will be in a state of constant fighting, with one side harassing another's squad today and the other taking down another's outpost tomorrow, piecemeal and endless.

At least six months.

Within six months, Sunagakure will find it difficult to organize a decent large-scale offensive, and once this happens, the balance of victory will begin to tilt towards Konoha.

During this time, the village was able to focus most of its energy on dealing with the more dangerous Cloud Village.

"Alright, everyone go and get ready."

Jiraiya waved his hand, and the heads of each department filed out.

Meanwhile, at the Sand Village headquarters.

Luo Sha stood in front of the huge sand table, with commanders from various departments standing on both sides. All eyes were on him, waiting for him to give the final instructions.

"According to intelligence, Konoha will be replenishing its personnel in the next couple of days, however..."

Luo Sha raised his eyes and swept them over the crowd: "At most, they have one or two thousand men. In the end, their total strength will be at most eight thousand."

"And we number ten thousand!"

His palms rested on the edge of the sand table, his body leaned slightly forward, and his eyes were piercing: "Ten thousand against eight thousand."

"The advantage is in my hands!"

"Lord Kazekage's insight is brilliant!"

"Our troops have superior numbers and high morale; victory is assured!"

"They slaughtered so many that not a single leaf remained! They suffered a crushing defeat!"

The commanders echoed their agreement, and the atmosphere inside the tent became intense.

Luo Sha raised his hand, and everyone quieted down. His gaze returned to the map, lingered for a moment, and then he said in a deep voice, "Go and make preparations. Two days from now!"

"At dawn, let's launch a full-scale attack!"

"yes!"

The commanders, Gao Mang, accepted the order and then withdrew from the tent.