Konoha: This Uchiha is extremely sneaky

Chapter 456 Loss

"Sandaime!"

As Mimura Yomi was settling the reinforcements, he suddenly saw a familiar figure and could hardly believe his eyes.

"Ah! It's Ye Juan... You've worked hard in this battle!"

Hearing someone call him the Third Hokage again, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at the person and greeted them in his usual tone.

"I never expected to see you on the front lines, and what's with your attire..."

Looking at the Third Hokage in front of him, dressed in a green Jonin vest, Mimura Yoru almost didn't recognize the old man.

He was so used to seeing the other person dressed in a divine robe that it was a complete shock to see him in ordinary green combat gear.

"...I'm just an ordinary Konoha ninja now!"

Looking down at his green vest, the Third Hokage chuckled self-deprecatingly, his expression somewhat somber, but he quickly rallied.

"Although I'm getting old, it's good that I can still contribute to the village!"

He didn't mention that he had been semi-forced to go to the battlefield by the Fifth Hokage, but instead began to question the other party.

"How's the battle going, Mimura?"

"The Fifth Hokage arrived just in time. The Kirigakure ninja retreated immediately upon seeing our reinforcements!"

After quickly explaining to the Third Generation, Mimura Yomaki bid farewell, citing her busy official duties.

After all, the Third Hokage had already stepped down, and the Fifth Hokage had also been kind enough to promote him, so he should avoid having too much contact with the Third Hokage.

"That's really true... the tea got cold before the person even left!"

As Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Mimura Yoru's retreating figure, a fleeting look of melancholy crossed his eyes.

Not only Mimura Yoru, but even ordinary chunin and genin still respect him after he retired, addressing him as "Third Hokage-sama" whenever they see him.

However, most of the Jonin in the village kept their distance from him, leaving him feeling lost, as he used to be surrounded by people wherever he went.

That night, in the central tent.

Looking at the spirited Konoha ninjas he was about to take down, Toshiro nodded slightly.

"Ye Juan, have the wounded been taken care of? If we have to fight another battle against the Mist Ninja, how many of them will be able to go back to the battlefield?"

Toshiro doesn't intend to solve everything by himself.

With his strength, he could easily break through the entire Mist Ninja camp single-handedly, but he wouldn't do that.

Xiang Yu, who was known as a warrior capable of defeating ten thousand men, ultimately met his end by committing suicide at the Wujiang River.

Moreover, his ancestor Indra always did everything by himself, which ultimately led to their defeat in that far-reaching trial.

He should take this as a warning.

As long as it has the decisive effect at the most crucial moment, that's enough.

Otherwise, how could I give my subordinates the opportunity to get promoted and make money?

"The Fifth Hokage brought plenty of medical ninjas. Apart from some of the seriously injured, the rest should be able to recover their fighting strength in a day or two at most!"

"only…"

After glancing at Toshiro at the head of the table, Mimura Yomi hesitated for a moment before continuing:

"However... although the Hokage arrived in time, our losses are still considerable, with approximately 500 casualties. Will our forces be insufficient for the upcoming battle against the Mist Ninja?"

The Fifth Hokage defeated the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, but the opposing Mist Ninja were not without their own experts. Judging from their tone, they planned to launch a direct attack once their wounded had recovered.

Isn't this a bit too rushed?

"Your concerns are very valid, but... I've already made the necessary preparations!"

Although his subordinates did not approve of a direct attack, Toshiro was not angry. It was a good thing that his subordinates were willing to use their brains, otherwise they would all become the kind of people who were timid and submissive.

Wouldn't that mean he has to make all the decisions? He doesn't have that much free time.

"Furthermore, our war with the Mist Ninja has dragged on for far too long; it's time to end it!"

Because of Obito's interference, the border between Konoha and Kirigakure has never been peaceful, with constant conflicts of all sizes over the years.

"The day after tomorrow... the day after tomorrow we will fight and crush the Mist Ninja in front of us!"

Looking at the clan heads under his command and the Konoha ninjas directing the front lines, Toshiro's eyes gleamed as he scanned their faces, his tone impassioned.

"Defeat them, then make them sign a genuine peace treaty with us. Then Konoha will enjoy true peace, and our loved ones in the village will no longer have to live in fear for us!"

He had no intention of unifying the ninja world; in his view, such a task was simply a thankless and arduous endeavor.

He's not a saint; bringing peace and stability to the world doesn't benefit him much, and the process is incredibly difficult, so he has no motivation for it.

Moreover, there is a misconception here: it is not true that if you are invincible, you can unify the entire world.

The ninja profession is highly mobile and highly destructive. Once they start engaging in guerrilla warfare with you, even if the Sage of Six Paths were to be resurrected, he would probably be in for a world of trouble.

As for winning everyone's respect, sorry, he doesn't have that ability to satisfy everyone.

This is probably one of the reasons why the first generation did not attempt to unify the entire world.

"A true end to the war!"

Upon hearing Toshiro's words, not only Mimura Yoru, but also the Konoha clan heads, ordinary ninjas, and even Hiruzen Sarutobi were slightly stunned.

Especially those ninjas stationed on the border who hadn't returned to Konoha for a long time, their eyes turned red with rage.

"We will do everything in our power!"

"Go and prepare!"

Looking at the Konoha ninja below, who were filled with indignation, Toshiro was quite satisfied with their attitude.

"After this battle... I'll take you back to Konoha!"

As a leader, you set a goal, paint a rosy picture for them, and then work with your subordinates to achieve it. If someone performs well, you reward them.

That's how a team gets going.

"yes!"

……

Just as Toshiro was giving his pre-battle pep talk.

An argument broke out in the Mist Ninja camp.

"Mei Terumi, why did you order a retreat? This was clearly a great opportunity to break through the Konoha ninja's defenses in one fell swoop."

Looking at Mei Terumi sitting in the main seat, Kaito Kaguya was somewhat angry. It was a very favorable situation, and if they and the others had just worked a little harder, they might have been able to win this battle.

That woman actually retreated at the crucial moment; she deserves to die.

"Their reinforcements have arrived, didn't you see?"

With a sigh, Mei Terumi felt somewhat helpless. Her companions were all eager to fight their way into the heart of the Land of Fire, without considering whether the actual situation allowed it.

"So what? It's just one person and one summoning beast. At worst, we'll sacrifice some cannon fodder, but we can still crush the Konoha ninja before their large-scale reinforcements arrive!"

It's just Uchiha Toshiro. Even if he's strong, the Kaguya clan isn't going to take this lying down. We can just keep fighting.

"Qing, show our logistics list to this important figure from the Kaguya clan!"

She rolled her eyes dramatically. Mei Terumi had absolutely no desire to communicate with someone whose mind was only filled with fighting and killing.

"Is this... the Fourth Hokage... insane?"

Taking the list from Ao, Kaguya Kaito only glanced at it briefly before her eyes widened in disbelief, and she let out a gasp of surprise.

What did he see?

The entire list of war supplies, including medicines, weapons, explosive tags, ration pills, and food, was almost completely depleted.

Even the Kaguya clan, known for their madness, had a thin layer of sweat beading on their foreheads.

"I don't know if he's crazy or not, but... if this keeps going, I'm going to go crazy!"

With a somewhat helpless sigh, Mei Terumi didn't know how to describe her own Mizukage.

Because Yagura's order was issued rather hastily, and the Bloodline Clan leaders on the Mist Ninja side were also pushing things along.

The Mist Ninja were severely unprepared for this war.

To what extent is it insufficient?

Food supplies... there are less than half a month's worth. As for ration pills, bandages, and the like, that's all that everyone carries with them. Once that's used up, it's gone.

Explosive tags, ninja swords, kunai, etc... it's not that they're not there, but they're better than nothing.

Those ninjas with clans were in a better position, but the ordinary ninjas without clans as their backing had almost run out of supplies.

If they don't replenish their supplies soon, and another one or two battles break out, these Mist Ninja will probably have to fight the Konoha ninjas with their bare hands.

"I heard the Fourth Hokage is about to go to the battlefield in person; he should have a lot of logistical supplies there!"

Stiffly raising her head, Kaguya Kaito looked at Mei Terumi and said uncertainly, her voice still carrying a last glimmer of hope.

He had received news that the Mizukage had gathered a batch of supplies, which were already floating at sea and would arrive at the camp soon.

"Well... that's exactly how it is!"

Upon hearing Kaito mention the supplies at the rear, Mei Terumi did not feel relieved; instead, her expression became uncertain.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Mei Terumi's grim expression, Kaito Kaguya quickly asked.

"I've received information that this batch of supplies... seems to have been tampered with, and the quantity is likely... extremely small!"

How could she not know something that even Kaguya Kaito knew? In fact, she knew it even more clearly than Kaguya Kaito did.

Someone reported to Master Yuan that the supplies that the Mist Ninja had painstakingly gathered were almost entirely gone.

But... is such a thing even possible?

These were all matters personally overseen by the Fourth Hokage; he had no reason to do this! Her beautiful eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment; Mei Terumi was completely baffled.

In the end, all I could do was shake my head. The Fourth Generation Boss was coming soon, and then we'd know the truth of the matter.

(End of this chapter)