Projection magicians starting from the Uchiha clan

“If their strength is insufficient, Tsunade might choose to break through at her sister’s camp, while Orochimaru might choose to break through at Bunpuku’s location,” Ebizo continued.

Ebizo's older sister is the advisor Chiyo. Tsunade's medical ninjutsu makes her immune to Chiyo's poison, and her super-strong fist can easily break the puppet. Chiyo's abilities are completely countered by Tsunade.

Bunpuku is the Jinchuriki of the One-Tailed Beast in this generation. If Orochimaru breaks the seal on the Tailed Beast, it will be questionable whether the One-Tailed Beast can still be considered as part of their fighting force.

"It seems we have no choice but to regroup and not give them the chance to attack separately. Although the camps are not far apart, if a battle breaks out, reinforcements may not arrive in time," Luo Sha said seriously.

"Go, send a message to Advisor Chiyo and the Jonin in charge of Bunpuku, instructing them to bring their troops here to assemble. Do not give Konoha any chance to attack," Rasa ordered.

"Wait a minute, Lord Kazekage, how about we take a gamble? We don't have the capacity for a prolonged battle; the longer it drags on, the lower our chances of winning become," Ebizo suggested.

"Konoha probably hasn't realized that we've already guessed their plan. Let's play along and ambush them."

"For safety reasons, we can bring the camps closer together and prepare for defense and support. During this period, we should maximize the intensity of reconnaissance."

After considering the situation, Rasa realized that, as Ebizo had said, the war between the Sand Village and Konoha was a deadlock that could only be broken by a swift victory.

“Then we’ll do as you say.” He finally nodded in agreement.

The messenger ninjas quickly dispersed to relay the plan to the leaders of each camp.

-----------------

Following the trail, Hyuga Yoichi found the Sand Village camp. After activating his Byakugan, he observed a unique chakra reaction in the camp, indicating that the ninjas inside were likely the renowned puppeteer unit of the Sand Village.

Just as he was about to observe carefully, several puppets suddenly sprang up from the ground with fierce momentum.

Caught off guard, Hinata Yoichi's arm was cut, and blood immediately seeped out.

"Gentle Fist Technique - Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!" Rinko Yoichi reacted swiftly, his hands moving like lightning, easily shattering several guard puppets.

As the fragments scattered, he quickly scanned the opposite camp with his white eyes and discovered that the enemy troops had begun to assemble and were rushing towards him.

"Retreat quickly!" He decisively gave the order to his team members, his voice tinged with tension.

"The chakra fluctuations on the other side are led by Chiyo. I triggered the puppets' alert; they've already spotted us!"

He led his team to evacuate quickly, his steps swift, but his heart was filled with vigilance and unease.

At the same time, Chiyo's team received a message from Rasa. After carefully confirming it, she nodded to the ninja beside her and said, "I understand. Go and tell the Kazekage-sama that I will obey orders."

Chiyo then led her team back to the camp and began setting up ambushes and defenses.

Her movements were methodical, her eyes flashing with a calm yet sharp light, as if she had everything under control.

Chapter 45 Each with their own calculations

Konoha Camp.

Upon receiving intelligence from the three teams led by the Hyuga ninja, Orochimaru immediately convened an emergency meeting with all the ninja.

"According to intelligence, the three powerful members of Sunagakure are stationed in three different camps, and the user of the Blood Dragon Eye is nowhere to be found."

"The support journey between these three camps is only six hours." Orochimaru's voice was deep and powerful. His gaze lingered on the faces of each Jonin for a moment, observing their expressions.

After recuperation and treatment, his injuries have greatly improved. Although his strength has not yet returned to its peak, he can hold off a Kage-level opponent without any problem.

He spread a map on the table and placed the chess pieces representing the opposing side on it. The candlelight cast shadows on his face, making his expression appear even more severe.

"What do you all think?" Orochimaru looked around, his eyes blazing.

"The three camps opposite are positioned in a pincer formation, supporting each other. If we attack one, reinforcements from the other two will arrive quickly. The Sand Ninja's deployment is indeed meticulously planned."

Tsunade looked at the arrangement before her and said in a deep voice.

Orochimaru nodded: "Ebizo was a renowned figure in the ninja world in the past, and his abilities should not be underestimated."

The atmosphere inside the tent grew increasingly tense. Hyuga Yoichi's exposure would inevitably put the Sand Village on their guard, and Konoha's initiative would diminish with time.

"We need to develop a plan as soon as possible in order to gain the upper hand in this battle."

"In the current situation, we are not inferior in terms of top-level combat power, but in terms of mid-to-low-level combat power, the gap between us and the Sand Ninja is too large."

"If we cannot defeat the top-tier opponent in a short period of time, even if we win, it will only be a Pyrrhic victory."

Orochimaru's expression was serious, with a hint of worry in his eyes. He hadn't completely lost his humanity yet; it was precisely because he knew the fragility of life that he hoped his subordinates could survive.

"How about we stick to the original plan? Tsunade can lead Hyuga to fight Chiyo and the puppeteer's forces, while Orochimaru can lead Shisui and Naoya to deal with the One-Tailed Jinchuriki."

Uchiha Iori crossed his arms and placed them on the table, pressing his head down on his hands, striking Commander Ikari's classic pose.

Tsunade frowned, her voice tinged with urgency, "What about Rasa and the main force of the Sand Village? Are you going to hold them off by yourself? Wouldn't that be too dangerous?"

Orochimaru nodded in agreement, "This is too dangerous. Even you wouldn't fare well facing Rasa and the Ninja Army working together."

"Furthermore, we don't even know where that Blood Dragon Eye ninja is. If he suddenly appears while you're fighting Rasa, you might not be able to gain the upper hand."

Uchiha Iori raised his head, his Mangekyou Sharingan swirling in its sockets, a cold light flashing in his eyes, and calmly said,

"Don't worry, in front of these eyes, the people opposite are nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs."

"As long as no one of the same level as the Wind Shadow joins forces with him, he is not enough to threaten me. The mere Blood Dragon Eye is not worth my attention."

Orochimaru looked into Iori's eyes, a hint of fascination flashing in them. As a top scientist in the ninja world, although he had studied the Sharingan, he had only heard of the Mangekyou Sharingan but never actually seen it.

“I understand. I’ve also heard about Madara Uchiha’s eyes, who helped pacify the ninja world alongside the First Hokage. Well then, I’ll leave that to you.”

He took a deep breath and turned to the others, "We must end this battle as soon as possible before we can go and support Iori-kun."

Orochimaru could only say that there was a shortage of manpower, the weak could not provide assistance in Iori's battle, and the strong all had their corresponding opponents.

The only person who could help, Shisui, was ordered by Iori not to reveal the Kaleidoscope.

A tense atmosphere filled the air, and everyone's face was etched with determination and worry.

The wind outside the window rustled the leaves, as if foreshadowing the upcoming battle.

-----------------

In the Sand Village camp, the night was as dark as ink, and the flickering lights inside the tents reflected Rasa's anxious face.

He paced back and forth in the cramped space, his footsteps sounding exceptionally clear in the silence.

Ebizo sat to the side, his gaze fixed on the spread-out map, his brow slightly furrowed, silent and focused.

"Chiyo, the advisor, discovered the enemy's reconnaissance. The enemy should also know that their whereabouts have been exposed."

Luo Sha's voice was unease, and a hint of anxiety flashed in his eyes.

Will they proceed according to their previous plan?

This unexpected event disrupted their plans.

Rasa felt a vague unease. Since Konoha knew that Sunagakure was on guard, they must have countermeasures and precautions in place.

The ambush plan might not work, so how should he deal with it? His thoughts were a tangled mess, difficult to unravel.

Ebizo raised his head, looked at Rasa, and said in a calm tone, "Don't worry, Konoha won't give up such a good opportunity easily."

"Instead of giving up, they will probably speed up their plans and try to catch us off guard."

Luo Sha stopped in his tracks, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down. He knew this was not the time to panic.

"What we need to do now is to prepare for defense and mobilization," Ebizo continued, calmly analyzing the possibilities.

"Once we discover their main attack direction, we must quickly encircle them from both sides and complete the encirclement before they gain a significant advantage."

Luo Sha nodded, sat down, and gradually calmed down.

He knew that every step from now on was crucial and that he had to remain calm.

The wind outside the tent gradually subsided, as if preparing for the upcoming battle.

-----------------

At the same time.

Chiyo gently brushed the dust off the puppet, her movements revealing a touch of tenderness and focus.

Her gaze was as sharp as a knife, yet her heart was churning with complex emotions.

She had waited far too long for this battle; it felt as if every single second was burning with her patience and hatred.

Although Sakumo Hatake is no longer alive, the resentment in her heart has not diminished in the slightest.

Whenever she thinks of her son and daughter-in-law dying tragically at the hands of Hatake Sakumo, her heart aches as if it were being torn apart by a sharp blade.

Her only grandson also went missing not long ago, and even her last hope was ruthlessly taken away.

Chiyo took a deep breath, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes.

Her grandson's disappearance might be related to the death of the Third Kazekage, but she dared not delve into it, and could only pour all her hatred and anger onto Konoha.

She has no heart to think about anything else now; only the blood and death of Konoha ninjas can calm her mind.

"Chikamatsu Ten, let the Konoha ninja know how terrifying a puppeteer is," Chiyo said softly, gripping the puppet.

Everyone is waiting for tomorrow to arrive.

Chapter 46 One Man Defeats Half of Sunagakure (Part 1)

As dawn broke, mobilization had already begun at Konoha's camp.

In the dim light of the fire, the Konoha ninja hurriedly gathered supplies and prepared to set off.

Orochimaru, Tsunade, and the Uchiha stood on a makeshift platform, looking down at the ninjas below.

Orochimaru's expression was stern, and Tsunade's brows were furrowed. They were all worried about Iori, but Iori remained calm and reassured everyone.

Seeing that the crowd had gathered, Orochimaru began his pre-battle speech.

"This battle should be our final showdown with the Sand Ninja."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over each ninja, and continued:

"If we fail, the Sand Ninja will advance unimpeded, and our Land of Fire's territory will be completely undefended for them."

“They will wreak havoc and plunder our homes, and even bring the war into the village.”

Orochimaru calmly recounted the price of defeat.

The Konoha ninjas listening below clenched their fists, their eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit.

"Our family and friends are behind this line of defense. We have no way out but to fight with all our might."