118 Chapter 118

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Kyomu and his team continue their advance into the heartland of the Land of Wind, while Orochimaru has already begun making preparations for a counterattack.

Despite the small number of only 72 people, over the past four months, both the team's military achievements and individual strengths have seen significant increases.

Especially Kyomu, his feat of annihilating five squads of Sand ninja with a single strike once again elevated his gradually subsiding fame to new heights.

It was becoming somewhat uncontainable.

As for how Orochimaru came to know of this, it naturally wasn't through information passed by the Sand ninja. Such foolhardy acts that would boost the enemy's morale were not in the Sand's repertoire.

Aside from Kyomu himself, no second person existed who could have relayed this.

When the messenger snake brought back this heartening news, Orochimaru knew an opportunity had arisen. He actively helped in spreading Kyomu's fame and leaked his glorious achievements to the Sand side.

Creating chaos within the Sand's ranks while boosting his own side's morale was naturally something Orochimaru would do, unrelated to his personal desires and covetousness towards Kyomu's abilities.

When this news spread among the Sand's frontline troops, despite Rasa's efforts to suppress it, some less mentally resilient Sand ninja began to entertain wild thoughts.

Devotion is a spirit necessary for a nation's prosperity, but there's a prerequisite: you must ensure the stability and care of their families back home.

With their homes on the verge of shattering and their families' lives threatened, who would have the mind to fight on the frontlines?

While there are sayings like "desperate times call for desperate measures" and "a mourning soldier will surely win," the guillotine that Kyomu hung over the Sand's head hadn't yet fallen, fulfilling this condition. Naturally, some Sand ninja started thinking about retreating to protect their own homes.

This was very bad news for the Sand's frontline troops.

A mutiny wasn't likely, but their combat effectiveness would definitely be impacted.

But Rasa couldn't forcefully suppress these sentiments because Kyomu's previous performance justified the current rumors. The more he tried to suppress it, the more certain insightful Sand ninja would become mentally unstable.

What to do?

Now Rasa faced two dilemmas: continue fighting or retreat to defend the Hidden Sand Village, eradicating Kyomu and his team before regrouping for another assault.

Honestly, Rasa was reluctant to give up the current military achievements and retreat to the Hidden Sand Village again.

From the start of the war to now, the Sand's main forces had already retreated once. If they were to retreat a second time, it would be a devastating blow to morale.

However, Rasa thought of a possibility.

If Kyomu and his team really broke into the outskirts of the Hidden Sand Village and caused significant damage, what kind of fighting power could the frontline Sand ninja unleash? After all, if their homes were destroyed, and the culprit was Konoha, then the Konoha ninja in front of them would become their sworn enemies.

"If you don't let me have a home, if you kill my family, then don't even think about living yourselves! Killing one is enough; killing two is a profit."

However, as soon as this dangerous thought arose, Rasa immediately quashed it.

The fighting power of mourning soldiers is indeed strong, but the price is too high, and it's not something Rasa wished to see.

Moreover, if the Hidden Sand Village suffered significant damage, it would greatly affect the war potential, possibly even sowing the seeds of defeat.

The Hidden Sand Village could ill afford such a loss.

"Retreat!"

Faced with the aggressive assault from Konoha and the rumors causing instability among the troops, Rasa had no choice but to order a retreat.

And it was a retreat upon retreat, with the battle line once again pushed into the Land of Rivers by Konoha, near the central area this time.

Orochimaru, seeing the advantage, ceased large-scale operations, instead deploying elite ninja squads to attack the Sand's supply lines and key locations in small batches, around the clock.

Orochimaru's actions were born out of necessity due to a severe shortage of manpower. Despite the Sand having a numerical advantage, it meant the war wouldn't end in a one-sided manner but would drag on as a protracted battle of attrition.

In such a war, depleting the enemy's active forces and reserves became a priority.

Rasa also came to realize this.

If Orochimaru chose the most prudent and classic strategy of attrition warfare, then who was afraid of whom?

The Sand had one thing in abundance: people. They truly weren't afraid of a war of attrition.

But Rasa miscalculated again.

In small-scale infiltration operations, the Sand really did not have the advantage. This was because, aside from a few renowned ninja, the Sand lacked high-level combat forces.

In four days of infiltration, counter-infiltration, sabotage, and counter-sabotage operations, the Sand suffered a 4:1 casualty ratio.

That is, four Sand ninja were lost for every Konoha ninja killed. At this rate, it wouldn't take half a year for Konoha to surpass the Sand in active forces and organize a true counteroffensive.

Now, Rasa was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Minato at the front, and Kyomu behind him. Does Konoha's talent never run out?"

Rasa was furiously angry but helpless against the naturally gifted Konoha.

Konoha's foundation was just that strong, allowing them to remain steadfastly at the pinnacle of the ninja world despite the prolonged turmoil of the F4 era.

"Fourth Kazekage, the latest battle report."

An intelligence ninja, adding fuel to the fire, barged in, presenting the latest battle report to Rasa.

After a brief glance, Rasa's forehead veins bulged.

"Namikaze Minato, again this Minato!" Rasa crushes the report in his hand, "Why, how can he...!

With such exaggerated kill efficiency and speed, is he mowing the lawn?"

Initially, Rasa thought Kyomu was just a rising star on Konoha's battlefield. Because of Kyomu's grand and powerful techniques, both against groups and individuals, he stood out.

If Kyomu could accumulate a bit more of a halo of achievements, his deterrent effect might be comparable to that of a Tailed Beast.

After all, the 'forbidden technique' Purple Blade Firefly could instantly kill every living being within a four-kilometer radius. Lower-ranked Genin and barely competent Chūnin were almost left without survivors.

Even those who survived would be scorched, either crippled for life or left with psychological scars.

But Minato, who came after, was even more suited for the battlefield environment.

If Kyomu's killing power against Genin, Chūnin, and even special Jōnin was a nightmare level, then Minato was of a hellish level.

While Kyomu's peak attack power might not match Minato's, when it comes to mowing down groups, ten Kyomus combined couldn't match Minato.

The reason is simple.

Ninja are just too easy to kill; a single well-placed strike can be fatal, making Genin and Kage-level ninja equally vulnerable in this respect.

Kyomu's power, relative to the frailty of a ninja's life, is excessive, leading to a waste of his energy and making him less enduring in prolonged engagements.

Thus, Kyomu's strongest suit is in duels, with mass elimination being just a side benefit.

Minato, however, is different.

His speed supports him in using the least energy, optimal attack power, and most flexible tactics to kill a large number of less powerful ninja in a short time.

Moreover, such conservation of stamina and precise chakra distribution grants Minato terrifyingly high endurance in combat.

But what truly terrifies Rasa about Minato is that from the moment Minato began to shine on the battlefield to now, not a single person has lived to tell the tale after encountering him.

Several elite Sand ninja, capable of standing on their own, have perished at Minato's hands, without managing to transmit any useful intelligence before their deaths.

The unknown is always the most terrifying.

Yet, there are no secrets that can be kept forever. Through bits and pieces of information, the Sand ninja have finally managed to gather some intelligence on Minato.

"Fourth Kazekage, after compiling intelligence, we have obtained some inaccurate information."

"Inaccurate?" Rasa frowns, "Is it about Minato?"

"Yes."

The intelligence ninja responds swiftly, "We found several severely damaged kunai on the battlefield. Based on past mission records and data collected by previous Kazekage, we found a theory that can reasonably explain Minato's extraordinary speed."

Handing the document to Rasa, along with a damaged Flying Thunder God kunai, "According to our Sealing Team's analysis, the remaining seal script on it shares similarities with Summoning Jutsu.

This leads us to conclude that Minato's incredible speed and agility are most likely linked to space-time ninjutsu.

Reviewing past intelligence, the Second Hokage of Konoha, Tobirama, once used a similar space-time ninjutsu called 'Flying Thunder God'."

Rasa's already furrowed brow knots even tighter, his headache worsening.

"What's the likelihood that Minato can use space-time ninjutsu?"

"Over 70%."

Such a probability essentially confirms it.

"Order the frontline to cease confrontation with Konoha ninja and begin a structured, orderly retreat, temporarily giving up control over the Land of Rivers.

But as we retreat, ensure all resources within the Land of Rivers are scavenged, leaving nothing for Konoha."

Rasa's voice is cold as he orders the retreat, and on their way out, they do not forget to cause further trouble for Konoha.

After the Land of Rivers is stripped bare, Konoha's attempt to station troops there will require a significant amount of supplies and resources. Moreover, the refugees from the Land of Rivers will likely pose even more trouble for Konoha.

The Daimyo of the Land of Rivers has fled to the Land of Fire, and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire has declared war on the Land of Wind, claiming to restore the Land of Rivers.

Since the Land of Wind is the warmonger invading other nations, Rasa decides to leave the mess for the morally superior Land of Fire to clean up.

Whether the Land of Fire cares or not, Rasa couldn't care less.

War is a life-and-death struggle, and the fate of the Land of Rivers, caught in the middle, is of no concern to anyone.

---

After repelling another wave of Sand ninja and successfully breaking through the encirclement, Kyomu, now regrouping, receives a message from Orochimaru.

"Your sensei, Minato, is stealing all the limelight." Kyomu passes the intelligence to Kakashi and Obito, "With his power alone, he's pushed back the entire Sand ninja army, even forcing them to retreat to the heart of the Land of Wind."

Kakashi and Obito glance through the message, feeling somewhat disheartened.

Not out of jealousy for Minato's performance, but because they feel like they've become expendable.

The retreat of the Sand ninja army back to the Land of Wind is another victory for Konoha's frontline ninja, but for them, deep within enemy territory, it spells another disaster.

Just 72 people, previously facing over three thousand Sand ninja, and now...

Their numbers have swelled to over ten thousand!

"Sensei and the others are too hasty." Obito scratches his head, "They could have waited for us."

"Orochimaru didn't wait not because he didn't want to, but because acting now offers a better cost-benefit ratio." Kyomu snickers, "Typical of him, I had too high an opinion of him."

Kyomu had relayed his feat of defeating five squads of Sand ninja with a single strike to Orochimaru, hoping to sow panic among the Sand's frontlines. Once he had achieved his glory, Orochimaru would synchronize an attack on the hastily retreating Sand army. Ideally, the frontline wouldn't necessarily collapse but would surely be thrown into chaos.

At that time, Kyomu could lead his team through the turmoil, escaping the Land of Wind to safely land elsewhere.

But Orochimaru refused to take even a slight risk.

"He was worried that the Sand ninja, after our attack on the Hidden Sand Village, would develop a desperate fighting spirit, causing him significant losses on the frontlines, so..."

Kyomu scoffs, "Such a low probability, yet he factored it into his risks, acting ahead of us without hesitation. Indeed, there are no wrong nicknames, only mistaken individuals."

Obito opens his mouth, looks at Kyomu, then at Kakashi, and swallows his words.

He was thinking of defending Minato.

At heart, Obito is someone deeply moved by emotions, and unless corrupted, he remains so.

Though Obito only spent a little over two years with Minato, he cherished their teacher-student bond.

Whether Kakashi felt the same is uncertain, but judging by his reaction, he too held some teacher-student affection for Minato.

"Captain, what shall we do next?" Ren inquires.

"Let's retreat." Kyomu is reluctant, "But even in retreat, I intend to leave a lasting impression on the Sand ninja!"

Kyomu can only rely on his passive skill for a powerful attack. If it lands on the Hidden Sand Village, it would indeed be satisfying, but afterward...

The numerically superior Sand ninja would chase them relentlessly, sparing no expense, leaving Kyomu with little time to charge.

Moreover, situated in the heartland of the Land of Wind, facing the Sand ninja army retreating from the front lines, figuring out how to escape became their biggest dilemma.

Yet, Kyomu wasn't planning to leave so stealthily. He might not be able to strike at the Hidden Sand Village directly, but could he not strike the Sand's frontline forces?

"I intend to blatantly tell the Sand ninja that I, Aragami Kyomu, can come to the Land of Wind and certainly can leave as well, and do so openly and boldly.

And I plan to take the main roads, right in front of them."

"But..." Obito expresses his concern.

Kyomu looks at Obito, places a hand on Yoei, and confidently declares, "If there's no path, I'll cut one out. I promise to bring you all back home!"

(End of Chapter)