"Lord Haseo...our forces have just assembled. Are we really going to launch a large-scale counterattack so soon? Isn't this a bit hasty? If we make too big of a move, I'm afraid something might go wrong."
Uzumaki Shikou paused briefly before finally voicing her concerns.
Although the troops had largely been integrated, there were definitely issues with coordination between squads, cohesion among larger units, and overall collaboration. Many ninja who came from Konoha hadn't even mentally entered a wartime state yet. At this time, launching a large-scale counterattack would mean Konoha definitely wouldn't have a 100% chance of victory.
Even though the Mist forces newly arrived in the Land of Fire might also still be unstable, if both sides were equal, the defending side always had more advantages than the attacking side.
"I get your concerns, but with all the pressure I'm under, it's definitely better to drive the enemy out sooner rather than later... Since the Third Hokage and the Elders entrusted me with these troops, I must give them an appropriate response." Haseo smiled.
As the frontline commander, he personally had to bear pressure from above.
This made Uzumaki Shikou realize parts she hadn't considered sufficiently—war was something that required comprehensive planning; the ninja on the frontline couldn't only consider battlefield conditions.
However…if the Third Hokage heard what Haseo just said, he'd probably look completely confused.
It sounded like Haseo was claiming the Third was forcing him to mobilize troops instantly, sweep through Mist, and win outright—but that was total nonsense. The orders given by the Hokage and the upper echelons of Konoha had always prioritized stabilizing the Eastern Front as their main goal. So why did Haseo make it sound like the command had completely changed meaning?
And not just slightly—it was one-hundred-and-eighty degrees different.
Looks like someone must've twisted the message again.
Yet Haseo did have his reasons for acting like this—on one hand, if Mist stayed longer, they'd become harder to deal with; on the other hand, Haseo claimed this was actually a better way to fulfill the Hokage's order…
How could the battle situation be stabilized better?
Clearly, the most stable method was directly sweeping Mist right out of the door.
"And you don't need to worry either—I said to eliminate Mist's landing forces as soon as possible, but I'm not saying we're going to completely crush them tomorrow.
Rest assured, I know my limits."
Haseo's later "clarification" somewhat reassured Shikou, yet sadly, after the clarification came another additional explanation of the original clarification.
"We'll wait at least three days before taking action."
Uzumaki Shikou: "..."
This has to be a joke, right? What difference would waiting a day or two make?
"Our counterattack still needs some preparation. Traditional squad-based concentrated raids…I won't be using them as our starting point this time. Instead, Shikou, we're going to gather together some ninja capable of using the same elemental chakra affinities, and conduct operations in much larger units."
"For large-scale area damage? Then in that case, the recently completed troop formations will have to be adjusted again."
Shikou got what Haseo meant. Although this tactic wasn't commonly used at the moment, it wasn't anything new either...
"Is it complicated?"
"Not really, but this kind of change would take time."
The good news was that if the troops were going to be reorganized like that, then Haseo's mention of attacking in three days must've just been messing around. After all, even this single preparation wouldn't be finished in three days, so the battle's start date would definitely get postponed.
The bad news was that Haseo had given Shikou even more work. He was the kind who could talk tough without ever having to walk the walk, while Shikou was always left running themselves ragged just trying to keep up with his orders.
"In that case, let's start preparations like this first."
"Anyway, next I also need to move closer and observe the Mist frontline's specific situation."
Observation was necessary. Haseo thought to himself, Let's see if Mist dares to ambush me again this time? Even though they were still on the Land of Fire's territory, didn't the Mizukage still have one arm left?
With the strategy set, the troops naturally followed Haseo's orders—after all, he was the supreme commander. But as Shikou said, operations always required preparation time.
Gathering enemy intelligence was part of that preparation.
Just several hours after returning to the front-line camp, Haseo once again led a specially chosen four-man squad forward, preparing to investigate the Mist frontline along the coast.
Though merely a four-man squad, Haseo was the front line's overall commander, so for the first time, the personnel around him finally looked impressive... apart from himself, the team included Sakumo Hatake, and Hyuga Soei—a Byakugan ninja he already knew well. Also joining them was the Uchiha Squad Leader, Uchiha Kushan, who had recently had a rather intense encounter with him.
Forget actual combat effectiveness, but when it came to eye colors, red and white mixed together—this squad looked especially stylish when taken outside.
Of course, regarding chopping people up, Haseo still placed more trust in himself and Sakumo Hatake, two shinobi originating from the Major Ninja Sects... They'd definitely be reliable backup in battle.
The group of four departed from the camp and swiftly headed east, quickly reaching the furthest edge of Konoha's de facto controlled area.
"Lord Haseo? Going further ahead is already Mist's activity zone."
The four halted briefly, and the squad leader among the ninjas responsible for guarding against Mist here appeared.
Upon seeing that the leading figure was Haseo, the man simply offered this warning.
"Have there been any movements crossing the control line from both sides previously?" Haseo asked the junior squad leader.
"No, currently we and Mist have maintained a certain degree of restraint and mutual understanding."
That previous battle could be described as a loss for both Konoha and Mist. Regardless of the respective manpower losses, the Third Mizukage had even suffered public humiliation and lost an arm [Note: "losing face" refers to a major defeat or embarrassment].
This delicate balance meant both sides recognized each other's threat level and therefore refrained from rash action.
However, this fragile equilibrium was always bound to be broken sooner or later. And now... it just couldn't have worked out better, could it? There was this ninja named Haseo who had once again returned to the Front Line—just in time, as it turned out.
"Then this silent understanding ends here," said Haseo. "Next, I'll move forward a bit for reconnaissance, and from now on, our scout ninja will keep pushing forward regularly... This is the Land of Fire. We don't need to be overly cautious and restrained.
Return temporarily to your position. We each have our own tasks."
"Yes... Haseo."
The leader of the Reconnaissance Unit stole a quick glance at Haseo before retreating with slight surprise back to his spot, hiding himself again... A commander remains a commander after all. Though he didn't look particularly tall or strong, what he said still carried some weight.
Who'd have thought someone like Haseo could radiate such an overbearing aura outwardly?
The four figures continued moving forward, though more cautiously than before. Their actions were no longer as blatant as just now. One could say they were now slowly sneaking ahead.
Possibly limited by troop numbers, Kiri's defense network wasn't as tight as expected. Conversely, Haseo's side had a [Byakugan]. So, without alerting any enemies, they slipped right up close to the shoreline.
"Can't see clearly?" Haseo whispered to Hyūga Soei while they hid in the thick foliage of a large tree.
From this position, Kiri's camp was already clearly visible.
"That's correct, Haseo. There are barriers around interfering with my [Byakugan]," replied Hyūga Soei.
Although some details were visible with the naked eye, strangely, the [Byakugan] couldn't capture clearer images.
It was common knowledge that Konoha was home to the Hyūga Clan—and the Hyūga possessed the [Byakugan]. While individual or small-scale targets cannot defend against [Byakugan] reconnaissance, if one doesn't even implement defenses or countermeasures within a camp, then one might as well say that Kiri must have something wrong with their brains.
Because the [Byakugan] was being interfered with, only vague observations about the size of Kiri's camp could be made.
"Judging from the structures and camp layout, it appears capable of accommodating 600 to 800 people. But that's just a general estimate—it's too uncertain... Pushing it to the extreme, this camp could probably hold up to 2000 people," explained Sakumo Hatake.
"If they really had two thousand men here, would they be this courteous with us? They would've attacked already," Haseo shook his head slightly.
"I know. I was just saying that." When together with Haseo, Sakumo Hatake tended to talk quite a bit.
"Let's hang out here a bit. This spot's got prime fishing vibes—perfect for catching something. And as for snacks, don't make Hyūga strain his [Byakugan]. Time to pull out the goodies worth sharing."
Umm... Seems like the topic changed rather quickly.
Hyūga could only catch about ten percent of what Haseo and Sakumo were saying, since he'd worked alongside these two on missions before. However, Uchiha Kushan was utterly bewildered—he thought: *Isn't this supposed to be a serious and dangerous reconnaissance mission? You're actually dividing snacks right under the noses of hundreds—even thousands—of Mist ninjas?!*
*Don't you think you're being too dismissive of them?*
Needless to say, Haseo and Sakumo displayed entirely veteran mindsets.
"For this little thing you're using Byakugan. You're really something else," Sakumo Hatake muttered under his breath, though he still reached into his pouch and pulled something out.
"Beef jerky? Progress! At least it's not dried fruit this time.
I know you've got more on you. Normally we should split them evenly at a time like this—but whatever, I won't hold it against you... Want some?" He offered to others.
Soei Hyuga and Kushan Uchiha shook their heads together.
It wasn't very rigorous, but soon Kushan Uchiha noticed how extraordinary these two were even when eating—neither made the slightest chewing sound, nor did they emit even a whiff of aroma.
Clearly, this wasn't their first time doing it—they were pros at snacking without a sound or scent.
It was like watching two spirits silently devouring offerings on an altar.
How could Kushan describe his feelings at that moment?
Seriously, as a Uchiha, I'm willing to acknowledge both of you as the strongest.
But in reality, Haseo wasn't thinking that much. After all, they were basically waiting for someone to walk right into their lap. What harm was there in snacking while passing time?
Beef jerky just keeps getting better, you know?
Yet one must remember that the most annoying kind of kid in the world is the type who brings nothing themselves but insists on stealing from others—and cannot be stopped... Haseo Yu, aka Konoha's Fat Tiger, case closed.
However, judging from Hatake's general attitude toward food, everything probably tasted about the same to him anyway. Obviously someone had prepared this food for him. When Haseo divided and consumed it all, his expression grew increasingly pained—even more agonized than the typical reaction of any foodie deprived of their meal.
"Lord Haseo, someone is coming."
About two hours later, just as Haseo was about to rummage through Hatake's pockets for his third snack stash, Soei Hyuga finally delivered the expected warning.
Their selected position was excellent—it lay almost directly along the route enemy patrol teams would inevitably pass. Eventually, their target would appear.
"Time to get to work."
Haseo wiped his mouth. His voice dropped lower... and his voice came out muffled through a mouth still half-full of snack.
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