It's simple logic: if someone enjoys seeking death so much, how can you expect anything they raise to truly value life?
The Black Cat had genuinely good taste. Being able to easily pick out the most powerful ninjutsu among a pile of techniques—wasn't that worthy of praise? Oh yes, more than worthy… so much so that it deserved immediate skinning and boiling right on the spot.
Fortunately, Haseo didn't know about any of this. Right now, he was busy at the Front Line planning an offensive against Mist. Matters concerning Konoha—or rather, those involving the Black Cat and a little girl—were simply beyond his concern.
Haseo led a small squad near Mist's camp, ambushed and killed a group of Mist Ninja, obtained partial intelligence, then vanished without a trace. This act marked the moment that shattered both sides' mutual restraint.
Since then, small-scale infiltration and skirmishes between Konoha and Mist began.
You didn't need real proof for stuff like this—just a hint of suspicion was enough. Who else but treacherous Konoha ninja could be responsible for eliminating these Mist ninja?
Even if those four actually died from internal conflict, the blame would certainly still fall squarely on Konoha's shoulders.
Mutual infiltration without going too deep; continuous engagement while keeping each battle limited in scale—this kind of warfare was going to keep going on for a long time.
It wasn't because a "new balance" had formed in the Battleground, but rather because both sides needed these minor battles to gradually reacclimate their ninja, who hadn't seen real combat in years, back into a wartime mindset... Both Konoha and Mist had this exact need.
This process was extremely brutal, since every day, ninja were injured, some temporarily, others permanently losing their combat ability—and many died. Yet even though Haseo was an incredibly capable ninja, even though he commanded the entire front line, such losses were never something that wisdom or strategy could ever fully compensate for.
War always brings death.
If no one dies, is it even a war anymore?
However, these small-scale probing attacks continued steadily forward with calm normalcy, yet they inherently aimed to dull the enemy's vigilance... Normally, during the early stages of war before major confrontations begin, these scattered skirmishes might last anywhere from three months up to half a year. Ideally, by then all combat ninja would have participated in such engagements.
A ninja hardened by bloodshed was different from one who'd just stayed behind camp lines—even if they were both on the Front Line.
But on Haseo's end, just three weeks later, he decided to launch a counterattack on Mist... Though still quick, it had been significantly delayed compared to his offhand remark about "three days."
Same old story—he simply didn't want Mist forces lingering too long in the Land of Fire.
Most likely because Konoha's troop numbers were now known, Mist hadn't changed its frontline strength much—which was seen as good news overall.
During this time, Konoha had also completed the reconstruction of its large-scale detection jutsu network. This was an invaluable advantage—a facility that belonged to them alone. As soon as it resumed operation, Mist's small-scale infiltration missions began suffering repeated failures.
Such superiority in intelligence could directly affect the battlefield and the overall war situation. When a Mist team slipped in quietly and with great effort into Konoha's territory, the information would instantly reach Konoha, which would then dispatch two or three squads to set up ambushes and intercept the enemy. Tell me, under those conditions, how much chance do you think those Mist teams had of making it out alive?
In most battles, numerical superiority often equates directly to victory—unless you're facing some serious overpowered freaks.
But now those walking legends were either dead, crippled, or past their prime. Ninja like Haseo had become truly extraordinary figures.
On this day, after the Front Line forces completed their assembly, Haseo summoned all combat squad leaders, logistics and medical support supervisors, his personally appointed central command unit, and other mid-to-high ranking officers for the very first operational meeting.
Everyone naturally had a rough idea of what he intended to discuss… Konoha was preparing to launch an offensive to retake the Fire Country coastline currently occupied by Mist.
The newly established unit under Uzumaki Shikou had not only finalized its structural organization but also undergone multiple drills. The basic preparations for war were already complete.
Once the operational intent was communicated, many individuals offered supplementary opinions. After coordination across all sectors was finalized, the only thing left was for Haseo to determine the specific timing for the commencement of action.
However, Haseo didn't announce the timing directly. Instead, he ordered everyone to enter the highest state of combat readiness.
This meant that even though no attack order had been given, they had to be prepared to spring into action at a moment's notice. To be honest, this kind of waiting was incredibly nerve-wracking.
Even seasoned ninja could snap under that kind of pressure.
Still, this wasn't Haseo intentionally keeping people in suspense—he wasn't someone who enjoyed making things difficult on purpose. But considering possible spies, there was no way he'd openly reveal such critical intelligence as the attack timing.
There was no telling if Mist spies were lurking within Konoha's Front Line. Considering this, Haseo could only make tactical arrangements assuming spies were indeed present. If there really were no spies, then maybe he was just outsmarting nothing—but putting on a good show while doing it.
But if spies really were present, then this cautious approach would prove its worth.
After issuing the orders, most people left. But the war council wasn't over—not by a long shot. The real part was just about to begin.
Only when the room contained trustworthy individuals like Uzumaki Shikou, Sakumo Hatake, Nagisa Nara, Hyuga Uchiha, and others did Haseo begin unveiling the second phase of his battle plan.
To ensure our plan succeeds, I intend to implement a combined strategy of conventional and unconventional tactics in the upcoming operation. Specifically, I will delegate command of the battlefront to Uzumaki Shikou and Nara Nagisa, while I personally lead an elite strike force of approximately fifty ninja. We will take either a northern or southern route around the Land of Fire, eventually emerging behind the Mist frontline.
Then we'll launch a pincer attack on the Mist forces from both sides.
Regarding numbers…fifty seems like a suitable figure to avoid suspicion and achieve the element of surprise. After all, our total number of ninja deployed at the battlefront is limited, and sending more might draw enemy attention.
This "plan" suddenly proposed by Haseo caught everyone off guard—no one had been informed beforehand. However, if he intended to personally lead the raiding force, it clearly demonstrated how much impact he expected such a strike to have.
Indeed, hitting from behind could theoretically prove highly effective. Regardless of whether the enemy anticipated such a maneuver, once the battle erupted along the battlefront, how much capacity would they really have left to counter an unexpected assault from behind by elite forces?
The plan was feasible, but Uzumaki Shikou felt an instant urge to protest—it was way too risky in her eyes. If the supreme commander himself participated directly in the raid and failed, Konoha wouldn't be able to bear the consequences.
High-risk moves should only be used when there's no other choice. If victory can be achieved through direct confrontation, that's obviously preferable.
But she wasn't the only one present.
At this moment, Sakumo Hatake spoke first: "If we need to bypass territory within the Land of Fire, heading north would certainly be faster—but that path leads straight into the Land of Iron. The samurai there won't just let us pass unchecked.
Therefore, our real option lies to the south—we could even go straight out to sea, traveling entirely across its surface. Although that distance would be significantly longer, it would better guarantee the secrecy of our movement."
Sakumo hadn't heard about Haseo's plan beforehand, yet he immediately voiced his support. The reason was simple: no matter the situation or how many people were involved, certain individuals always ensured themselves a spot in such operations...
No matter what scenario unfolded, Sakumo Hatake's name always came up.
PS: The double monthly vote campaign has been extended until the 7th.
Dear readers with votes, please use them while you still can! One vote counts as two—it's bleeding Qidian dry, almost to the point of losing their pants.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>