Chapter 286: Weighing the Pros and Cons
The oasis where the Daimyō's mansion stood was much larger than the Jingquan Oasis. Beyond its numerous strongholds, it boasted unusually sturdy walls, built with a special material reinforced with talismans. Every three steps, a sentry stood guard, and every five, another. They were filled with samurai and ninjas, with distinctive and well-equipped armor. Even more alarming, heavy crossbows, gleaming with chakra, and defensive barriers were placed at regular intervals, forming a dense network of fire and a protective barrier.
The perimeter was no longer dominated by sparse patrols, but by advanced posts with elite units. Flying ninja beasts flew overhead, watching. The entire defensive system was rigorous and orderly, with few obvious flaws.
"This concentration of forces is a bit excessive," Sakumo's penetrating gaze swept over the fortifications. "It seems they have withdrawn all the forces they could mobilize to the mansion. Forget about dividing the troops; instead, they have concentrated them."
A glint shone in Sasuke's eyes. "This Daimyō is very unusual. He is either a complete coward or an extremely intelligent person who has guessed our intentions."
If he was an idiot, he was probably scared by the liberation of the oases and had withdrawn his troops to protect himself. If so, it was easy to deal with. They just needed to keep liberating oases, and sooner or later, problems would erupt from within. If he was a "hidden master," he must have understood their strategic intentions, abandoning the outer strongholds to build an impregnable fortress, forcing them to surrender or face the challenge head-on.
"If it's the latter, it's problematic," Sakumo nodded.
Sasuke rubbed his chin, pondering. It wasn't that the mansion couldn't be taken, but whether it was worth the effort. With his puppet army and Sakumo's strength, he was ninety percent sure they could capture the Daimyō. But what would happen next? For just two people to break through the center of power of a great country would inevitably cause an uproar in the ninja world.
If they really did it, what would the Daimyō of the Land of Fire think? He would most likely suspect and fear the ninjas who possessed the power to overthrow his reign. They could even conspire with Konoha's high command to suppress them. The worst result would be suicide, like White Fang's future, or simply becoming a traitor.
Sasuke suppressed his chaotic thoughts and shook his head. "Senior Sakumo, capturing the Daimyō is too risky. The probability of success is only fifty percent. It still doesn't seem safe enough."
"Oh, really?", Sakumo was surprised. He thought that, with Sasuke's courage, he would support the plan.
"Both!", Sasuke exclaimed. "And more importantly, we still haven't discovered the true origin of this Daimyō." Then, a glint shone in his eyes. "Think about it. Faced with our action to liberate the oasis, the Daimyō's response was a little extreme. This turtle shell posture expects our direct impact. To do this, he must be relying on something, perhaps some hidden trap or an expert designed to counteract our methods."
Sakumo's gaze swept over the layers of fortifications again and he slowly nodded. "You are absolutely right. His unusual tactics are really strange. If this is really a trap, the consequences would be unpredictable."
"So, I suggest!", Sasuke exclaimed. "First, let's liberate some large oases, especially the strongholds on the supply line that leads to the front. This way, we can continue to attack their logistics, weaken their war potential, and create an opportunity for our main army to win. At the same time, we can also force this mysterious daimyō to react. Every time he acts, he will inevitably reveal his flaws, and we will have the opportunity to see his true strengths."
After listening to this exhaustive analysis, Sakumo praised Sasuke for being worthy of being a commander, thoughtful and ingenious.
He nodded decisively: "Alright! Let's do what you say." Instead of risking attacking a turtle shell, it was better to clip its wings first.
"A smart decision!", Sasuke gave a thumbs up, but wiped the sweat from his heart. I finally fooled him. I hope this Daimyō is really an idiot.
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