This time, the Third Unit lost forty-seven people, nearly one-sixth of its strength, and over forty others were injured. However, the Kumogakure Ninja Squad on the other side suffered similarly. Given the composition of the Third Unit, achieving such a result was already quite impressive, but this outcome was largely due to the immense effort of the combatants.
When Senju Touka announced that they could rest, Satomi let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't felt it while the tension was high, but once she relaxed, the fatigue of the battle washed over her. Her legs went weak, and Fūmori Masaki quickly steadied her, helping her to sit down by a nearby tree.
"Are you alright, Satomi?" Fūmori Masaki examined her; her body was covered in the enemy's blood, though he didn't know if any of it was her own.
Satomi shook her head. Although the battle had been intense, her skills were solid, and since she hadn't clashed head-on with the enemy's elites, she wasn't seriously hurt; she had just used too much Chakra.
Fūmori Masaki confirmed that Satomi had no wounds and breathed a sigh of relief, sitting down beside her. Although his body wasn't tired, the mental pressure was immense, especially the battle with that blonde woman, which required him to keep his attention focused at all times.
At this moment, Fūmori Masaki realized how powerful the future Minato Namikaze truly was. The high-speed impact brought by the Flying Thunder God Technique must be even greater than what he was currently experiencing, yet Minato Namikaze could treat this as his standard combat style and single-handedly lead Konohagakure from a disadvantage in the Third Ninja World War to victory.
He was truly worthy of being the man who would become the Fourth Hokage; both his combat proficiency and mental resilience were extraordinary. Fūmori Masaki didn't know if he could engage in high-speed combat as many times as he could. He felt he might be able to, but he hadn't tried it before, so it might just be his own illusion.
Fūmori Masaki slowly relaxed his body to alleviate the mental pressure. That peculiar form of perception was also a source of stress; he vaguely felt he was close to hitting his limit. Regarding this mysterious form of perception, Fūmori Masaki felt it was best to use it sparingly and to rest well after using it.
Satomi watched as people nearby organized the remains of their fallen comrades; these bodies were to be sent back to Konohagakure for burial. Some had even been mutilated by Lightning Release Ninjutsu. Her heart couldn't help but tremble; these people had been fighting alongside her just moments ago, but now they had lost their breath and would never wake up again.
Satomi couldn't help but recall the Warring States Period, when her parents' bodies were sent back to the clan. No matter how much the elders around her comforted her, she knew that her parents could never come back.
"Masaki, I think I understand now what war is like." Satomi leaned against Fūmori Masaki and asked, "How long will this war last, Masaki?"
"It's simple. We just need to wipe out all the enemies." At that moment, Danzo's voice rang out; he had just happened to overhear Satomi's question.
"Wipe out all the enemies?" Satomi repeated, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. The Third Unit had sacrificed dozens of people only to match the enemy's losses. If they really were to wipe out all the enemies, how many sacrifices would Konohagakure have to make?
Fūmori Masaki looked at Danzo. By now, Danzo was gradually revealing the darker side of his personality. In his eyes, as long as someone was an enemy, they had to be completely wiped out to achieve true stability.
However, violence could only eliminate problems, not solve them. And without completely overwhelming force, even eliminating the problem wasn't guaranteed.
"No, Satomi, we don't need to wipe out all the enemies." Fūmori Masaki shook his head and said, "The enemy is not united. They may look united now, but when the cost of this war exceeds their ability to bear it, they will split from within."
Fūmori Masaki had a basis for saying this; the future Second Raikage had thoughts of seeking peace, while Kinkaku and Ginkaku disagreed, which meant that factions advocating for peace and war had already emerged within Kumogakure at that time.
Fūmori Masaki felt that Konohagakure currently lacked the strength to defeat Kumogakure in one fell swoop. Instead of getting bogged down in a long-term war and suffering heavy losses, it would be better to plan carefully, unite with the peace-advocating faction within Kumogakure, and exchange the minimum cost for the maximum benefit.
"Is that possible? We Ninja are meant to follow orders. As long as the Land of Lightning's Feudal Lord insists on attacking, what can Kumogakure possibly say?" Danzo shook his head.
"That's not necessarily true. Perhaps the influence of the Ninja Village is greater than you imagine, Danzo." Fūmori Masaki smiled.
Danzo frowned slightly. He was currently a person who strictly followed Ninja rules, and the concept of a Ninja as a tool was deeply ingrained in his heart. To ask him to defy his superiors was something he probably wouldn't even consider. Perhaps it would only be after he became an important member of the Ninja Village in the future that he would understand the conflict between the Ninja Village and the Feudal Lord.
Fūmori Masaki believed that Danzo would understand soon enough. In the past, because the goals of The late Feudal Lord and Hashirama were aligned, it made it seem like Hashirama did whatever the Feudal Lord said. But the current New Ruler did not fully trust Konohagakure, and given Tobirama's temperament, he would not just blindly follow the New Ruler's orders; if something was unreasonable, he would certainly refuse.
"In any case, we should prepare for battle now. The upcoming battles will be even more brutal," Fūmori Masaki said.
At this time, Senju Touka was meeting with the leader of the Samurai Corps. As soon as they met, Senju Touka expressed her displeasure, asking why they had arrived so slowly. If they had arrived sooner, they wouldn't have had to clash head-on with the Kumogakure Ninja Squad.
The Samurai Leader found it hard to defend himself. To cope with powerful Ninja, samurai had to assemble in a certain scale. Furthermore, there were some terrains that only Ninja could cross, which naturally made their movements inconvenient. But could he say that? If he really said it, it would seem like he was showing weakness to the Ninja. Although that was indeed the case, he was unwilling to admit it directly.
Senju Touka was just venting her frustration. After all, they were her subordinates, and her heart ached to see so many die. She immediately said, "Forget it, I won't say anything more. Next, you need to guard the roads and force the Kumogakure Ninja to head towards the main force."
Although the Samurai Leader was very angry about Senju Touka's previous attitude, the Kumogakure Ninja were their enemies, so in this situation, he had to set aside his resentment. He nodded slightly, confirmed the location with Senju Touka, and took his men to prevent the Kumogakure Ninja Squad from drifting to other areas.
When Senju Touka had rested enough, she ordered the Third Unit to continue their journey, keeping an eye on the movements of the Kumogakure Ninja Squad and coordinating with the samurai to force the Kumogakure Ninja Squad to rendezvous with the main force, while they themselves would subsequently rendezvous with the First and Second Units.
At that time, it would be a head-on confrontation between Kumogakure and Konohagakure. It wouldn't be about maneuvering and drawing out, but about mutual slaughter, the scale of which would exceed that of the Warring States Period.
"Let's move out, Satomi."
"Mm, let's go."