Kyōichi had a good night's sleep.
Although there was no proper bed, lying down was much more comfortable than sleeping in the wild.
The next morning, he got up.
He went out for a stroll and saw that Shisui and the others were already up and training, while Gekkō Hayate and his team had gone out again, probably on a mission to the frontlines or to gather intelligence.
This team had fought a battle a couple of days ago and seemed to have developed a taste for it.
Kyōichi didn't interfere.
Gekkō hayate and his team were indeed strong enough to roam the battlefield and hunt enemies. As long as they weren't too greedy, they usually wouldn't run into trouble.
He was more concerned about something else.
"Kyōichi-sensei, the Sandaime-sama requests your presence."
"Thank you."
Kyōichi nodded, then lifted the tent flap and entered.
Inside, the Sandaime and Jiraiya were discussing matters.
Currently, the Sandaime and Jiraiya were in the process of transitioning responsibilities.
Kyōichi walked to the side. Neither Jiraiya nor the Sandaime stopped their conversation, quickly exchanging intelligence and discussing the camp's situation. The Sandaime listened and nodded.
Jiraiya's arrangements weren't particularly problematic.
His plan was to engage Iwa in a war of attrition, but…
Could they really win a war of attrition against the Iwa ninja?
Kyōichi didn't think so.
"Kyōichi, what do you think?"
"Huh?"
Kyōichi snapped out of his thoughts and noticed both of them looking at him.
He was confused.
He hadn't shown any particular expression!
"You've always had good ideas. The tactics in the eastern front were excellent. If it weren't for you, we might still be fighting Kirigakure. So… don't hold back. Share your thoughts."
The Sandaime, of course, had no idea what Kyōichi was thinking.
He simply felt that Kyōichi might have a fresh perspective.
After all, whether it was the ninja academy reforms or the eastern front operations, Kyōichi had always demonstrated a different way of thinking. Perhaps this time, he could come up with a strategy that differed from theirs.
Jiraiya, worried that Kyōichi might be hesitant, added, "My arrangements aren't perfect. Since we're dealing with two villages, fighting this way will put a lot of pressure on us."
"Well… my ideas aren't fully formed, and I'm not sure if they're correct."
Kyōichi wasn't entirely confident either.
He wasn't a war strategist. If he had a foolproof plan, he would have spoken up earlier.
But now, with both the Sandaime and Jiraiya looking at him with expectant expressions, he had no choice but to speak up.
After thinking for a moment, Kyōichi said, "I think we shouldn't engage Iwa in a war of attrition. Their ninjutsu is too strong, both for defense and offense."
Watching the anime hadn't given him a full sense of it, but after experiencing it firsthand, he understood just how formidable Iwagakure was in positional warfare.
For defense, they had techniques like Earth-Style Wall and Earth-Style Castle Walls.
The key was that almost everyone could use them, unlike Konoha, where only a few were proficient in Earth Release.
For offense—
Techniques like Mountain Earth Technique and Earth Core could easily destroy the defenses Konoha had set up.
Not to mention their Explosion Corps.
So.
Fighting the Iwa ninja in a war of attrition was essentially using their own weaknesses to attack the enemy's strengths.
"We understand that, but if we don't fight them in a war of attrition, are we supposed to abandon this area?"
The Sandaime and Jiraiya were well aware of this.
But.
The Land of Grass was their ally. If they abandoned it, Iwagakure would march straight into the Land of Fire.
Where would they retreat to then?
It wasn't realistic.
"We can fight a mobile war. First, lure the Iwa ninja in, stretch their supply lines, and then attack their weak points. We could even… mobilize forces from the east to eliminate the overextended Iwa ninja."
Kyōichi explained.
The wisdom of his predecessors, though only partially understood, seemed applicable here.
The Sandaime's brows furrowed almost into a knot.
Mobilize forces from the east?
Wouldn't that leave the eastern front, which was dealing with Kumogakure, in a precarious position?
Too risky!
"What about the eastern front?"
Jiraiya also felt uneasy. He understood Kyōichi's idea of luring the enemy deep, flanking, and encircling them, but the pressure from Kumo in the east was equally immense.
If it weren't for that, he and the Sandaime wouldn't be so worried.
"We can leave some elite forces in the east, temporarily cede some territory, and slow down the enemy. Once we quickly resolve the battle here, we can send reinforcements to the east."
Kyōichi suggested.
By concentrating forces to fight on one front, they could simply delay the enemy on the other.
The Sandaime began to understand.
After some thought, he realized another reason behind Kyōichi's proposal—
"Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique could help us transfer some forces faster!"
"Exactly."
Kyōichi nodded.
In the world of ninja warfare, strong individuals could almost single-handedly turn the tide of battle.
Not counting the likes of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, who were practically cheating.
The most classic example was Hanzo.
Without Hanzo, Amegakure would never have been able to stand up to the major villages.
So.
The existence of the Flying Thunder God Technique could instantly strengthen one side of the battlefield, making it akin to a fighter jet in the ninja world.
Additionally.
Paper bombs combined with explosive tags could be considered a form of bombing, right?
In a mobile war, Konoha would have the advantage.
Kyōichi grew more confident as he thought about it.
Jiraiya wasn't stubborn or inflexible. According to Kyōichi's plan, this strategy did seem better.
After some thought, he added, "If they use Earth Release to build fortifications along the way, we can use Earth Release to destroy them. After all, while we're not great at defense, causing destruction is easy."
"That's true."
Kyōichi nodded.
Destroying is always easier than building.
At the same time, he secretly lamented.
Geniuses like Sandaime and the Sannin grasp concepts instantly—hard to impress for system rewards.
The Sandaime pondered for a long time and said, "But there's a problem. The Land of Grass is our ally. If we let the Iwa ninja in, we might face criticism."
"Communicate with them and have them evacuate in advance. Once we defeat the Iwa ninja, they can return. If they refuse, we don't need to defend their borders for them."
"Besides, I haven't seen the Kusa ninja protecting their own homeland."
"For all we know, as soon as we retreat, the Kusa ninja might turn around and help the Iwa ninja attack us."
Kyōichi said coldly.
As for the Kusa ninja…
He really couldn't muster any goodwill toward them.
This village, true to its name, was like grass, bending whichever way the wind blew. It was entirely possible that once the Iwa ninja entered, they would immediately switch sides and help the Iwa ninja.
Speaking of which, he thought of someone.
Karin's mother.
A member of the Uzumaki clan, and a pitiful person.
"The Kusa ninja… they're really not good people."
Jiraiya sighed.
This village was hard to like because they were always scheming to steal others' techniques and then figure out ways to counter and break them.
If they were enemies during wartime, that would be one thing, but they did this sneakily during peacetime.
That was bad enough.
But their tendency to switch sides was also a defining trait.
For example, right now, the Kusa ninja weren't contributing on the frontlines, staying hidden in the rear.
Of course.
From the Grass ninja's perspective, this was "the wisdom of a small nation," but Jiraiya couldn't help but feel disdain.
After some thought, he said, "How about I go and negotiate, forcing them to join us in resisting the Iwa ninja? If they refuse, we'll extend our defensive line and retreat to the Land of Fire."
"Jiraiya-sama, this kind of task should be left to a young person like me. It's normal for young people to be a bit hot-headed and impulsive."
Kyōichi smiled brightly.
Jiraiya was speechless.
Let you go?
The Kusa ninja would definitely avoid the frontlines. He could tell that Kyōichi was practically hoping for the Kusa ninja to die.
What he didn't know was that not only Kyōichi, but even Nagato and the others were hoping for the Kusa ninja to suffer—after all, if the Kusa ninja didn't suffer, how could Amegakure have a chance?
The Sandaime remained silent.
From his perspective, it was naturally unwise to rashly abandon the Land of Grass, but he hesitated.
Because…
From the results, his past decisions had gradually weakened Konoha.
Kyōichi's strategy, on the other hand, could preserve more of Konoha's strength.
Secondly, the Kusa ninja were indeed fence-sitters, with no strong loyalty to Konoha or the Land of Fire.
"Sensei, let's just decide. No need to hesitate. Kyōichi, go and prepare. Head to the Kusa ninja today and talk to them. If they won't contribute, deal with them."
Jiraiya made the decision, sounding almost relieved.
He had long wanted to teach those dogs a lesson, but he had been constrained by the village's opinions. Now that the Sandaime was here and seemed somewhat inclined but still hesitant…
He knew his sensei too well.
If left to the Sandaime, a decision might not come until tomorrow.
If they were going to act, it had to be now!
"Alright, I'll set out now."
Kyōichi nodded.
Of course, he wasn't in a hurry to negotiate with the Kusa ninja. He was more interested in finding that Uzumaki woman.
Saving someone was like putting out a fire.
Who knew if the Kusa ninja had already discovered her?
Jiraiya found it a bit strange and scratched his head, looking at the Sandaime. "It seems Kyōichi really dislikes the Kusa ninja."
"Sigh, I don't know if this is the right decision…"
The Sandaime sighed.
This approach, while preserving their strength, might damage Konoha's reputation, which their enemies could exploit.
Jiraiya didn't know what to say.
He also wished for peace in the ninja world.
But the Kusa ninja's actions had truly disappointed him.
If there were no better options, defending the borders and helping the Land of Grass would be one thing, but now that there was a better strategy, he didn't want Konoha's ninjas shedding blood for the Land of Grass.
...
"Sensei, where are we going this time?"
"Kusagakure."
"What are we going to Kusagkure for?"
Asuma was confused.
At a time like this, during a war, sending a force like theirs to the Kusagakure seemed like a waste of time.
Kyōichi glanced at him.
Then, he walked forward and said calmly, "I'm taking you to see what a small ninja village is like."
He actually wanted to bring Mukai along.
Mukai's Byakugan could more easily detect chakra signatures within a range, making it easier to find Karin's mother. Without him, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
However.
If they couldn't find her in Kusagakure, it would at least mean that Karin's mother hadn't been taken to the hospital to be used as a medical tool yet.
If she was in the village, they could find a way to rescue her later.
Then, Kyōichi glanced at his system panel.
After convincing the Sandaime and Jiraiya, he had heard a reward notification, but only now did he have the chance to see what it was.
When he opened it…
He felt a moment of confusion.
The Telescope Technique.
While he had expected the reward not to be anything extraordinary, he had hoped for something more practical.
This reward…
Do I look like that kind of person?
Still.
He could consider preparing a crystal-based tool later.
Not for any particular reason, just to make it easier to observe the battlefield. He wasn't like the Sandaime or Jiraiya.