The basic tomoe in the opponent's Sharingan had mysteriously disappeared at some point, transforming into a complex pattern of the Mangekyo, exuding an air of mystery.
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The sea of sand was littered with countless corpses of Hidden Sand Ninjas, who lay dead in pools of blood.
However, not all had perished; some still clung to life. Ruri did not pursue these survivors for total annihilation, but instead had the accompanying Medical Ninjas temporarily preserve the lives of these injured Sand Ninjas, who would later be detained as captives.
Upon tallying, a total of five hundred sixty-seven Hidden Sand Ninjas were killed in the assault, and one hundred thirteen were captured. This assault led to the loss of one-third of the troops from the elite unit led by the Fourth Kazekage.
Moreover, among the Hidden Sand troops retreating with the Fourth Kazekage, there were countless wounded, both lightly and severely.
The Land of Demons' side, naturally, also paid a price, but compared to the losses sustained by the Hidden Sand, it was hardly worth mentioning.
Additionally, due to the rushed retreat of the Sand Ninjas, the various military resources left in the camp were not taken away and became the spoils of Ruri's unit.
Overall, this assault ended in a great success.
The captured over a hundred Sand Ninjas appeared disheartened, their eyes filled with a desolate expression.
Their hands were bound behind their backs with ropes; these were chakra ropes developed by the military of the Land of Demons, crafted from durable material that was difficult to cut through even with specialized blades infused with Attribute Chakra.
Having smashed the Fourth Kazekage's army, Ruri began planning the next move.
Ruri gathered the Jonin in the team, took out a map, and pointed to a marked spot on it, saying:
"Next, we need to seize this area at the fastest speed before the Hidden Sand can react, and establish a branch military district here for easier future management. If there are no objections, let's move quickly."
This area was in the northwest of the Land of Wind, very close to the territories of the Land of Shadow and the Land of Bear. By capturing it, with support bases in the Land of Bear and the Land of Shadow, there would be no worry of being attacked from both front and back.
Additionally, this was an urgent resource procurement zone for the Land of Demons, with vast reserves of oil and natural gas hidden underground.
After all, the primary purpose of invading the Land of Wind's territory was to acquire sufficient industrial resources and prove the Land of Demons' national power to other countries.
As long as they continue to maintain a dominant position over the Hidden Sand in the upcoming battles, it's likely that the other major countries will have nothing to say then.
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While the Land of Wind was undergoing drastic changes, Konoha was also challenged by the sudden extermination of the Uchiha Clan.
The doubts did not originate from outside of Konoha, but rather from within.
Regardless, the fact that the Uchiha Clan, one of the two prominent Ninja Clans that established Konoha, was wiped out and that the perpetrator was a former Anbu member, Uchiha Itachi, undoubtedly highlighted the Hokage's apparent failure to exercise adequate oversight over Anbu personnel, constituting a dereliction of duty by the Hokage.
Although some maintained reservations from another perspective, expressing doubts about the so-called clan exterminator, Uchiha Itachi, according to the sole survivor of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Sasuke, and the Anbu's investigation, all evidence pointed to Uchiha Itachi as the culprit. This forced the skeptical Konoha Ninjas to acknowledge this viewpoint.
No matter what, Itachi had been convicted of the clan extermination charges, and a wanted notice had already been issued to all countries through a meeting of the high-level quadrilateral group, a settled reality.
During this period, the Hyuga Clan attracted the most attention.
It was said that after the extermination of the Uchiha, the Hyuga Clan, whether the Main Family or the Branch Family Ninjas, rarely left their homes except for necessary missions.
In one of the meeting rooms in the Hokage Building, Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, the two Advisors, and Root Leader Danzo were gathered.
Since the time of the Uchiha clan's extermination, they had repeatedly and secretly discussed the handling of subsequent issues.
No matter how it was handled, they always found it unsatisfactory.
Even though many Ninja Clans in the village outwardly accepted their narrative, attributing all the blame to Uchiha Itachi and concealing the Uchiha's coup attempt, what conjectures these Ninja Clans made in secret was unknown to them.
The most crucial point was that Itachi did not complete the mission perfectly.
Leaving behind Uchiha Sasuke was the biggest flaw in his clan extermination mission.
"Let's deal with Uchiha Sasuke's issue according to the agreement with Itachi. Transfer the Uchiha Clan's property and wealth entirely to Uchiha Sasuke's account... As for the Uchiha Clan's Ninja Techniques materials and various documents, let the Anbu hold them temporarily, and hand them over to Uchiha Sasuke once he reaches adulthood."
Looking at Danzo and the others, Hiruzen slowly voiced a relatively fair suggestion.
Danzo and the others had no objections. The Uchiha inheritance, after the clan's extermination, should indeed be inherited by Uchiha Sasuke.
As for the Ninja Techniques materials and documents, since Uchiha Sasuke is still young, not yet capable of reading those secrets, if he wishes to learn, they could assign someone to teach him the basics of Fire Style and Illusion Techniques.
"Let's do as per Hiruzen's suggestion. However, we cannot underestimate this kid either. He carries the Uchiha Clan's bloodline, and whether he can, like Itachi, transcend the limitations of his clan and wholeheartedly adhere to the village's dominant Will of Fire remains to be seen... Even upon reaching adulthood, we should continue to observe him for a while."