Chapter 287: Sasuke: 800 is 800
The sudden appearance of the reincarnated Third Raikage on the position inflicted a devastating blow on the squadron left behind. Although this reincarnated Third Raikage quickly disappeared from the battlefield, his appearance also had extremely serious consequences.
The Cloud's frontline corps, taking advantage of this brief chaos, launched a major offensive and retook this hilltop position from the flank.
If it were just the loss of the position, that would be fine; they could just take it back. However, because of the loss of this position, a regiment of 2,000 men, which was attacking a hilltop position two kilometers ahead, was directly caught in the Cloud's encirclement and became an isolated force.
Although this regiment, led by the elite Jonin of the Akimichi clan, Akimichi Ken, decisively broke through the front, where the defensive force was relatively weak after the Cloud had split its forces to encircle them, with losses of over a thousand men, this unit had to go deeper into the territory of the Land of Lightning, becoming an isolated force.
At this moment, in the frontline command post, Kakashi, who had received the news immediately, was furious.
Although the appearance of the Third Raikage's Impure World Reincarnation on the battlefield was an accident among accidents, if Sarutobi Shin'ichi had been a little more cautious, the strength of a 2,000-man regiment was completely sufficient to hold out until the troops in front could withdraw.
Inside Konoha's frontline command post, Kakashi and the others who had received the battle report all had grave expressions. The civilian staff busy in the command post didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
After a long while, Kakashi finally stood up and said, "In large-scale army operations, military discipline must be strict. The responsibility below must be investigated. First of all, their captain can't run away!"
"Then, find a way to establish contact with the isolated forces of the 17th Regiment, and contact Sasuke. Have him assist the remnants of the 17th Regiment as much as possible."
"Yes!" Yamanaka Inoichi nodded.
Just at this moment, a kunai engraved with the Flying Thunder God formula inserted in the command post emitted a wave of space-time fluctuation. In the next instant, Uchiha Douhuan, wearing a divine robe over his battle suit, appeared in the command post in a flash, flanked by two ninjas dressed as Anbu with masks on their faces.
"Lord Hokage!" The people in the command post all stood up and saluted.
Uchiha Douhuan nodded towards the crowd, then looked at Kakashi and asked, "Are you sure it was the Third Raikage's Impure World Reincarnation?"
"That's right," Kakashi nodded.
"That fellow Orochimaru really knows how to cause trouble for us," Uchiha Douhuan said casually. "I'll go over and see that position myself. As for Sarutobi Shin'ichi's matter, leave it to me to handle."
"Yes," Kakashi nodded.
After arranging the matters in the command post, Uchiha Douhuan also set off for the frontline position.
However, after leaving the command post, Uchiha Douhuan did not rush to the position where the incident occurred. Instead, he first inspected the other camps one by one before formally heading over there.
"Fifth, you don't seem to be in a hurry at all," at this time, the masked Anbu behind Uchiha Douhuan suddenly asked.
The identity of the two people following behind Uchiha Douhuan was naturally self-evident. They were precisely the reincarnated bodies of Konoha's First and Second Hokage, who had been staying in Konoha and had not gone to the front line before.
"You have to give them some time to take back the position, right?" Uchiha Douhuan said with a laugh. "The time is about right. I've already given him two hours. If he still hasn't taken back the position, then he can't blame me."
After speaking, the group of three rushed towards the front line.
On the frontline position, after losing the position due to his own negligence, in order to make up for his mistake, Sarutobi Shin'ichi led the Sarutobi clan's joint ninjutsu corps he commanded. Relying on a death-defying fighting style, after paying the price of several Sarutobi clan Jonin being seriously injured, he finally retook the position.
And at this time, the news of Uchiha Douhuan's arrival made him genuinely nervous.
After Uchiha Douhuan arrived at the position, Sarutobi Shin'ichi stood to the side with an uneasy expression.
Uchiha Douhuan glanced at the other party, reached out to dust off the dust that had stuck to the other's shoulder from the battle, and then signaled for the other party to enter the position with him.
"Although the matter of the Impure World Reincarnation was something no one could have predicted, because of your negligence, a regiment is in danger of being completely wiped out," Uchiha Douhuan said unhurriedly.
"Lord Hokage, I deserve to die!" Sarutobi Shin'ichi lowered his head and admitted his mistake.
"Fortunately, you reported it in time, allowing the command post to react at the first possible moment. And, to be able to retake the position before my arrival can also be considered as atoning for your mistake with a meritorious deed," Uchiha Douhuan said.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage, for personally coming from so far away, which is equivalent to giving me an extension of time, allowing me to retake the position before handing over my duties," Sarutobi Shin'ichi said.
"It seems you are already mentally prepared. You are very clear about what kind of punishment your negligence will receive, and you have no intention of forgiving yourself. In that case, I will not deal with you organizationally," Uchiha Douhuan said, patting the other's shoulder. "Alright, you go back and think about it first. Hurry up and adjust your deployment. At the same time, you must also learn from this lesson. In the battles to come, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to atone for your mistake with meritorious deeds."
"Yes!" Upon hearing this, a trace of disbelief flashed across Sarutobi Shin'ichi's face. He had originally thought that for the mistake he had committed this time, let alone continuing to serve as this regimental commander, even being executed on the spot would be what he deserved. But now Uchiha Douhuan was actually willing to give him another chance.
After saluting with a raised hand, Sarutobi Shin'ichi turned and walked into the position.
"Wait a minute," Uchiha Douhuan spoke up at this time, stopping the other party.
Sarutobi Shin'ichi stopped and looked back, a look of confusion in his eyes.
"You're just leaving like that? Not even a handshake?" Uchiha Douhuan said with a light laugh, extending his right hand.
Upon hearing this, Sarutobi Shin'ichi was first stunned, and then his eyes seemed about to well up with hot tears. He came before Uchiha Douhuan and held Uchiha Douhuan's right hand with both of his hands.
"Lord Hokage!"
"Have someone take me to the place where the Impure World Reincarnation first appeared," Uchiha Douhuan said at this time.
"Yes!" Sarutobi Shin'ichi saluted and nodded.
A Jonin led Uchiha Douhuan and the trio of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama to the place in the position where the Third Raikage's Impure World Reincarnation had appeared.
"From the very beginning, you never intended to deal with him severely, did you?" After the person leading the way had left, Senju Tobirama, who could no longer hold it in, asked.
"Yes," Uchiha Douhuan nodded. "Although his mistake would have been fine even if he were sent directly to a military tribunal, changing commanders in the middle of a battle is a big taboo. Every regimental commander has been cultivated for a long time before the war began to become the talent they are today, capable of holding their own. His ability is definitely sufficient. The fact that he could retake the position within two hours is proof. Even if he were to be dismissed, it would be difficult to find someone capable of replacing him in a short period of time. So, it's better to let him atone for his mistake with meritorious deeds."
"That's true," Senju Tobirama nodded. "If it were me, I would handle it the same way."
There was one sentence Senju Tobirama didn't say, and that was, although in this matter, he might make the same choice as Uchiha Douhuan, he couldn't achieve the effect of seeming to have done nothing, yet having done everything, like Uchiha Douhuan.
It was likely that after this incident, this regimental commander named Sarutobi Shin'ichi would definitely fight even more desperately in the future battles.
"Let's not talk about this for now. Looking at the traces of the battle, it is indeed the Third Raikage," Uchiha Douhuan came to the place Sarutobi Shin'ichi had mentioned, where the Third Raikage's Impure World Reincarnation body had appeared. After a careful inspection, he then spoke.
"From the traces he left behind, it is indeed the Impure World Reincarnation," as the creator of this jutsu, Senju Tobirama, after a careful inspection, also found a corpse that had been mostly eroded among a pile of rubble.
As the Impure World Reincarnation was a village secret, most of Konoha's ninjas did not know what the traces left behind were like. This corpse, left behind as a sacrifice for the Impure World Reincarnation, was also mistaken as a corpse of the Cloud side by the people cleaning the battlefield because it had no Konoha markings on it, and they planned to clean it up together after a period of time.
"Can you trace the source of the caster? Or determine the identity of the sacrifice?" Uchiha Douhuan asked.
"The residual chakra on the corpse has basically dissipated. It's a bit difficult to determine the source of the caster. However, judging from the still relatively intact skin of this corpse, the skin is dark, and there are traces of long-term exposure to wind. The owner of this corpse is very likely from the desert region of the Land of Wind," Senju Tobirama at this time showed Uchiha Douhuan a wave of a traditional ninja's insight.
"The Land of Wind?" Uchiha Douhuan nodded. In that case, the range of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's hiding place could also be roughly determined.
"After we go back, let's have the Kazekage's side conduct a careful search," Uchiha Douhuan nodded, then said to the two former Hokage. "However, since there are already reincarnated people appearing, then you two should stay on the front line. After all, Lord Second Hokage, you also understand that ordinary ninjas are at too great a disadvantage when facing reincarnated enemies."
"Okay, what about the Land of Earth side?" Senju Tobirama nodded and then asked.
"As for the Land of Earth side, I'll leave it to Lord First Hokage. It just so happens that Dean Tsunade is also over there," Uchiha Douhuan said.
"No problem for me," Senju Hashirama also nodded at this time.
"Then I'll send someone to take you over in a moment," Uchiha Douhuan said.
...
In the territory of the Land of Lightning, the remnants of the 17th Army Corps, led by Akimichi Ken, after several consecutive major battles, the originally 2000-man regiment was now left with just over 800 men.
"Yō, have you contacted Staff Officer Inoichi?" inside a mountain cave, Akimichi Ken asked his deputy, Yamanaka Yō of the Yamanaka clan, while treating the wounds on his body.
"Yes, Captain. The order from headquarters, transmitted by Staff Officer Inoichi, is for us to, within the territory of the Land of Lightning, find a way to rendezvous with Captain Uchiha Sasuke, who has already infiltrated, and then, with his help, for us to break out from the west of the Land of Lightning," Yamanaka Yō said, wiping the sweat from his head after canceling his family's secret jutsu.
"Rendezvous with Uchiha Sasuke?" at this time, the regiment's staff officer, Nara Masato, touched his chin and pondered. "If we can complete the rendezvous with him, our probability of breaking out is very high. After all, although we are now left with only 800 men, most are elite Chunin and above. As long as someone can use overwhelming force to help us tear open a gap in their defensive line, then we can also take the opportunity to rush out."
"The problem now is, where is Captain Sasuke? And how do we contact him?" Akimichi Ken asked after stuffing two soldier pills into his mouth to replenish his stamina.
"On my way of escape, I have already left traces that only Konoha ninjas can understand. As long as Captain Sasuke can see them, he should follow the marks to find us at the first possible moment," Nara Masato said. "And what we need to do now is to hold on."
"I hope he can find us quickly. I don't want to die in this damn place in the Land of Lightning. Even if I have to die, I have to die on the soil of the Land of Fire," after Akimichi Ken nodded, he also timely made a joke to ease the heavy pressure brought by the continuous battles and escape.
After hiding for two days, Sasuke, who had received the news, finally found the remnants of the 17th Regiment and completed the rendezvous with them.
However, after the group set off towards the west, in just half a day, they encountered several Cloud troops heading west.
"Now it's troublesome," Nara Masato's brows furrowed upon seeing this. "The Cloud seems to have also deployed forces in the west. Although with Lord Sasuke's presence, our chances of breaking out are very high, but judging from the scale of the army we have encountered these two days, it is estimated that not many people will be left in our regiment after we break out."
"It seems they are determined to trap us in the territory of the Land of Lightning," Sasuke said with a cold laugh, looking at the map.
"Why don't we just force a breakout? If we continue to drag this on, we will only be slowly besieged and killed by them. If we break out, we can still give the Land of Lightning a hard blow," Akimichi Ken said at this time.
"No. If we force a breakout, even if we can inflict damage on the other side, if the casualties are too heavy, then there is no meaning," at this time, Sasuke stared at the map of the Land of Lightning and pondered for a while, then pointed at the marker for the Cloud Village and said, "What do you say we launch a direct surprise attack on their main base? Given the Cloud's current situation, by deploying defenses in two directions, their main base's defenses will instead be weakened."
"A direct surprise attack on the Cloud Village?" Nara Masato was startled by Sasuke's bold proposal. "But, Captain Sasuke, we only have 800 men."
"800 is 800. There's a way to fight with 800 men!"
(End of chapter)
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