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Yuta looked at the hesitant man before him, recognizing a skilled schemer. While he didn't dislike such individuals outright, he resolved to minimize future interactions to avoid potential future betrayals.
Having made this internal assessment, Yuta adopted a business-like demeanor.
"You simply need to notify them. Before I arrived, the Hokage granted me the highest authority within this camp. Here is the document; take a look."
Yuta produced the order given to him by the Hokage. It clearly stated that upon Yuta's arrival at the front line, he held supreme authority within this camp and possessed the final say in all matters.
This was another reason why Mitokado Homura had been so polite during their initial meeting.
Otherwise, regardless of Yuta's strength, in the eyes of politicians like Mitokado Homura, he would merely be a more potent tool, offering no reason for such overt enthusiasm.
Even with gratitude for saving the reinforcements, without the Hokage's explicit order, Mitokado Homura would have likely manipulated Yuta to his own ends.
After the shinobi took the document and read it, he immediately held it respectfully with both hands and returned it to Yuta. "Yes! I will arrange it right away." Seeing Yuta's supreme power, his demeanor shifted to one of renewed eagerness.
Yuta waved his hand dismissively. "Go down and arrange it."
Realizing Yuta's disinterest and recognizing that his earlier boasting had been transparent, the shinobi dared not linger and hurried off to execute Yuta's instructions.
Yuta himself didn't remain idle. He approached a critically wounded shinobi, noting the man's pallor and the Lightning Release wound piercing his abdomen. Fortunately, vital organs had been spared, and he was still breathing.
Knowing there was no time to lose, Yuta swiftly employed Earth Release to create a makeshift operating table beneath the injured man and immediately began treatment.
At this point, everyone except the nurse arranging beds gathered to assist Yuta.
As the seriously injured were treated by Yuta one by one, the eyes of those within the tent shifted, reflecting a newfound respect.
Previously, they had all known Yuta led the team that eliminated the sneak attack troops of Kumogakure. They had perceived him as merely a powerful shinobi. Now, witnessing his exceptional medical skills, their admiration deepened significantly.
This was precisely why the Hokage had been reluctant to deploy him to the battlefield; only raw power was truly acknowledged on the front lines. Once Yuta entered the fray, his abilities would inevitably elevate his reputation beyond any attempts at suppression.
Indeed, by the time Yuta finished treating the last critically injured shinobi, the entire logistics hospital erupted in cheers of "Long live Yuta." Listening to the resounding cheers in the camp, Mitokado Homura sat at his desk and pondered for a moment before finally sighing.
Now he truly dared not employ any underhanded tactics against Yuta. Under different circumstances, it might have been feasible. But attempting to obstruct Yuta at this critical juncture would incur the Hokage's immediate wrath.
The consensus between them was that Yuta should only be deployed in dire emergencies. His presence at the front lines signaled exactly that. Hampering Yuta now would be interpreted as a blatant disregard for the village's interests, motivated solely by a desire for power and the elimination of rivals.
Thus, Mitokado Homura was compelled to fully cooperate with Yuta in defending this crucial line.
…
That night, at the forward camp of Kumogakure.
"What?! You said that our attacking force was wiped out and no shinobi survived?" Inside the Raikage's tent, he heard the scout's report and asked in disbelief.
"Yes! After receiving the order, I immediately went to the ambush site to investigate and found that the terrain there had changed dramatically. In addition to the bodies of several ambushed troops, a hill appeared there. I sneaked under the hill to investigate and found that the nearby troops were all trapped under the hill, and there was no survivor."
"Bang!" The Raikage kicked over the desk in front of him, stood up, and paced back and forth in the tent.
"How dare they?! Damn Konoha, and the damn Konoha Silver Fox—they all deserve to die!"
The Raikage was consumed by rage, unable to articulate his fury beyond repeated curses against Konoha.
His light yellow hair billowed without wind, and combined with his dark complexion and thick beard, he resembled a wrathful demon.
"Notify the troops to launch a full-scale attack on Konoha's defense line tomorrow. Since they dared to kill the Kumogakure shinobi, I will ask them to repay us tenfold, a hundredfold!"
"Yes!"
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The next day, just after dawn, a heavy solemnity descended upon the entire camp once more.
At this time, Yuta and Mitokado Homura sat opposite each other in the military tent, a map spread out before them. Yuta pointed and drew on the map, explaining his strategy to Mitokado Homura.
"In my opinion, what we should be considering now is not simply how to hold the defense line, but how to capitalize on the Kumogakure's reckless advance this time to launch a decisive counterattack against the Kumogakure. Because we have suffered several defeats against the Kumogakure previously, everyone's morale is low. We need a victory to boost their spirits again."
As Yuta spoke, Mitokado Homura's face flushed slightly. There was no denying that Yuta's words implied his command had led to their current predicament.
While the disparity in strength was a factor, his strategic and tactical decisions had indeed fallen short compared to Kumogakure's.
He remained silent, listening intently to Yuta's plan.
"As long as Elder Homura seizes the opportunity to launch a surprise attack from behind the Kumogakure after I defeat the Raikage, it will undoubtedly inflict a significant loss on them."
After Yuta outlined his plan, he noticed Mitokado Homura looking at him with disbelief.
"You are truly full of confidence!" Mitokado Koharu thought to himself but still asked with concern:
"All of this hinges on your ability to defeat the Raikage. Yuta, tell me honestly, how confident are you? Konoha cannot withstand another defeat. If your plan succeeds, everyone will rejoice. But if it fails, there will be no force in the entire northeastern border of the Land of Fire capable of stopping the Kumogakure."
Seeing Mitokado Koharu's worried expression, Yuta said solemnly, "I am not making light of this. While the Third Raikage is known for his ability to fight tailed beasts single-handedly, I have also developed extraordinary techniques recently. This is a good opportunity to test them. Elder Koharu, please do not interfere at that time. Besides, do we have any other viable option?"
Mitokado Koharu lowered his head in thought.
"You are right. We can only fight with everything we have today. And with the reinforcements you brought, we hold the numerical advantage. As long as you deal with the Raikage, we should be able to secure a victory."
Yuta's decisive words left Mitokado Koharu with no room for further argument. Today's battle was destined to be fierce.