"Retreated?"
The ninja's words stunned everyone in the tent for a moment.
Then, Nara Shikafuku slapped his thigh.
"This is bad!"
"Hmm?"
"Shikafuku, isn't it a good thing that the Cloud ninjas retreated? Why do you say it's bad?"
Seeing Nara Shikafuku's reaction, Akimichi Takuji couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Sigh..."
Nara Shikafuku gave a wry smile. "Takuji, it's different."
"If the Cloud ninjas had sent an envoy to sue for peace and signed a truce agreement with Konoha, then this front of the war would be over."
"Now, although the Cloud ninjas have retreated, because no truce agreement was signed, they can attack Konoha again at any time."
Tsk.
Hearing Nara Shikafuku's explanation, Li Anshi also understood.
The Cloud Village couldn't afford to lose and was trying to play dirty!
Daimyo and nobles disliked ninjas who went back on their word.
The ninja mission system itself was a means for the daimyo and nobles to control ninjas.
They directly used "wealth" to treat ninjas as "tools." Once they discovered a ninja village's strength exceeded expectations, they would reduce that village's mission quota, forcing the non-productive ninjas to kill each other to compete for mission shares.
If a ninja village reneged on a signed truce agreement, the daimyo would also fear these "unruly" ninjas might directly assassinate them.
Therefore, they would use "faithlessness" as a pretext to issue more mission quotas to other ninja villages, employing a series of political maneuvers to ensure the "faithless" ninjas faced scorn and curses from their own village's ninjas and villagers, humiliating them and leaving them with no place to stand.
Thus, for ninjas, any agreement committed to paper was an inviolable "iron law."
Violation would inevitably result in "punishment."
If a village violated an agreement, it would lose a large number of mission shares.
If a ninja accepted a mission and failed to complete it, it was also considered a violation of the agreement, and for a period, they would be unable to accept new missions or receive mission rewards.
From this, one could see just how strong Sakumo Hatake was, to have other villages issue evaluations like, "If Konoha's White Fang is encountered during a mission, the mission can be abandoned and will not be considered a failure."
The Cloud Village's main forces were now withdrawing from the Land of Grass, avoiding Li Anshi's sharp edge.
But once they investigated and found Li Anshi had left the defensive line between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass, they could continue their advance on Konoha...
They could attack if they advanced, and defend if they retreated!
How utterly disgusting.
"Then perhaps I should pay a visit to the Cloud Village!"
Understanding the Cloud Village's intentions, Li Anshi stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"No."
Nara Shikafuku shook his head. "Lord Anshi, the main reason this defensive line can hold is because of your deterrence."
"If you directly attack the Cloud Village, who knows if they won't circle back and attack this camp."
"Without Lord Anshi here, we cannot possibly withstand the Cloud ninjas' attack."
"Once this camp is breached, the Cloud ninja forces can directly threaten the safety of the village."
The other Jonin also nodded.
Although they were reluctant to admit it, at this moment, their camp had indeed become Li Anshi's weakness.
If Li Anshi directly attacked the Cloud ninjas, there was a high chance the Cloud Village would be forced to offer a truce treaty.
But it was also possible that the Cloud ninjas would go all out, committing most of their forces to a direct assault on Konoha.
Although this possibility was small, Nara Shikafuku dared not gamble, the Jonin present dared not gamble, and Konoha dared not gamble.
Indeed, Konoha village still had the strongest Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Lady Mito Uzumaki, holding the fort. But even if Lady Mito Uzumaki could repel the invading Cloud ninjas, Konoha would be devastated, and the villagers would surely suffer heavy casualties.
Who dared bear such a price?
Not even Li Anshi!
"These Cloud ninjas are truly disgusting."
Tsunade slammed her fist on the table before her, shattering it and making Li Anshi's brow twitch.
It seemed Tsunade had already achieved considerable proficiency in medical ninjutsu.
Otherwise, she couldn't have used such monstrous strength so skillfully.
"Even as they leave, they want to keep Anshi tied down here, letting the other two battlefronts wear down Konoha's strength..."
Although the Cloud ninjas appeared hot-tempered and seemed to only speak with their fists, in reality, their underhanded tactics were no less frequent than those of other ninja villages.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had been invited by them under the pretext of signing a truce agreement, only for them to unleash "rogue ninjas" who had stolen the "treasures" left by the Sage of Six Paths to attack the Second Hokage and his entourage.
It was precisely because of Tobirama Senju's death that the current situation in the ninja world had come to pass.
In terms of killing speed, Li Anshi was undoubtedly superior to Tobirama Senju.
But Li Anshi didn't know space-time ninjutsu; he lacked Tobirama Senju's ability to rapidly shift battlefields.
Precisely because of this, as long as the Cloud Village kept track of Li Anshi's whereabouts, they could determine their method of engagement with Konoha based on his location.
"Jonin Nara, report the situation here to Lord Third, and also inquire about our next course of action."
Li Anshi stroked his chin and said to Nara Shikafuku, "If Lord Third can dispatch two Kage-level powerhouses to garrison here, I can make a trip to the Land of Earth."
"Yes, Lord Anshi."
Nara Shikafuku nodded.
But in reality, Nara Shikafuku also knew that Li Anshi's proposal was almost impossible for the Third Hokage to accept.
Li Anshi's reputation on this battlefield was already formidable enough.
If Li Anshi were allowed to make a name for himself on the Land of Earth battlefield as well, and what if Li Anshi then aspired to the position of Hokage, what would Lord Third do?
Just based on what Lord Anshi had said earlier – that the Third Hokage hadn't inherited the will of the First and Second Hokage – it was enough to pull Lord Third down from the Hokage position.
This was something Lord Third Hokage could not accept.
Otherwise, Lord Third wouldn't have taken Clan Leader Sarutobi and Elder Kagami to reinforce the Land of Earth battlefield in the first place; he would have had Clan Leader Sarutobi and Kagami garrison here and taken Lord Anshi to the Land of Fire front.
Now, with the Cloud Village retreating but not signing a truce agreement with Konoha, this gave Lord Third an even greater opportunity.
If the team led by Lord Third defeated the Stone ninjas in the Land of Earth and forced the Stone Village to sign a truce agreement with Konoha, then undoubtedly, even if the ninjas here returned to Konoha and recounted Lord Anshi's deeds, praising his name, it would be met with considerable skepticism.
Perhaps some would even think that Lord Anshi, due to incompetence, was having his subordinates flatter him to save some face.