Chapter 189
2-in-1-chapter
Note: Changed Kusatsu mountains to Kusatsu Highlands.
-----------------
Now, new reinforcements had arrived, though their numbers were still small—barely a thousand.
Shiotsu sat within the command tent and sighed quietly.
"If only the Cloud-nin could be driven out," he thought to himself, his gaze occasionally drifting toward the young man seated in the central position. He was truly young, no more than fifteen or sixteen by appearance, yet according to Konoha's shinobi, this youth was already the Hokage's aide and the head of the Uchiha clan.
When he first heard it, Shiotsu had been astonished. A clan head at fifteen or sixteen was already remarkable—but to also hold the title of Hokage's advisor? Unbelievable.
Precisely because of that, he felt an even deeper respect for this youth.
Over the past few days, he had met Hyūga Hiashi, Aburame Shibi, and Uchiha Shisui—all formidable individuals. If these men followed the commands of this young Hokage's advisor without hesitation, then that advisor must be even stronger than they were.
In Shiotsu's view, weak men could never command the strong. Only those who were stronger could lead others of strength. Simple logic—but true.
"…That's the overall plan. Does anyone have objections?"
While Shiotsu was momentarily lost in thought, Rēn had already finished explaining the outline of his plan. He looked around the tent, inviting the others' opinions.
Silence filled the space.
It wasn't that his plan was flawless, but rather that its premise was so bold that most present could hardly comprehend it. Many worried inwardly that the Hokage's aide might be acting with overconfidence.
"Cough."
Hyūga Hiashi cleared his throat, breaking the silence. As the highest-ranking commander before Rēn's arrival, he had to speak first. "Well… Clan Head, our forces are not as numerous as Kumogakure's. To launch an offensive at this time might be beyond our means."
Indeed.
Rēn's plan was not to fortify their defenses into an impenetrable wall, as the others had expected—but to attack.
"Shio, how many troops do we have right now?" Faced with the questions around the tent, Rēn did not answer immediately; he turned his gaze to Nara Shio. The young Nara was not as seasoned as Nara Suzaku, but he still lived up to the clan's reputation for tactical thinking.
"Including the one thousand brought by the Hokage's aide and the Yugakure forces, we total just over 4,700." Nara Shio answered in a low voice. Since the last battle over the abandoned Kusatsu Highlands, the Cloud-nin had not launched another large offensive, but skirmishes between forward units had never ceased.
The fighting at the border between the Hot Water River plain and the Kusatsu Highlands had not stopped for a single day. Daily losses there ranged from thirty to sixty personnel, and those casualties accumulated day by day. By the time Rēn arrived, the combined forces of Konoha and Yugakure had dwindled from nearly five thousand to roughly four thousand.
Even with the additional one thousand troops Rēn brought, their total still fell short of five thousand.
Among them were more than a thousand Yugakure shinobi, and given the uneven quality of those troops, that thought alone was worrying.
"Four thousand seven hundred. How many of those are Genin, and how many Chūnin?"
"Two thousand nine hundred thirty-nine Genin, one thousand six hundred twenty-two Chūnin, and one hundred ninety-seven Jōnin in total."
"Accurate to the unit place? As expected of the rising talent from the Nara clan." Rēn praised Nara Shio's diligence and then asked, "And roughly how many troops do the Cloud-nin have?"
"Based on our intelligence estimates, the Cloud-nin currently have over nine thousand forces in the Land of Hot Water." Nara Shio's expression darkened as he spoke. The disparity in numbers pressed on them like a boulder, making it hard to draw a breath.
"Over nine thousand versus four thousand seven hundred. That's nearly double our strength. And if the Cloud-nin need more, they can probably mobilize additional troops from their village. We have no further reinforcements to call on. To be honest, do not expect the village to provide larger support in the short term. We must rely on the forces we have here to contend with the Cloud-nin."
At those words, the atmosphere in the tent turned heavy.
Shiotsu, the leader of the Yugakure contingent, immediately wore a sullen expression.
"With so few men, how can we guard against a Cloud-nin attack? If we spread our forces they will pick us off one by one, but if we concentrate our troops, how much territory can we actually hold? The Cloud-nin can split their units and penetrate inland; if that happens we will be blamed as failures."
"Hyūga clan head, it is unpleasant to hear, but the facts are what they are. Our numbers are insufficient to absorb a full Cloud-nin assault. If we plug one gap, another opens. I say that rather than letting the Cloud-nin lead us about, we should take the initiative and seize the advantage."
Between shinobi, offense and defense were not matters resolved by a small force standing against a large army. Terrain helped, but it offered only limited utility. The Konoha shinobi retreating to the Hot Water River plain could not hold indefinitely, and the Kusatsu Highlands, once a precarious defensive position, had already become Cloud-nin ground.
"Your point is clear, Clan head, but if an offensive fails, we will probably be unable even to defend. The Cloud-nin will then march straight into our territory." Hyūga Hizashi spoke plainly, voicing the concern that most shared.
Everyone knew that passive defense would bring losses, but mounting an attack was not simple. Sending a few hundred or a thousand men would only hand the Cloud-nin easy prey. To break their formation would likely require more than three thousand troops. Now that Konoha's total available forces numbered under five thousand, committing three thousand or more risked exposing the attacking force to annihilation if anything went wrong.
Shinobi were instruments of war, and even Genin carried considerable combat skill and awareness. During the Third Shinobi World War, when Iwa's assault reduced Konoha's defense force to only a few men, they did not collapse and flee. Miracles that toppled armies of ten thousand required monsters like Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha.
Otherwise, such fantasies were best avoided.
The Third Raikage could stand alone against ten thousand Iwa-nin because Iwa's top fighters did not enter the fray; they simply used numbers to wear him down. Now Konoha faced not only the Raikage in person but also two jinchūriki and a host of Cloud-nin specialists. If Iwa's ten-thousand force had possessed the level of talent the Cloud-nin now fielded, the Third Raikage and his subordinates would have been overwhelmed.
"Moreover, the Cloud-nin's recent calm may be deliberate, waiting for us to counterattack so they can crush us in one blow. That may sound alarmist, but I still think the risk of an offensive is too great. Counselor, please reconsider." Hyūga Hizashi spoke earnestly.
"I concur with Hizashi's assessment," another Jōnin added.
"Hizashi's concerns mirror my own. The Cloud-nin's behavior has been suspicious. Their earlier offensives were swift and brutal, but lately they have been quiet. It feels like they are biding their time."
"Reasonable, reasonable. I agree as well."
One after another, the participating Jōnin voiced support for Hyūga Hizashi's caution.
"Those are legitimate worries, Hyūga clan head. Nevertheless, I dislike being forced on the defensive. Apologies, everyone, but before this meeting began I already sent an advance force to attack the Kusatsu Highlands."
By the time Rēn finished speaking, a faint killing intent rose with his smile. Looking at the astonished faces around him, he continued calmly, "If nothing unexpected happens, we'll soon receive news of victory from the Kusatsu Highlands. I called everyone together mainly to inform you of the situation. Still, hearing your concerns has been worthwhile."
"However, I'm sorry to say this, but your worries are meaningless. Even if we can't completely crush the Kumogakure forces, as long as I'm here, they have no chance of turning the tables on us."
His voice carried quiet conviction.
If one asked where Rēn's confidence came from, the answer was simple.
Among the thousand reinforcements he had gathered this time, two hundred were from the Uchiha clan. Of those, more than forty were Jōnin. Even the former clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, had been brought out of retirement at Rēn's summons. The Uchiha had mobilized their full strength.
Of course, that was only part of his assurance.
The rest came from faith in his own power.
Since that battle at the harbor in the Land of Water, where he had terrified the Mist-nin, Rēn had rarely needed to fight seriously. His recent spars had been mild exchanges, never true combat, and he had not once drawn upon the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan. Even so, he could feel his strength steadily growing each day.
He had already mastered the Uchia Fan.
That meant he had obtained the key to understanding the essence of the God Tree.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can read 40 high quality advanced chapters as well as 2 daily chapters on!
P@tre0n/IDKjust