"Almost all of them were killed with a single blow."
"But some received second or even third strikes... Was that intentional?"
"So which of these situations is worse?"
At this moment, a group of Konoha ninja were cleaning up the battlefield. Although it was called "cleaning," it basically meant digging a hole and burying enemy corpses.
Meanwhile, Anbu ninja were conducting routine investigations as part of their occupational habit. They tried to gather useful information from certain unusual bodies, but without the special ability to invade the deceased's brain and read related data, it was practically impossible to extract significant intelligence from corpses under field conditions alone.
Therefore, on the battlefield shaped by Haseo's brutal combat style, the Anbu could only work together, cracking jokes like a pair of comedians.
Digging holes and burying bodies—these operations were extremely simple for ninja, so this side could be cleaned up quickly.
Previously, Konoha ninja had attempted to chase after the withdrawing Mist forces, but since the enemy had no intention of engaging further, they could only gain minor advantages before having to retreat—the pursuit was strictly prohibited by Haseo.
Although this battle didn't achieve anything particularly noteworthy, it still carried significance—it marked that the Konoha Eastern Front, which had just suffered defeat and hit rock bottom, immediately started showing signs of recovery.
It might be questionable whether Haseo could truly be called a "leader," but clearly his personal style was at work—formulating detailed strategies in advance for all possible issues based on specific circumstances, but when it came time to fight, always choosing brute force whenever applicable.
Didn't achieve your goal? That just means you weren't brute enough.
Plan? What plan?
While one group was cheerfully chatting and burying corpses, Haseo had already summoned the young Hyūga brothers to his side.
Since arriving at the front line, Haseo had made fairly sufficient preparations in other areas, but there was one issue remaining… Uzumaki Shikou wasn't by his side this time.
So if you asked him how to reorganize the Konoha forces, establish a new command system, and ensure the ninja functioned seamlessly from top to bottom?
Sorry—you asked the wrong person. He had no idea.
"Hiashi and Hizashi Hyūga—I've heard that the Byakugan has unmatched insight, easily surpassing even the Sharingan—one of the Kekkei Genkai dojutsu—as well…"
Under normal circumstances, the humble Hyūga would have brushed off such praise. However, as always, people called him wicked for a reason—his next sentence hit them exactly where it counted, leaving the two brothers no choice but to accept the compliment.
You haven't seen someone mix flattery and provocation like that in one line, have you?
Never mind the tensions between main and branch families; when facing the Uchiha, the Hyūga would certainly stand united—"standing together against outside threats." While the Hyūga clan had many problems, they were still far better off than the Uchiha.
This was simply the universal value system among the Byakugan bearers.
The Ryo brothers exchanged glances, then the older one stepped forward and spoke, "Lord Haseo, the Hyūga Clan does have unique strengths in these areas... Do you have a related mission for us?"
The Byakugan's insight has always surpassed that of the Sharingan—there's nothing wrong in admitting that.
Haseo nodded with full admiration. "Since the Byakugan has this advantage, I do have a critical task for all of you..."
He paused deliberately at this point, as if considering whether or not he should truly reveal such a task.
"Lord Haseo, please command us—we will definitely strive to complete the mission."
Hmm, you said it yourself.
"The thing is, since the Byakugan has such an advantage, Hiashi Hyūga, you must also be able to see through the complex structures and connections among ninja, clarify hierarchical distinctions, and trace chains of control... So your next task is to reconstruct the front-line command system."
A ninja from a Major Ninja Sect naturally possesses certain strengths, even with limited experience.
"Uh..."
What the hell does that have to do with how powerful the Byakugan is?
"Lord Haseo..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lord Haseo directly reached out and placed his hand on the other's shoulder, stopping him mid-sentence. "Young man, I have great expectations for you all. Cherish this opportunity, train your abilities well, remain confident yet cautious, and don't disappoint my hopes for you."
"Lord Haseo, we've never handled missions like this before."
"It's not like failure matters much—youngsters do get to learn by making mistakes, after all. However... first, Konoha's frontline might collapse again because of your error, costing the lives of surviving ninja who were lucky enough to stay alive.
Second, I'll report to the Hokage about your hostility toward the Uchiha Clan. Konoha's unity is the way forward; harboring grudges threatens ties between ninja factions—and anyone suspected of that clearly lacks the qualifications to lead their clan."
This sentence made Hiashi Hyūga momentarily stop breathing—this was pressure no young man should bear.
"Do well, I look forward to your results... Oh right, you only have three days."
Immediately afterward, Lord Haseo added another unwelcome detail.
Thus, without warning, a monumental responsibility—one Hiashi Hyūga should never have borne and absolutely couldn't afford to fail—fell squarely on his shoulders, and to make matters worse, this assignment came with a deadline.
"Most of Mist's forces currently occupy this area, sweeping up our scattered units. Are you suggesting, Lord Haseo, that we seize this opportunity of enemy dispersal to launch a surprise attack on their command center?" Considering the urgency, Hiashi asked carefully.
Mist forces had already entered the Land of Fire. Even though they outnumbered us heavily, their current spread might just give Konoha a shot at a surprise attack.
Yet faced with such speculation, Lord Haseo merely smiled without responding.
...
Meanwhile, news had already reached the Fourth Mizukage—that one of their large-scale squads had been defeated single-handedly by Lord Haseo.
"Lord Yagura, why did you let this defeat happen? We got word in time that Haseo from Konoha arrived at the front lines, yet you neither recalled our forces beforehand nor sent reinforcements to that area..."
A Mist ninja asked Yagura in confusion. Judging from his tone, he must have been someone close to the Mizukage.
The Fourth Mizukage always had a childish face, lacking the commanding presence of someone leading a major shinobi village—especially since he had taken power by directly eliminating his predecessor.
Smiling slightly at the question, the Fourth Mizukage explained, "I suppose you could say... 'From ruin, rebirth.' My predecessor's long-term oppressive policies were exaggeratedly released and rebounded after I became the Mizukage.
However, this release has gone too far. Despite being the Mizukage, so far I haven't fully controlled the violent machinery of Kirigakure.
Everyone's got this wild and unrealistic dream of attacking Konoha. Right now, Kirigakure is like floating in midair, and the slightest misstep could lead to another collapse.
So in this war, instead of getting hung up on small wins and losses, my priority is to bring Kirigakure back down to earth."
This fanaticism was a reaction; hence, what the village needs most right now is to return to normalcy… Frankly speaking, this is indeed something the Mizukage should consider.
"Kirigakure has become too radical—I must bring everything back to normal.
Of course, this isn't something I can do alone. It also requires cooperation from the other side… Just let Konoha defeat us a few times, and everyone's mindset will adjust accordingly, gradually realizing that war isn't something you just finish off with a single move.
During this process, what I need to focus on is how to control the scale of our losses. What I want is to temper their mindset—not to push them into complete collapse and despair. There's a fine line there—one that requires careful handling.
That ninja… he'll definitely take action. Konoha wants him to, and judging from his personality, he certainly won't tolerate our unrestrained operations within the Land of Fire.
After several days, when our ninja finally grasp the threat he poses, I'll gather everyone together for a true confrontation—with him and with Konoha."
Balance… equilibrium? The Mizukage's walking a tightrope, almost as if he were the real balanced ninja himself.
To prevent even greater problems, the Mizukage allows some sacrifices among his subordinates right now. Though such an approach might seem cold-blooded, one cannot say it is wrong.
From the perspective of a Kage, this might even be the absolutely correct decision.
The Mizukage included Haseo in his calculations.
However... the Mizukage didn't realize that Haseo had always been unconventional in thinking, not a ninja easily predictable through ordinary reasoning.
Three days later, the Fourth Mizukage received an urgent intelligence report.
"Mizukage-sama, Konoha suddenly launched an attack, instantly breaching our defensive lines before heading straight toward the Land of Water..."
This news momentarily stunned the Mizukage, and then shock flooded his face as he abruptly stood up!
Although Haseo's actions appeared somewhat inexplicable, in retrospect, they were simply a reenactment of strategies from the last war.
Invaded the Land of Fire? Well then, do whatever you please there.
Want to attack Konoha? Sure thing, we'll practically hand it to you on a silver platter.
But you'd better move fast—timing is everything.
At this moment, Haseo asked just one question...
"Is your Jinchuriki still at home? Both of them, right?"
Good, that puts my mind at ease. Please rest assured as well.
"How many people are in Konoha?"
The Fourth Mizukage's boyish face lost all composure. His voice was filled with anxiety.
"Roughly estimating everyone at their Temporary Camp, there should be around fifteen hundred."
"Assemble our forces and cut off Konoha's advance... No, I'll lead the ninja from the Command Headquarters to make the first move. The rest should assemble quickly and follow right after!"
Either way, there was no way for Mist to remain peacefully stationed in the Land of Fire any longer.
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