Chapter 39: Waves
If you placed ninja in other worlds, what troop type would they be equivalent to?
Hyuga Kiyonari believed they were light infantry.
Disguise, infiltration, reconnaissance, assassination... powerful individual firepower and low defense, extremely high three-dimensional mobility, plus long-distance raiding capabilities, stamina exceeding horses... practically perfect light infantry.
Coincidentally, Hyuga Kiyonari happened to understand a little bit of light infantry tactics.
So Tsunade told them: "Next, I'll completely redistribute you, forming squads of three to four people."
"In each squad, one person handles offense—requiring powerful frontal combat ability. For instance, Uchiha clan ninja."
"One person provides offensive cover—requiring certain reconnaissance and combat abilities. For instance, Hyuga, Inuzuka, Aburame, etc."
"The remaining person provides support—requiring sufficient adaptability to make timely decisions based on battlefield conditions when attacks falter. Also... they must master basic medical knowledge and handle squad supply logistics."
"In squads with insufficient frontal combat capability, a fourth person will be added. Thus, a combat unit with independent operational capability is formed."
The moment these words fell, the previously silent, quiet formation immediately stirred with commotion.
Some ninja showed surprised and confused expressions. Redistributing and reforming meant fighting alongside unfamiliar people. With battle imminent, was making such decisions really appropriate?
Tsunade spread her hands downward, signaling them to quiet. "I am this force's commander. You need only execute my orders. All responsibility lies with me!"
Then she continued explaining the tactical structure.
"Moving up, every three squads will form a platoon. Each squad's role remains unchanged—one group attacks, one provides cover, another supports. Each platoon will have a sufficiently experienced platoon leader commanding—this role will be filled by jonin."
"Further up, three platoons form a company. Three companies can form a small combat group. Subsequent levels continue this pattern. Company-level and above operations will have orders and missions transmitted remotely by me through the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques."
"This way, individual squads can both operate independently and mutually support at any time, forming a tightly connected, coordinated combat whole."
This tactic was called wave tactics.
A tactic gradually formed to avoid enemy firepower superiority, its core lay in dispersion.
From small three-person combat teams to large combat groups—after fully spreading forces, combat posture could fully develop in both front width and reserve depth.
In enemy eyes, it would create a feeling of people everywhere, firepower omnipresent.
Just hid here? Fire opens there. Take down one position? Another wave arrives. Closer and closer, more and more. Like waves bringing intense oppressive feeling to enemies.
Thus, when enemies didn't understand this tactic, they'd very rashly define it as human wave tactics.
Actually, it should be like waves—advancing layer by layer, rising and falling in succession, each wave higher than the last.
Taking this tactic into the shinobi world produced an unexpected discovery... damn, it fit like a glove!
Even due to ninja's special characteristics, after deploying tactics, a twenty-seven person company could control a two-thousand-meter battle line range.
Moreover, this tactic wasn't completely unfamiliar to ninja.
Take Hatake Kakashi's team as example. In this squad, Kakashi's Chidori possessed extremely high piercing speed, often making him assume the main attack position. Uchiha Obito's Fireball Jutsu had large range, typically used to cover Kakashi's attacks. Nohara Rin, who mastered medical ninjutsu, served as support.
But they'd penetrated too deeply at Kannabi Bridge, fighting alone, unable to coordinate with other squads. Their only reinforcement, Namikaze Minato, was constantly busy elsewhere.
Another example—Uzumaki Naruto's Team Seven. Uchiha Sasuke mastered mostly lethal techniques, serving as main attacker. Uzumaki Naruto often assumed the cover role, using Multiple Shadow Clones and Transformation Jutsu to create attack conditions for Sasuke. Haruno Sakura was support.
But cover and main attack roles weren't fixed. In Team Seven's decisive battle against Otsutsuki Kaguya, Sasuke also used Amaterasu to cover Naruto's movements.
Generally speaking, these three roles' essence was: offense—actions to seize objectives; cover—creating conditions for success; support—contingencies for handling changes. Offense and cover were like two feet needing to alternate for the whole to advance.
Besides Team Seven and Ino-Shika-Cho, other genin teams—like Might Guy's Team Three, Yuhi Kurenai's Team Eight—were basically specialized types.
Once these two squads lost their jonin leaders, they couldn't operate independently—only coordinate with other squads, then assume similar responsibilities within that larger unit.
Similar yet different. This was also why Hyuga Kiyonari said this force could, to a certain extent, replace genin team functions.
Though the theory was excellent, some still couldn't help stepping forward.
"Lady Tsunade!"
A middle-aged ninja wearing Nara clan clothing spoke. "Do we Ino-Shika-Cho also have to split up, dispersed into different squads?"
"Exactly," another Yamanaka clan ninja echoed. "We Ino-Shika-Cho have trained together since childhood. Our clan secret techniques coordinate with each other. If we're split apart, combat effectiveness will seriously decrease instead!"
"And us Uchiha!" A hot-blooded young Uchiha ninja also shouted. "We have specialized coordination tactics for the Sharingan. How could working with others possibly achieve the same effect?"
For a moment, more and more people raised objections.
Their reasons were all sound. Long-cultivated chemistry couldn't be established overnight. Rashly splitting them apart would cause coordination errors—potentially fatal flaws on the battlefield.
Tsunade stood there quietly, allowing the discussion below to grow louder and louder.
Her face showed no expression, only calmly watching everything. The setting sun behind her burned like flames.
Uchiha Shisui stood to the side. When his pen stopped, crimson Sharingan instantly locked onto the Uchiha ninja who'd just spoken.
Just as he contemplated what to do, Tsunade moved.
She didn't speak, arms still folded across her chest—only one index finger lifted slightly.
BOOM!
Powerful chakra instantly exploded. The rock beneath her feet filled with cracks in an instant, countless fragments scattering everywhere.
All discussion vanished.
"Listen well."
Tsunade's voice became the only voice permitted in this silence.
"I'm not discussing this with you—I'm issuing orders!"
"You ask if Ino-Shika-Cho will be split up? I'm telling you now—if necessary, Ino-Shika-Cho will also be split! Here, no one is special, and no one can be special!"
***
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