"So what was the final outcome?" The Third Kazekage asked urgently.
"Half of Kumogakure's forces escaped back. The allied forces of Iwagakure and Kusagakure were almost completely annihilated, with only a few managing to escape by luck. Konoha's losses were around a thousand."
The Third Kazekage fell silent for a moment before replying, "...I see. You may go."
"Yes."
As the intelligence personnel left the tent, the Third Kazekage sighed ruefully, "I thought Konoha was finished this time, but to think they managed to reverse the situation at such a small cost."
Rasa also felt a sense of wonder. "I never expected Iwagakure and Kusagakure to stab Kumogakure in the back at the critical moment. Konoha's luck was somewhat good this time."
A thousand for three thousand… that's a huge profit.
Especially for the side at a disadvantage, it's an incredibly bloody profit.
Now Konoha's troop strength is six thousand five hundred, while the Kusa-Iwa's Allied Forces number seven thousand.
The difference in troop numbers isn't huge, but in terms of elite combatants, Konoha holds an absolute advantage.
The outcome of the war where Konoha was besieged by three Shinobi Villages is already clear.
But was it really just good luck?
Ryuji didn't think so.
Although he didn't know about Danzo's diplomatic missions before the war to persuade Amegakure and Iwagakure to withdraw from the alliance,
There is no luck in war.
The side that wins must possess the corresponding strength.
For Konoha's operation this time, even without the Kusa-Iwa alliance stabbing Kumogakure in the back, Konoha would have continued pursuing Kumogakure to eliminate them from the war.
The losses would just have been greater.
And besides...
"Konoha won't find it so easy to completely win this war." Ryuji revealed a cold smile.
The Third Kazekage and Rasa looked at him in surprise, somewhat puzzled.
"Is there anything that can hinder Konoha in the current situation?"
"Have you forgotten the troops Konoha has on the Land of Grass's defense line?"
Hearing this, the two were jolted into realization.
Konoha, by having their logistics Genin and frontline regular Chunin disguise themselves and swap positions, concentrated three thousand five hundred troops on the Land of Rice Fields' front against Kumogakure.
If Iwagakure and Kusagakure's forces hadn't come, they could have swiftly eliminated Kumogakure in one go and then hurried back to defend the Land of Grass's line.
But since Iwagakure and Kusagakure's forces did come, their deception would be exposed.
Onoki isn't a fool; he would never miss such an opportunity to tip the scales of victory.
One thousand five hundred Chunin plus three thousand five hundred logistics Genin facing seven thousand regular troops... Even if they rely on defensive fortifications and refuse to engage... Iwagakure has a dedicated demolition corps and Earth Release experts capable of altering mountain terrain.
Konoha's defense line in the Land of Grass wouldn't hold for long.
Even if the troops from the Land of Rice Fields rushed back non-stop to reinforce, after a day and a half, it's hard to say how many would still be alive.
By then, Konoha would again find itself at a severe numerical disadvantage.
"If that's the case, then Konoha is in a tough spot."
"I wonder if Iwagakure can defeat Konoha... But even if Iwagakure wins, they'll suffer heavy losses, right? Wouldn't that make our Sunagakure..."
"Don't think too much."
Ryuji mercilessly poured cold water, halting Rasa and the Third Kazekage's discussion.
"Have you forgotten how our village lost to Konoha in the Second Shinobi World War?"
Facing their puzzled looks, Ryuji continued, "If we're talking about sheer military strength, Kumogakure is first. But in terms of comprehensive strength, Konoha is number one."
Full financial trust and support from the Daimyo, a unified guiding principle in the Will of Fire, the world's number one Shinobi Training System, the world's largest number of Medical-nin Institutions, a village composed of numerous clans... Combined, these factors mean Konoha's rate of training new Shinobi far surpasses other villages, and its probability of producing elites and geniuses is much higher.
If a war with Konoha cannot be ended quickly, then Konoha's far superior Medical-nin System would lead to a far lower casualty rate than other villages. Their excellent education system and ample funds also allow for rapid training of new Shinobi.
Add to that numerous clans and a large population, and geniuses would continuously emerge like bamboo shoots after rain.
Even if Konoha's forces on the Land of Grass's defense line are completely wiped out, it would at most be seven thousand versus five thousand.
While at a disadvantage, they are by no means likely to be quickly defeated by Iwagakure.
Once the war between Iwagakure and Konoha drags on...
After fighting for a while, Iwagakure would find the enemy's numbers becoming comparable to their own. And when the new generation, like Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Shisui, enters the war, the situation would quickly reverse.
If the war drags on even longer, and the generation of Uchiha Itachi and Aburame Yoji enters the fight, Konoha would win with overwhelming force.
To be honest, influenced by Ryuji, Sunagakure did not go to war with Konoha.
Because of that, the situation Konoha faces now is incomparably better than in the original timeline.
Yet, even the perilous situation Konoha faced in the original work wasn't bad enough to force the Third Hokage and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki into action.
This shows that Konoha's current situation only looks bad; in reality, they have plenty of room to maneuver.
Ryuji had previously explained to the Third Kazekage the long-term benefits a complete medical system and Shinobi Education System bring to a village.
But this time, he explained in greater detail.
Not only reiterating the importance of the Medical-nin system and Shinobi Education, but also elaborating on the chemical reaction that occurs under these two conditions with ample funding and a guiding principle.
Actually, Ryuji isn't very knowledgeable about livelihood, national politics, or management.
If he really had to govern a country, it would probably be on the brink of collapse within ten years.
But low skill level is offset by the backward management mechanisms and concepts of the Shinobi World.
Moreover, governing a Shinobi Village can't be compared to governing a country.
Thus, the little knowledge he gained from university and the internet easily allowed him to see the root of Konoha's strength and draft rough policy guidelines based on Sunagakure's actual situation.
But it's only a rough outline.
To handle all the detailed implementation would require time for careful consideration.
After listening to Ryuji's explanation, the Third Kazekage and Rasa both had an epiphany, showing expressions of having learned something new.
Then they both looked at him with complex expressions.
At fifteen, not only is he so strong, but also so talented in village management... It gives them the illusion that they've lived their many years in vain.
"Alright, let's finish handling the post-war matters and get going."
Ryuji gave a couple of instructions and left the tent.
At the doorway, he turned back and added, "Remember to preserve the bodies with special constitutions or talents for me. They might come in handy later."
"You've said it several times; we won't forget." The Third Kazekage waved impatiently to shoo him away.
Ryuji just smiled and left.
As for the matter of Kirigakure attacking the coastal cities of the Land of Wind, no one asked much.
Because it was unnecessary.
Kirigakure is the only Shinobi Village in the world that absolutely cannot defeat Sunagakure within the Land of Wind.
Because Kirigakure's Shinobi generally excel in Water Release and swordsmanship.
But the Land of Wind is a desert country. Average Shinobi can't even use Water Release, and even experts can only muster a fraction of their power.
Even attacking the coastline... As long as Sunagakure's side aren't foolish enough to fight near the sea, there's no chance of losing.
If it weren't for Madara manipulating things behind the scenes, even if the Mizukage's brain were eaten by a dog, he wouldn't have made the decision to attack the Land of Wind.
And the actual results completely prove this point.
Pakura led over fifteen hundred Sunagakure's Shinobi to meet the attack of the Third Mizukage's six thousand Kirigakure's Shinobi on the coastline.
The result: Sunagakure, at an absolute numerical disadvantage, achieved a great victory.
And Pakura went on a rampage.
Four Scorch Release fireballs orbited her body; enemies who got close were instantly desiccated. At range, they couldn't use Ninjutsu effectively and could only rely on shuriken, explosive tags, and the like.
The Third Mizukage personally took the field, but helpless in the desert environment, his strength couldn't be fully displayed. He was suppressed by Pakura and had no choice but to retreat.
Plus, with Madara already dead, presumably the Mizukage wouldn't continue leading troops to attack the Land of Wind.
There's no need to worry too much.
...
Post-war cleanup and negotiations with Amegakure over war reparations require time.
Additionally, with no worries about the coastal situation, the Third Kazekage wasn't in a hurry to withdraw troops. Instead, he advanced and stationed forces outside Amegakure to apply pressure during negotiations.
Ryuji wasn't idle either, burying himself in the research lab.
Although the mission in the Land of Rain wasn't very smooth, the gains were considerable.
First, there were the White Zetsu's corpse.
Their cells exist between plant and human, soulless blank vessels with extremely high compatibility with any soul.
Ryuji planned to fuse White Zetsu's cells with Sage cells to neutralize the Sage cells' rejection, then fuse them with his own or other individuals needing a Sage Body's cells, creating a Sage Body perfectly compatible with the soul.
However,
The research progress wasn't as easy as imagined.
Due to their plant-like cell special characteristics, White Zetsu's cells possess the characteristic of absorbing life force to grow. But absorbing too much life force turns them into actual plants.
And Sage cells are characterized by powerful life force.
When Ryuji fused Sage cells with White Zetsu's cells, they directly sprouted into a small tree.
If all the body's cells were like this, wouldn't one just turn into a towering tree?
"This is truly 'succeeding also by White Zetsu, failing also by White Zetsu'!"
Ryuji felt somewhat helpless.
The White Zetsu's cells' extremely strong soul compatibility with other cells is precisely due to their plant-like cell structure. But also because of this plant-like structure, they cannot fuse with Sage cells.
"No wonder Orochimaru researched Hashirama's cells for decades without creating an artificial Sage Body. The difficulty really is quite high!"
Ryuji sighed, then handed the challenge of overcoming this difficulty to the Observation Device.
As long as the fusion of White Zetsu's cells and Sage cells is possible, the Observation Device will definitely deduce the method… it's just a matter of time.
Additionally, although this research failed, it wasn't without gains.
He found a method to improve the Land of Wind's environment.
The Land of Wind isn't actually short of water; underground water resources are even abundant.
But the problem is the desertified geology causes massive water loss, making effective utilization impossible.
However, large-scale afforestation could change this problem.