The Third Kazekage's Magnet Style was a wide-range, high-lethality Bloodline Limit, making him an undeniable hard-counter to an Aburame. However, Tetsumaru's perspective had begun to shift.
First, Magnet Style would be significantly weakened by the river-heavy environment of the Land of Rivers—perhaps second only to the open sea. Second, while Iron Sand was formidable, it didn't inherently reshape the entire environment; when it came to a war of attrition, the swarm excelled at matching numbers, especially with five or more Broodmothers as a backing.
Finally, he had a hundred and fifty kilometers of depth to work with. Tetsumaru was confident he could hold out against the Kazekage's army for five days.
Currently, the number of Scythe-Mantises he could deploy exceeded a hundred. Moreover, the lush forests of the Land of Rivers could sustain them for short periods. A swarm of that scale was enough to launch a massive counter-offensive.
With a strong offensive capability, he could engage the enemy in a war of maneuver, making the defensive operation dynamic. Forget five days; he could likely hold for ten.
That said, even if Orochimaru had demanded ten days, Tetsumaru wouldn't have agreed easily. Without a 100% safety margin, he would feel anxious.
Tetsumaru accepted the mission scroll, bid farewell to Orochimaru, and returned to Training Ground No. 1. When he arrived, his three disciples were deep in training, each practicing their respective secret arts or ninjutsu.
Tetsumaru didn't disturb them. He went straight into his tent, organized his orders and gear, and sat down to perform hand seals.
To the north of Training Ground No. 1, the branches of the tallest tree began to quiver, sending out waves of rhythmic signals. This tree was the relay station Tetsumaru had established at the Land of Rivers camp. Because it was so close to the main base, which was as crowded and observant as Konoha, he had to keep it strictly as a signal station for the sake of stealth. It didn't even house a colony of Sugar Ants; it relied entirely on manual feedings.
Tetsumaru contacted his four wild Broodmothers one by one, issuing orders for the giant insects to assemble. In addition to over sixty Scythe-Mantises, two million standard Jutsu Insects were to be gathered and moved toward the Land of Rivers.
Factoring in energy consumption, rest stops, and the need to avoid human detection, he had to meticulously organize them into groups, setting individual routes and departure times.
Beyond that, he had to accelerate the production of Scythe-Mantises and Exploding Locusts. He hoped to double the number of Mantises before the battle and stockpile at least a thousand locusts, while also replenishing his standard swarm at full capacity.
By the time the various insects from the hives began their migration, Tetsumaru realized it was already dark. His disciples had finished their training and lit a bonfire for dinner.
He frowned. Simply coordinating four Broodmothers had taken over two hours. How would he manage two hundred outposts in the future, let alone two thousand?
It was no wonder armies needed staff departments and tiered management structures. The Zerg, the Arachnids, and the Tyranids all possessed intermediate command-and-control hierarchies between the Overmind and the bottom-tier drones.
Once this war is over, I must design a middle-management unit for the swarm. Mobility and command priority need to be bumped up—maybe even higher than long-range units, second only to natural gigantism technology.
Tetsumaru composed himself, left the tent, and joined his disciples for dinner. During the meal, he informed them that they had accepted a major mission. Hearing this, the three kids began howling with excitement. Tetsumaru smiled, advising them to get some sleep early so they could move out at dawn.
After dinner, he shooed them off to rest while he made a trip to the camp's logistics center. He purchased a month's worth of food, medicine, and consumables like shuriken and kunai.
Tetsumaru rarely used standard ninja tools himself anymore; these were for his disciples—specifically Uchiha Hiro, whose consumption rate was staggering. Since Hiro had mastered the Attached Insect Limbs, he had combined them with Uchiha Shurikenjutsu to develop a "Ten-Handed Throwing Technique." Its power rivaled the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu, but it was incredibly expensive in terms of hardware.
The Uchiha were Konoha's premier clan, but Hiro was still just a child, not the son of the Clan Head or some wealthy heir. This "Money-is-no-Object" throwing style was a heavy financial burden for him.
As his teacher, Tetsumaru felt he should help out occasionally. This time, he gifted the boy five hundred shuriken.
Once his luggage was packed, Tetsumaru opened his secret, weathered scroll, flipped to the entry for "Year 36: Sixth encounter," and continued writing.
He had confirmed that this "Sixth Encounter" was indeed the canon Sannin vs. Hanzo battle. Only two of the Sannin had returned to the Land of Rivers because Jiraiya had ignored military orders to remain in the Land of Rain.
He hadn't asked Orochimaru or Tsunade for this info; he'd overheard it from the ninjas arriving from the Rain theater. For someone increasingly accustomed to the Secret Technique: Domain Field Barrier, there was almost nothing within a two-kilometer radius he couldn't see or hear—provided it wasn't a sealed space that blocked his bugs.
Generally, Tetsumaru didn't command his bugs to enter indoor spaces or tents. By remaining outside, the ninjas in camp didn't get overly paranoid, and the whispers they exchanged outdoors provided more than enough intel. There was no need to risk entering dangerous interiors. Small spaces were easy to search, and they held too many secrets; if he learned something he shouldn't, it would only cause unnecessary trouble.
Besides, some secrets will give you sties just looking at them. Ugh.
The rumors he intercepted all claimed Jiraiya remained in the Land of Rain to monitor Amegakure. Tetsumaru knew better. Jiraiya had discovered Nagato's Rinnegan and, convinced the boy was the "Child of Prophecy," had stayed behind to teach the orphans ninjutsu for three years.
The so-called "surveillance mission" was definitely the Hokage providing him with a cover story. In reality, a Chunin squad could have monitored the Rain; the village was in shambles, and the only real threat was Hanzo. If Hanzo chose to play dead, a Chunin squad was enough; if he chose to cause trouble, Jiraiya wouldn't be able to stop him anyway—he would be just as dead as a Chunin if the Half-God went all out.
Privilege. That's what it's called.
If Tetsumaru tried to defy orders and desert the army, he'd be labeled a rogue ninja instantly, with Root and Anbu breathing down his neck. Yet Jiraiya remained as carefree as ever.
Tch.
Wait, did I just think about being "looked after" by Orochimaru?Don't worry about the details.
This was a landmark event for Tetsumaru. Using it as a reference, he could deduce the timeline for several upcoming plot points.
Based on his deductions:
The impending showdown between Wind and Fire would end in a Konoha victory. The Hidden Sand was about to exit the war; the momentum of history made this unchangeable.
Sasori's parents would likely die in this campaign. Even with the White Fang present, that was unlikely to change.
Kato Dan would also die. This was less certain, depending largely on how many Root agents were present.
Sakumo kills Sasori's parents, followed by Chiyo's revenge... wherever he goes, the fighting will be the most intense and dangerous. I hope we aren't stationed together.
Kato Dan was very similar to Nawaki; both were the core of the Senju faction's influence, both were prime candidates for Hokage, and both died "accidentally" under suspicious circumstances.
It reeks of conspiracy. Getting too close to people like that is an easy way to get sucked into the village's internal power struggles.
Tetsumaru made up his mind: once the war started, he would avoid Kato Dan and the White Fang as much as possible. If he did run into them on the battlefield, he'd have to be doubly careful.
He resealed the scroll and fell into a deep sleep.
At dawn, Orochimaru assembled the entire army for a departure ceremony.
Konoha's ceremonies usually involved a speech about the Will of Fire. Even coming from the somber Orochimaru, the effect was impressive; the morale of the Konoha ninjas spiked visibly.
Even if only for this moment, the Will of Fire is an indispensable tool.
In the Warring States period, conflicts were small and short-lived; ninjas didn't have time for psychological issues. In the era of Hidden Villages, the scale of war had grown tenfold, and the endurance of nations a hundredfold. Wars now lasted years.
Long-term warfare turned ninjas into lunatics. An army where the veterans were mostly crazed led to low morale and crumbling discipline. It resulted in poor efficiency and atrocities like the slaughter of entire clans or villages. An army like that was toxic.
The Land of Fire sat at the heart of the continent; without absolute strength, it was destined to be besieged. For most of its history, it was in a state of "being invaded," so the wars fought by Konoha ninjas had a defensive, anti-aggression nature.
Combined with the massive casualties, the "Will of Fire"—centered on protection, bonds, and sacrifice—had emerged. it effectively bolstered morale and steeled the will to fight.
In Year 37, the Third Hokage's administration was still active on the front lines. They hadn't yet devolved into blatant corruption, and the high-ups hadn't yet directly distorted the Will of Fire for their own ends. The Konoha ninjas' faith in the ideology was pure, and the older the ninja, the more steadfast their belief.
Even the Orochimaru standing on the podium, awkwardly reading a script about the Will of Fire, was a believer in his own way. Beside him, Sakumo Hatake, Tsunade, and the various clan heads and elite Jonin all devoutly believed in the spirit of sacrifice and dedication.
Until, a few years later...
When Sakumo Hatake committed suicide due to rumors, the backbone of Konoha could no longer believe. The Will of Fire collapsed. The elite ninjas who made up Konoha's core weren't fools. When the leadership used rumors to drive a man who practiced the Will of Fire to his death, no matter how "moving" the Hokage's words were, his actions were more convincing. Aside from children who were blank slates, who would dare believe after that?
But for now, the Will of Fire was sincere, burning, and inspiring. Combined with the promise of "The Final Battle against the Sand," Orochimaru's speech left eight thousand ninjas brimming with battle-intent and confidence.
After the assembly, nearly a hundred Jonin led their respective squads and departed first.
Next was the main force: fourteen hundred full Chunin squads—over five thousand ninjas—organized into battalions under dozens of Jonin. They followed Lady Tsunade out of the camp.
The third group to leave consisted of about two thousand ninjas, mostly incomplete squads that were difficult to replenish for various reasons. Among them were even some Jonin squads that simply couldn't find suitable personnel.
When the three waves had departed, only about three hundred people remained. This included Orochimaru's command staff, Sakumo Hatake's deep-strike units, and the elite defensive units like the Ino-Shika-Cho.
Orochimaru signaled for the remaining ninjas to enter the command tent. It was extraordinarily large; even with over three hundred people and the dozens of Anbu waiting inside, it didn't feel crowded.
There were no support pillars in the center of the tent. Instead, a massive table held a giant map centered on the Land of Rivers.
As the commander, Orochimaru explained the various zones on the map, using different colors to distinguish between guerrilla deep-strike zones and defensive zones. He assigned an elite squad to each zone, with Anbu units designated for support and communication across multiple sectors.
As Orochimaru spoke, everyone noticed two massive circles on the map. One encompassed nearly half of the western guerrilla zone, and the other covered the entire central defensive area of the Land of Rivers.
"Jonin Hatake, your mobile theater is Zone 9."
"Yes."
Everyone nodded: As expected. The largest zone was assigned to Sakumo Hatake. Zone 9 spanned half the Land of Rivers and half the Land of Wind, stretching six to seven hundred kilometers in every direction. Crucially, its borders were jagged, overlapping with numerous other guerrilla and defensive zones, implying a responsibility to support them. A region and responsibility of that scale could only be handled by the White Fang.
Guerrilla warfare was the norm in the Land of Rivers because the theater was too vast for the troop density found on other fronts. Aside from the small southern plain, there were no fixed front lines; combat happened on the move. Guerrilla squads needed room to maneuver, but not too much. The core of shinobi guerrilla tactics was to tie down enemy forces so they couldn't gather, while being able to strike quickly to prevent being cornered by a slow buildup of numbers.
So, what's the deal with that massive block in the center of the Land of Rivers?
Everyone, including the Ino-Shika-Cho and the White Fang, stared curiously at the center of the map. It was clearly a defensive zone, but it was so large—which Jonin could possibly be responsible for it?
The Ino-Shika-Cho?
No, Shikato Nara thought, shaking his head. Even we couldn't cover that much ground. Zone 22 is a much better fit for our squad's capabilities.
"Shikato-kun, Team 41 will take Zone 22."
"Yes."
As one prestigious squad after another was assigned a task, the candidate for the massive Zone 31 became increasingly mysterious.
"Zone 31 will be handled by Team 121."
Uchiha Hiro: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ Nara Yoshito: (⊙_⊙) Inuzuka O: w(°Д°)w
The others: (°ー°〃)
Who is Team 121?Never heard of them.Who's the captain?No idea.
Amidst the low buzz of three hundred people whispering in confusion, Aburame Tetsumaru took a step forward.
"Yes."
Everyone: (⊙_⊙)