"The frontline squad was breached," Sasori said calmly after his brief exchange with Yuji. "Amegakure forces punched through and are attempting to eliminate our personnel stationed along the border."
It was clear he had already encountered other enemy units inside the canyon and pieced together the situation.
Yuji considered this.
"The conflict between Amegakure and Konoha is essentially over after that battle," Yuji said slowly. "Hanzo understands that this war will likely end in Konoha's favor. After easing tensions with the Land of Fire, it makes sense that he would redirect his attention toward us."
He was referring to the confrontation in which Hanzo faced Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade. It was that battle that earned them the title of the Sannin.
"Konoha will win?" Sasori's voice turned colder. "Amegakure stepping back does not mean our village intends to pursue peace."
Yuji understood immediately.
Sasori's parents had died at the hands of the White Fang of Konoha. His hatred was not abstract. It was personal.
Yuji did not argue further. Regardless of personal grievances, the balance of power was what it was. Sunagakure had already suffered heavy attrition. In a direct confrontation, they were in no position to overwhelm Konoha.
Still, Yuji knew how history would unfold. For now, he kept that knowledge to himself.
'Hanzo realized he could not gain advantage against Konoha, so he shifted his ambitions toward the Land of Wind. Our territory is vast, but resources are scarce. Most of the landscape is desert and rock. Our manpower is stretched thin, and we lack top-tier combatants comparable to Konoha's Sannin who can decisively influence a battlefield.'
'Multiple villages are fighting on several fronts. Even if our border defenses are organized, rapid mobilization and reinforcement are difficult. Sustained investment in a prolonged border conflict would strain us further.'
'On top of that, we must remain wary of Kirigakure and Iwagakure,' Yuji thought. 'Hanzo's timing is deliberate.'
Amegakure's incursion likely stemmed from the assumption that Sunagakure would not negotiate peace with Konoha in the short term. Though one of the Five Great Villages, the Hidden Sand was, at this moment, the most vulnerable.
The war with Konoha alone had already consumed enormous manpower. The casualties within Lady Chiyo's own family were proof of that.
"Let's move," Yuji said quietly.
The three of them relocated the injured genin to another concealed position. Endo departed to relay the intelligence to nearby patrol units.
Soon, only Sasori and Yuji remained at the original site, waiting.
Yuji examined the unconscious genin beside them. The injuries were severe.
"He needs to be sent back to the village," Yuji said.
Sasori glanced at the boy without emotion.
"In this condition, the journey alone may kill him," he replied. "And even if he reaches the hospital, with the current load of wounded, do you think they will prioritize a genin?"
He looked at Yuji directly.
"You've been working there. You know how it is."
There was no cruelty in his tone. Only blunt realism.
"He was too weak."
Yuji did not respond immediately.
Sasori was not wrong. On a battlefield, strength determined survival.
After a moment, Yuji spoke.
"That is precisely why the village and its shinobi must become stronger. Otherwise, this will continue."
Yuji shifted the topic.
"These squads that infiltrated today are unlikely to be the main force. More likely, they are vanguards. Their purpose is reconnaissance. They will test our defensive positions, observe our deployment patterns, and evaluate response time."
He glanced toward the canyon.
"If Hanzo is planning something larger, this is preparation. A full assault may follow."
Sasori's eyes sharpened slightly. For the first time, there was a trace of surprise.
He had known Yuji as a talented medical genin. He had not expected such clarity in strategic reasoning.
"I'm not certain," Sasori shook his head.
Sasori had only captured a single survivor and extracted what information he could.
At their age, most people did not think beyond immediate survival.
Sasori's instinct was simple. Eliminate the enemy. Protect the village.
But Yuji's thinking extended further.
He was not just considering the skirmish in front of them.
He was thinking about the village's overall condition. The decisions of its leadership. The direction it was heading.
He frowned slightly.
In the end, Sunagakure would yield to Konoha.
It was inevitable.
If the war continued, the Hidden Sand would be the first to collapse. The Third Kazekage was not foolish, but he understood the limits of their strength.
The problem was not strategy.
The problem was consequence.
For Sasori, compromise would not feel like pragmatism. It would feel like betrayal.
His parents had already died because of the village's decisions. Before he could even avenge them, the village might choose peace.
To a child who had lost everything, that would not look like survival.
It would look like surrender.
That was the kind of wound that did not heal.
At present, Sasori was withdrawn, quiet, colder than other children his age. But he was still within the bounds of something recognizable.
Later, when the White Fang took his own life, even revenge would be denied to him. The anger and grief he had nowhere to direct would begin to accumulate.
Eventually, that resentment would turn toward the Third Kazekage.
And beyond him, toward the village itself.
The bond would fracture completely.
Yuji knew this.
He had met Sasori long before the Academy.
Back then, Sasori still smiled. He was shy, soft-spoken, easily embarrassed in front of adults. Just an ordinary child.
Three years ago, everything changed.
After his parents' deaths, he rarely left his home. Even within the village, he was seldom seen. Though enrolled in the Academy, most of his true training came from Lady Chiyo. Graduation was merely a formality for someone of his talent.
He was never particularly close to his peers.
Yuji watched him now.
The Second Shinobi World War had drained Sunagakure deeply. By the time of the Third, their strength would still be insufficient. Rasa would be forced to use his Magnet Release to gather gold dust in exchange for resources. Later, he would turn his own son into a jinchūriki.
All of it would be framed as necessity.
Sasori had once held expectations for the village.
Reality would dismantle them piece by piece.
It was not just his parents. Even Pakura, a loyal kunoichi, would one day be sacrificed in negotiations with Kirigakure.
Sunagakure had made such choices more than once.
Yuji's gaze sharpened.
Now that he was part of this village, he could not simply observe.
If nothing changed, the same chain of events would unfold again, and the consequences would only worsen.
At the root of it all, the issue was simple.
They were not strong enough.
And neither was he.