Hiruzen's mood was not bad. Although he was personally on the front lines, the war with the Sand Village had reached a point where it did not fundamentally require his direct attention.
Having obtained a batch of medicinal resources from the Sand Village through Minato, and with the Sand Village no longer deploying any particularly cunning tactical designs, Konoha's forces were demonstrating a level of combat superiority over the Sand Village in direct confrontations, even on the smaller battlefields.
The situation was stable.
He had essentially been treating this section of the front as a temporary working post, spending most of his time processing intelligence from the other two border fronts against the Stone Village and the Cloud Village.
Compared to the Sand Village engagement, those two were heating up considerably.
This underlying unease kept Hiruzen from fully relaxing despite the relatively favorable situation here.
One day, the Konoha army's leadership gathered again to discuss the series of ongoing harassment operations and skirmishes with the Sand Village.
However, most of the discussion kept drifting back toward the other two fronts. Although everyone remained watchful for any sign of a Sand Village large-scale offensive, what they could currently observe suggested the situation was at least manageable.
"Hokage-sama." Shikaku rubbed his chin and frowned. "Compared to the Sand Village's aggressive opening invasion of the Land of Fire, something feels slightly off to me now."
"What do you mean?" Hiruzen looked up.
"Don't you think the Sand Village is being a little too quiet? Their attacks on our border have never stopped, but they are only harassing us. They have absolutely no intention of fighting to a decisive conclusion. The moment our troops demonstrate any superiority in an engagement, they withdraw immediately."
Shikaku continued.
"It feels like they are stalling for time rather than genuinely trying to fight us. This is different from the first battle. The Sand Village's fighting spirit has dropped by more than one level."
"Haha." A senior official chuckled. "I think that Shimizu from the Sand Village has probably realized that without some elaborate preparation, a direct confrontation with us is fundamentally too difficult to win. It is not that he does not want to fight.
He simply lacks the tactical footing to do so right now. Furthermore, their medicinal resources are now in our hands. Even if they attempt to resupply, it will take considerable time."
"I actually think Shikaku is right," Minato said. "Judging from the series of tactics and arrangements they executed before our first major engagement with the Sand Village, the results were very clear and the impact on us was considerable.
This proves that even if the current battlefield situation is unfavorable to them, an enemy with this capability and intention to fight at full potential should not be acting like this."
"What is your read on it?" Hiruzen looked at Shikaku.
"I suspect the Sand Village is likely maintaining contact with the Hidden Stone or Hidden Cloud Village independently. Their purpose is not to wage a genuine major war against us here.
It is to use this situation to tie down a portion of our forces, causing the other two battlefields to lose ground. Or, they are waiting."
Shikaku lowered his voice.
"Waiting until we become heavily committed against the Hidden Cloud or Hidden Stone on those fronts and something forces us to redeploy forces from here to assist. That would give them their opening."
"But they are the attacking side," another officer said. "Even if their goal is purely harassment and attrition, after an extended period they will suffer significant losses regardless. No matter how I look at it, I cannot fully work it out."
Shikaku could not resolve the logic completely either. But he had carried a feeling since the first battle, when the Sand Village had inflicted such heavy damage on Konoha, that the enemy's commander was genuinely not a simple figure. There was purpose behind every action they took.
"You have thought through a great deal of this, and your reasoning shows genuine growth," Hiruzen said to Shikaku. "Strategic deployment and battlefield tactics are certainly crucial.
But sometimes, under the constraints of the actual battlefield situation, repeatedly relying on tactics alone to gain an advantage becomes impossible."
"Ultimately, the village's military strength is the foundation."
After saying this, Hiruzen's gaze turned slightly cold.
His very presence on this front was itself a threat to the Sand Village.
"Send the remaining medicine to the other two front lines," Hiruzen ordered.
"Yes."
The officer nodded. They had already experienced the Sand Village's new medicine firsthand and understood its effectiveness. It could no longer be considered a simple medical resource. It was a necessary military supply.
Compared to the relatively stable situation here, the armies fighting against the Stone and Cloud Villages on the other fronts needed this kind of support far more urgently.
While the discussion was still ongoing, a subordinate rushed into the tent.
"Hokage-sama! Our village has been attacked by the Sand Village!"
Everyone present changed expression instantly.
Even Hiruzen, who had just been speaking with measured calm, felt his heart skip a beat.
Being targeted in the interior, with an enemy force attacking the village itself, was a situation qualitatively more serious than any border invasion. The implications were immediate and severe.
"When did this happen?" Hiruzen's breathing tightened as he spoke.
How had a Sand Village force appeared inside the Land of Fire and reached the village itself without warning? His subordinate hurriedly relayed the intelligence.
The words that followed the initial report were reassuring. After hearing the full details, everyone in the tent felt somewhat calmer. The Sand Village's attack on the village had not been particularly intense.
The village's defenders had successfully resisted and had launched effective counterattacks and pursuit operations. The fact that this force had managed to sneak into the Land of Fire at all indicated their stealth capabilities were limited and their numbers had not been large.
But the move still sent a chill through everyone present.
"The fleeing Sand Village members are currently being pursued by a team led by Uchiha Fugaku. The enemy is moving toward the border."
"Understood," Hiruzen nodded, and without hesitation turned immediately to Minato.
"Minato, Shikaku, you two take your men and intercept the enemy's escape route. We must capture every one of the Sand Village members in a single sweep."
"Yes."
The sudden news, which had initially brought some relief to the atmosphere in the tent, turned sour almost immediately after.
"Sand Village!" A Leaf Village Jonin clenched his fist, his expression filled with barely contained anger.
Hiruzen's face, which had been holding a relatively composed expression, contorted with renewed concern. The relatively stable mood he had maintained for some time was immediately shattered.
Using the border conflict as cover, the Sand Village had infiltrated the Land of Fire's interior to carry out this operation.
They had also accurately anticipated that the Leaf Village would have redirected troops toward the border fronts for active defense.
Not only were the village's internal military defenses exposed as a result, but the Land of Fire's patrol forces were severely understrength throughout the interior, and the overall level of security had been significantly weakened.
This was precisely why the Sand Village's ambush team had been able to successfully infiltrate to the village's vicinity without being detected.
"Truly clever planning."
Hiruzen's face was tight.
That Shimizu. From beginning to end, how had these people developed minds this sharp? Although the attack had not been decisive and the danger had been managed, this was the kind of thing that made one feel quietly apprehensive.
If by any chance the Sand Village had truly succeeded, causing large numbers of civilians to die, the political and morale consequences would have been severe.
This time they had defended themselves successfully, but it was likely that more than half of the civilian population in the affected areas had experienced some degree of impact.
Strike the east to attack the west. Deceive the eyes while moving against the real target.
Recalling what Shikaku had said during the earlier discussion, Hiruzen could not help but turn the thought over. Was this the Sand Village's true underlying intention all along?
If word spread that the village itself had been attacked, it would signal to every opposing force across the ninja world that Konoha's interior defenses were dangerously thin. Today it had been the Sand Village. What about tomorrow?
If other villages launched their own targeted operations and plans based on this signal, the consequences would compound rapidly.
"Get someone," Hiruzen said suddenly, the thought crystallizing into a decision.
"Hokage-sama." The person beside him responded immediately.
"Bring the Hyuga and Uchiha clans here."
"Yes."
...
Bonus @600 PS