Chapter 231: The God of Shinobi Returns
The Land of Wind (風の国, Kaze no Kuni).
At the designated rendezvous point, codenamed 'Withered Oasis'.
This place was a rare, almost unbelievable miracle in the vast, unforgiving sea of sand. A small, clear spring bubbled up from the earth, nourishing a tiny patch of tenacious, green vegetation—a stark contrast to the endless yellow dunes stretching in every direction.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Figures, blurred by speed and the swirling sand, sped in from all directions, finally converging on this small patch of life. They were the twenty elite Konoha squads, returning from their coordinated strike.
"First Squad reporting! Captain Hyūga Shigetoku!" The grim-faced Hyūga Jōnin knelt before Nara Shikaku, who had set up a temporary command post near the spring.
"Mission accomplished! All three designated outposts in the target area neutralized. A total of sixty-four enemies eliminated. All targets cleared!"
"Casualties: Twelve of our men sustained minor injuries, three sustained serious injuries requiring immediate medical attention!"
"Second Squad reporting! Captain Inuzuka Gaku!" The fierce Inuzuka Jōnin, his ninken partner panting beside him, reported next.
"Mission accomplished! Target outposts secured. Fifty-six enemies eliminated! Casualties: Eight of our men with minor injuries, two with serious injuries!"
"Third Squad reporting! Captain Aburame Yōji..."
The captains of the twenty squads reported their results to the temporary commander, Nara Shikaku, in sequence.
Each report, delivered in crisp, professional tones, signified that Sunagure's defensive forces in a particular border area had been completely, and utterly, wiped out.
In just a few short hours, Konohagakure (Village Hidden in the Leaves), moving with lightning speed and overwhelming force, had torn apart the border defenses that Sunagakure had spent decades painstakingly constructing.
Two thousand elite Konoha shinobi against scattered, unsuspecting, demoralized outpost garrisons... it wasn't a battle. It was a one-sided slaughter.
The final casualty ratio was appallingly, almost unbelievably, low.
On Konoha's side, only some personnel were injured, mostly minor cuts and abrasions sustained during infiltration.
There were no fatalities.
"Very good."
Nara Shikaku nodded with grim satisfaction after hearing all the reports.
"Phase one of the plan... perfectly achieved."
He stood up, his voice carrying over the wind. "Pass down the order! Logistics team is to immediately begin setting up the forward operating base! Medical squad, prioritize treatment for the seriously wounded! All combat personnel, rest in place and recover your chakra! Maintain vigilance!"
"Yes!"
The orders were quickly relayed through the assembled forces.
However, new, unforeseen problems soon emerged.
The environment of the Land of Wind was far harsher, far more hostile, than anyone from the lush Land of Fire could have truly imagined.
The wind wasn't just wind; it was a physical force, carrying stinging sand that got into everything.
The shinobi of the logistics team struggled immensely, battling the relentless wind, just to barely erect the frame of a single standard-issue Konoha tent.
But before they could even begin to cover it with canvas, an even fiercer gust of wind howled past, tearing through the oasis.
"Careful!"
"Hold it down! Hold it down quickly!"
Several shinobi rushed over, scrambling, using their own bodies as anchors to hold onto the groaning metal frame.
CRACK! A support pole snapped under the strain. The entire structure collapsed in a tangle of metal and canvas.
"Damn it!" The logistics captain, a seasoned Chūnin, punched the sand, his face contorted with frustration and rising anxiety.
"The wind in this cursed place is too strong! The standard tents... they can't be set up at all! They're useless here!"
A team member nearby wiped sand from his face, spitting out grit. He said with a bitter expression, "Captain, if this continues... let alone setting up a proper camp... we won't even get a sip of hot water! My mouth is full of sand already!"
Similar scenes played out across the small oasis. Frustration mounted.
Many shinobi, who had just experienced a satisfying, successful battle and were still riding high on adrenaline, were now being covered in dust and sand by the omnipresent, stinging wind.
Their initial morale, their feeling of invincibility, began to visibly drop. Grumbling started to spread.
War is never just about fighting and killing.
Logistics—supply lines, shelter, food, water—is the lifeline that determines the direction, and often the outcome, of war.
Especially in extreme environments like the desert. A stable, wind-and-sand-resistant camp, a sip of clean hot water, a place to rest out of the elements... these could be crucial in determining morale, combat effectiveness, and even survival.
Tsunade, who had been overseeing the initial setup of the medical tents (which were also failing), and Nara Shikaku stood aside, watching the chaotic, failing efforts. Their brows were tightly furrowed.
"No. This won't do," Tsunade said in a deep, worried voice.
"If we cannot quickly establish a stable camp for rest and recovery, the combat effectiveness of our unit will be greatly reduced before we even engage the main Suna forces."
Nara Shikaku sighed, rubbing his aching forehead. "This is troublesome... Mendokusē. The environment of the Land of Wind is truly too harsh. Our standard-issue tents simply cannot be deployed quickly, or perhaps at all, in these conditions."
"And this," he added grimly, "is just the beginning. We're still near the border. Once we penetrate deeper into the Land of Wind, the issues of water, supplies, and shelter will become even more critical."
Just as everyone—from the lowest Genin struggling with tent poles to the highest commanders—was feeling a sense of frustration and helplessness...
Buzz—!
The air in the center of the oasis suddenly distorted for an instant, like a heat haze.
Uchiha Akira appeared, stepping out of nothingness.
"Hokage-sama!"
Instantly, everyone's spirits lifted. A wave of renewed energy seemed to sweep through the oasis. They saluted in unison.
Akira's gaze swept over the messy, chaotic scene before him. He saw the collapsed tents, the frustrated logistics shinobi, the sand-covered combat troops.
"Everyone. Stop."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.
The logistics shinobi, who were still struggling fruitlessly with the wind and sand, subconsciously stopped their movements. They looked blankly at their Hokage.
Stop?
But... if we don't set up camp... are we supposed to spend the night out here? In this wind? In this sand?
Under the puzzled, bewildered, and even slightly questioning gazes of over two thousand elite Konoha shinobi...
Uchiha Akira slowly clasped his hands together in a simple seal.
"Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" (Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!)
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
In a near-instantaneous eruption of smoke, nearly a hundred identical copies of Uchiha Akira appeared, filling the open space of the oasis!
"Hiss—"
Seeing this, countless shinobi couldn't help but gasp.
They had seen the Shadow Clone Jutsu before, of course. Naruto used it constantly.
But to create hundreds at once? Casually? Without seeming strained?
What kind of monstrous chakra reserve did their Hokage possess?!
But the true shock... the real miracle... had only just begun.
Nearly a hundred Uchiha Akiras, moving in perfect, silent unison, quickly formed a series of complex hand signs!
Before anyone could even react, before they could even guess what jutsu required so many clones...
"Mokuton: Shichūka no Jutsu!" (Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique!)
[Inorin's Note: Mokuton: Shichūka no Jutsu is a Wood Release technique used by Hashirama Senju and those with his cells (like Yamato) to create wooden buildings, ranging from simple huts to large mansions.]
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE—!!!
The ground began to shake violently! Not just the oasis, but the very dunes surrounding it!
Before everyone's horrified, disbelieving eyes...
Logs. Massive, solid logs shot up from beneath the quicksand!
They grew, twisted, intertwined, and connected at a visible, impossible speed!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One row of solid, sturdy wooden houses erupted from the sand!
And another row! And another!
Solid, neat, perfectly formed wooden houses—buildings that could perfectly withstand the howling wind and driving sand—rose directly from the ground!
In less than a minute!
The once chaotic, wind-swept, struggling oasis was completely transformed!
In its place stood a vast, well-planned, enormous wooden camp! Capable of accommodating thousands of people!
Houses, barracks, watchtowers, even defensive walls... everything was in place! It was a small, instant fortress, built of living wood.
The nearly two thousand Konoha shinobi were all frozen like statues. Each one was utterly, completely dumbfounded. Mouths hung open. Eyes stared wide.
Wood Release!
Mokuton!
This was the signature power! The legendary, god-like Kekkei Genkai of the Shodai Hokage, Senju Hashirama!
The power that had pacified the warring states, founded Konoha, and earned him the eternal title of "God of Shinobi"!
And now... now... this divine power... it was reborn!
In the hands of their Godaime Hokage-sama!
"I... I didn't see wrong, did I...?" a young Uchiha Clan member instinctively rubbed his eyes, thinking he was trapped in a powerful genjutsu. "That's... Wood Release?"
"It's real... it's real!" an older Hyūga veteran whispered, his Byakugan confirming the impossible chakra signature. "This power... it's definitely Wood Release! Unmistakable!"
"Oh my god! Hokage-sama... he... he actually possesses the power of Shodai-sama!"
"Shinobi no Kami... Another God of Shinobi has appeared in our Konoha!!!"
After a brief, stunned silence...
Came a volcanic eruption of utterly explosive, fanatical fervor!
"OH OH OH OH OH—!!"
"HOKAGE-SAMA!!"
"MOKUTON!!"
"KONOHA WILL WIN!!"
Roars like a mountain collapsing, like a tsunami crashing! The sound washed over the desert, shaking the very air!
With such a deity leading them, what enemy could not be defeated?
Forget about a mere Sunagakure!
Even unifying the entire Shinobi World... they now firmly, religiously believed... under the leadership of this Hokage-sama... it was merely a matter of time!
Nara Shikaku stared blankly at the miraculous, instantly constructed camp before him. His strategic mind simply... short-circuited.
"You've... you've got to be kidding me..." he muttered, utterly bewildered.
"Wood Release...? Does Hokage-sama... even know something like this...? When...? How...?"
Uchiha Akira calmly recalled all his Shadow Clones, their purpose served.
He looked around at the flushed faces below, red with fervor, chanting his name.
The army's morale is high.
Akira slowly raised his hand, making a clear downward motion.
Instantly, all the cheers, all the chants, ceased abruptly.
The entire camp was suddenly so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Such was his absolute authority now.
"Now," Akira announced, his voice carrying easily over the silenced crowd, "the camp problem is solved."
"Go rest."
"Conserve your energy."
"Prepare to meet the coming battles!"
"YES, HOKAGE-SAMA!"
After a single, thunderous response, there was only silence and swift efficiency.
The shinobi, whose morale had plummeted just moments ago due to the harsh environment, now had faces filled with nothing but fervent adoration and absolute confidence.
No more complaints. No more hesitation. No more doubt.
Led by their respective captains, they, in their squad units, quickly and orderly entered the sturdy, miraculous wooden houses created by their God of Shinobi.
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