Konoha's Hextech Ninja

Yoruichi Yagami's main body did not leave; she only sent a wooden clone to meet Sakumo Hatake.

When I arrived at the Hokage Building, the other consultants were already there.

Also present was a member of the Dark Guard.

He is an "old man" left over from the Second Hokage's time, codenamed "Tiger".

"What's going on?" Yagami Yoruichi noticed the awkward atmosphere in the office and couldn't help but ask, "Has the spy organization sent back some important intelligence?"

The reason for this question is that 'Tiger's' job is to maintain contact with the spy organizations dispatched by Konoha.

It was also thanks to him, and the leader of the spy organization, the pharmacist Nono, codenamed 'Miko'.

The espionage organizations that Konoha had placed throughout the ninja world were able to maintain their existence without completely collapsing due to the internal turmoil within Konoha.

"Take a look at this information." Sakumo Hatake handed Yoruichi Yagami a document.

Yagami Yoruichi took it and looked at it; it contained information about the recent activities of Sunagakure Village.

From the flow of funds and the transfer of supplies to the arrangement and deployment of ninjas, and so on.

Even though Yagami Yoruichi wasn't particularly skilled at intelligence analysis, he still managed to draw a clear conclusion from this obvious information: Sunagakure intended to launch a preemptive attack on Konoha.

Moreover, the war will inevitably begin within the next month or two.

The reason is quite simple.

If such a massive amount of funds, resources, and personnel cannot be mobilized in a short period of time, the village of Sunagakure will inevitably descend into chaos.

While there is some debate about which of the Five Great Ninja Villages, Sunagakure and Kirigakure, is the weakest, there is absolutely no dispute that Sunagakure is the poorest of the Five Great Ninja Villages. The entire ninja world agrees that it must be Sunagakure.

This is not simply because the Land of Wind is barren, or because Sunagakure lost too much in the previous Shinobi World War, causing the Daimyo of the Land of Wind to distrust Sunagakure and continuously reduce funding.

It also includes complex political and diplomatic factors.

However, for Konoha, it is meaningless to delve into why Sunagakure is so poor. It is enough to see the choices that Sunagakure could make under such extreme poverty.

It is obvious that Sunagakure Village is already desperate for money. In addition, the internal turmoil caused by the disappearance of the Third Kazekage has forced Sunagakure Village to take the initiative to seek war with outsiders in order to alleviate the internal conflicts.

"The fourth Kazekage hasn't even been chosen yet, and we're already starting a war?" Yagami Yoruichi asked in surprise.

Yagami Yoruichi originally believed that Rasa had become the Fourth Kazekage and was pushing for war.

However, the records clearly state that the current leaders of Sunagakure Village are the two elders, Chiyo and Ebizo.

However, the two elders are too old to serve as Wind Shadows.

After a high-level meeting, it was decided that Rasa and Yekura, the only two relatively young Kage-level ninjas in Sunagakure, would compete for the next Kazekage position.

The competition was based on merits in the war and who could win the support of more ninjas in the village.

"This thought process is truly..."

Yagami Yoruichi was speechless for a moment.

However, upon closer reflection, this may be a choice made out of necessity.

If the two are deadlocked and unable to make a choice, the longer the conflict drags on, the greater the harm to Sunagakure Village will be. It would be better to directly wage war without a Kazekage to divert attention from the conflict. At the same time, it would provide a way for both sides to compete for the next Kazekage in a way that they have to accept, and it would also encourage them to perform better in the war.

"The village can't spare many ninjas right now, especially strong ones."

Nara Shikawa spoke up, "The Hokage is crucial to the stability of the village and cannot easily go to the front lines. Furthermore, there are too many powerful figures concentrated on the northern front. As for ordinary ninjas, the village can only spare a limited number, at most a few hundred in the short term, and perhaps a few hundred to a couple of thousand reinforcements later."

"Who says the Hokage has to be stationed in the village?!"

Sakumo Hatake immediately spoke up: "When the village is in trouble, it is my duty as Hokage to stand at the forefront!"

"But Hokage, if you go to the front lines, and Iwagakure and Kirigakure also take the opportunity to launch an attack, it won't do if there's no one in the village to take charge!" Nara Shikato tried to persuade him.

This can be considered an 'old problem' left over from the time of the third generation, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

They always seek stability and prioritize it above all else.

Even if it means missing a battle opportunity or incurring greater losses, they are unwilling to take a more risky approach, which is also more likely to yield high returns.

"The rule that the Hokage doesn't go to the front lines is really unnecessary."

Yagami Yoruichi said, "The Raikage of Kumogakure is always at the forefront. Among the five great nations, the ninjas of Kumogakure are the most united, and this is largely due to this. With the village's Kage leading the charge, the morale of the ordinary ninjas is also higher."

Hearing Yagami Yoruichi speak up for him, Hatake Sakumo's face lit up with joy.

But before he could even speak, Yagami Yoruichi changed the subject again, continuing, "It's just Sunagakure Village, there's no need to treat it like a major enemy. Since the village can't spare many troops, I'll just go and take a trip myself."

With the limited strength of Sunagakure Village, Yoruichi Yagami was fully confident that she could wipe them out by herself.

“Yoruichi-kun, even if your Wood Release is powerful, you can’t defend the entire border, can you?” Nara Shikahara objected. “Deploying troops is still necessary. However, if Yoruichi-kun is involved, the number of ninja troops can indeed be reduced.”

“There’s no need.” Yagami Yoruichi shook her head and said, “Defense? I definitely can’t hold the long border. But who said I was going to defend?”

Even disregarding the possibility of bypassing Sunagakure Village, directly crossing the Land of Rivers and entering the Land of Fire would still involve hundreds or thousands of kilometers of border, which Yagami Yoruichi could not possibly cover alone.

If Sunagakure were to disperse and invade the Land of Fire, it would cause immense damage to the Land of Fire and also bring considerable trouble to Konoha.

However, if Yagami Yoruichi chooses to take the initiative and wipes out the Sunagakure ninjas while they are gathered, the problem will be solved immediately.

"A proactive attack?"

Nara Shikato instinctively wanted to object: "We have an alliance with Sunagakure. Although Sunagakure has shown a tendency to break the alliance, we haven't actually started a war yet, so we are still allies in name. Actively breaking the alliance would damage our reputation..."

"Do you want the lives of Konoha ninja, or your reputation?" Yagami Yoruichi interrupted Nara Shikaku, saying, "If we launch a proactive attack, I'm confident I can cripple Sunagakure in one go, preventing them from ever invading the Land of Fire again. I could even wipe out Sunagakure. But if Sunagakure launches a proactive attack, even if I fight with all my might, many Konoha ninja will still be sacrificed."

On the battlefield, Yoruichi Yagami could not possibly protect everyone.

Especially in long battlefields spanning hundreds or thousands of kilometers, the area that Yoruichi Yagami can cover is very limited.

If things really develop to that point, it will be a fight to the death between the Konoha ninja and the Sunagakure ninja.

Compared to causing significant losses to Konoha, Yoruichi Yagami would rather bear the infamy of 'breaking the alliance and provoking war'.

Anyway, as long as I win, great scholars will naturally come to debate the classics for me.

Upon hearing Yagami Yoruichi's statement, Nara Shikato, despite feeling that it was wrong to initiate a war, could no longer continue to strongly oppose it.

If they continue to oppose it, they will be disregarding the lives of the ninjas in their village.

He can't accept such a huge accusation.

"The lives of fellow village ninjas are indeed more important than reputation."

Sakumo Hatake agreed, then looked at Yoruichi Yagami and asked, "Yoruichi, are you really confident?"

Yagami Yoruichi said without hesitation, "As long as we can pinpoint the location where the Sunagakure ninjas are gathered, I guarantee that none of them will escape."

One would need at least the strength of a 'Kage-level peak' to struggle against Yagami Yoruichi's Wood Release.

As for escaping, one either needs strength surpassing that of a Kage, or one needs special escape methods such as space-time ninjutsu.

The simplest of these is reverse spirit communication.

If you react quickly enough, it's still possible to escape from Yoruichi Yagami using a reverse summoning technique.

However, once most of the Sand Village ninja are dealt with, the remaining few won't cause much of a commotion.

By forcing Sunagakure Village to surrender, the war can be quelled.

“I believe Yoruichi-kun has the ability.” Hatake Sakumo nodded, then changed the subject, saying, “However, just to be on the safe side, let’s bring a group of ninja troops with us.”

"also."

Yagami Yoruichi didn't seem to care, saying, "Send me a group of ninjas skilled in sensory perception to strengthen border patrols."

“Okay, I’ll leave a unit in Yokado-cho for you to command.” Hatake Sakumo thought for a moment and said, “You can also choose thirty Jonin from the village. As for Chunin and Genin, I’ll give you three hundred.”

Before Yagami Yoruichi could reply, Uchiha Fugaku interjected, "The ninjas of the Uchiha clan are always ready to serve the village."

The Uchiha clan always wanted to achieve military merits in order to improve their image in the village.

Unfortunately, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, simply wouldn't give them that opportunity.

Now that they've finally found a Hokage who is willing to trust the Uchiha clan, they naturally want to make a name for themselves.

Upon hearing Uchiha Fugaku's words, Hyuga Hiashi quickly added, "The Hyuga clan too!"

This is purely for the purpose of competing with the Uchiha clan.

Both being powerful clans with inherited bloodlines from Konoha, and both renowned for their eye techniques, the Hyuga clan always sought to outdo the Uchiha.

“The Uchiha and Hyuga clans will each send thirty people. As for the selection, you can decide for yourselves.” Yagami Yoruichi did not refuse the two clans’ offer and continued, “As for the remaining two hundred or so people, one hundred and fifty will be commoners, and the rest will be selected from other ninja clans.”

More than three hundred ninjas, half of whom were civilians and half were from ninja clans.

Although it was just a formality, they basically had no chance to participate in the war.

But even if they were just slacking off, as long as Konoha wins the war, all the ninjas who participated in the battle will be rewarded.

This is also an opportunity to build up your experience.

“Then I will personally…” Uchiha Fugaku was about to say that he would personally lead his clansmen to fight.

Maruhoshi Kosuke spoke up, saying, "In that case, the battlefield of Sunagakure will be left to Yoruichi. We old folks will take care of things in the village and ensure stability in the rear."

Interrupted by Kosuke Maruboshi, Fugaku Uchiha, who was prone to overthinking, couldn't help but think, "Was Kosuke-senpai deliberately reminding me not to lead the team myself? Yes, the Uchiha clan has just been reinstated by the village, so we can't be too conspicuous. If I were to compete with Yoruichi for credit, it would seem rather unseemly. Besides, if I were to reveal my Mangekyou Sharingan, the village might become wary of me."

Thinking of this, Fugaku Uchiha changed his mind and said, "Then I will have Elder Yatsuho lead the team, and he will definitely select the elite ninjas of the Uchiha clan! Elder Yatsuho has strong eye power and is proficient in ninjutsu and genjutsu. If Yoruichi-kun needs the Uchiha clan's help in anything, he will definitely be able to complete the mission successfully."

“Our Hyuga clan also dispatches elite Jonin-level clan members to lead teams, selecting the best members of the clan. Our Byakugan is best suited for strategic reconnaissance on the battlefield!” Hyuga Hiashi said defiantly.

"As for our three races, the boar, the deer, and the butterfly..."

With both the Uchiha and Hyuga having expressed their opinions, Nara Shikawon naturally couldn't remain silent any longer and said, "Let Shikaku, Inoichi, and Choza lead the team."

"Are they old enough?" Yagami Yoruichi couldn't help but ask.

Yoruichi Yagami had worked with them, but they never discussed their ages. She only judged from their appearance that they were all in their teens.

Nara Shikawa knew what Yagami Yoruichi was asking and immediately said, "That's enough. Inoichi is already eighteen, and Shikaku and Choza are both seventeen. They are all over the village's rule that children must be at least thirteen years old to participate in battle."

“In that case, there’s no problem.” Yagami Yoruichi nodded.

Individually, the strength of this generation's 'Ino-Shika-Cho' is just so-so. Only Akimichi Choza can be considered a relatively strong Jonin, but he has not reached the level of an elite Jonin.

However, when the three of them work together, they can unleash combat power close to that of a Kage in a short period of time, making them quite a good helper.

In addition, Nara Shikaku's intelligence is outstanding even among the Nara clan, making him absolutely qualified to serve as a strategist.

Perhaps Yoruichi Yagami doesn't need a strategist by her side; she can simply overpower them with her raw strength.

But if a real situation arises where someone needs to come up with a solution, Nara Shikaku's brain can come in handy.

After discussing it for a while, the group quickly decided on a strategy to deal with Sunagakure Village.

Orders were quickly issued, and the list of three hundred ninjas was finalized within an hour. Preparations were completed in the shortest possible time, and they assembled and set off for Kikyo Castle.

Yagami Yoruichi did not set off with the main force. Instead, she gave a Flying Thunder God kunai to Nara Shikaku, instructing him to notify her by stimulating the Flying Thunder God mark with chakra once he reached the front lines.

Two days later, Yagami Yoruichi sensed that the Flying Thunder God Mark had been activated. She left a wooden clone at home to transmit the message, while her main body activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and disappeared. When she reappeared, she had already arrived at the front line.

Chapter 194 Two moves, defeating the Sand Village army, truly one man wipes out an entire village!

Kikyo Castle.

Strictly speaking, Kikyo Castle is not on the border of the Land of Fire, but rather in an area hundreds of kilometers deep within the Land of Fire.

If it were a forced march at all costs, a regular ninja could travel from Kikyo Castle to Konoha in just over a day.

Even with a normal march that involves checking for traps and ambushes along the way, it would only take two days to cover the distance.

According to information obtained by the Anbu, the Sunagakure army has gathered in a place called 'Storm Town', with over a thousand ninjas already assembled.

With thousands of ninjas, it would be easy for a village like Konoha or Iwagakure to field such a large number of ninjas.

But for Sunagakure Village, it could be considered that they had mobilized their entire force.

Due to poverty, Sunagakure was forced to adopt an elite ninja strategy, and its ninja numbers were consistently the lowest among the five great ninja villages.

Aside from the minimum number of ninjas required to guard various outposts in the Land of Wind, complete various mission assignments, and ensure the stability of the village, being able to mobilize over a thousand ninjas is already close to the limit for Sunagakure.

"Lord Yoruichi."

When Nara Shikaku calls Yagami Yoruichi, he always feels as if he's in another world.

In just a short time, Yagami Yoruichi went from being an ordinary Chunin whose fame was only known in a small circle to becoming one of the most important figures in the village.

However, Nara Shikaku had foreseen this scene and maintained his composure well. He told Yagami Yoruichi, "The spy who infiltrated Sunagakure has not been heard from for two days. It is suspected that he has been discovered and taken into custody by Sunagakure. The latest news is that, according to the investigation team, a large number of Sunagakure ninjas have indeed gathered in 'Storm Town,' totaling about 1100 people, including a few with particularly large amounts of chakra."

During wartime, spies transmit intelligence more frequently, which naturally increases the likelihood of them being discovered.