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War is justifiable, overt violence; it is undisguised slaughter and pillaging. After slaughtering the Sand ninjas, the Konoha ninjas also began to reveal humanity's predatory and greedy nature, starting to confiscate various Sand ninjutsu... Minato Namikaze did not stop them; he himself participated in the looting. He was a civilian ninja, with no bloodline limit to speak of, so he naturally couldn't be compared to a parvenu like Wuchen, who possessed countless S-rank ninjutsu. Undoubtedly, Minato Namikaze was a genius of the striving type, one who put in ninety-nine percent sweat. He truly commanded respect.
However, even the most talented ninja would encounter bottlenecks they couldn't break through. And, coincidentally, Minato Namikaze was currently in a bottleneck period, naturally needing some of Sand's secret techniques for relief...
Five days later, the cool morning air hung low, but Sand's encampment was on high alert. Faced with Konoha's brutal counterattack, the Sand Village's troops, who were battling Jiraiya, were like being struck by a stealthy blow, constantly retreating. The previously triumphant Fourth Kazekage was no longer as arrogant as before. For the past two days, his face had been grim, uglier than if his father had died. Anyone he looked at was in for bad luck.
"Lord Fourth Kazekage, Jiraiya is leading Konoha ninjas to attack again!" In a dimly lit, makeshift tent, a Sand ninja hurriedly pulled open the tent flap and reported solemnly to the several Sand Village higher-ups inside. This was Jiraiya's fourteenth counterattack today!
"Did that Jiraiya get kicked in the head by a donkey, or was his brain clamped by a door? How can he not feel tired at all?" The reporting Sand ninja's voice had barely faded when a powerful and influential Sand ninja in the tent roared with anger, gnashing his teeth. It was just sunrise, yet Konoha ninjas had already attacked fourteen times! Human energy is limited, especially for these individuals. Aside from the vigorous Fourth Kazekage, everyone else was already past fifty, and to put it bluntly, had one foot in the grave, liable to kick the bucket and pass away completely at any moment. Being endlessly harassed by Jiraiya, anyone would become agitated.
"Immediately engage them in a decisive battle! Jiraiya alone cannot sustain this; completely crush Konoha's front-line forces!" The Sand elder, overwhelmed by the harassment, immediately pounded the table in agreement. For several days running, Konoha's sneak attacks on Sand averaged over twenty times, and at their peak, they would even attack every few minutes...
"It's not time yet. Our food and supplies are almost exhausted. It's difficult to launch a large-scale offensive before the supply unit arrives." A small, hunched old woman with an ancient face, who clearly looked elderly, glanced at the middle-aged man who had just spoken. Her tone was exceptionally cold and dismissive, giving no regard for the other's feelings. A ninja's will is strong, but as the saying goes, "Man is iron, food is steel; one meal missed, and hunger makes one weak." Fighting on an empty stomach would lead to an overall decrease in combat effectiveness for the Sand ninjas. It could even lead to wavering morale and the collapse of the entire front line.
"Doesn't Granny Chiyo have any other counterattack methods?" The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, looked furious, glaring indignantly at the elderly female elder who had just spoken. At the same time, he cursed Jiraiya inwardly for being shameless and taking advantage of the situation, playing this "beat-the-dog" tactic while he had no food, relentlessly pursuing the Sand ninjas. Why weren't you so arrogant when I had food before?! At this moment, the Fourth Kazekage was so frustrated he was spitting blood, wishing he could tear Jiraiya into ten thousand pieces, cursing him as a despicable villain, completely forgetting his own lightning attack on Konoha earlier.
"Currently, there are indeed no other effective methods." Chiyo sighed. She also knew that the Fourth Kazekage was young and impetuous, unable to tolerate the slightest flaw. He had been having smooth sailing, almost achieving a decisive victory in one battle, but was then beaten back like a drowned rat by Jiraiya's counterattack. This was the Fourth Kazekage's biggest stain, signifying the end of his invincible myth. How could he not be angry? Hearing this, the Fourth Kazekage immediately slumped his head. His surging inner confidence instantly deflated. When would the supply unit arrive? Only then could this terrible situation be broken.
Konoha, on the opposite side, presented a different scene.
"Wuchen, are you saying Sand's forces have been completely annihilated by you?" In another makeshift tent, Jiraiya looked incredulous, staring at Wuchen who stood before him. His surprised eyes were full of bewilderment, his gaze fixed on Wuchen, full of questions. Unlike before, Wuchen's previously messy yet deep and bright black hair now showed many withered white strands. His keen, blade-like eyes also reflected a hint of dullness. After a few days, Wuchen's apparent age seemed to have increased by over a decade.
"You, you seem to—"
"No need to worry, I'm fine." Wuchen waved his hand, interrupting Jiraiya. He was perfectly calm. He didn't know if Itachi was like him, but Wuchen's current condition was such: a massive overdraft of life force, hence the considerable whitening of his hair.
"Sand's supply unit has been completely annihilated—"
"Impossible! It's only been five days!" Wuchen's words were interrupted before he finished. His face immediately darkened. Following the voice that contradicted him, he saw a young woman with red hair. She had a beautiful face and a good figure.
"Is that... Uzumaki Kushina?" Looking at the beautiful red-haired woman, Wuchen immediately thought of Uzumaki Naruto's mother. He thoughtfully nodded, his brow slightly raised, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. He said faintly, "Then tell me, why is it impossible?" Seeing Wuchen's tone, Uzumaki Kushina was slightly startled. She glared at Wuchen, her tone equally icy. The air was suddenly thick with tension.