If you dropped shinobi into another world, what kind of troops would they be?
Hyuga Kiyonari believed they'd be light infantry.
Disguise, infiltration, reconnaissance, assassination… strong individual firepower and relatively low defense, absurd three-dimensional mobility, long-distance raiding ability, legs faster than horses… They were basically perfect light infantry.
And, coincidentally, Hyuga Kiyonari happened to know a little bit about light-infantry tactics.
So Tsunade told them this:
"Next, I'm going to break all of you up completely and reorganize you into squads of three to four."
"In every squad, one person will be the attacker—the one with strong frontal combat ability. For example, an Uchiha."
"One person will cover the attacker. They need some reconnaissance ability and combat ability—for example, Hyuga, Inuzuka, Aburame, and the like."
"The remaining person will handle support. They need strong adaptability and must make decisions based on battlefield conditions when the attack is stalled. And… they must also have basic medical knowledge and be responsible for the squad's supplies."
"If a squad lacks enough frontal combat power, we'll add a fourth member. That completes a combat unit capable of operating independently."
The moment she said it, a stir rippled through the formation that had been quiet only seconds ago.
Some shinobi looked shocked and confused. Breaking up and regrouping meant fighting alongside people they didn't know. With war potentially looming, was it really appropriate to make such a decision at the last minute?
Tsunade pressed both hands downward, signaling for silence. "I am the commander of this force. You will execute my orders. Any responsibility will be borne by me!"
Then she continued laying out the structure.
"Above that: every three squads will form a platoon. The roles remain the same—one squad attacks, one squad covers, one squad supports. Each platoon will have a sufficiently experienced platoon leader to command it. That role will be filled by a jōnin."
"Above that: three platoons form a company. Three companies can form a small battle group, and from there it scales up the same way. Operations above the company level will receive orders and missions from me remotely, via the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques."
"In this way, each squad can operate independently, yet still support one another at any time—forming a tightly linked whole that fights in coordination."
This tactic was called the "human-wave" tactic.
It was a method that formed gradually to avoid an enemy's firepower advantage, and its core was dispersion.
From small three-man combat teams to large combat clusters, once a force was fully spread out, it could expand its posture along both the width of the line and the depth of reserves.
To the enemy, it would feel like there were people everywhere, and firepower was everywhere.
You hide here, shots come from there. You eliminate one point, another wave arrives. Closer and closer, more and more—like waves pressing down with relentless momentum.
So when the enemy didn't understand the tactic, they'd carelessly label it "human wave" warfare.
In truth, it should have been wave after wave—layered, surging, each one higher than the last.
And when this tactic was brought into the ninja world, it was discovered—damn it—it fit so perfectly it was like it had been born for it.
Because of shinobi mobility, once the tactic was deployed, a company of just 27 ninja could control a two-kilometer stretch of front.
And for shinobi, this way of fighting wasn't entirely unfamiliar.
Take Kakashi's team as an example: Kakashi's Chidori had terrifying thrust speed, so he often served as the main attacker. Obito's Great Fireball had wide coverage and was usually used to cover Kakashi's advance. Rin, who knew medical ninjutsu, served as support.
But at Kannabi Bridge they pushed too deep, fought alone, and couldn't coordinate with other teams—and their only backup, Minato, was always stretched thin.
Or take Naruto's Team 7: Sasuke had mostly offensive skills and served as the main attacker. Naruto often took the cover role, using Multi-Shadow Clone and Transformation to create openings for Sasuke. Sakura served as support.
But "cover" and "attacker" weren't fixed. In Team 7's final fight against Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, Sasuke also used Amaterasu to cover Naruto's movement.
At the core, these three roles were: attack—actions that seize the objective; cover—creating the conditions for success; support—contingency plans to respond to change. Attack and cover were like two legs: only by alternating could the whole body move forward.
Besides Team 7 and Ino–Shika–Cho, most other genin teams—like Might Guy's Team 3 and Kurenai's Team 8—were essentially specialized squads.
Once those teams lost their jōnin leader, they couldn't operate independently. They had to coordinate with other squads and assume similar responsibilities within a larger formation.
Similar but not identical—this was why Hyuga Kiyonari said this force could, to some degree, replace the function of standard genin teams.
Even though the theory sounded strong, someone still couldn't help speaking up.
"Tsunade-sama!"
A middle-aged ninja in Nara attire asked, "Do Ino–Shika–Cho have to be broken up too—scattered into different squads?"
"That's right," a Yamanaka ninja echoed. "Ino–Shika–Cho train together from childhood, and our clan techniques are designed to work together. If you split us up, you'll seriously reduce combat effectiveness!"
"And what about us Uchiha!" a hot-blooded young Uchiha shouted. "We have coordination tactics specifically built around the Sharingan. How could we possibly match that with outsiders?"
For a moment, more and more voices raised objections.
Their reasons were solid: coordination built over years couldn't be formed overnight. Splitting them up recklessly would cause miscommunication, and on the battlefield that could be a fatal gap.
Tsunade stood there silently, letting the murmurs grow louder.
Her face showed nothing. She watched it all with calm eyes, the setting sun behind her like burning fire.
Uchiha Shisui stood to the side. When his pen stopped, his crimson Sharingan locked instantly onto the Uchiha ninja who'd just spoken.
Just as he was thinking about what to do, Tsunade moved.
She didn't speak. Her arms were still folded. She only raised one finger slightly.
Boom!
A tremendous burst of chakra exploded outward. The rock beneath her feet cracked in an instant, fragments scattering in every direction.
All discussion died.
"Listen carefully."
Tsunade's voice became the only sound allowed in that silence.
"I'm not discussing this with you. I'm giving orders!"
"You asked whether Ino–Shika–Cho will be broken up? I'll tell you right now: if necessary, Ino–Shika–Cho will be broken up too! Here, no one is special—and no one is allowed to be special!"
~~~
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