In just one night, the forces Konoha had deployed at the border were almost entirely wiped out by Sunagakure.
From the perspective of the overall situation, Sunagakure's blitzkrieg was quite successful.
Yubi's performance, in particular, was a highlight for the military leadership.
News of some of Yubi's abilities spread throughout the army, greatly boosting the morale of the Sunagakure soldiers.
However, while they seemed to have destroyed Konoha's defensive line and gained the upper hand, not everything was perfect—there were still some oversights.
It could only be said that even though Yubi had guarded against the responses of Konoha's frontline personnel as much as possible in the overall battle situation and operational plan—
—there was still no way to completely control every detail on the battlefield.
After all, not every Sunagakure Ninja possessed his level of ability, including his familiarity and understanding of Konoha's methods.
The border line where the flames of war spread was vast—even with his Dōjutsu and powerful sensory capabilities, the area Yubi could cover was only a part of the battlefield.
There would always be others who would leave openings for the enemy to exploit.
Yubi didn't blame anyone or express dissatisfaction; he simply remained calm and handled the ensuing situation.
He refused to be swept away by emotion.
The vanguard battle had ended, and a large number of Sunagakure Ninja began patrolling Konoha's border guard zones, searching for any survivors who might still be hiding.
By this time, dawn had broken.
In a clearing within the forest, a Sunagakure Ninja was gripping the head of an Aburame Clan member, performing a Ninjutsu to probe their memories.
Arai, Yubi, Sasori, and others stood around them with solemn expressions.
"The intelligence was sent out using insects—an hour ago." After a moment, the Sunagakure Ninja released the Aburame's head and looked at them.
"..."
Arai's eyes flickered.
Despite all their precautions, the news had still leaked.
It could only be said that the Secret Techniques possessed by the clans of Konoha Village were not only unique but also capable of providing significant tactical value and effectiveness on the battlefield.
On Sunagakure's side, who could have anticipated that insects could be used to transmit intelligence?
Although they were not unfamiliar with the Aburame Clan, they had still underestimated Konoha's combat configuration.
"It's fine. The time we've gained has already exceeded my estimates. Even if the Konoha personnel in the rear receive the news, it will take at least a day for it to reach the Village. In that day, there is much we can do—"
Yubi spoke up immediately.
That's how it is on the battlefield; any unexpected situation can occur.
As commanders and managers of the forces, what they needed to do was adapt to circumstances—ensuring the scales of victory tipped in their favor for as long as possible.
"Our opponent is Konoha, after all. If they were so easy to deal with, they wouldn't have been the ones to hold out until the end of the Second Great Ninja War," Yubi said with a smile.
He then nodded to the Sunagakure Ninja, who understood and took the unconscious Aburame Clan member away.
Certain specialized personnel or figures within a Village often become prisoners of war after a defeat.
Such individuals usually possess additional value.
And prisoners of war are also a role that emerges within the context of war.
Then, everyone sat down together in a circle.
Yubi took out a map and began tracing routes on the paper. "Konoha has at least three defense and guard lines along the frontmost border. The first is naturally the frontline personnel we've already defeated. Then, there are the administrative Strongholds located in the rear, at the second line, which handle logistics and material mobilization—"
"The last line should be the patrol teams outside this forest, meant to prevent enemies from penetrating deep into the Land of Fire's heartland. This final line is in the far rear, so its strategic mission isn't heavy, and its personnel won't be numerous; they'll be scattered, mainly serving for monitoring and warning."
"With the sudden outbreak of war, Konoha is completely unprepared. The defensive strength in this area is very weak—there won't be many personnel deployed."
"The news of our advance has likely reached the third line in the far rear. Given the combat experience and professionalism of Konoha Ninja, they certainly won't offer meaningless resistance."
"Of course, they won't retreat either. Instead, what they'll do is hide in the shadows, avoiding our sight, observing and tracking our movements and routes, and risking their lives to send intelligence back."
"Though it might not sound good, I must say that the gap in combat power between our Village and Konoha is significant. Even though we've launched a surprise attack and gained an advantage, don't think we can crush the enemy and deal its Origin Qi a heavy blow all at once."
"In this great war, we are merely the ones who made the opening move and gained the initiative—it doesn't mean we've won. While we can look down on our opponents in tactical skirmishes, we must give the enemy sufficient respect on a strategic level."
"Next, I will lead the sensory squad to scout ahead and clear out all of Konoha's 'eyes' on the third line—clearing the path for the main force led by Hideki and Takashi, ensuring Konoha remains unaware of our subsequent actions."
"The personnel from your two battalions will lie in ambush along the routes Konoha is likely to use for reinforcements—that is, mid-journey. The faster you move and the more time you utilize, the more traps you can set in advance—catching the Konoha main force off guard when they appear."
"Additionally, you must be careful. Given Konoha's combat configuration, even if they didn't expect us to send a separate force so deep, there's still a possibility you could be exposed beforehand. Your risk is far greater than that of the others."
Yubi said solemnly.
"Understood."
The Sunagakure Jonin named Hideki and Takashi nodded.
"Also—Konoha's vanguard will definitely move before the main force, and they will surely be top-tier combatants. These people can reach the battlefield at the highest speed and send back intelligence for the reinforcements to analyze and respond to. When that happens—you don't need to get involved. Sasori and I will handle that part."
"The two of us will find a way to divert the attention and route of the Konoha vanguard squad."
Yubi's arrangements were meticulous, considering almost everything possible.
Furthermore, right from the start, he assigned himself and Sasori the seemingly most dangerous battlefield mission.
He had no intention of staying in the rear.
"I'll go with you."
Arai said.
"No, you're the commander. You need to stay here and have the main force seize all key points along the border routes and set up traps as quickly as possible. What we're doing is just the prelude; the real battle and the decisive moves will happen here."
Yubi refused immediately without a second thought.
"But—"
Arai hesitated.
If something happened to Yubi and Sasori—
"Sasori and I signed military pledges before coming here. If we don't step up now, then when?"
Yubi laughed.
Beside him, Sasori's expression was calm, but his eyes clearly showed agreement with Yubi's words.
In fact, was there even a hint of excitement and anticipation in Sasori's gaze?
As he spoke, Yubi deliberately glanced at the other "old-timers" nearby. These were the higher-ups who had previously followed the Third Kazekage's faction, the remaining personnel Yubi intended to eliminate using this great war.
"Lord Kaga—the mission to bypass the battlefield, approach Konoha Village, and launch a surprise attack will be entrusted to you. Your battlefield experience is extensive; I wouldn't feel at ease giving this task to anyone else—"
"You must prioritize safety. Remember, your mission is only to pin down their frontline actions and energy by attacking Konoha Village at a critical moment, forcing them to scramble to cover both ends. But this is also the most dangerous part—is that a problem?"
Yubi looked at one of them.
The middle-aged man named Kaga's expression shifted. Under the gaze of the others, he eventually nodded.
Clearly—he was somewhat reluctant.
But since Yubi and Sasori were already leading from the front, the few of them naturally had nothing more to say.
Yubi sneered inwardly.
Every Village has its share of "parasites." These old ghosts were even worse than the higher-ups who had died before; having held high positions in the Village for so long, they had gradually become pampered and soft.
Like the Third Kazekage, they spent every day shouting about using military force and war to establish the Village's dominant position in the Ninja World. Yet, because of their decisions, a vast number of Sunagakure Ninja were shedding their blood on the front lines while these old men hid in the rear watching the show.
Even when they went to the battlefield, they mostly just issued orders; they rarely had opportunities to actually risk their lives fighting the enemy.
In the past, they could rely on their relationship with the Third Kazekage to receive special treatment.
Now—they can all go to hell.
Yubi narrowed his eyes.
The deeper they went into the Land of Fire and the closer they got to Konoha Village, the harder it would be to escape—Yubi was certain that these people wouldn't be coming back.
Not to mention a small unit, Yubi wouldn't even dare let the entire main force penetrate too deep into the Land of Fire. No one can predict the situation on the battlefield; if things went south, those at the border could retreat to the Land of Rivers to preserve their effective strength and avoid heavy casualties.
The war between their Village and Konoha was destined to be a long war of attrition, not a battle decided instantly.
Let alone defeating Konoha in a short time; even in a one-on-one war of attrition, Yubi knew their Village had no hope of defeating Konoha.
He needed to have a clear understanding of both his own side and the enemy.
Yubi's goal was simple: to make Konoha lose as many troops as possible in the first wave of engagement.
To force them into a hasty battle and make them pay a price far beyond their expectations!
What he wanted was to deal Konoha a painful blow!
On the battlefield, military orders are paramount; Ninja must obey absolutely.
Although Yubi wasn't the commander, Arai was—and in the current situation, Arai was clearly following Yubi's lead.
As one of the first to follow the Third Kazekage and a former Kage Guard, Arai's seniority was no less than theirs.
A flicker of killing intent appeared in Sasori's eyes, which vanished after hearing their responses.
If they hadn't complied, Sasori wouldn't have hesitated for a second to strike—
This was a wartime situation, and special circumstances required special measures—he had every reason and justification to kill them.
Even if it drew criticism within the Village, Sasori didn't care.
His personality wasn't as easygoing as Yubi's.
"I'm counting on you."
Yubi gave Kaga and the others a heavy nod.
His demeanor conveyed a sense of respect and the weight of a mission entrusted.
Then he continued explaining the operational plan.
Under Yubi's coordination and arrangements, everyone's thoughts were incredibly clear; they knew exactly what they were doing and what they needed to do.
What the primary objective of the mission was.
Simply put, Yubi's tactical deployment was refined down to specific times, numbers, and broken-down steps for each action. He also anticipated potential situations for each team and how they should respond.
One must realize that the comprehensiveness of such tactics was something many had never experienced before.
In previous Ninja World Wars, although the Village would make tactical deployments, they mostly just stated the requirements and task content of the operation.
As for responsibilities and implementation plans, those were left to the executors to figure out for themselves—to put it bluntly, the operational thinking was vague, feeling more like a distribution of responsibility.
The commanders or leaders failed to fully realize their value and role on the battlefield.