The Yellow Dog Battalion returned to the frontline camp with substantial results.
The frontline camp's tents were set up among the low hills in the central part of the Land of Whirlpools, where the drainage was good.
Inside the command tent, Yellow Dog met with Danzo and Uchiha Kane.
Uchiha Kane looked at the mission report scroll:
"Anbu Yellow Dog Battalion, on this mission, eliminated the owner of the Twin Swords Hiramekarei, Hōzuki Rinzuki.
Furthermore, using the Twin Swords Hiramekarei, they ambushed three Kiri-nin battalions.
They killed two Kiri-nin Jōnin and over 40 Kiri-nin. Your battalion only suffered 20 casualties."
Uchiha Kane put down the scroll, his eyes full of surprise.
If an ordinary Konoha battalion had completed this mission, it would have been enough to create a war hero.
The Yellow Dog Battalion was an Anbu battalion; they generally did not publicize their military exploits and tried to remain hidden.
Yellow Dog said, "Chief Commander, Vice Commander, this is only the first part of my combat plan.
The next battle is the key to the plan.
The Twin Swords Hiramekarei are in our hands. After this provocation and defeat of the Kiri-nin, the next sword retrieval team from Kirigakure will certainly be larger, more than my single battalion can handle.
We can use the Twin Swords Hiramekarei to set up a larger-scale ambush.
Chief Commander, Vice Commander, I request to launch a large-scale ambush, involving at least five battalions."
Uchiha Kane felt somewhat excited.
An ambush with five battalions, involving nearly 300 ninja, if the tactics were appropriate, could potentially kill hundreds of Kiri-nin.
If this ambush were highly successful, it could be enough to change the war situation.
Kirigakure had sent over 3,000 Kiri-nin. After months of war of attrition, both sides had suffered casualties in the high hundreds.
If the Kiri-nin lost another four or five hundred people, Konoha's advantage would be significant.
Fighting a war of attrition with the Kiri-nin was too agonizing for the Uchiha clan.
The fire release of ordinary Uchiha clansmen was countered by water release, and the Sharingan was countered by the Hiding in Mist Technique.
Although tempted, Uchiha Kane did not speak rashly, instead looking at Danzo beside him.
Being in the same tent as Danzo was a form of supreme torture.
Danzo rarely spoke, and the atmosphere in the tent was oppressive. When he did occasionally speak, it was to sharply criticize someone.
Uchiha Kane also couldn't leave the camp to fight on the front lines. Once he left, task distribution would be completely controlled by Danzo, which would be terrifying.
Who knows what dangerous missions Danzo would assign the Uchiha ninja?
Uchiha Kane knew that Danzo was the one among the higher-ups who despised the Uchiha the most, bar none.
Princess Tsunade had it easy; after coming to the front line, she holed up in the medical tent and didn't bother with the troubles of the command centre.
Danzo stared at the scroll for a moment, then looked up at Yellow Dog and said, "Good, I approve your combat plan."
Obito, standing to the side, tilted his head slightly, then immediately turned back.
Yōkō noticed Obito's movement and understood inwardly; it seemed Danzo's decision had surprised Obito.
A single battalion's battle wasn't enough to make Yellow Dog a Vice Minister.
If he led a large-scale ambush, Yellow Dog's prestige would be greatly enhanced, and his promotion to Vice Minister would be justified.
In a few years, perhaps the Third Hokage would find a reason to kick Danzo out of the Anbu, making him leave with the Root.
Yōkō guessed that the Third Hokage was beginning to prepare for the post-war situation in Konoha.
For the Third Hokage, allowing Danzo to continue controlling the Anbu in peacetime would give him too much power.
It wasn't like right after the Second's death, when Sarutobi Hiruzen had to rely on the other former Second Hokage Guards to control Konoha.
After the baptism of war, the Third Hokage's power had solidified.
Yellow Dog couldn't help but stand straighter, waiting for Danzo's orders.
Danzo said: "Yellow Dog Anbu Battalion, Uchiha Tōka and Uchiha Michi's Battalions, Gekkō Sō's Battalion, and Yamashiro-dera's Battalion, a total of five battalions, are to complete the ambush operation as soon as possible."
Yellow Dog visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
It went very smoothly; Advisor Danzo had not made things difficult for him.
Hearing that he was assigned to coordinate, Uchiha Kane also had some thoughts.
He could let the younger generation of the clan participate in the ambush and share some of the credit.
Uchiha Kane said, "Let's go, Battalion Commander Yellow Dog, I'll take you to the Jōnin squad tent next door to further plan this ambush mission."
After everyone had left the tent, Obito hesitated several times, wanting to say something to Danzo.
The Third Hokage had not approved Obito's application for formal Anbu Battalion Commander; he was only the acting commander, and among the squadron leaders, there were those with divided loyalties, waiting for the formal commander.
Why did Lord Danzo so easily agree to Yellow Dog's combat plan?
Lord Danzo had said before that they must prevent Yellow Dog from becoming the Anbu Vice Minister.
Yellow Dog's identity was too special. If Yellow Dog became the Anbu Vice Minister, then the Anbu would be completely under the control of the Sarutobi father and son, impermeable even to water.
Obito still didn't rashly ask or remind; Advisor Danzo must have his own considerations.
Danzo turned his head and said, "Obito, go activate the Shrine Maiden, have her contact Hoshigaki Kisame."
Obito's pupils trembled. Activate the wandering Shrine Maiden? She was Root's most important spy in Kirigakure.
Hoshigaki Kisame was ruthless, having sold Kirigakure's intelligence several times for profit.
"Yes! I'll go do it immediately!"
Inside the Jōnin squad tent, several Jōnin had gathered.
Yōkō didn't know the two Uchiha Jōnin, but he knew Gekkō Sō and Yamashiro-dera; they were followers of Hatake Sakumo.
Danzo had appointed two civilian Jōnin, both of whom were Sakumo's people.
Adding the Uchiha, whom Danzo despised, Yōkō felt uneasy.
Yellow Dog said to the four Jōnin: "I will have Fox lure the enemy deep, drawing the Kiri-nin to a place far from the coast."
Uchiha Kane and the four Jōnin all looked at Fox.
This was Yellow Dog's capable subordinate, Copper Fox.
If anyone else carried out such a decoy mission, it would be nine deaths and one life, but Copper Fox was famous for his absolute defense; he probably wouldn't die.
Yellow Dog continued: "The five of us will formulate the combat plan, select a battlefield advantageous to us, assign personnel, and design tactics."
After the meeting ended, Yōkō took the Fox Squadron to the training ground.
Standing before the squadron, Yōkō said:
"After returning to the village from the Land of Rivers battlefield, I applied for another round of jutsu for you, which includes Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall.
Earth Release counters Water Release. The Earth-Style Wall will play an even more important role in the upcoming battles.
During the ambush, two members of our squadron sacrificed themselves. I want you all to survive and become stronger.
Next, we will conduct special training for the Earth-Style Wall, striving to efficiently block the Kiri-nin's water release impacts."
Yōkō pointed to one earth release user and one water release user for sparring.
"Antelope, you use water release to simulate the Kiri-nin. Black Gorilla, you use Earth Release to defend."
Antelope used Water Release: Water Shockwave, crashing against Black Gorilla's Earth-Style Wall. Antelope was stronger, and Black Gorilla's Earth-Style Wall quickly crumbled.
Yōkō said again: "Black Gorilla, alter the chakra form of your Earth-Style Wall, use one like mine."
After forming seals, a wall of earth appeared in front of Yōkō.
The difference was, Yōkō's Earth-Style Wall was trapezoidal, wider at the bottom and narrower at the top.
Yōkō thought to himself, this trapezoidal gravity dam is much more useful than a simple wall.
Black Gorilla didn't understand why, but after several attempts, he also created a trapezoidal Earth-Style Wall.
Antelope again attacked Black Gorilla's Earth-Style Wall with Water Release: Water Shockwave.
The others were surprised to find that the trapezoidal Earth-Style Wall actually managed to block Antelope's water release.
Even after the Water Release: Water Shockwave dissipated, two-thirds of the trapezoidal Earth-Style Wall remained very stable.
Yōkō signaled for the several earth release users to listen carefully:
"A vertical Earth-Style Wall is simple to deploy, but the force distribution is unreasonable. The trapezoidal Earth-Style Wall is more effective against water release.
The greater the water pressure, the greater the pressure on the trapezoid's sloping surfaces, which presses the Earth-Style Wall more firmly into the ground.
Therefore, when facing water release, simply adding a bit of chakra form change can yield better results.
I've heard that some ninja carve dog heads on their Earth-Style Walls; this is a pure bad habit, a waste of chakra, a waste of effort, and must not be learned.
Properly optimizing Earth Release Jutsu can provide better protection for your teammates."
—
The full moon was like a silver plate; Yōkō once again waited for the night of the full moon.
Having a new resurrection opportunity made Yōkō feel much more secure.
***
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(End of Chapter)