Chapter 145: Three-Pronged Attack - Rapid Reinforcement!
For a moment, no one spoke.
The countless stars drifted slowly across the sky, reflecting the Milky Way—a breathtaking sight.
Tsukasa hissed in pain. Being brutally called out by Shisui in front of everyone was incredibly humiliating. His image as an arrogant, aloof Uchiha—so domineering one second—was completely shattered the next, leaving him feeling as if he'd taken real damage.
And it was a critical hit!
Tsukasa couldn't help but raise his elbow to cover his face.
He finally mustered some strength, wanting to push Shisui off him and salvage his shattered image as a powerful figure.
However, at that moment, after a period of silence and serious contemplation, Shin'ya—who had been staring at Tsukasa with a complex expression—suddenly took a large step forward, took a deep breath, and solemnly said:
"I understand!"
Hearing this, Tsukasa's breath hitched, and his expression froze instantly.
Good, good, good!
Shisui is still young, so it's one thing for him to throw a fit!
But what's wrong with you, Shin'ya?!
What the hell have you figured out?!
Damn it!
Even the gods must laugh when the Uchiha start overthinking!
At this moment, Shin'ya turned around to face the crowd and solemnly said:
"Everyone!"
"What this foolish kid said was harsh, but—" Shin'ya spoke frankly—"he's right!"
Hearing this, the entire unit erupted in an uproar. Even the jonin squad leader, Shoji, couldn't help but frown and step forward, questioning:
"Captain, why are you..."
However, Shin'ya raised his hand to interrupt Shoji's question, speaking heavily:
"Listen—there are differences even among jonin. In the face of true overwhelming strength, numbers lose their meaning!"
"But—" his gaze was sincere and fervent as he looked at the crowd—"this is not meant to belittle us, nor is it a reason for us to feel discouraged and fall into despair!"
"When we step onto this battlefield, when kunai rain down from the sky, when ninjutsu clash and we glimpse our predetermined fate—each of us has our own role to play!"
"This foolish kid can't express himself properly—I apologize to everyone on his behalf!"
"But I believe everyone can feel what he's trying to say, and his hope that we can all reunite alive in the village!"
After saying this, Shin'ya suddenly bowed deeply before everyone's eyes!
Everyone stared in disbelief.
This Uchiha kid had actually managed to make the usually proud Shin'ya bow down and apologize for him—this was a situation they had never imagined!
After this astonishing bow, everyone fell silent, quietly waiting for Shin'ya to continue.
When Shin'ya raised his head again, his gaze suddenly sharpened. Looking at everyone, he took a deep breath and said in a commanding voice:
"So—now, I will begin assigning everyone's tasks!"
Shin'ya pointed to the red smoke drifting ten miles away, drawing everyone's attention.
"First, confirm that the enemy is someone even Aburame Ryoma found troublesome. Too many people will inevitably become a burden and cause meaningless casualties, so the assault mission will continue, but it will be carried out by an elite squad."
"I, Inuzuka Mingyi, Uchiha Shisui, and this brat will carry out the mission."
Hearing this arrangement, Tsukasa immediately frowned, struggled to his feet, and angrily shouted:
"Wait, Shin'ya! I am the commander!"
"Tch."
Shin'ya glanced at him disdainfully, his eyes sweeping over Tsukasa, who had lost an arm and was trembling just from standing up.
He shook his head and said indifferently:
"In your current state, even if you were Hokage, it wouldn't matter."
Tsukasa opened his mouth, momentarily speechless.
What could he say? Should he follow up with "You'll regret this, Shin'ya!"?
But the crucial point was—I'm the commander of the assault force! Why can this Uchiha so confidently dismiss me as commander with just a few words?!
At that moment, hearing that his name wasn't on the assault squad's roster, the jonin-level squad leader Shoji immediately asked anxiously:
"Shin'ya, what about me?"
Shin'ya solemnly turned to look at him, slapping him on the shoulder to calm him down.
"Shoji, you have a more important mission to complete!"
After saying this, he turned to face the group.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, he took a map from his pouch, unfolded it, and hung it around Tsukasa's neck.
Then he shouted:
"Everyone!"
"This battle is not just about surprise attacks and fighting!"
"We must understand what we are fighting for!"
Shin'ya immediately slapped his hand on the map at their location, solemnly analyzing:
"Now—three hundred Sunagakure forces have perished here, and a huge gap has appeared in the four Sand Village camps on the Land of Rain front line. And this gap was opened for us by this kid!"
"And what we need to do next is expand our gains!"
Tsukasa, used as a human map stand, staggered from the slap and glared resentfully at Shin'ya.
He was now absolutely certain that this bastard was settling a personal score!
However, what he said wasn't wrong.
In the early stages of the Third Shinobi World War, the Lands of Wind and Fire had deployed troops in the Land of Rain, each occupying strategic positions at key points—crucial locations that were extremely difficult to capture from the front.
But now, the situation had changed!
Because the assault force was behind enemy lines, and most of the personnel in this camp had been wiped out by Tsukasa.
Seeing this, Tsukasa immediately realized this was a golden opportunity!
Clearly, Shin'ya, who had been operating in the Land of Rain for many days, had realized this even earlier than he had.
He solemnly turned his head to look at Shoji, one of the three jonin in the assault force, and instructed him:
"Shoji, you take all the chunin in the force and destroy the Sunagakure camp. Capture the remaining ninja, destroy the terrain here to create a massive gap in their strategic depth. This will be a great achievement. With this as a breakthrough, we might really be able to end this war quickly!"
Then, he looked back at everyone and pointed in the direction they came from.
"Also, all the genin in the assault force—your mission is even more important, even concerning all our lives!"
Shin'ya raised his finger and heavily tapped on the map, drawing a route, then solemnly said:
"From the fact that Sunagakure purposefully ambushed us, we know our intelligence has been leaked, and the route we took from Konoha to this place has been exposed. It's difficult to ensure that our return route is safe and free of ambushes."
"I need you to split into twenty small teams, return along the same route, scout the situation, and then return to the Konoha camp!"
"Report the battle situation to the camp command center, request Byakugan assistance from the Hyuga clan, and gather intelligence on a new route from the rear to the front lines!"
Having said that, he raised his head, his gaze resolute as he looked at the group, and declared loudly:
"This is the responsibility each of us must shoulder!"
"We will divide into three groups and work together!"
"As Konoha's assault force, we will carry out a true surprise attack behind enemy lines!"
Shin'ya's words clarified the missions of everyone in the assault force.
The assault squad would reinforce Aburame Ryoma and assist in destroying supplies—the immediate priority.
Captain Shoji's chunin squad would destroy the Sunagakure camp, disrupt the terrain, and expand their gains—the future priority.
Meanwhile, twenty teams of sixty genin would scout routes and gather intelligence to ensure the safety of the two forward teams and secure their retreat.
This particular genin contingent faced an even more perilous situation, as they were confronted with the unknown.
They might return to camp unscathed, or they might encounter an ambush and suffer heavy losses.
However, as soon as the words were spoken, the confusion in everyone's hearts vanished. They all looked up and shouted in unison:
"HAI!"
Seeing that morale was high, Shin'ya nodded in satisfaction. Then he turned to Tsukasa, who was being used as a map stand with the map hanging around his neck, and revealed a sly smile:
"I've finished speaking, Commander. Do you have anything to add?"
Tsukasa looked back at him expressionlessly and could only reply dryly:
"No."
After all, he didn't know how to command. If he were in charge, he would only issue two orders: either everyone go home, or follow him around like cheerleaders.
Strategic depth? Expanding gains? Intelligence gathering?
You're asking me? How would I know?!
Shin'ya's approach was like having someone make all the arrangements and then asking, "So, what do you think?"
What the hell could I think? You've already said everything!
Damn it! So I just played the bad cop here and caused all this drama for nothing, huh?
That crafty Uchiha! He's so cunning!
At this moment, Tori, the Root ninja, seemingly noticing the obvious embarrassment on Tsukasa's face, quietly stepped closer and whispered:
"Lord Shura, this man has usurped your authority. Should I secretly eliminate him?"
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Tsukasa coughed involuntarily upon hearing this, then looked up with wide eyes at Tori.
Whose subordinate is this?! How can he be so bold?!
Is this something you can say out loud?!
Don't you understand the situation? Those two are the ones who actually know what they're doing!
Having calmed down, Shisui—who had managed to secure his spot in the assault squad—lost his earlier intensity. Hearing Tsukasa coughing, he turned around in surprise.
"Tsukasa, what's wrong?"
Tsukasa seemed like a startled bird, his body trembling, and he waved his hands repeatedly.
"Nothing!"
Then he turned his head and whispered to Tori:
"No need. In the future, say less of these things that aren't conducive to unity!"
"Understood!"
Tori's eyes beneath his mask curved slightly, revealing what seemed like a mischievous smile.
At this moment, this ruthless Root ninja who lived only for missions seemed to possess a touch of humanity.
After making the arrangements, Shin'ya quickly led his team to conduct more detailed planning and discussions.
As the veteran captain of the assault force, he was an expert in this area—including how the three groups would communicate after splitting up, how to pass on firsthand intelligence, the specific arrangements after completing missions, and which terrain should be destroyed to completely cripple the strategic location of the Sunagakure camp.
Within five minutes, Shin'ya, who had already developed strong coordination with his subordinates, quickly assigned all the tasks.
"Then, the results—and our safety—are in your hands!"
He patted Shoji on the shoulder, and the latter immediately sprang into action.
The entire force then mobilized!
Finally, when everything was ready, the expressions on the ninjas' faces gradually became solemn.
Even the sand in the wind seemed to carry a heavy atmosphere, and the night wind quietly blew through the holes in the wind-eroded rock pillars, emitting a mournful sound like a war horn!
The ninety-person unit, having packed their gear, assembled amidst the crackling of wildfires scorching the earth, their fighting spirit high and their eyes filled with determination.
They looked up at the assault party members standing atop the giant snake's head:
Tsukasa, Shin'ya, Shisui, Inuzuka Mingyi, Meimaru the nin-dog, and Root ninja Tori.
Five people and one dog—they were about to embark on their mission!
Shin'ya took a deep breath, gazing at the bright full moon in the sky. He closed his pocket watch with a snap, turned to look at the wounded boy beside him, chuckled, and said:
"It's time to give the order, Commander!"
"Yes!"
Tsukasa stood atop Manda's head, looking down at his unit.
His gaze held a complex emotion he couldn't quite explain.
When he chose to launch a solo assault to reinforce Aburame Ryoma, he had already known this would likely be a suicide mission.
Depleted of chakra and with his fighting strength reduced to almost nothing, he couldn't even imagine how to rescue Aburame Ryoma.
But Ryoma had saved him, treated him with honesty, and even fought the future Fourth Mizukage—a terrifying opponent—for his sake. Regardless of other factors, he owed Ryoma a debt of gratitude.
He couldn't abandon Ryoma in his moment of peril!
Even if it meant death!
At this moment, about to embark on the assault mission, he wasn't helping these people—he was acting out of self-interest, with a death wish.
Conversely, in this almost hopeless moment—they were the ones who extended a helping hand.
With their help, he might truly be able to rescue Ryoma!
Feeling the scorching air in the night wind, feeling the complex and indescribable emotions within his heart...
Feeling the heavy, resolute breathing of the crowd below, feeling the pounding of his heart in his chest—
Tsukasa suddenly opened his eyes.
In the night, a pair of crimson Sharingan eyes, brimming with complex emotions, appeared!
Then he raised his left hand, grasped the hilt of the Kusanagi Sword, and faced his troops—faced the group of people who had reached out to help him!
"Everyone!"
Tsukasa opened his mouth, his youthful, clear, and resolute voice booming:
"From this moment on, we will divide our forces into three groups and launch our assault!"
"Next, let the enemy see our raging flames of war!"
"Let them hear the clash of our blades!"
"Let them witness our might, see the sweat on our brows, our unbreakable will, and the courage in our hearts!"
He abruptly drew the Kusanagi Sword, struck the hilt against his heart, widened his eyes, and roared:
"Now, Konoha assault force!"
"ALL TROOPS, ADVANCE!"
End of Chapter 145
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