Tsunade sat on the couch, gritting her teeth as she cursed Shimura Danzo.
She knew deep down that the village leadership had made this decision to gain an early advantage in the war. Their ultimate goal was to minimize Konoha's losses.
But was this really in line with their so-called "Will of Fire"?
The moment Kushina heard Yamanaka Shinno casually mention Danzo's name, she instinctively shrank back and darted into the kitchen.
She had no choice—her own boyfriend seemed to have turned into a mastermind behind the scenes.
If Tsunade picked up on anything suspicious in her expression, how was she supposed to explain?
Out of Tsunade's line of sight, Kushina cautiously glanced at Shinno, her eyes full of silent inquiry.
"Relax, it's not as bad as you think." Shinno waved a hand dismissively, explaining the village's final decision to Tsunade and Kushina. "The next phase of troop deployment is already being finalized. A force of three thousand will leave Konoha in staggered waves."
The initial one-thousand-man force was bait, not expendable pawns.
The Third Hokage and the elders were far too shrewd to make reckless decisions before the war had even begun. If this plan backfired, the responsibility would fall squarely on them.
Aside from the thousand troops traveling with Jiraiya to quickly reinforce the front lines, the remaining three thousand would be divided into three hundred ten-man squads. Each squad would be led by core clan members, elite Jōnin, the Hokage's trusted aides, and members of the Root.
Over the next two weeks, they would leave the village in batches under various pretexts. Using different routes and disguises, they would ultimately slip into hidden strongholds and towns near the borders.
This strategy maximized secrecy while allowing them to form a semi-encirclement of the enemy's front lines.
It was a one-time trick. It placed a huge strain on logistics. If the enemy hesitated and failed to attack, the whole thing might turn into a joke.
But if it worked, Konoha would gain a massive early advantage.
To reduce frontline casualties, Shinno had even ensured that Namikaze Minato was placed in the first wave.
Additionally, he had assigned Captain Omega of the Root's Second Squad to plant specially marked Flying Thunder God kunai along the route leading to the battlefield.
If things went south, Shinno could teleport there instantly and turn the tide of battle.
After all, his goal was to create a drawn-out conflict, waiting for the right moment to set the stage for the Third Hokage's grand appearance—not to let Konoha get crushed by other villages.
As for crushing Iwagakure and Sunagakure…
That could wait until after he sent off the Third.
...
"What about Kirigakure? How are they responding?" Tsunade asked after digesting Shinno's explanation, feeling slightly less irritated.
"We're drafting a separate two-thousand-man force. They'll prepare for battle openly to mislead the enemy, while we wait for Kirigakure to make the first move. We don't have an advantage at sea."
"And if we don't know the exact size of the enemy force?"
"Well, the thousand-man frontline force is something Iwagakure and Sunagakure will have to split between them. It's not like they can just send a ten-thousand-strong joint army right away. And Kirigakure still has to watch out for Kumogakure, so we should be fine."
"Who's in charge of these two units?"
"No idea."
"...What?"
"I really don't know," Shinno shrugged and flopped onto the couch. "If this plan succeeds, the credit…"
Three thousand might not seem like a huge number, but assembling a force from scattered groups and rapidly launching a coordinated attack wasn't just about skill—it required immense prestige and leadership.
Not to mention the necessity of top-tier combat strength to counter potential enemy powerhouses.
Orochimaru might be able to take on such a role.
But...
Heh—
"Idiots! That old man's lost it! And Danzo's a bastard! Koharu and Homura must have rocks for brains—"
Tsunade launched into another round of cursing.
This time, she wasn't just targeting Danzo—every member of Konoha's so-called "Big Four" got their fair share of verbal abuse.
...
Knock, knock, knock.
There was a knock at the door.
Shinno swept the area with his sensory abilities and, recognizing the familiar presence of Kurenai Yuhi, Might Guy, and Genma Shiranui, got up with a chuckle to open it.
"Happy New Year, Sensei! Wishing you good health, great fortune, a joyful life, and a harmonious family!"
The three students bowed in unison, beaming up at their teacher.
"Hahaha! You guys…"
Laughing, Shinno ushered them inside and handed them red envelopes adorned with lucky cat designs.
In this world, there was a tradition similar to giving New Year's money.
Originally, elders would distribute offerings taken from the New Year's altar, usually rice cakes, to children visiting during the holiday.
After the Warring States period, the practice gradually shifted to giving money directly.
However, Shinno's envelopes contained more than just money—each one held a little surprise.
"Thank you, Sensei!"
The three of them bowed again, their faces filled with excitement.
"Hehehe~ Aren't you going to open them? Your sensei and I put a lot of thought into these gifts," Kushina prodded with a mischievous smile.
The playful glint in her eyes sent a chill down Kurenai and Genma's spines.
Their teacher and his wife were both warm, kind people who took great care of them.
But they had one thing in common—they loved playing pranks.
Something about these red envelopes felt… ominous.
"Genma, you're the team captain. You first?" Kurenai suggested hesitantly.
"...Sensei always taught us to respect our elders. Guy, you're the youngest—you go first."
Genma turned to Might Guy, forcing a smile.
With a gleaming grin and a thumbs-up, Guy confidently tore open his envelope.
"The flames of youth will never—"
Before he could finish, he was caught in a genjutsu, suddenly overwhelmed with excitement and shouting enthusiastically.
Kurenai and Genma exchanged looks of resignation.
Yeah. They should've expected this.
Bam! Bam!
Kushina knocked her fists lightly on their heads, feigning annoyance.
"Are you two seriously letting your teammate go in alone like that?! I worked hard on those trigger seals! Your sensei also put a lot of thought into your gifts—now hurry up and open them!"
"Alright, alright…"
Bracing themselves, Kurenai and Genma opened their envelopes… and immediately fell under the genjutsu as well.
A moment of confusion later, their expressions lit up with shock and joy.
"What kind of genjutsu is this?" Tsunade asked, puzzled.
"It's a learning enhancement illusion," Shinno grinned. "Kind of like a step-by-step study guide."
He'd gotten the idea from Shizune's visit. Compared to his previous genjutsu—this one was far simpler.
But its effectiveness in accelerating learning was unmatched.
A two-hour genjutsu session would let them absorb two months' worth of training.
A personal crash course from an ultra-elite ninja—what better New Year's gift?
"In other words, you gave them cram school for New Year's?"
"...Uh. That does sound kind of bad, doesn't it?"
Maybe this was like giving a kid a test prep book for Christmas…
But hey! At least it wasn't that bad—
A real cram school would ruin their entire holiday, not just two hours!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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