"In the east and south, we've deployed over two thousand men, forming three lines of blockade. The other directions are covered with the cooperation of the Stone, bringing our total force to over four thousand."
"Elder Chiyo, Rasa, Karura, the Stone's Four-Tails Jinchuriki, their Explosion Release unit, and our own elite squads—many top-tier experts, plus no fewer than twenty jonin surrounding the enemy. In all the years of the Shinobi World War, there haven't been many battles on this scale."
Kazekami Chiran wiped his kunai, gazing at the vast forest behind the formation with a sigh.
"Hmph, with this lineup, even if the Third Hokage himself came, he'd die here—let alone his disciples. If we can kill Tsunade and Kato Dan, it'll be worth it. Even if we only get one of them, we won't have lost out."
Shima Tsugio stood beside Kazekami Chiran, looking full of confidence.
"This time, our mission is to hold this position for at least five hours. No one is allowed to cross the inner or outer blockade. If the battle gets critical and I need to command the main force, I'll be stretched thin—you'll need to keep an eye on Hardy's group for me."
"I'll keep an eye out. But honestly, if those three team up, I might not be able to beat them."
Kazekami Chiran smiled faintly, about to say more, when suddenly a deafening explosion rang out from the forest.
"That's... Explosion Release! They've already engaged Tsunade's group!"
Shima Tsugio exclaimed in surprise.
"It's not far from us. Konoha might try to break through from our direction," Kazekami Chiran estimated.
"Sensory squad, keep at least two ninja on detection duty at all times. Dan Kato's Spirit Transformation Technique can silently disrupt individual ninja. The rest of you, stand by and be ready for battle at any moment!"
As soon as the order was given, Hardy had already taken out two puppets and attached the "Formentor" puppet to his body.
Baki stood in front of Hardy.
Pakura was positioned behind the two.
This was the formation the three had developed after many missions together: Baki's excellent swordsmanship and swift body flicker could support Formentor on the front lines, enhancing their direct combat power and providing close protection if Hardy's real body was threatened.
Pakura stayed in the rear, using his wind and fire combination jutsu for long-range support.
The "Little Boy" puppet was the most mobile, able to support any position as needed. If necessary, Little Boy and Baki could swap between front and back to provide backup.
This was the greatest advantage of a puppeteer on the battlefield—not only could they fill multiple combat roles, but one person could fight as several.
As Kazekami Chiran expected, about ten minutes later, a group of Konoha ninja appeared on a distant hill.
"Numbers are around a thousand. No sign of any particularly strong chakra," the sensory ninja reported to Kazekami Chiran.
Kazekami Chiran couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
It seemed that while the enemy was numerous, this was likely just a feint.
If Jiraiya and Orochimaru really showed up here, there'd be no one on their side who could face them.
To stop Kage-level opponents, you could only rely on throwing masses of soldiers at them.
Still, they couldn't let their guard down. If the enemy realized the defenses here were weaker, their main force might shift to attack this position.
The art of "when real, make it seem false; when false, make it seem real" had been summarized by many over a thousand years of ninja warfare.
They had to give it their all.
At the start of the battle, both sides probed with large-scale combination jutsu. But as long as you responded appropriately and prepared in advance, you wouldn't suffer too many losses in clashes of equal scale.
After that, it was time for close combat.
"Boom!"
A powerful pneumatic punch tore through the air, smashing into the muddy ground and sending mud flying everywhere.
The Konoha ninja who dodged the Formentor puppet's attack barely had time to feel relieved before being engulfed by a fire jutsu enhanced with wind release.
"Clang!"
The sound of a ninja blade clashing with a kunai rang out. While Baki tangled another Konoha ninja with wind release and swordsmanship, the Little Boy puppet appeared like a ghost, its spinning mechanical arm instantly piercing the Konoha ninja's heart.
"Shift to three o'clock!"
Hardy fought while splitting his attention to the battlefield.
Multitasking was a professional skill every puppeteer needed. At his current level, Hardy couldn't perfectly control a third puppet, but he could spare enough focus to observe the battle.
On the battlefield, the most important thing was to eliminate as many enemy combatants as possible while keeping your own side safe.
This demanded keen observation and judgment from squad leaders.
You had to lead your team to avoid the tough targets, leaving those to allies who could handle them, while seeking out the "soft persimmons" you could easily crush.
The three coordinated seamlessly. Under Hardy's command, they deliberately avoided the jonin battle zones where the fiercest fighting raged, targeting the ordinary chunin and genin...
There really weren't many who could stop them.
However, it didn't take long for their lack of experience in large-scale battles to become apparent.
The three of them were still young, with less chakra and stamina than adult shinobi. If things continued like this, it was only a matter of time before they suffered casualties due to chakra depletion.
Hardy realized this problem when he noticed Pakura's ninjutsu usage starting to drop.
As a puppet master, Hardy's chakra consumption from manipulating chakra threads wasn't too high, and Baki mainly combined taijutsu with wind release ninjutsu.
Pakura, on the other hand, kept throwing out wind and fire release techniques, using up far more chakra than the other two.
"Change formation. Baki , take the front; Pakura, stay in the middle; I'll bring up the rear. Pakura, for now, Baki and I will handle the main offense. Recover your chakra as quickly as possible, then switch places with Baki, and I'll go last."
Hardy gave the order quickly, and the other two had no objections.
It's normal to have disagreements when executing grand strategies, but on the front lines, any disunity could be fatal.
While Hardy's approach would reduce their kill efficiency, it would also ensure the team's staying power.
No one knew when this battle would end.
After switching positions, Pakura took a soldier pill from his ninja pouch and swallowed it, but didn't stay idle. He supported the others by throwing kunai and senbon, minimizing his chakra use.
However, even though they had changed tactics, the attention they had drawn earlier still made them targets.
"Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu!"
A young male voice rang out. Baki's movements suddenly halted, then he swung his ninja blade at Pakura.
*Clang!*
Pakura spun around and blocked with a kunai.
Hardy, seeing this, was about to move when he suddenly found himself unable to do so.
A straight shadow had connected to his feet.