"What inspiring young people. With their sacrifices, I believe the Land of Grass will get better and better." A thin smile appeared on Abura Shisui's face as he turned around. "Let's tell them the truth this ti and let them choose for themselves."
With a nod, he walked toward the center of the training ground.
The dragonflies in the sky landed one after another, and the ninjas leaped off their backs, lining up in neat formations.
"Tonight, we will attempt a new kind of technique," Shisui's voice echoed across the field. "The initial stage of human-insect fusion. If successful, your strength will explode in a short ti, giving you enough power to confront Konoha's Jonin head-on."
A slight commotion rippled through the crowd.
"But there is a price," Shisui continued calmly. "With every fusion, the cells in your body will accelerate their division and burn. Your own chakra pathways may also be damaged, and your strength might never progress another inch."
"This is not an order; it is a choice. Those willing to try, stay. Those who are not can withdraw and head to the front lines to help set up our defenses."
After a long, heavy silence, the first ninja stepped forward, followed imdiately by a second, a third...
Without Shiraki having to call nas, the first batch of ten test subjects volunteered themselves.
Most of them were either too old, full of youthful arrogance, or simply those who genuinely believed the Grass Village could win this war.
These individuals might not have been the type to selflessly sacrifice everything for their village under normal circumstances. But right now, choosing to stand forward showed a unique kind of courage.
Even if it was because they had no other options left, and even if it was because they had nowhere else to run.
Shiraki applauded them, then took a deep breath as he slowly unrolled the scroll in his hands.
"Very well, let us begin."
anwhile, inside Konoha's main camp.
"Seven dead, six heavily wounded," Hyuga Tennin repeated tightly. "Fugaku, the opponent is just the Grass Village. Is this level of loss not incredibly abnormal?"
Inside the command tent, several Konoha Jonin and the core mbers of both clans held their breath.
The casualty rate of the Uchiha clan was within expected paraters for a war, but for it to be this high—combined with the Grass ninjas displaying strength far beyond intel—warranted a deeper look.
Uchiha Fugaku stated, "The individual combat capability, the quality of equipnt, and the fighting will of the Grass ninjas we encountered this ti far exceed the intelligence we previously possessed.
The standard kunai and shuriken they use are exceptionally well-crafted, and the sa goes for the armor on their bodies."
"The Hidden Stone," Hyuga Tennin noted suddenly.
A Konoha strategist analyzed, "Extrely likely! Only a Great Ninja Village has the capability to arm and rapidly boost a small village in such a short ti. The Land of Earth has always harbored designs on the Land of Grass as a buffer zone. If Ohnoki is pulling the strings from behind..."
"No need to guess," Hyuga Tennin interrupted, looking at Uchiha Fugaku. "Fugaku, what is your judgnt?"
Uchiha Fugaku spoke again, "The Grass Village itself is nothing to worry about. But the shadow behind them must be thoroughly investigated.
I suspect the Hidden Stone didn't just provide equipnt; they might have also sent a significant number of elites embedded within them to guide them, or even provided certain forbidden secret techniques or dicines."
One had to realize that the fifty n he took out were all Uchiha elites, yet they still suffered significant casualties.
Though there were subtle internal power struggles between different factions, the Uchiha were fiercely united when facing an outside threat.
But it was exactly that slight friction and distraction that cost them dearly, surpassing the limits of what the Uchiha could tolerate.
"If that's the case, our strategy needs to change," Hyuga Tennin pondered for a mont. "We cannot give the Hidden Stone ti to react or intervene further. We must end this swiftly. Before the Grass Village can fully reveal their so-called 'trump cards,' we must completely crush them, seize control of the entire Land of Grass, and establish a fait accompli."
"I agree," Uchiha Fugaku nodded. "Delays breed complications. If the Hidden Stone really is behind them, seeing the Grass fall quickly might deter them from directly conflicting with Konoha. But if the war drags on and they see an opening..."
The consequences would be disastrous.
"Chief Tennin," Uchiha Fugaku looked toward the Hyuga leader. "The security of our rear and flanks, especially scouting toward the Land of Earth, will rely on the Hyuga clan's Byakugan. I will detach a squad to cooperate with your clan's scouting efforts."
Hyuga Tennin nodded. This was both a division of labor and a political statent.
The Uchiha would spearhead the attack while the Hyuga managed defense and scouting. The credit would be balanced across different areas, avoiding the internal friction that might arise if the Uchiha clan claid all the glory.
Though the Hyuga clan wasn't desperate for military rit, maintaining a necessary balance was vital.
"I will personally arrange a team of elite Hyuga clansn to scout toward the northwest, focusing heavily on movents near the Hidden Stone border," Hyuga Tennin said. "As for our main force, how do we proceed?"
Uchiha Fugaku declared, "At dawn tomorrow, the entire army presses forward. No more probing, no holding back. With thunderous montum, we will crush the remaining Grass forces and march straight on the Grass Village!"
The orders were swiftly relayed, and the Konoha camp beca a hive of activity as nearly a thousand ninjas began their final rest and preparation before the great clash.
Uchiha Fugaku noticed that the discipline among the general forces was still sowhat loose, and a bad premonition crept into his heart once more.
But this ti, Konoha had to win, and the Uchiha had to win!
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
To Negishi Kusanagi and his remaining subordinates, these three days were absolute hell.
Konoha's pursuit was no longer a probing action; it had turned into a highly efficient hunting operation.
The Uchiha and Hyuga ninjas moved like precise killing machines, coordinating seamlessly with the other Konoha forces to launch wave after wave of attacks.
Traps? They were completely useless before the Byakugan.
Ambushes? The insight of the Sharingan saw through most camouflages well in advance.
A frontal confrontation? That was a luxury they couldn't afford.
The only thing the Grass ninjas could do was utilize their familiarity with the terrain to continuously retreat, buying ti with their lives.
Negishi Kusanagi's unit suffered devastating losses. Their original force of over four hundred n was whittled down to just over a hundred and ninety, and most of them carried injuries.
Yet, the support they desperately wanted never arrived. There was no sign of the Tailed Beast, and the reinforcents from Takigakure were nowhere to be seen.
Despair began to settle over the Grass ninjas. But with their lives held in the hands of the enemy, they had no choice but to fight with everything they had just for a chance to survive, unleashing an astonishing display of combat power.
However, this desperate resistance, which drained every last ounce of their strength, struck the Konoha ninjas as sothing deeply unsettling.
Judging strictly by the casualty numbers, Konoha had also lost nearly two hundred n, with another hundred wounded. This loss ratio was almost a staggering one-to-one exchange with the Grass Village.
Furthermore, the bulk of the Grass casualties had been dealt by the Uchiha. It could no longer be described as rely unexpected; it was outright shocking!
Unfortunately, stalling could not alter the ultimate outco of the battle; it was simply a slow death.
"Leader... have we been abandoned?"
"How could that be? We still have the silk pouches."
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