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Chapter 313: Controlling the Sand Ninja's Ambition!
Chapter 313: Controlling the Sand Ninja's Ambition!
Port!
"So now, only Ye Cang and Lo Sha, along with two hundred Sand Ninjas, are taking action?"
Uchiha Meika assessed the enemy's information after listening to the report from the backup team.
In terms of the Sand Ninja's strength, this number was merely a vanguard, and the main army might still be observing from somewhere.
Only after confirming the information would the main force enter the battlefield.
In a war between ninjas, it was natural that they wouldn't engage in direct combat like a regular army but would instead employ guerrilla warfare in small team formations. Once one side couldn't withstand the pressure, they would launch an all-out offensive.
Therefore, Uchiha Meika, with this port as the core, began to construct a defensive fortress, and the fleet could also provide fire support.
Don't ever think that the steel battleships are just for show.
During the previous war with the Void Ninjas, these steel battleships were ineffective because the battle ended before they were even used.
If they were to unleash their full firepower, they could easily launch devastating attacks.
It can be said that in terms of conventional military strength, they were at a disadvantage. To gain the upper hand, they must capitalize on their strengths while avoiding their weaknesses.
In terms of individual combat strength, due to the Skyguard Tower's excellent logistics supply and the fact that ninjutsu wasn't as heavily restricted as in the Five Great Hidden Villages, as long as one accumulated enough contributions, they could exchange them for powerful techniques. As a result, their combat strength was exceptionally high.
Most importantly, among the five hundred or so ninjas who came this time, there were over a hundred Uchiha ninjas.
With the massive investment of resources and the acquisition of various secret techniques and information from Uchiha Madara, the Uchiha clan's difficulty in opening their eyes had significantly decreased.
As a result, the number of Uchiha ninjas, which was originally around two hundred, had now surpassed three hundred, and the number of ninjas with the Byakugan had also increased significantly.
Additionally, there were ninjas trained by the Orphanage, as well as civilian ninjas and the Onikiri clan.
Currently, the number of active ninjas in the Skyguard Tower had exceeded four digits.
Of course, there was a price to pay!
The enormous subsidy expenditure was comparable to that of the Five Great Hidden Villages.
After all, when training ninjas, various foods and potions were indispensable, not to mention the cost of ninja tools... It was only because the Skyguard Tower's earning speed was astonishing that it hadn't been dragged down earlier.
The current distribution of military forces:
One hundred ninjas were stationed in the Tea Country, where the situation had stabilized, under the command of Uchiha Shou.
Among the remaining ninjas, five hundred were participating in this war.
Other ninjas, aside from those assigned to routine missions and protecting caravans, were distributed between the Skyguard Tower and the River Country, leaving no spare manpower.
If the Sand Ninjas knew their situation, they might go crazy with envy.
They had plenty of ninjas but lacked commission missions.
Some of the Wind Country's mission commissions had been taken by the Leaf Village, which was also one of the reasons why the Sand Ninjas invaded the Leaf Village during the Great Ninja War.
They were already starving, so why bother with anything else?
As for Dong Ping's insistence on fighting the Sand Ninjas, it was not only to demonstrate strength and deter their covetousness but also to gain an advantage in future collaborations.
Yes, he had already formulated his first strategic goal.
To control the Hidden Sand Village!
It wasn't that he was ignorant of his limitations, but because there was indeed such an opportunity.
The Hidden Sand Village was too close, making them literal 'neighbors,' and it was extremely convenient to take action.
At the same time, they were also the most impoverished among the Five Great Hidden Villages, and if they experienced the benefits of collaborating with him, they would only become increasingly dependent.
Adding to that, the narrative advantage of foreknowledge made controlling the Sand Ninjas not just a pipe dream.
Sucking the Leaf Village dry while plotting against the Sand Ninjas.
Once the Skyguard Tower developed further, and with the Sand Ninjas as an 'inside man' on his side, he would have the confidence to confront any danger.
As for why he didn't directly target the Leaf Village?
Sorry, the Leaf Village was too deep!
It could be called the very 'center of the Ninja World,' receiving all kinds of attention, even from that Lazy You Bastard (LYB) hiding in the Pure Land. It was impossible to make a move on them.
Only by controlling the Sand Ninjas and allowing the Skyguard Tower to develop further could he gradually weaken them like boiling a frog in warm water.
By then, it would be just a small, broken village, and whoever wanted it could have it.
Dong Ping certainly didn't think that being a time-traveler would make the Leaf Village submit to him.
Dare to play like this, do you believe that a certain LYB from the Pure Land will activate Sage Mode and instantly cast the Six Paths: Earth Core on themselves, ascending to the heavens and standing shoulder to shoulder with Kaguya?
In Douhei's plan, the Leaf Village can gain benefits and secretly influence, but they must never occupy or annex.
At least not before they have the strength to face the Uzumaki Clan.
This conflict also serves another purpose—to provide cover.
But for whom?
Of course, for Konan.
Remember the promise Douhei made to her?
To revive Yahiko, the Reincarnation Jutsu is a forbidden technique that must be obtained.
However, even Douhei isn't sure if Chiyada has developed it, which is why Konan needs to investigate.
For infiltration and reconnaissance missions like this, there isn't anyone in the Skyguard Tower who specializes in them.
Even with Hyuga Cangyue, who has a terrifyingly low presence and the Rebirth Eye, at best, he can only be considered an 'assassin', and such reconnaissance missions are not suitable for him.
Assigning Konan, who excels in intelligence gathering, to this task is the most suitable choice.
If she fails, Akatsuki will be there to rescue her.
Uzumaki Kaguya can withstand the Leaf Village, let alone the Hidden Sand Village, which is weaker.
Moreover, Douhei secretly hopes that they will take on the Leaf Village.
Once they do, the Hidden Sand Village will disappear, and he can take advantage of the situation.
In the south of the Land of Wind!
Both sides continued to build up their strength, and the tension was palpable.
However, on the surface, neither side declared that a battle was taking place.
A local war is not a total war.
If the situation were to become known throughout the Shinobi World, the various powers might intervene, making it difficult to control.
That's why they tacitly agreed to keep a low profile.
Soon, the Sand Ninja took the mining area as their base and began a guerrilla warfare campaign against the Skyguard Tower.
It seemed like the Sand Ninja had the upper hand.
After all, they had an absolute advantage in numbers.
Even though it had only been about a year since the Great Ninja War, there were still several thousand ninjas.
But there's something you should know.
The Skyguard Tower can go all out, but that doesn't mean the Sand Ninja can too.
They also have to fulfill commissions.
If you don't accept commissions, they will fall into the hands of other villages.
Once a commission is transferred, it's not easy to get it back.
Although the Sand Ninja plundered a vast wealth during the war, it was only a one-time income. Only commissions are considered long-term income, and their importance is evident.
Therefore, half of the Sand Ninja must go on commissions, and the remaining ones must not only guard against the Leaf Village but also the Hidden Stone Village.
The Stone Ninja has always had their eyes on the Land of Wind, and if the border is left unguarded, Orochimaru will invade in an instant.
Just because they fought together in the Great Ninja War doesn't mean they are allies.
So, the number of ninjas the Sand Ninja can freely deploy is limited to around a thousand.
This is the limit for a non-total war.
Aside from the issue of numbers, there's a more serious problem—'logistics'.
The Skyguard Tower receives supplies from the sea.
With the Blazing Sun Fleet, supplying a few hundred ninjas or even ten times that number is not a problem.
But for the Sand Ninja Village to resupply, they would have to travel thousands of kilometers through the desert, a task as difficult as going through hell.
After discovering their weakness, Uchiha Meika naturally wouldn't let it go.
In addition to strengthening their defenses, they constantly sent teams to intercept and eliminate the Sand Ninja's transport teams.
The Sand Ninja, who already had difficulty with supplies, became even more vulnerable when their weakness was targeted.
Supplies became scarce, and even rice balls were occasionally in short supply.
When ninjas lack food, refining chakra is equivalent to risking their lives, and the severity of the situation is evident.
If they send a large number of ninjas to protect the transport teams, they will lose their numerical advantage on the front lines, creating a dilemma.
After nearly two months of fighting!
Time had come to January of the 49th year of the Leaf Village.
The Sand Ninja could no longer bear it and finally gathered to discuss countermeasures.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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