After discussing the situation and getting a general idea of who was with whom, it was decided not to immediately capture the strategic point, but rather to ambush the ninjas.
"Everything is ready," the ninja, whom I don't know but who is in charge of the attack unit, informed me.
"Good, we'll leave in half an hour," I told him.
"Understood, Commander," and with that, he left.
The plan is to ambush the Suna ninjas who attempt to secure the next unoccupied strategic point, which, according to our intelligence, is still free.
For this, platoons from the Attack, Interception, and Vanguard divisions will be deployed; I'm going to replace the Vanguard's division leader, as he's too easily manipulated, and Danzo has already had to give him instructions on things like gathering intelligence or retrieving items from the battlefield.
There will be 3 platoons with 12 ninja teams. Having the advantage of having the terrain prepared, I should at least be able to stop them, since I don't know if Suna will get the bright idea of concentrating all their forces at the strategic point; if that happens, they'll face the full force of Mother Nature.
"You were looking for me, Miss Miyu," Tenya said, arriving at the main camp, where I was currently alone, guarded by two rather useful ninjas.
"It's good you lived fast, Tenya. I have something to tell you," I said, gesturing to the seat where I was sitting.
"What is it?" he asked, somewhat curious.
"Well, I've come to offer you two positions, at least one of them being temporary." Upon hearing this, Tenya became more attentive and straightened his posture. "First, I don't trust the head of the intelligence-gathering division; you should know that not everything is as it seems in the village, not to mention that Suna found out about Iwa's attack on Konoha very quickly, as if they already knew about it beforehand or someone had told them first."
"Miss Miyu, you don't mean to say..." Tenya became a little flustered, but I interrupted him with a wave of my hand.
"It's just speculation, but I don't want to risk sending good men to their deaths simply because some men have clearly defined loyalties, so I ask you to take charge of the position, please."
Tenya remained in his seat, staring for a moment before looking away and gazing into the distance.
I sense he's caught between disbelief and the possibility of reality. Tenya, being a civilian ninja, received the Will of Fire treatment, but being well into his forties, nearing fifty, he knows things and understands that things aren't always as one might idealize them.
He has lived through many things: massacres, wars, absurd powers, and above all, betrayals.
"Very well, Commander, you will take the position of head of the intelligence division," he exclaimed decisively, knowing that his decision could change the lives of everyone in the unit.
"Okay, now, as you know, I'm the current commander, but once my mother arrives, I'll be demoted to vice-commander. But that means I'm both commander and head of the attack division, so if I have to go to the front lines, I need someone here who can coordinate everything. That's why I'm asking you to temporarily fill the vice-commander position."
"Wait, wait, wait," Tenya said, standing up and gesturing with her hands. "You're the commander. You shouldn't be going to the front lines so soon. It's too soon."
"Oh, do you see into the future and know that I won't have to go to the battlefield and that everything will turn out perfectly?" My question left her speechless, unsure how to respond.
"Well... no," she said, embarrassed, realizing what I was getting at and having been so erratic earlier.
"You should know that we currently don't have any strong Kage-rank ninjas in the unit; I can't say for sure that it is, since I've never faced one, but maybe it is."
What am I saying? Obviously, I'm Kage-level. I can defeat all the Kage without any trouble. The ones who would give me the most trouble would probably be the Tsuchikage, because of his Jinton element, and the Raikage, because of his ultra-developed lightning element. I'm just being humble to be liked.
"For that reason, if a really strong enemy appears, whether a quasi-Kage or even a Kage, and the Third Kazekage appears, I'll be the one who has to face them. Like you said, it's too soon, but you never know." I think I'll use that phrase from now on to justify my actions; you never know.
Tenya sighed upon hearing my explanation, because I was right.
The village's heavyweights were all scattered across different units, with only Tsunade and me being able to compete at Kage level, and currently, I'm the one on the field.
"For now, at least," Tenya said resignedly.
"That's it," I said happily, hugging him, "that's why you're my favorite uncle, and I don't say that to just anyone."
...
In the end, the three platoons went to the strategic point; it only took a few hours for them to return and report encountering a reconnaissance squad in the area.
The good news is that the battle was won, but with one casualty and many poisoned, so I put the medical squad into action to treat them and send more people to replace those missing, at least temporarily. If the enemy squad didn't return, it was a clear indication that there were enemies in the area, and they sent more ninjas there.
At first, I thought about going directly to stop any enemy forces that might arrive, but I remembered Tenya's words, and frankly, it would be quite ridiculous for him to show up at the beginning of the war. But since when have I cared what other people think?
In the end, I only sent two squads from the assault division to test the waters and assess Suna's initial strength, since I had a general idea of who Sunagakure's heavy hitters were.
There's Chiyo and her brother, Gaara's father, who's incredibly inept, but that doesn't change the fact that he's almost as strong as, or perhaps even a little stronger than, an elite jonin. Honestly, I don't have a good impression of that man, neither in his socioeconomic nor military decisions nor of his power. There's also Pakura, who's still alive, and a Sasori who hasn't yet defected. And if Soasri is there, then by default there's the Third Kazekage; I can't recall any other heavy hitters.
"Now that I think about it, my wood element isn't as effective in the sand, since there isn't much life in the area; luckily, I have chakra reserves comparable to a tailed beast."
Over time, as my body has grown, filling the spaces where it needed to grow, my chakra reserves have increased significantly, enough to seal a tailed beast within me and no one would notice.
"I hope so, now that I think about it..." I said to myself.
I couldn't continue my musings, as a ninja from the intelligence division entered without permission, even though they were the only ones allowed to do so and only if it was important.
"Commander, I have bad news: the squads were repelled by the Suna team." Upon hearing this, I frowned.
"Tell me the level of force the enemy sent," I ordered the subordinate.
"A massive force, twice the size of our squads; among them were several elite jōnin, including renowned figures like Malkia, Ren, Fumikaze, and, finally, Ebizu, one of the most honorable names," he informed me.
I was left pondering the names of these men.
"Ebizu, Ebizu," I whispered to myself, trying to remember. "Ah, I know who he is," he said. "He's Chiyo's brother."
They didn't send all the heavy hitters, but the forces I sent were all of them, mostly Chunin, with two elite Jonin. Not to mention, the instruction was that if we were significantly outnumbered, we should retreat, since we have the forces to seize the strategic points.
These strategic points were important because they were places where information passed through, where it was easier to transport supplies, or where they were close to important villages or towns. By securing all the strategic points, I would have total control of the country.
"Alright, it's time to recruit then," I said, standing up.
"Are you going?" my subordinate asked.
"Obviously, it would be ideal if we captured Ebizu, but I don't think any of you can. The puppeteers are very elusive and use a lot of traps and poison. I'll take care of him myself," I explained, pulling out an ANBU-style uniform. "But I won't be doing it in my commander identity."
...
"Alright, are you ready?"
"Yes, Commander," said the three ex-ANBU chunin who were accompanying me, pretending to be anbu like me.
The plan was ready; basically, it was a strategy to keep me in Ebizu's line of sight and kill or capture him; the latter would be ideal, but if that wasn't possible, the former.
Right now, an attack formation was moving to intercept more Suna ninja on their way to the strategic point. You would have some escape to the point they had taken so that they would send enemy ninjas to rescue them, hoping that Ebizu would be there; if he wasn't alone, we would kill them all. With me there, I don't think it will be too difficult; I just won't have to use any bloodlines.
"So, as the plan states, you will act like ninjas, taking down enemies with your swords whenever you can, all while remaining incognito while I take care of the stronger ones."
"Understood, Commander."
I nodded at their response, only to see the platoon already arriving to put the plan into action.
"Alright, let's move," and with that, the four of us performed a shunshin, remaining outside the platoon at a distance.
Now I slightly regret not bringing my tools, but I left them in the village to help Makoto and Daiki with any problems they might encounter and to protect the clan in general, since Danzo is still in the village.
(Note: When I say "clan" without specifying, consider that both the Senju and Chinoiken clans are included.)
...
Hidden behind the other ninjas, I watched as everything unfolded.
It wasn't too difficult to intercept a small group of ninjas with a larger one.
I saw them knock them out and tie them up in obvious traps; I don't think they'll be very effective, but they might help reduce the number of enemies.
The platoon had deliberately displayed their large number of ninjas to lure the heavy hitters from over there to this side.
While we waited, I was sealing each kunai with an explosive tag; that way, they would explode without the need for talismans.
"Enemy attack," I heard from a distance, followed by an explosion.
As soon as I heard that, I sealed the kunai and held it in my hand, ready to fire.
The entire battlefield erupted into chaos; luckily, being used to fighting among trees, we had a slight advantage. This time should be different, not just because I'm here, but because I brought stronger ninjas with me. This time, I didn't come to test my strength or to lose.
I stayed in the shadows, watching all the chaos, observing the enemy ninjas. Before the mission, I had checked a Suna ninja bingo book, and so far, I don't see any.
There's a chance none of them will show up, so if that's the case, all we can do is eliminate these guys as quickly as possible.
I saw a small squad of Suna ninjas moving close together in the distance. Without wasting a moment, I used a Shunshin to position myself in front of them at a considerable distance.
"An ANBU ninja from Konoha," said the ninja in front of me.
"It's just one; it shouldn't be a problem," another exclaimed.
I quickly threw the kunai in my hand at the ninja in front of me; luckily, he didn't dodge it but instead drew another kunai to intercept it.
The moment the metal was about to collide, I acted.
"Kai!" I exclaimed, and the kunai's seal glowed, generating a massive explosion.
Information is power; if they had known I had a technique like that and could perform those kinds of attacks, they wouldn't have stayed together and would have intercepted the attack, surviving. Well, I only killed two.
The one in front was completely brain-dead; another, closer by, had half his face destroyed; his brains were exposed. A piece of metal from the kunai lodged in the chest of another, directly in his lung, causing him to collapse to the ground, coughing up blood and convulsing.
Only one remained "unharmed," as the blast wave only knocked him back, but he got back to his feet immediately.
"What the…," the ninja glanced quickly at his companions, two dead and one dying. "Damn you…"
I couldn't finish his sentence, as I was behind him; he noticed, and when he turned around, I punched him with my chakra-enhanced strength technique. Since I had plenty of chakra, I didn't bother wasting much on a devastating attack.
With a single blow, I shattered his skull, killing him instantly.
I wiped my bloody hand and looked at the dying ninja on the ground, practically begging to be killed.
Without hesitation, I threw three shuriken at his head, killing him.
"Three Chunin and one Jonin," I remarked, noticing their vests.
I was going to continue searching the area for Ebizu, but I sensed a massive amount of chakra forming. I looked in that direction and saw a gust of wind sweeping across a section of the battlefield.
I moved closer to get a better look, to see a kunoichi with a large metal fan spread out, surveying the chaos she had caused. When I saw her, I smiled.
"The Sand Hurricane, Malkia, with a bounty of around 12 million ryo," I thought to myself, finally spotting a heavyweight of the sand on the battlefield—my next opponent.
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Guys, I have a mouse again.