As the war continued, Konoha had not once taken the initiative to invade any major nation, always on the defensive. Shimura Danzo believed this was not good, as it would affect Konoha's prestige.
Thud thud!
Sarutobi Hiruzen showed a thoughtful expression, his right hand fingers subconsciously tapping the conference table lightly.
Although Shimura Danzo's plan was very aggressive, with Konoha's current ninja forces in the Land of Grass, there was indeed a possibility of penetrating the Land of Earth.
Konoha currently had over eighteen hundred ninjas in the Land of Grass, including powerful figures like Jiraiya, Namikaze Minato, and Mokgetsu, as well as elite Jonins like Aburame Shikuro and Maruboshi Kosuke, forming the strongest ninja squad Konoha had assembled in recent years.
"It's too aggressive." Sarutobi Hiruzen eventually shook his head in denial.
"The Land of Earth is full of rocky mountains, easy to defend and hard to attack. Once the forces enter, if the supplies are cut off, they will fall into an irreparable situation. Moreover, from my understanding of Onoki, Hidden Rock definitely has more strength than they are showing." Sarutobi Hiruzen expressed his opinion.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was only a few years younger than Onoki, and in his impression, Onoki was definitely cunning and shrewd. How could such an old fox easily expose all his strength?
"How can we know Onoki isn't bluffing unless we fight?" Shimura Danzo retorted.
Shimura Danzo genuinely felt that Sarutobi Hiruzen had become timid with age. If it were the Sarutobi Hiruzen of ten years ago, he would likely have agreed with his plan.
They had driven the Hidden Mist away in disarray, so why couldn't they launch a heavy attack on Hidden Rock?
"Rather than betting that others are as weak as imagined, it's better to stabilize the situation and strengthen our own power." Sarutobi Hiruzen did not agree with Shimura Danzo's gambler mentality.
"Kushina has gradually become familiar with the Nine-Tails, and within a year at most, she will be able to play the role of a Jinchuriki on the battlefield."
Shimura Danzo was silent for a moment. Sarutobi Hiruzen's words indeed made a lot of sense.
If Kushina could act as a Jinchuriki on the battlefield, it would be a significant enhancement for Konoha.
The Tailed Beast Ball of a Jinchuriki was more terrifying than Legion Ninjutsu executed by dozens of Jonin combined, serving as a major weapon in large-scale warfare.
"So what now, just keep stalemating with Hidden Rock?" Shimura Danzo couldn't think of a counterargument.
"Maintaining the status quo is the best choice." Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in agreement.
After all, Konoha hadn't suffered any losses; they had weakened Hidden Rock while also drawing some blood from the Grass Ninja.
"Since that's the case, why not end the Mokgetsu Squad's mission and have them return to Konoha," suggested Mitokado Homura after some thought.
The initial intent of sending Mokgetsu on the mission was to solve the Grass Ninja problem and help the Grass Country's ninja force gain an advantage. Now that the Grass Ninja issue was resolved, and a major battle in the Grass Country battlefield was unlikely, having Mokgetsu remain with the Grass Country forces was a bit of a waste of combat power.
In Konoha, Mokgetsu could undertake various teaching tasks and complete high-reward S-level missions, and in case of emergencies, Mokgetsu could be sent for support.
Mitokado Homura's suggestion received unanimous approval from the higher-ups.
Shimura Danzo needed Mokgetsu to continue training Wood Release ninjas, while Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted Mokgetsu to plan the third phase of Anbu training.
As for Utatane Koharu, everyone agreed with her, and she felt there was no reason to refuse.
...
After receiving orders from the higher-ups, Mokgetsu bid farewell to Jiraiya and Minato, preparing to lead his team back to Konoha.
This result was within his expectations, as, in a sense, his strategic value surpassed that of Jiraiya.
"Ah, going back so soon this time," remarked Obito in surprise, who had prepared himself to settle into the battlefield.
He thought they would defeat Hidden Rock just like they did on the East Coast Battlefield before returning to Konoha.
"Mm, it's the arrangement from higher-ups." Mokgetsu gave a concise reply.
"It's quite nice too. I haven't seen Charmander for a while; I wonder how Grandma will feed it."
Obito scratched his head, realizing leaving was a good thing—it meant he only had to face one inherently evil white-haired guy for a while.
"Teacher Mokgetsu, when can I learn the Flying Thunder God Jutsu?"
Thinking about Kakashi, who had activated the Breath of Thunder Chakra Mode on this mission, and comparing himself, Obito couldn't help but ask.
Compared to the humble Fire Attribute, Space-Time techniques were undoubtedly more prestigious.
In all of Konoha, only two ninjas had mastered the Flying Thunder God Jutsu: Namikaze Minato and Mokgetsu, who were respectively known as the Yellow Flash and Blazing Sun Mokgetsu, the two most famous young powerhouses of Konoha.
If he mastered the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, no matter how powerful Kakashi's slash was, it would be meaningless since he couldn't hit him.
"It depends on your own situation. If you're quick, you should be able to learn it in about a year." Mokgetsu glanced at Obito's stats and answered.
[Name: Uchiha Obito]
[Chakra: 16000]
[Skills: Breath of Flame Chakra Mode, Fire Attribute Chakra Nature Changes (Master Level: 150/15000), Breath of Flame (Master Level: 250/15000), Great Fireball Jutsu (Master Level: 20/15000)...]
Given Obito's current Chakra levels, spending a significant amount of time on the Flying Thunder God Jutsu would be a complete waste because he didn't have enough Chakra to utilize it.
If he works hard for a year and his Chakra increases to over twenty thousand, with precise planning, he could barely integrate the Flying Thunder God into his combat routine.
Obito understood he needed to train even harder.
"But in a year, there'll be two internal battles," Obito said, scratching his ears and wishing he could fast forward to the next year.
Facing Kakashi's Thoughtless Slash enhanced by the Breath of Thunder Chakra Mode and the Transparent World, Obito felt like his use of Fire Release made him seem as simple as a primitive person.