"We need to find their maritime strongholds, those islands that can serve as transfer stations. Once we destroy those bases, Kirigakure's logistical system will collapse."
Baki pondered for a moment before speaking.
"But that requires precise intelligence and rapid response. Kirigakure are not fools. Their bases will definitely have tight defenses."
"That is why reconnaissance is necessary."
Tsunade picked up the conversation.
"The Hyuga clan has already dispatched three reconnaissance squads. At the latest, we should receive preliminary results tonight. Before then…"
She turned to look at Baki.
"Jonin Baki, do you have any ideas regarding the deployment of the Sunagakure forces?"
Baki pulled out a combat map specially prepared by Sunagakure from his robes and spread it across the table.
"Among our thousand men, three hundred are puppet users. They are best suited for defensive warfare in complex terrain. I suggest deploying them throughout the hilly regions to establish defensive lines and prevent Kiri from flanking us."
He marked several positions on the map.
"As for the remaining seven hundred, three hundred will move alongside Konoha's main force, while the other four hundred will act as a mobile unit, ready to reinforce any location at any time."
It was an extremely reasonable arrangement.
Puppet users could display tremendous effectiveness in defensive battles. Sunagakure was clearly bringing out the area in which they excelled the most.
"Approved."
Tsunade nodded.
"Then we will finalize the detailed battle plan after the reconnaissance reports return. For today, everyone will rest and familiarize themselves with the terrain first."
The atmosphere inside the command tent relaxed somewhat after the preliminary battle strategy had been settled.
Baki did not leave immediately. His dark brown eyes turned toward Kiyohara, pausing briefly as though carefully considering his words.
"Vice Captain Kiyohara."
Baki spoke.
"There is one more matter. On behalf of Sunagakure, and especially Lord Kazekage, I must express our gratitude to you."
Kiyohara raised his eyes slightly.
"Gratitude?"
"Regarding the intelligence on Sasori of the Red Sand."
Baki's voice became deeper, the edge of the white cloth covering the left side of his face shifting slightly.
"We have already obtained more detailed information from Konoha. Sasori's defection has been confirmed, and he has officially been listed by our village as an S rank missing nin with an extremely dangerous threat level. The clues you brought back after encountering him near Kikyo Mountain were of tremendous importance to us."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"You overstate things, Jonin Baki. I merely happened to run into him."
Kiyohara guessed that Konoha's higher ups had voluntarily revealed the information.
Back when the war with Suna was still ongoing, Konoha's leadership had not released this news at all.
Now that Baki knew about it, it was likely because Konoha had shared the intelligence out of consideration for their alliance.
After Baki left, Tsunade spoke again.
"What do you all think?"
The person she referred to was naturally Baki.
"He's very intelligent."
Shikaku was the first to give his evaluation.
As for Kiyohara, he did not have much to say.
After all, the methods Baki possessed were largely useless against him.
No matter how powerful Baki's Wind Release ninjutsu might be, Kiyohara could evade them at any moment, or even withstand them head on.
"Baki did not propose any risky plans. Every arrangement prioritizes stability. That shows Suna's current strategy is focused on preserving their strength and minimizing casualties."
"Typical Rasa style."
Tsunade shook her head faintly.
"This generation's Kazekage is more skilled at calculation than anything else."
Afterward, Tsunade looked toward Kiyohara.
"This afternoon, go inspect the camp, especially the areas adjacent to Sunagakure's forces. With both armies stationed together, friction is unavoidable. Keep an eye on things."
Tsunade instructed him carefully.
The two countries had only recently finished fighting a war. Many shinobi likely still carried grudges against each other.
"Understood."
By the afternoon, the sunlight had become hazy after filtering through the damp moisture unique to the Land of Rivers.
Simple markers had already been erected along the border between the Konoha and Suna camps. Shinobi from both sides busied themselves with pitching tents, arranging defenses, and familiarizing themselves with the surrounding terrain.
Although the occasional exchanged glance still carried traces of vigilance and scrutiny, everything remained largely orderly, and no major conflicts had broken out.
For shinobi, orders were above all else.
Anything beyond that had to be restrained.
After making a full inspection round, Kiyohara returned to the small private tent assigned to him.
The interior was simple. One bed, one table.
Spread across the table were maps of the Land of Rivers and several ninjutsu scrolls.
Instead of resting, he took several items out from a sealing scroll.
A number of finely crafted wooden joint components, along with a small piece of chakra metal.
The chakra metal had been a birthday gift from Asuma.
The kid had even gone home specifically to retrieve it for him.
As for the chakra metal, Kiyohara intended to directly forge it into his shinobi blade to further strengthen the weapon.
'If I really played with puppets, I'd probably be better than many puppet masters.'
Kiyohara thought silently.
He began assembling some of the wooden components into simple puppets.
Sasori's puppet techniques stood unrivaled in the shinobi world, and his core "Red Secret Technique" had even reached the domain of human puppets.
Still, Kiyohara only approached it from a research perspective.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.
The art of puppetry still possessed certain merits worth learning from.
But an interesting fact was that the strongest puppets in the current shinobi world were actually not in Suna.
They were on the moon.
The Otsutsuki clan living on the moon had also created numerous puppets, many of which possessed a degree of intelligence and could move independently as long as the user issued commands.
Aside from Sasori's "Red Secret Technique," Kiyohara had also copied many orthodox "Black Secret Techniques" from Suna's puppet masters during past battles, along with some more widely circulated "White Secret Techniques."
Soft blue chakra wrapped around Kiyohara's fingertips as he began experimenting with guiding chakra strings into the puppet components.
He was not trying to create some overwhelmingly powerful combat puppet.
This was more of an advanced exercise in chakra control and a verification of the underlying principles behind puppet techniques.
Once his mind immersed itself completely, time passed extremely quickly.
"Kiyohara?"
The tent flap was gently lifted open.
Kurenai poked her head inside.
Fine beads of sweat still lingered on her forehead, clearly showing that she had just finished a round of training.
"Kurenai? Come in."
The chakra strings at Kiyohara's fingertips quietly dissipated.
Kurenai stepped into the tent and curiously looked at the half finished puppet components spread across the table.
"You're studying puppet techniques? Sunagakure's methods?"
"More or less. The manipulation of chakra strings shares similarities with the chakra scalpel used in medical ninjutsu, or with techniques for remotely controlling shinobi tools."
Kiyohara explained.
Through these kinds of precise operations, using a single thread to accomplish all sorts of tasks could also greatly train one's chakra control.
Then Kiyohara's gaze settled on Kurenai, and suddenly an idea appeared in his mind.
"Kurenai, can you help me with something?"
"What is it?"
Kurenai asked in confusion.
"I want to test controlling a living target directly through chakra strings. You won't actually lose consciousness or resistance. You only need to relax your body and follow the guidance of my chakra strings as you move."
Kiyohara said.
In the anime, Chiyo had used chakra strings this exact way to control Sakura's body and defeat Sasori.
But this required an extremely high level of trust.
For a shinobi, handing part of one's bodily control over to another person was incredibly dangerous.
Kurenai did not hesitate even slightly and nodded readily.
"I'm ready."
Kiyohara raised the five fingers of his right hand again.
This time, five far more condensed pale blue chakra strings shot out instantly, connecting precisely to Kurenai's shoulders, knees, and the center of her back.
The chakra strings trembled faintly, transmitting Kiyohara's will and delicate chakra flow.
"First, basic taijutsu movements."
Kiyohara murmured softly as his fingers moved lightly, almost like plucking the strings of an instrument.
Kurenai's body immediately began moving in response.
Raising her arms, blocking, sidestepping, turning her body.
At first, the motions appeared somewhat stiff.
But very quickly they became smooth and natural, even more fluid than when Kurenai practiced by herself.
Kiyohara found the sensation strangely peculiar.
It almost felt as though he were controlling a character inside a game.
"Next, let's try forming hand seals and releasing ninjutsu."
Kiyohara continued.
Kurenai obediently relaxed completely, fully giving up active control over the chakra within her body.
In the next moment, her hands rose involuntarily and began forming seals.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gust erupted from her mouth.
Where the wind swept across, the ground was torn apart into deep furrows.
Kiyohara nodded slightly.
From the looks of it, his chakra control ability had already reached an extremely high level.
Even among puppet masters, very few people could achieve this sort of operation.
Soon afterward, Kiyohara withdrew the chakra strings. Kurenai's body swayed faintly as she broke free from the state of being controlled.
She stared at the chaotic scene before her, her beautiful eyes filled with shock.
"Th… this was done by me?"
She looked at her own hands in disbelief.
"It was your body and your chakra foundation."
Kiyohara walked over to her side and carefully observed her complexion.
"How do you feel? Any discomfort?"
Kurenai quietly sensed her condition for a moment before frowning slightly.
"The chakra consumption was much higher than when I cast the technique myself, and my chakra pathways feel a little swollen."
"That may be because I'm used to outputting chakra at my own level."
Kiyohara said.
He had overlooked the fact that Kurenai's chakra reserves were far inferior to his own.
"Come sit down and rest for a bit, Kurenai."
"Mm."
Kurenai nodded.
She indeed felt an intense wave of weakness and muscle soreness washing over her.
Kiyohara poured her a cup of warm water before crouching down in front of her.
He extended his palm, green medical chakra glowing softly within it, and gently pressed it against her lower abdomen as Yang Release chakra filled with vibrant life force seeped into her body.
The warm sensation passed through the fabric of her training clothes, causing Kurenai's body to stiffen slightly as a blush spread uncontrollably across her cheeks.
She lowered her eyes, not daring to look at Kiyohara's face so close to hers. All she could feel was his chakra flowing through her body. The exhaustion rapidly faded away, replaced by a warm and comfortable sensation.
A moment later, Kiyohara withdrew his hand.
"That should do it. Rest for fifteen minutes and you'll mostly recover."
"Thank you, Kiyohara."
Kurenai already felt much better, though her legs still remained somewhat weak and sore.
"I… I might need a little while before I can walk back to my own tent."
Kiyohara looked at her condition, then naturally turned around and crouched with his back facing her.
"Hop on. I'll carry you over. Besides, it's about time to eat breakfast."
"W… what? No, it's fine. I can just sit here a bit longer…"
Kurenai's face reddened even more as she hurriedly waved her hands.
"Hurry up. Or do you want people to see you walking out of my tent with weak legs?"
His words carried a trace of teasing, but they effectively erased Kurenai's hesitation.
She bit her lower lip lightly before finally leaning gently onto Kiyohara's back.
Kiyohara reached both hands behind him and steadily supported the backs of her legs as he lifted her up.
The girl's body was light and soft. Even through their clothes, he could still feel her warmth, especially the soft elasticity and heat beneath his palms.
Kurenai rested against Kiyohara's back, her cheek pressed against his broad and sturdy shoulders.
His masculine scent and body temperature surrounded her, making her heartbeat accelerate uncontrollably while the blush on her face spread all the way to the tips of her ears.
Subconsciously, she tightened her arms around him slightly, yet she did not dare use too much force. Her entire body became somewhat stiff.
The distance from Kiyohara's tent to the public dining area of the camp was not far, yet to Kurenai, the journey felt both unusually long and frustratingly short.
"We're here."
Kiyohara's voice pulled her out of her embarrassment.
He carefully lowered her back onto the ground.
Once her feet touched solid earth, Kurenai cautiously took a few steps. Although her legs still felt weak, she was now able to walk normally.
"Kurenai? What happened? Are you hurt?"
A concerned voice suddenly sounded from nearby.
Rin was carrying a tray of food as she walked out from the temporary cooking tent. The moment she saw Kurenai being carried over by Kiyohara, along with her flushed face and slightly unsteady steps, she immediately ran over worriedly.
"N… no, I'm fine!"
Kurenai inexplicably felt guilty and hurriedly waved her hands.
"I just trained a little too hard earlier. Kiyohara helped treat me, so I'm much better now."
Rin looked at Kurenai, then at Kiyohara whose expression remained perfectly calm, blinking her large eyes in confusion.
"Really, I'm fine, Rin. Look, I can walk."
To prove it, Kurenai even deliberately hopped twice in place. Unfortunately, her legs softened and she nearly lost balance before Kiyohara reached out and steadied her arm.
"Be careful."
Kiyohara said.
"Hehe…"
Kurenai laughed awkwardly in embarrassment.
Seeing this, Rin finally relaxed and smiled gently.
"That's good then. Food's ready anyway, so let's eat together. Kiyohara-kun hasn't eaten yet either, right?"
"Mm."
Kiyohara nodded.
After some time, Kiyohara headed toward the main command tent.
Besides Tsunade, Kiyohara, Shikaku, Baki, and the other commanders, more than ten jonin had gathered inside the tent, including five or six members of the Hyuga clan.
The Hyuga clan's Byakugan could see through Kirigakure's famous "Hidden Mist Technique."
As a result, the Hyuga clan contributed far more effort during wars against Kiri.
Hyuga Tetsumon was currently reporting the reconnaissance results. In front of him lay a coastline map densely covered with markings.
"In conclusion, we observed two transport fleets docking and unloading supplies. Among the escorting shinobi, individuals displaying the characteristics of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were confirmed. Combined with yesterday's intelligence, the probability that one of them is Fuguki Suikazan is extremely high."
Hyuga Tetsumon pointed toward several sea regions marked with red circles on the map.
Kiyohara stared at the map, his finger slowly tracing along the coastline before eventually stopping at the suspicious sea area Tetsumon had marked.
"They're traveling directly by ship from the seas surrounding the Land of Water. There must be numerous supply points."
Kiyohara raised his head.
If Kiri lost continuous supplies, especially fresh water, food, and shinobi tools, then even elite troops would rapidly lose combat effectiveness.
"We can first take the initiative to wipe out some of the smaller islands occupied by members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and disrupt their plans."
"That makes sense."
Tsunade nodded.
However, whether it was Konoha's shinobi or Suna's shinobi, neither side actually possessed much experience in naval warfare.
"Then let's begin assigning teams."
Tsunade announced.
Waiting passively would only place them into an increasingly disadvantageous situation.
"I can fly, so I can scout the nearby islands first."
Kiyohara said.
"Take a Hyuga shinobi with you."
Tsunade replied as her red lips parted slightly.
Hearing this, Hyuga Tetsumon turned his head and beckoned toward Hyuga Ginka.
Seeing the gesture, Hyuga Ginka walked over.
"Ginka is from the main family. Her long range vision is much stronger than that of ordinary clan members."
Tetsumon introduced her.
Kiyohara looked toward Hyuga Ginka.
This was not the first time the two had met.
However, the balance of power between them was now completely different.
At present, he could no longer see even the slightest trace of arrogance on her face.
After all, the Hyuga clan held no real advantage before the Uchiha clan, not to mention that Kiyohara's fame and strength far surpassed Hyuga Ginka's.
"Kiyohara-kun, I will be responsible for… assisting you."
Hyuga Ginka pursed her lips lightly as she spoke.
"Good."
Kiyohara answered.
At the same time, he found himself somewhat envious of the Byakugan's abilities.
The Sharingan's eyesight was already excellent, but compared to the Byakugan, the difference could only be described as a youth edition versus the supreme edition.
If one had to describe it forcefully, the Sharingan was a multifunctional package, while the Byakugan devoted itself entirely to pushing perception to the absolute limit. Whether it was telescopic vision or penetrating vision, both were merely extensions of its unparalleled insight.
"The will letter should be arriving soon."
Kiyohara thought inwardly.
It had almost been thirty days since Toad Kiyohara had disappeared last time.
According to the usual pattern, a new "last will" should soon arrive.
"We'll depart this afternoon."
Tsunade's words interrupted Kiyohara's thoughts.
Kiyohara responded with a simple acknowledgment.
After the meeting ended, as vice captain, Kiyohara possessed the authority to organize shinobi teams.
That meant he could personally choose his teammates.
As usual, Kiyohara selected the familiar lineup.
He chose Kurenai and Rin again, while also bringing along Might Guy and Kakashi this time.
As for Shizune, he did not bring her.
At present, Shizune's actual combat ability was the weakest within the team.
Helping in the medical division would allow her talents to be used more effectively.
Not long afterward, the group arrived at the rugged coastline.
Kiyohara, Kurenai, Rin, Kakashi, Might Guy, and Hyuga Ginka formed a six person squad and boarded a small boat, advancing toward the location indicated by the intelligence reports.
Hyuga Ginka stood at the very front, periodically using her Byakugan to scan the distant sea horizon.
Time passed minute by minute.
Aside from the sounds of Kiyohara and the others talking, the only noise was the endless echo of waves striking the hull of the boat.
"Found it."
After some time, Hyuga Ginka finally spoke.
"At the eleven o'clock direction. Approximately three kilometers away there's an island with shinobi stationed on it."
"There appears to be a watchtower like structure in the center of the island, and there seem to be over twenty shinobi present."
Hyuga Ginka rapidly relayed the intelligence she observed.
"I see…"
Kiyohara did not signal everyone to prepare for a water assault or a stealthy approach.
Instead, he directly stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Hyuga Ginka's waist.
"Captain?"
Hyuga Ginka's body stiffened slightly as confusion instantly appeared on her fair face. She subconsciously lowered her voice as she questioned him.
"Don't move. I'm taking you into the air."
Kiyohara spoke calmly.
In the next instant, Hyuga Ginka suddenly felt her feet leave the ground as Kiyohara carried her upward, flying directly off the boat.
On the boat, Rin watched the scene of Kiyohara holding Hyuga Ginka with unmistakable envy in her eyes.
Deep down, she wished that the person in Kiyohara's arms were her instead.
"So this is youth!"
Guy became excited just watching the scene unfold.
If he could fly, he would immediately perform one thousand laps of upside down aerial flight as training.
(End of Chapter)