Suzaku Nara turned his head and saw Jiraiya smiling at him.
"You've come at the right time! Shinichi just finished analyzing the unusual activities of the Village Hidden in the Sand with me these past few days. I was just about to call the staff over for a meeting, so you should come and take a look too."
Suzaku Nara paused for a second, then nodded, his voice somewhat hoarse. "Understood."
He stepped forward and took the report from Jiraiya, his gaze lingering on it for a long time.
The unusual movements of the Village Hidden in the Sand in the past few days, their possible intentions, the direction of troop movements, the deduction of attack routes, and the suggestions for countermeasures were all clearly explained.
The things he had pondered for a long time before finally managing to make sense of were now clearly summarized, and the directions he had vaguely suspected but hadn't had time to delve into were now thoroughly analyzed.
He looked up and glanced at Shinichi.
The boy remained standing to the side with a gentle expression and nodded slightly when he saw him looking over.
Suzaku Nara withdrew his gaze, glanced down at the report in his hand, and slowly began to speak: "Shinichi's deduction... It is very comprehensive."
It's very comprehensive. For an elite member of the Nara Clan to say it's very comprehensive is itself a great recognition.
He truly deserves to be called a genius strategist who accurately predicted the course of the war before it even broke out.
Suzaku Nara sighed inwardly, but for some reason, a strange and inexplicable feeling welled up inside him.
"You also think there's no problem, right?"
Jiraiya laughed heartily, clearly unaware of Suzaku Nara's subtle mood. He clapped the report in his hand and got straight to the point: "Then I will immediately notify all department heads and team leaders to come to a meeting. Suzaku, you will be in charge of the presentation later."
Suzaku Nara glanced at Jiraiya, then at Shinichi, who stood calmly to the side, and shook his head. "Let Shinichi-kun speak."
Jiraiya paused for a moment, his gaze shifting between Jiraiya and Shinichi.
Suzaku Nara continued, "His analysis is more comprehensive and in-depth than mine. He has already deduced the directions that I haven't thought of. It will be more effective for him to explain."
Upon hearing this, Shinichi shook his head slightly and said, "You flatter me, senior. I just happened to notice a few details and filled in the gaps. When it comes to battle analysis, troop deployment, and response plans, we still need professionals like you, senior, to make overall arrangements."
"Jiraiya-sama, let senior Suzaku explain."
Jiraiya looked at this, then at that, and finally laughed heartily, waving his hand dismissively: "Alright, alright, you two stop pushing each other around."
"Then let's talk about it together! Shinichi will be in charge of analyzing the Village Hidden in the Sand's intentions and attack direction, and you, Suzaku, will be in charge of our response plan. Each of you covers your part, complementing each other."
At this point, Jiraiya looked at the two of them: "Is there a problem?"
Suzaku Nara and Shinichi shook their heads.
Jiraiya clapped his hands in satisfaction: "Then it's settled! I'll have someone notify all department heads to come for a meeting. Get ready."
...
Half an hour later.
Inside the command center, all the department heads had arrived.
Suzaku Nara stood before the map, calmly delivering his final summary: "In conclusion, all the unusual actions of the Village Hidden in the Sand these past few days point to the same conclusion: they are preparing for a full-scale attack!"
His finger traced several arcs on the map, finally stopping at a few key locations: "The offensive is mainly concentrated on three points, but the main attack will likely be near Kikyo Pass. The initial estimate for the total force on all three fronts is around 10,000, and the attack will most likely take place within the next two days."
Shinichi stood at the edge of the crowd, listening quietly. In the end, he handed over the task of explaining the material entirely to Suzaku Nara.
After all, this isn't his job. Showing off his knowledge is enough; directly taking away someone else's livelihood is not something a smart person would do.
"Alright."
Jiraiya stepped forward, his expression turning serious, his gaze sweeping over every face present: "Everyone is aware of the situation. The Village Hidden in the Sand is launching a full-scale attack with a large force, and the upcoming battles will be very tough. All units, please go down and prepare immediately according to the plan that Suzaku just analyzed."
"However, there's no need to worry too much. The village has sent us support, and they will arrive this afternoon."
Upon hearing this, everyone present relaxed slightly, and Jiraiya continued: "If we can weather this wave, the Village Hidden in the Sand will be in a period of weakness for a long time. Once they fail to achieve victory, it will be difficult for them to organize a decent attack in the short term."
"By then, our goal of wearing down the Village Hidden in the Sand and dragging them into a protracted war of attrition will be completely achieved."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
The Village Hidden in the Sand was poor and could not sustain a war for a long time. They launched a decisive attack hastily in order to achieve a quick victory.
The war has now stalled and yielded no results. If this drags on any longer, their logistics and morale will suffer.
After all, the Village Hidden in the Sand was on an overseas expedition, and their supply lines stretched from the Land of Wind through the Land of Rivers to the border of the Land of Fire.
Every grain of food, every explosive tag, every tool, and every medicine they carried had to traverse a long transportation route.
Konoha, on the other hand, was able to wait in comfort within its own borders, with short supply lines, convenient mobilization, timely evacuation of the wounded, and rapid replenishment of supplies.
The longer this battle drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for the Village Hidden in the Sand.
As long as they hold this wave, for a long time to come, both sides will be in a state of constant fighting, with one side harassing another's squad today and the other taking down one of their outposts tomorrow. It's a never-ending series of small skirmishes for at least six months.
Within six months, the Village Hidden in the Sand will find it difficult to organize a decent, large-scale attack, and once this happens, the balance of victory will begin to tilt towards Konoha.
During this time, the village was able to focus most of its energy on dealing with the more dangerous Village Hidden in the Cloud.
"Alright, everyone, go and get ready."
Jiraiya waved his hand, and the heads of each department filed out.
....
Meanwhile, at the Village Hidden in the Sand's command center.
Rasa stood in front of the huge sand table, with commanders from various departments standing on both sides. All eyes were on him, waiting for him to give the final instructions.
"According to intelligence, Konoha will be replenishing its personnel in the next couple of days, but..."