Chương 31: Is the Situation Looking Great?

The Third Great Ninja War spiraled out of control amidst chaos, leading to mutual slaughter. As the dust settled and the situation gradually became clear, new players intervened. In the midst of the killing, some broke down and defected, some held fast to their ideals, some retired with heavy injuries, and others became heroes—both the living and the dead.

On the front lines of the Land of Grass, Iwagakure began to show signs of decline under the combined pressure of Konoha and Kumogakure, their defeat becoming apparent. However, Konoha had also suffered heavy casualties. Out of necessity, some of the "fledglings" who had graduated in recent years were thrust onto the battlefield, fueled by underage fervor.

Whether in the world of ordinary people from a previous life or this transcendent world of chakra, war is ultimately a battle of logistics and a contest of foundations. Shinobi are not gods; chakra originates from the body. Military Rations Pills are merely for emergencies and cannot replace actual meals. For a shinobi to maintain prolonged combat effectiveness, they must eat well, consuming far more than an ordinary person.

Food, shuriken, kunai, and explosive tags are the basic supplies with the highest consumption rates, continuously funneled to the front lines from the rear of the various hidden villages. During transport, one must guard against enemy ambushes to prevent loss; during storage, defenses must be absolute. If a supply depot is wiped out, it is a fatal blow to that side's campaign. Sealing scrolls? They aren't that miraculous.

They cannot hold massive quantities of goods because sealing large amounts of supplies requires an exceptionally high talent for Summoning Jutsu. Summoning is a subset of Space-Time Ninjutsu; while many possess the aptitude, those who can reach an ultra-high level are extremely rare. Not everyone can be like Tenten or the Genin Ajisai, sealing tons of material into a single scroll. What happens when supplies run low? You plunder the smaller nations, for in such times, no one cares whether they live or die.

But as the war had dragged on for years, the citizens and shinobi of the minor nations had already suffered countless casualties and were squeezed dry. In July, Konoha gained the upper hand thanks to an intelligence advantage. The most prominent figure active on both the Iwa and Kumo fronts since the start of the war, the Jonin Minato Namikaze, led his elite squad to successfully infiltrate the rear of the Iwa forces and blow their supply reserves to high heaven.

Subsequently, in coordination with his students, he destroyed the Kannabi Bridge, a vital node in the Iwa supply line. The bridge spanned a deep ravine; once destroyed, individuals might find a way across, but moving supplies became a nightmare. On his way back, he single-handedly wiped out a large force of Iwa shinobi that had been pinning down Konoha forces.

Once reinforcements surrounded the area, the nearly two thousand Iwa troops and wounded trapped between the Kannabi Bridge and the front line became like fish in a barrel. What could Onoki do? Could he simply watch those subordinates die? Iwagakure followed a strategy of mass mobilization, possessing the largest number of shinobi among the Five Great Nations; consequently, their casualty rate was the highest.

Earlier in the war, ten thousand of them were toyed with by the Third Raikage, A, losing a staggering number of men without being able to take him down—the man simply died of exhaustion. Now, their manpower had dropped to a dangerous level, forcing Onoki to sue for peace with Konoha to trade for the lives of those men. They still had to deal with Sunagakure and Kumogakure, after all. Following the surrender of Sunagakure, Konoha had defeated another rival.

In this campaign, all the fallen Konoha shinobi were heroes, but a few were particularly noteworthy. The greatest contributor was Minato Namikaze, a living hero whose strength had become common knowledge throughout the shinobi world. He became the new idol for the village's youth and the most reliable comrade for every shinobi on the front lines.

Minato Namikaze—the man who had forced back the future "A-B Combo" of Kumogakure in the early stages and almost single-handedly forced Iwagakure to sue for peace in the later stages—was like a hero straight out of a legend. This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The Konoha battalion that held the Iwa forces at bay on the front lines was nearly wiped out, leaving only Hamaki Mimura and three others.

Carrying the legacy of their fallen comrades, they also became heroes—living ones. This battle saw the birth of two Sharingan heroes, the contributors who assisted their sensei, Minato Namikaze, in destroying the Kannabi Bridge. Kakashi Hatake—living. Obito Uchiha—dead... or was he? Effectively dead. At the very least, in the eyes of the people of Konoha, he was dead, earning significant respect for the Uchiha clan.

Furthermore, before his "death," he gave his left eye to Kakashi as a gift, allowing the young genius—whose personality had changed drastically due to his father's suicide and conflicting ideologies—to understand the meaning of comradeship. It was fortunate the shinobi world lacked a "God of Fate" to shatter the light just beginning to rise in Kakashi's heart: "Child, this is the shinobi world.

You have only caught a glimpse of sunlight; soon, you will continue to lose your teammates, your sensei, and your master's wife. In the end, besides a hollow heart, you will have nothing." Despite the immense sacrifice, the powerful Konoha had once again defeated a peer-level opponent, causing the intensity of the Third Great Ninja War to begin to wane. This gave people hope.

The villagers and shinobi of Konoha had reason to believe that this war—far more brutal than the previous two—was finally coming to an end, and that Konoha would, as history dictated, emerge victorious. The only ones dissatisfied were likely the Uchiha clan. I haven't even boarded the train yet. jpg Even Hui Dongye expressed optimism regarding the future. Moreover, for the Dongye family, this wasn't the only piece of good news.

Jiro Dongye was still alive; though he bore many new scars, he was still vigorously fighting on the front lines. He and Yuwa Uzuki belonged to the Mobile Patrol Unit, responsible for operating on the flanks of the main force to track and eliminate any Iwa shinobi attempting to infiltrate the Land of Fire. Later, acting as reinforcements alongside many converging comrades, they captured the remnants of the Iwa front-line forces.

If they had been part of Hamaki Mimura's defensive unit, their bodies would likely be cold by now, as only four survived that engagement. Had Minato Namikaze not arrived in time to save them, that unit would have been annihilated. This was due to a small piece of advice from Dongye Zhen. To avoid becoming the last man of the Dongye house, he had used his foreknowledge to provide a minor analysis for his father.

As a mobile unit, given a shinobi's extreme speed, even if they couldn't win, there was always a chance to retreat and relay intelligence to headquarters. Defensive units, conversely, faced the full brunt of an enemy army and the responsibility of guarding the borders; they had no opportunity to fall back. Perhaps this was somewhat unfair to the fallen Konoha shinobi, but humans are inherently selfish. Zhen couldn't influence the grand tide of the war, but he could slightly sway the choices of a loved one.

That said, the mobile unit was still a dangerous post, as they faced the elite assault squads of Iwa, including the famous Explosion Squad led by Gari. Life and death still depended on strength. Fortunately, luck was on their side. Jiro Dongye not only survived but was promoted alongside Yuwa Uzuki. With the heavy casualties on the front, both received recommendations from several elite Jonin, including Minato Namikaze, based on their war contributions and strength, and were promoted to official Jonin.

Essentially, this was a way for Minato to cultivate his own capable subordinates. Given his status as a disciple of Jiraiya, his marriage to the Uzumaki heiress, and his monumental contributions in this war, Minato Namikaze had become the favorite candidate for the next Hokage. As for the other three candidates? Lady Tsunade was wandering through casinos and was currently missing. Jiraiya had no interest in the position and was putting all his effort into promoting his student.

The most likely candidate, Orochimaru—the commander of Konoha's first major victory in the Third War—had his achievements intentionally downplayed by his teacher, the Third Hokage, because his methods did not align with the Will of Fire. Currently, "Snake-sensei" was obsessed with his experiments and beyond help. Aside from his indignant loyalists, perhaps only Danzo supported him fully, albeit with ulterior motives. Dongye Residence, Night. Hui Dongye clutched a letter, a look of unmistakable relief in her eyes.

"Sage of Six Paths be praised. Zhen, it seems the war might be over soon. Your father is safe and alive, and most importantly, I don't have to worry about your generation being dragged into the fighting."

"Mom, you're looking at reality through rose-colored glasses."

"You brat, can't you say something nice to keep your mother happy?"

"Fine, I hope your wish comes true. However, Mrs. Dongye, have you forgotten? There is still a great nation called the Land of Water, and among the Five Great Villages, there is the Hidden Mist. Those lunatics aren't just spectators who will stand by and watch the show." Hui Dongye: "..."