Chapter 46: The Calm Before the Storm
Seeing the last of the Sand forces disappear into the shimmering heat haze of the desert, Akatsurugi did not give chase. His chakra reserves were significantly depleted, and a reckless pursuit into Suna's home territory was an invitation for an ambush.
"We won! We won!" The cry went up from the Konoha lines, soon swelling into a roaring cheer. Before Akatsurugi's arrival, this front had been a grinding stalemate, often tipping in the Sand's favor due to the overwhelming presence of the Second Kazekage. This victory, forcing the Kage himself to retreat, was a monumental shift in morale.
"Lord Akatsurugi is incredible! He wounded the Kazekage! If not for him, I'd be dead!" one chuunin exclaimed, his voice filled with fervent admiration.
Another nodded vigorously. "This is the turning point! We can end this war with the Sand!"
The sentiment was universal. No one truly loved war; it only meant death and loss.
"Akatsurugi, are you alright?" Mitokado Homura appeared at his side, his expression a mix of relief and concern.
Akatsurugi shook his head slightly. "The Second Kazekage is a Kage for a reason. He still managed to escape."
Homura clapped a hand on his shoulder. "What you did was more than enough. It was exceptional." And it was true. Without Akatsurugi, they would still be under the thumb of Sunagakure's shadow. The strategic balance had finally been overturned.
On the edge of the Wind Country, the Second Kazekage, Shamon, led his battered forces to a halt. He glanced back, a weary sigh escaping his lips. Akatsurugi had not pursued. But the man's ability to fly made any sense of security fleeting. Even here, at the border, he was not safe.
He had prepared for this contingency. This location held not only his reserves and a stockpile of special gold dust, but also Sunagakure's ultimate weapon.
"Fū," Shamon called out, his voice raspy with pain and exhaustion.
The sand nearby shifted, and a young monk with pale lavender hair and distinctive black markings around his eyes rose from the dunes. He looked at Shamon, his gaze calm. "Lord Second. You are gravely injured."
Shamon waved a dismissive hand, wincing at the movement. "I will be relying on you for the foreseeable future."
Fū, the Jinchūriki of the One-Tail, Shukaku, nodded solemnly. As the village's ultimate weapon, his power was unquestionable. Shukaku had been sealed within him since childhood, and over the years, a strange, turbulent understanding had formed between them. It was this bond that had allowed Shamon to conduct his deep research into the Tailed Beasts.
Back in the Konoha camp, Akatsurugi was summoned to the command tent.
Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Akimichi Kōsuke were all present. When Akatsurugi entered, the three elders greeted him with a new level of respect. He was no longer the promising youth they remembered. He was now a recognized powerhouse of Konoha, an Anbu Captain in all but official decree.
"Akatsurugi," Homura began, cutting straight to the point. "How severe are the Second Kazekage's injuries?"
After a moment's consideration, Akatsurugi replied, "Significant. He won't be combat-ready for at least a month, possibly two."
The final counterattack Shamon had launched, meant to kill Akatsurugi, had been turned back on its creator. Combined with the immense chakra expenditure to extinguish the flames and facilitate the retreat, the Kazekage would be out of commission for a long while.
A look of profound relief crossed Homura's face. This was the opportunity they had been waiting for. With the Kazekage sidelined, the Sand forces would be forced to fall back to their defensive lines. The initiative was now Konoha's.
"However," Utatane Koharu interjected, her tone grave, "the Sand still have their Jinchūriki. The One-Tail has yet to appear."
They had fought the Second Kazekage for months without seeing the beast. It was likely being held in reserve. Unleashing a Tailed Beast was not a matter to be taken lightly, even for a desperate village.
All three elders looked at Akatsurugi. He had, after all, defeated the Two-Tails' perfect Jinchūriki. If anyone could handle the One-Tail, it was him. While the One-Tail and Two-Tails were considered the weakest of the Bijū, they were still forces of nature that could decimate entire battalions.
"If the One-Tail appears," Akatsurugi stated calmly, "leave it to me."
It wasn't an empty boast. He wasn't overly concerned about Shukaku. Among the Tailed Beasts, only the Eight-Tails and the Nine-Tails possessed raw power that gave him pause, and even then, he was confident in his ability to disengage. The others, like the Three-Tails with its water affinity or the Five-Tails with its Boil Release, could potentially counter him, but a ninja's strength lay in tactics, not just brute force.
Hearing his assurance, the tension in the room eased visibly. With the Kazekage wounded and their counter to the One-Tail secured, they finally had the confidence to press their advantage and end this costly front.
"Then it's settled," Homura said, a glint of determination in his eyes. "We attack at dawn."
The subsequent discussion turned to battle plans. Akatsurugi listened for a while, but the strategy was straightforward, not sophisticated. The goal was a decisive, head-on engagement to crush the Sand forces before they could retreat deep into the desert, where Konoha's logistical disadvantages would become crippling.
It was a simple truth of shinobi warfare: no one invaded the Land of Wind by choice. The desert was a barren, merciless defender. Conquering it was a fool's errand; there was nothing to gain but sand and death. It was why the great villages always set their sights on the fertile Land of Fire instead.
The plans were finalized. The order was given. The Konoha camp buzzed with a nervous, determined energy. Tomorrow, they would march to force a final decision.