Konoha had stationed a total of 2,500 shinobi along the border defense lines spanning Takigakure's territory, the Land of Grass, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Rivers.
Out of those forces, Shimura Danzō had already redeployed five hundred men toward the Land of Rice Fields and the Land of Hot Water, while another five hundred were locked in skirmishes against Sunagakure shinobi in the Land of Rivers.
That left only fifteen hundred on the main line. For Captain Mimura to pull back twelve hundred alive under the sudden pincer assault of Iwagakure and Sunagakure forces was already nothing short of remarkable.
Uchiha Jin's expression remained calm as he asked,
"Do we know how many troops Iwa and Suna have deployed this time?"
Mimura answered without hesitation.
"Iwagakure has the larger force—no fewer than five thousand. Sunagakure has at least four thousand."
Iwagakure's military strength was formidable, but their alliance with Kumogakure and Sunagakure was hardly ironclad. They still needed to keep manpower in reserve to guard against either side turning hostile. Five thousand was likely the upper limit of what they could spare.
Sunagakure, though comparatively weaker, faced fewer defensive pressures due to their harsh desert terrain. Even so, they had already split off troops to pin down forces in the Land of Rivers. Assembling four thousand for this offensive meant they were committing nearly everything.
Five thousand from Iwa.
Four thousand from Suna.
And another thousand from Kumogakure.
Ten thousand in total.
Konoha, even fighting to the last, could muster at most five thousand reinforcements once forces guarding against Kumogakure and Kirigakure were excluded. Adding the twelve hundred here, they barely reached sixty-five hundred.
In sheer numbers, the allied forces held overwhelming superiority.
The situation was far worse than anyone had anticipated.
Jin asked again, "Captain Mimura, how long before their main forces arrive?"
Mimura paused briefly.
"No more than half an hour."
Jin blinked. "That soon?"
"They're traveling light," Mimura explained. "Neither Iwa nor Suna brought significant supply trains."
He exhaled slowly.
"This is our crisis—but it's also our opportunity."
"Once they arrive, they'll launch an immediate assault."
"But if we withstand the first wave, they'll face severe shortages. Without proper supplies, they'll be forced to wait for their logistics to catch up before continuing."
"So if we hold one assault, we buy time for reinforcements—or even a counteroffensive."
They were still inside the borders of the Land of Fire. In terms of supply lines, Konoha held the advantage.
Moreover, the alliance between Iwa, Suna, and Kumo had been hastily formed. There hadn't been enough time to prepare proper logistical depth.
They were betting everything on a lightning strike—victory in a single decisive blow.
If Konoha endured the first impact, the balance would tilt sharply in their favor.
Jin shook his head, expression unreadable.
"One thousand against ten thousand," he said evenly. "You're remarkably confident."
"Ten thousand? Isn't it nine?" Mimura frowned, then remembered the situation at Kikyo Mountain Fortress. "Lord Jin… what exactly happened here? Wasn't the Konoha Military Police Force supposed to handle internal village security?"
He had been curious for a while why Jin was present at the front lines. Only now did he finally ask.
Jin replied coolly,
"There was unrest in the village last night. The Kumogakure envoy attempted to rescue the Eight-Tails jinchūriki. Naturally, the Military Police intervened and pursued them beyond the village perimeter."
"Before dawn, we apprehended the envoy and reclaimed the Eight-Tails jinchūriki. Then we received word that two thousand Kumo shinobi had already breached into the Land of Fire, heading straight for Kikyo Mountain."
"We understood the strategic importance of the fortress, so we moved ahead of them and coordinated with the local garrison. A major battle followed."
He gave a faint, humorless smile.
"If your forces hadn't arrived when you did and startled them off, we'd still be locked in a bitter fight."
Mimura's brow furrowed deeply.
"This doesn't make sense. An envoy group of only a few dozen—how could they possibly escape Konoha's layered defenses with a jinchūriki?"
"And those two thousand Kumo troops—there are defensive lines in the Land of Rice Fields and the Land of Hot Water. How did they breach into the Land of Fire so easily?"
The more he listened, the more holes he found in the story.
Something was terribly wrong.
Jin let out a cold, dismissive chuckle.
"What else could it be? Someone in the village had the brilliant idea of using the Eight-Tails jinchūriki as bait—luring Kumo's army into a trap to slaughter them."
"But he didn't anticipate that Kumogakure wouldn't take the bait. Instead, they followed his scheme and coordinated with Iwagakure and Sunagakure to strike us with everything at once."
"In a strict sense, we're all cleaning up his mess."
Mimura didn't need the name spoken aloud.
The image of a hawk-nosed man with perpetually shadowed eyes surfaced in his mind.
Among Konoha's upper leadership, three were moderates. Only one was known for hardline, aggressive measures.
There was only one man who would attempt something this reckless.
Shimura Danzō.
The Third Shinobi World War had finally ended. Peace had barely begun to settle over the land—and yet Danzō had stirred the embers again.
Mimura felt an ache of helpless frustration.
Before he could speak, hurried footsteps approached.
"Jin. Captain Mimura."
It was Hyūga Hizashi, moving quickly.
"I've had the casualties assessed. The wounded aren't many. Medical supplies are sufficient. Food won't be an issue either."
He hesitated.
"But our combat resources are another matter."
"In the previous fight against Kumo's forces, we used explosive tags without restraint. We've burned through more than half our stockpile. Worse, the detonations warped many of the thrown weapons, making recovery impossible."
"If they attack again, we won't be able to maintain the same rate of attrition."
Earlier, under Jin's orders, Konoha's shinobi had spent explosive tags and ninja tools as if they were limitless—trading resources for lives. Running short now was inevitable.
"Don't worry, I—"
Jin suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
His expression changed sharply as he turned toward the distant forested mountains.
A terrifying surge of chakra was gathering somewhere beyond the treeline.
The next instant—
A massive sphere of black-purple chakra tore through the sky toward Kikyo Mountain Fortress.
"It's a Tailed Beast Ball!" Hizashi shouted, Byakugan veins bulging at his temples. "Iwagakure's vanguard has arrived!"
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> [email protected]/warewolvesTL(replace@ with a)