After the conclusion of the battle with Kumogakure, Konoha finally found itself able to focus its energy elsewhere. Thanks to the obstacles posed by Iwagakure, the village didn't face too much trouble from them. Instead, the Land of Wind became Konoha's next area of concern.
Since Kumo and Kiri had already engaged most of Konoha's forces, only the Uchiha unit, led by Uchiha Kagami, and the Fourth Unit as backup were sent to the Wind Country's battlefield. Due to the limited manpower, Uchiha Kagami had to adopt a defensive stance, unable to launch effective counterattacks. As a result, Konoha's position in the battle against the Land of Wind seemed somewhat passive.
Fortunately, Konoha was now able to mobilize more forces. A strategic meeting was convened to assess the situation and plan their next steps in the ongoing war with the Land of Wind.
"According to the intel from Kagami, Sunagakure has developed two new techniques in addition to their usual wind-based jutsu," Masaki began, showing the intelligence scroll to the group. "First, they've perfected a secret technique for manipulating sand, which gives them a tremendous advantage in their natural environment. The second development is a specialized puppet weaponry system with hidden mechanisms. These puppets carry weapons laced with deadly poison, and under the skillful control of Sand ninja, they've caused significant casualties."
In the Five Great Nations, due to the harsh desert environment, the ninja of Sunagakure were highly skilled but relatively few in number. Their strength was greatly amplified by their mastery of sand-based jutsu and puppet techniques. Despite being up against the powerful Uchiha clan, whose fire nature chakra should have given them an edge over wind-based techniques, Sunagakure's innovation with sand and puppets had made it difficult for Konoha to gain the upper hand.
Masaki had long been intrigued by Sunagakure's puppet techniques, particularly the chakra metal used in puppet creation. In his view, chakra metal was a critical resource for developing chakra technology and advancing beyond traditional warfare tools.
Sunagakure's use of chakra metal for puppets was a step ahead of those who still used it to craft cold weapons. However, they seemed to have limited their progress to perfecting puppet warfare. Over the coming decades, while their puppets would become increasingly sophisticated, they never expanded their chakra metal's application into other fields.
In Masaki's memory, the true potential of chakra metal could be seen in the Snow Ninja Village's use of it in the original timeline. If Konoha could industrialize chakra metal and apply it across various sectors, the village's strength would grow exponentially beyond imagination.
Masaki believed that in this war, the Land of Wind needed to be dealt a heavy blow, forcing them to relinquish some of their chakra metal mines. This would provide Konoha with the necessary resources to expand. However, diplomacy was also crucial—Sunagakure had to be handled carefully to avoid pushing them into a desperate, retaliatory position.
At the same time, Masaki knew that a weakened Sunagakure, indirectly reliant on Konoha's resources, would be far easier to control than villages like Kumogakure or Iwagakure, which posed greater threats to Konoha's dominance.
"In terms of military strategy, blocking the Land of Wind shouldn't be a problem," Sarutobi Hiruzen remarked. "However, a full-scale defeat of Sunagakure within their own territory will be more challenging. We may need to transfer additional forces."
"No matter how challenging it is, we must fight this battle," Masaki replied. "Sunagakure is fighting for survival, unlike the belligerent Kumogakure. They won't surrender unless absolutely necessary."
"Exactly," Shimura Danzo agreed. "We can't just sit back in defense. We need to deal a decisive blow to Sunagakure so they abandon their ambitions."
"Then we'll need to deploy more troops to the Land of Wind," Hiruzen said thoughtfully. "But we can't leave too many forces behind to deal with Kiri or Iwa. I'm concerned about how Iwagakure will react."
"It's of no concern," said Tobirama calmly. "There's an old grudge between the Second Mizukage and the Second Tsuchikage, so reconciliation between their villages is unlikely. Even if we withdraw some forces, Iwagakure won't betray us. Kirigakure won't cooperate with them, and Kumogakure lacks the strength to send troops. Iwa will be forced to maintain their alliance with us."
Tobirama analyzed that while the alliance between Konoha and Iwa might have become strained after their common enemy retreated, the Second Tsuchikage would never break the agreement. Despite his possible dissatisfaction with Konoha's partial withdrawal, Iwagakure had no better options.
"In that case, we can strike Sunagakure with full force," Hiruzen agreed.
"The plan is to send the bulk of our forces to the Suna's border to draw their ninja's attention," Tobirama explained. "Meanwhile, we'll send a smaller unit to infiltrate through the Land of Rain, attacking Sunagakure from behind."
Although Sunagakure's puppet masters could control multiple puppets, the fact remained that one person could only be in one place at a time. With most of Sunagakure's forces tied up at the front, their rear would be vulnerable to a surprise attack.
"However, executing this plan in the desert won't be easy," Tobirama continued. "I want Masaki and Danzo to lead this covert operation. Are you both up to the task?"
"No problem," Masaki and Danzo answered in unison.
With their agreement, Tobirama assigned Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane to lead the main forces into the Land of Wind, while Sarutobi Hiruzen and Akimichi Torifu stayed behind to oversee Konoha's defenses. Even though they wouldn't engage Kirigakure with their full strength, keeping Hiruzen and Torifu in command would still honor their alliance with Iwagakure.
After the preparations, one-third of Konoha's forces stayed behind, under Hiruzen's command, while the remaining two-thirds marched with Tobirama, Masaki, and Danzo. Selecting 21 shinobi for the covert operation, they headed toward the Land of Rain to begin their assault on the Land of Wind from the rear.
Though Iwagakure expressed dissatisfaction with Konoha's troop movements, the Second Tsuchikage ultimately suppressed his grievances, recognizing the necessity of the situation. With Konoha's considerable forces still present, and Hiruzen in charge, Iwagakure grudgingly accepted the arrangement.
While the skirmishes between Iwagakure, Konoha, and Kirigakure continued on one front, the real battle was about to erupt between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.