---
Yes, although Konoha holds the advantage in the war situation, they are still at a disadvantage in terms of troop strength. Therefore, Konoha is not yet in a position to launch a full-scale counterattack against the Wind Country.
Overall, although Konoha has driven the Sand ninjas out of their territory, they are still maintaining a defensive formation.
However, after realizing that it's difficult to achieve victory against Konoha, the Sand ninjas seem to have lost some of their desire to attack.
Of course, this could just be a facade. The Sand ninjas are undoubtedly eager to end the war with Konoha, and if possible, to end it in a way that saves face. This way, they can redirect their forces away from Konoha, because they have other enemies besides Konoha.
If you were to ask this reincarnated guy, Haori, to evaluate the strategic and tactical levels of the various nations in the Ninja World War, he would say that basically, every village is pretty bad. In his previous life, he spent time on major military forums, acting as a commentator and keyboard warrior. He was quite good at making up things and giving random opinions… Of course, the situation of the Ninja World War is shaped by the unique conditions of their mutual distrust, and ninjas aren't soldiers either.
(ShixT9: Dudee)
The Third Ninja World War is a chaotic brawl. While the Sand ninjas are attacking Konoha, they are also facing an invasion from the Stone ninjas. After realizing that Konoha won't advance into the Wind Country, the Sand ninjas have started to pull some of their forces from the Konoha front and deploy them to the Stone front. As the war continues, the Stone ninjas' offensive against the Wind Country isn't slowing down, it's actually getting stronger. The Sand ninjas are facing enormous pressure.
...
"According to the latest intelligence we've received, the Sand ninjas have once again deployed 1000 ninjas to the Stone front. This means our forces are now at 3000 against 2600. Perhaps we should consider a preemptive strike against the Sand ninjas?" Tsunade said thoughtfully, staring at the combat map on the table.
Haori and the others have been at the front lines for over a week now. Besides conducting research on sealing techniques and practicing his ninja skills, he's been constantly attending war meetings with Kushina. Because of this, he's also gained some understanding of the general troop deployments of both sides and the latest developments in the war.
"What does the staff think?" Tsunade asked Nara Shikaku.
"Our opinion remains that we should continue with a defensive counterattack. Although the Sand ninjas' strength has shrunk to three thousand because of the Stone ninjas, we mustn't forget that due to the need to defend the command headquarters and supplies, we only have 2100 troops that can be deployed to the battlefield. We still have a significant gap compared to the Sand ninjas." Shikaku said.
"Furthermore, since we entered the Land of Rivers, although the Sand ninjas have continuously sent small groups to harass us, their main forces have actually broken off contact with us and retreated back into the Wind Country. If we want to effectively strike them, we need to cross the Land of Rivers and advance over 200 kilometers into the unfamiliar Wind Country. That means we'd have to fight without sufficient intelligence. And even if we do that, just the distance alone would put enormous pressure on our supply lines and command capabilities."
It's clear that even though the Sand ninjas' strength has been reduced by a quarter, the staff's opinion remains the same. They don't support Tsunade's risky plan, because if it fails, Konoha's current advantageous position could be lost.
"You're all too conservative," Tsunade said, looking at Shikaku. "The Third Ninja World War has been going on for years. If we continue with this status quo, when will the war ever end? Since the Sand ninjas have shown signs of fatigue, we should strike them with all our might."
"But if we execute a strike mission, the odds of victory are about 50/50." Shikaku responded. He knows that the Sand ninjas are showing signs of fatigue, but what about Konoha? Konoha's war potential has also been squeezed dry.
Tsunade sighed softly. "...I understand."
This is war after all. Although Tsunade is the highest commander here and has the authority to make decisions unilaterally, she can't stubbornly insist on her own suggestion without the support of the staff and most of the ninjas.
Moreover, she also understands that her suggestion is actually very risky.
Normally, after the meeting ends, everyone goes off to do their own thing. But this time, Haori called Kushina over.
"Kushina-sensei, I want to leave the command headquarters and move closer to the front lines."
Kushina was taken aback by Haori's sudden request, and then she immediately understood the meaning behind his words.
He wants to go to the front lines.
"Why?" Kushina's question came out involuntarily.
"I'm curious about large-scale ninja battles. And since I'm here, of course I should go to the front lines to see it for myself. Staying at the command headquarters doesn't feel very meaningful to me. I think I should get out and move around."
As he said this, Haori even shrugged his shoulders, implying that his body was about to rust.
The injuries he sustained earlier have long since healed. He's fully prepared to go to the battlefield, both physically and mentally.
"I understand how you feel, but Haori, you need to understand that if you're on the front lines, you could be in a battle at any moment. Anything can happen on the battlefield. Your strength is pretty good now, but your combat ability is at best that of an elite Chunin, or maybe a special Jounin. But you'd be outmatched against a Jounin. And there might not just be one Jounin on the battlefield. Although you could potentially have a short-term surge in power using your Lightning Release jutsu, your chakra…"
Haori stopped Kushina from continuing. He said with a smile, "Sensei, I understand what you're saying, but we're all ninjas. We have to face these things sooner or later, don't we?"
His opinion was firm.
Kushina sighed. She's worried about Haori's safety, but she can't stop him. It's not that she can't, but she doesn't want to force him to accept her orders. She understands how he feels, because she herself has no freedom. She knows how frustrating and painful it is to have your actions restricted by others.
"I'll tell Tsunade-sensei about this. I'm sure she'll make arrangements…"
Since Haori wants to go to the front lines, then let him go. He's right, ninjas will eventually have to experience this. Not just her student, Kushina, even the Third Hokage's own son, Sarutobi Asma, was sent straight to the battlefield after graduating from the Ninja Academy.
Hearing Kushina's tone, Haori knew that she had agreed to his request…
---
Hello Shixie here, your beautiful shitty translator!
2/10 Patrons, 8 more to go!!!
My patreon is officially up
patreon(.)com/ShixT9
CURRENT PATREON CHAPTER : 64
=> If you join as a FREE MEMBER you'll get +3 ADVANCE CHAPTERS
=> TIER 1 you'll get +7 ADVANCE CHAPTERS
=> TIER 2 you'll get +15 ADVANCE CHAPTERS
=> TIER 3 you'll get +30 ADVANCE CHAPTERS
EXTRA BENEFITS FOR ALL TIERS
>DISCORD ACCESS
>VOTE AND SUGGEST FUTURE FICS
>FEET PICS 0.0
EACH PAID PATRON = 2 CHAPTERS RELEASE