After Danzo's departure, the situation at the Grass Country camp seemed unchanged. Miyamura Yagami, a seasoned Jonin from Konoha, was well-versed in ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu with no apparent weaknesses. Having experienced the Second Shinobi World War and having led on several occasions, he was a reliable choice. Sarutobi Hiruzen had entrusted him with the command of the Grass Country camp because of his strength. However, Hyuga Mirai was not overly optimistic about him. While Miyamura Yagami's strength was indisputable, he was entirely driven by the 'Will of Fire,' and Mirai feared that he wouldn't adopt Danzo's ruthless strategies.
After the meeting was adjourned, Hyuga Kiyo called out to Mirai. With the surge in casualties, Mirai was left with little leisure time, but it seemed Kiyo had something to discuss, so they stepped aside to a quieter area.
"Mirai, with Danzo gone, it's a good opportunity for us. You could take control of the medical camp. I'm sure Aoki won't oppose it," Kiyo said, her face flushed slightly when she called out to him. After a brief pause, she turned away, trying to sound more commanding.
Mirai couldn't help but notice the tension in her voice. 'If I remember correctly, this is the first time Kiyo-sama has called me by my name, but the tone is strange—does she have some personal issue with me?' Mirai wondered briefly but replied, "Kiyo-sama, if Danzo has left, this might not be a good thing for the front-line camp, don't you think?"
Kiyo responded matter-of-factly, "Of course, Danzo was a student of the Second Hokage and a powerful wind-nature ninja. Even my grandfather held him in high regard." She was clearly recalling the discussions her grandfather had before departure. "As long as Danzo was in the camp, many ninja clans were forced to follow his battle plans."
"Although we lost a strong wind-nature ninja, for our clan, this could be a greater benefit. There's a big difference between a harsh superior and a weak one. You should understand which is preferable, right?" Kiyo continued.
Mirai shook his head. "But this is a time of war. Even though the Iwa ninja are being suppressed, they still have the capacity to counterattack. Miyamura Yagami—"
Kiyo, unlike Mirai, was unaware of the ongoing Third Shinobi World War's current status. She likely shared the opinion of Konoha's higher-ups. Although the Iwa ninja had just clashed with the Third Raikage, and even if they had successfully killed him, they surely sustained heavy damage. Furthermore, the advance units of the Iwa were under severe pressure due to Danzo's strategies. Even without him, the Grass Country camp would not be defeated so easily.
"Don't worry, Mirai," Kiyo reassured him, calling his name twice more with a forced calmness. She patted his shoulder. "I will defeat the enemy at the front lines." After a few more words of instruction, urging him to take charge of the medical camp and earn greater credit, Kiyo turned away, her face flushed as she left.
Mirai, however, had no intention of taking control of the medical camp, despite how easy it would be for him. He was content with his current position as an assistant and preferred to avoid the additional responsibility. Even if Aoki, the medical Jonin, didn't object, he wasn't inclined to intervene. His main concern was healing the wounded. Once 18, his trusted assistant, established a secret base, he would consider leaving Konoha altogether. With his newfound strength, Konoha's protection had become more of a constraint.
The news of Danzo's departure was initially kept under wraps. Aside from the commanders and some high-ranking Jonin at the camp, most Konoha ninja were unaware that Danzo had left the Grass Country. The command of the front lines had shifted to someone else. However, the Iwa ninja soon caught wind of this. Though they hadn't received direct information, the gradual easing of pressure led them to deduce that either Danzo had changed his tactics or Konoha had swapped commanders.
Iwa's Higashi Shinin, though not in direct contact with the front, could sense the shift. "It seems Danzo is gone, likely recalled back to Konoha," he speculated. His suspicions were soon confirmed through intelligence reports from Iwa's reconnaissance teams.
"Excellent," Higashi Shinin declared, "the Third Hokage must have lost his mind to make such a foolish decision." Danzo, a disciple of the Second Hokage, was a powerful force on the battlefield—his absence could tip the scales in their favor.
Another Iwa Jonin suggested, "Who could have predicted this? Danzo went as far as attacking the Finance Minister of the Land of Fire. If it weren't for the timely intervention of the Tsuchi no Kuni envoy, we wouldn't have known how audacious he was."
"Shall we strike against Konoha?" Higashi Shinin asked.
"Of course," came the swift reply. "They've held us down for over a month. We must take advantage of Danzo's absence and attack the Grass Country camp while we have the chance."
With that, the Iwa ninja began to make their preparations, fully aware that the tide of battle was about to shift dramatically.
"How long until the Explosion Corps support units reach the front line?" Higashi Shinin asked, and the Iwa ninja immediately responded, "They'll be there by tomorrow!"
"Good. Tsuchi, you and I will each lead half of our forces. Once the Explosion Corps arrives, we'll attack the Konoha camp in the Land of Grass from three different directions."
At Higashi Shinin's command, the Iwa ninja quickly began their preparations for their vengeance against Konoha. Iwa's efficiency was impressive—while Miyamura Yagami was just becoming familiar with the camp's operations and the tasks and strategies Danzo had left behind, Iwa's forces were already on the move, heading straight for Konoha's camp.
Upon hearing this, Miyamura Yagami was momentarily stunned, but he quickly regained his composure. He had fought in many wars and, though Iwa's swift action caught him by surprise, it didn't throw him into a panic.
"Repel them," he commanded. "We'll assign squads based on combined ninjutsu tactics. We must thwart Iwa's actions."
Only Hyuga Mirai was present to participate in the medical camp's strategy meeting. Aoki, aware of this, intentionally deferred to him, raising Mirai's reputation.
Direct combat? Hyuga Mirai thought, doubting the effectiveness of this plan. The Five Great Nations each had their own combat styles—Cloud ninjas, inheriting the Raikage's tactics, excelled in individual combat, though their teamwork was less impressive; Iwa's tactics, rooted in Earth Release, were renowned for their team-based strength, arguably the best in the Five Nations; Sand ninjas were skilled in puppet jutsu, often able to take on two or even three opponents at once, while Mist ninjas specialized in assassination. Konoha, on the other hand, was a mix of all these styles, not necessarily number one in any one field but possessing the strongest overall strength.
However, Miyamura Yagami's proposed plan had Konoha directly clashing with Iwa in their strongest domain. Despite Konoha's medical prowess, Mirai thought there must be a better strategy, perhaps one like Danzo's tactics.
If Danzo were in charge, he would likely have sent half of Konoha's elites to collaborate with the Grass ninjas to raid Iwa's rear, leaving behind defensive specialists to hold off Iwa's forces. Alternatively, he might have abandoned the camp entirely, retreating to the Land of Fire while another Konoha unit took out Iwa's logistics. With Danzo's cunning, he might even use a portion of his forces as bait, while he led a team to destroy Iwa's escape route. In three days, they could wipe out Iwa's forces completely.
But Miyamura Yagami didn't share that decisiveness. His strategy was more cautious, and no one in the tent voiced any objections.
Soon after, everyone dispersed to prepare, and Hyuga Mirai returned to the medical camp. A great battle was imminent, and they needed to ensure their medical support was ready.
There were plenty of healing talismans in the camp. Even medical Chunin could use these talismans, channeling Yang Release chakra to reduce their own chakra consumption, enabling them to treat the wounded for an entire day without tiring.
Once back, Mirai briefed Aoki on the discussions in the tent. Aoki nodded and said, "Mirai, please take care of things in the medical camp. I'm counting on you."
Aoki had grown to rely on Mirai much like Tsunade. Without him, every time a large-scale battle started, Aoki would feel tremendous pressure. But now, with Mirai around, Aoki felt a sense of relief. Even with the battle looming, his first thought was of Mirai. That was why Aoki had given up his chance to take the spotlight—he was over thirty now, and both his physical condition and chakra reserves were on the decline.
"I understand, Aoki-senpai. You can count on me," Mirai replied, offering comfort to the older man.
As the tension in the camp grew, the atmosphere among the medical ninjas became increasingly serious. But these were battle-hardened ninjas. Even Mirai had experienced the war in the Land of Rivers.
Boom! A faint tremor was felt from the distance, as though a powerful earthquake had struck. This could only be caused by large-scale Earth Release ninjutsu, and the source was near—right by Konoha's camp.
The Iwa ninja had gotten this close!
A sense of unease spread through the medical ninjas, but as the first batch of injured soldiers were brought in, they immediately began their treatments. With a wealth of healing talismans at their disposal, the medical ninjas didn't need to worry about conserving chakra. Their goal was to stabilize the wounded quickly, allowing them to return to the battlefield as soon as possible.
The war was about to begin.
(End of chapter)
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