Silence engulfed Sunagakure's council room as everyone sat deep in thought. They had just received reports from their spies informing them that a Konoha army led by Fujin had marched out.
After some time, Ryota said, "Three thousand ninjas... That's not enough to attack us. However, it is still too high for a simple training exercise. What is their intention?"
Sajo said, "My first thought was that they were out to hunt Baki's group. However, Baki has crossed into the Land of Rivers. They'll enter our country soon. So, it's too late to do it..."
The council was perplexed. Not knowing whether Konoha intended to attack them, put them in a spot. If they acted rashly, then Konoha would know about their movements. On the other hand, if they didn't do anything, Konoha could catch them off guard.
Suddenly, Ebizo chuckled, causing everyone to turn their heads towards him. He shook his head and said, "I have been retired for so long, but Konoha still hasn't changed."
Chiyo sighed and said, "Yeah, every single move they make can be interpreted in several ways. It's no different this time. It must be Nara."
Ebizo looked at the puzzled expressions and exclaimed, "There are several objectives Konoha could have with this move. On the surface, this looks like a simple military exercise. Their numbers aren't high enough to invade us and the leaders of the armies are inexperienced. If this is indeed the case, then this is the best-case scenario for us.
Unfortunately, Konoha always implements several schemes at the same time and we have to look beyond the surface. Even though the leaders are inexperienced, it doesn't take much time to send experienced leaders to take over or advise the current ones.
In addition, nothing is stopping Konoha from sending more ninjas. Perhaps this army is just the vanguard meant to catch us off guard. Or, Konoha could have secretly sent a few thousand more ninjas to join Fujin's army later. So, while we anticipate a three-thousand-strong force led by inexperienced commanders, we may end up being attacked by a force that is twice or even three times stronger and led by their Sannins. This will be the worst-case scenario for us.
There are several possibilities between these two extremes. Irrespective of what it is, there is no doubt about one thing. Konoha wants to see how we'll react. No, they want to see how every village will react. This army will be flexible enough to change their tactics depending on what sort of reaction everyone gives."
Solemn expressions appeared on everyone's faces. Most of the current council members in Suna were selected after the end of the Third Great Ninja War. Even though they fought against Konoha during the war, they didn't have to face them in tactics. They suddenly realized how difficult it was to understand Konoha's intentions.
Ryusa asked, "So, how do we..."
Tojuro cut him off and said, "There is another important aspect that we need to consider. Don't forget what Suzuki Fujin did in our western parts. They may be planning to create several such situations to weaken us."
Chiyo immediately replied, "It worked the previous time because you weren't prepared. They can't do it openly during the war. Sending him alone would have been a far more effective way to repeat that. The bigger danger is what the boy did in yesterday's battle."
Goza sighed and muttered, "That's true. If he can kill over a hundred ninjas in the blink of an eye, then this army could cause us a lot of harm. They could send such a small army into our country to bait us into attacking and have him run amok our forces. Along with yesterday's losses, our situation will be dire."
Ebizo nodded and said, "Yes, that is why, we won't engage them on the battlefield."
Chiyo nodded. Even though Ebizo put out a sound analysis, he instinctively felt that Konoha's plans weren't what he speculated. He was just preparing for the worst-case scenario. As for what Konoha's real plans were, neither could guess.
Much like Konoha, Suna became very busy too. Following Ebizo's suggestions, three hundred Suna ninjas left the village. Over the next couple of nights, another four thousand ninjas left secretly! The silent desert suddenly became very active.
Suna's movements were immediately picked up by other hidden villages. Shikaku guessed some of their plans but didn't bother thinking about it too deeply. Onoki and Ay readied their forces while waiting patiently. The minor villages nervously paid attention too. Contrary to everyone's expectations, the first move wasn't made by Konoha or Suna!
In Konoha, the council members met once again at the request of Shikaku! Only the clan leaders and the elders were called. Koharu asked, "Is there a new development for you to call for another meeting so quickly?"
Shikaku replied, "Something like that, though it hasn't happened yet. I received a rather interesting proposal an hour ago."
Shikaku placed a scroll on the table. The symbol of Kusagakure was visible to everyone. Koharu and Homura went through the scroll first. Immediately, a weird expression appeared on Homura's face. On the other hand, Koharu frowned and muttered, "This doesn't make sense. Are they setting a trap for us so openly?"
[A/N: Sorry guys. For some reason, the latest chapter took a lot longer to write. Won't be able to do a double today, but I'll write tomorrow too since I technically had a break yesterday.]
————
A/N : If you can, then please support me on P@treon.
Link - www.pat /DevilHex
(No space)
Alternatively you can support me on UPI (google pay) - patilsarvesh8@oksbi
Can read up to 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.
Thank You Reaper, Pepperoni_please, BabyAnn, Luso and Dez for supporting me on P@treon.
Thank you Tejesh for supporting me through UPI.