Bab 164: Chapter 164: Stealth
Occasionally, one or two corpses could be seen lying prone on the ground, motionless, devoid of any vitality.
Fear, death, and the aura of slaughter were omnipresent here, transforming the ninjas on this land into something more akin to wounded beasts.
All of them were quietly licking their wounds, ready to plunge into the next bout of killing at any moment.
Peace, villages, and such things were not important at this moment. Killing the enemy in front of them and avenging their comrades and kin was far more feasible for these slaughter-engaged beasts than pursuing those intangible ideals, driving out a more potent potential than usual.
This was the battlefield front line of Konoha in the Land of Grass, and our protagonist, Uchiha Toshiro, was currently hiding behind a rock that could conceal his figure.
Carefully camouflaged and hiding his tracks, he tried his best not to make any movements or sounds that could potentially expose his presence.
Since last year, after the village defeated the invading Sand Ninjas in front of Mount Kikyo in the Land of Fire, they hadn't had time to catch a breath and celebrate surviving a major war.
The war between Konoha and the Land of Earth broke out!
Seeing their 'ally' the Sand Ninjas being so incompetent, losing any usefulness and no longer able to deplete Konoha's strength, the Stone Ninjas, who had already massed their troops on the border of the Land of Grass, finally couldn't resist joining the field themselves, beginning to fulfill their 'alliance' duties.
They turned the entire Land of Grass into a battlefield for Konoha and the Stone Ninjas. The furious Sand Ninjas roared and cursed from the sidelines.
However, the fierce barking of these defeated dogs was nothing in the eyes of the short but steadfast Third Tsuchikage, Onoki.
These events were all within his plan. How could he talk about samurai code with those desert paupers? Abiding by verbal agreements and letting other villages take advantage of the Land of Earth? That was impossible!
The Sand Ninjas probably anticipated this before the battle started but were forced by reality to be the first to initiate war.
Although there were many secrets between the various ninja villages, it was impossible to conceal their preparations for the next war from those old hands who had experienced the First and Second Shinobi World Wars.
The 'arms race' among the Five Great Nations had already quietly begun when ordinary ninjas were still immersed in peace.
However, in this race, the Sand Ninja Village, with its insufficient resources and various other reasons, had been at a disadvantage right from the start.
Additionally, the mysterious disappearance of their Third Kazekage made it impossible for them to sustain the attrition, leading them to start the war ruthlessly.
They probably didn't have much hope for the 'alliance' with the Land of Earth to jointly attack Konoha. But at that time, the situation had spiraled out of their control.
If they didn't act while they still had a breath left, their 'ally' might turn on them first, making their blood and flesh its nourishment when the war erupted.
The current situation was not that urgent for the Sand Ninja Village anymore. With the wealthy Land of Fire ahead and their national treasury depleted, and their people drained of any more resources, they could watch and wait to see who emerged victorious in this war.
At that time, they could try to get a share of the spoils!
A ninja's job is to take on missions and earn rewards, after all...
"Hmm! They are here!"
While trying to hide his presence as much as possible, Toshiro sensed something. Without revealing himself or peeking to check, he formed a sword gesture with his hand, concentrated, and focused all his attention on sensing the movements outside.
His sensory abilities had grown increasingly powerful as he constantly developed his body. After mastering Sage Mode, this ability had significantly improved.
Now, he could clearly sense changes within a 500-meter radius, but this had a precondition: he had to concentrate his attention.
Otherwise, his senses would only alert him to disturbances within a five-meter radius of himself, which was a usual scenario. Constantly being in a state of sensing and analyzing the surroundings would exhaust even the Second Hokage, probably incapacitating him.
"Five... twelve... eighteen targets..."
"It's six battle squads!"
As his attention focused, Toshiro's senses spread across the battlefield, enabling him to grasp the number of incoming enemies.
"Judging by the chakra intensity, it's a Jonin leading a temporary team!"
As his sensing deepened, the chakra reactions of these people presented themselves in Toshiro's mind.
One Jonin, three Special Jonin, and the rest had chakra intensities typical of Chunin.
He slowly placed his hands behind his back and carefully made some hand signs before starting his preparations.
What he sensed indicated that this was an elite Stone Ninja squad, clearly targeting them.
A ninja's chakra intensity didn't necessarily represent their true strength, but having general information about the opponents was already a blessing. One couldn't ask for more.
Holding his breath, Toshiro silently waited for the incoming group to pass, not making any rash moves, merely sensing their presence silently as they dashed past within twenty meters.
With his growing proficiency in Sage Mode and his ability to merge with nature, he efficiently applied this state to conceal his aura.
As shown now, even though there were sensory-type ninjas among the Stone Ninjas, they failed to detect any trace of Toshiro at this moment.
He hid his scent, chakra, body heat, and everything else perfectly, not revealing any hints.
He became like an ordinary rock, blending seamlessly into the surroundings, not attracting any attention.
Even if they came within twenty meters of him, or passed right beside him, unless they saw him with their eyes, it would probably be impossible to detect his existence...
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
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