บท 134: Chapter 134: Casualties
Ninjas, with their mastery of chakra, possess strength far beyond that of ordinary people. Their bodies are far more resilient, able to withstand blows that would incapacitate civilians.
But now, in the large tent of the temporary military base set up by the Sand Ninja, it was hard to tell that these warriors were anything more than ordinary men.
The injured Sand Ninjas lay strewn across the ground, groaning and wailing. The tent was packed with wounded, bandages soaked in blood. Some clutched their arms or legs in pain, while others simply stared blankly at the ceiling, too exhausted to react.
"What's going on this time?"
The Third Kazekage paced, his frustration mounting. When had Konoha become so overwhelming? Every encounter seemed to leave them with more wounded than before.
"It seems like Konoha has improved their detonating tags," one of the medics reported.
"An improved detonating tag? How could something like that cause so much damage?" the Kazekage demanded, his voice tight with disbelief.
"The problem isn't the tag itself," Chiyo, one of the Sand's most skilled medics, interjected calmly as she extracted a piece of shrapnel from a wounded ninja's arm. "Konoha has been cunning. They didn't use this in the smaller skirmishes. They waited until we launched a full-scale attack and hit us when we were unprepared. That's why so many of our people were caught off guard."
The Third Kazekage furrowed his brow, displeased. He quickly called for the other Jonin captains to gather, hoping to understand just how bad the situation was.
"We've sustained heavy casualties... what about Konoha?"
The Jonin captains exchanged uneasy glances, clearly uncomfortable with the question. Finally, one of them spoke hesitantly, "Their casualties are… very few."
"How few?" the Kazekage pressed, his voice rising with anger.
The Jonin captain lowered his head, unable to meet the Kazekage's gaze. "Less than one-tenth of our losses."
"What?!" The Third Kazekage was incredulous. "How is that possible? We have puppet masters, we use poison, why is the casualty difference so massive?"
"Konoha has recovery potions," the Jonin replied bitterly. "Unless you land a fatal blow immediately, they recover. It's nearly impossible to take them down."
"Recovery potions?" The Kazekage was shocked. "And what about our poison? Could it be that their potions also work as antidotes?"
Although the Kazekage wasn't a medical ninja, he understood the basics, recovery potions and antidotes were two completely different fields. He found it hard to believe Konoha had somehow combined the two.
The Jonin captain winced. "It seems they have antidote potions as well. Our puppet masters' poison hasn't been effective in recent battles."
The Third Kazekage clenched his fists. First, Konoha had devastated their forces with their long-range weaponry, and now, even in close combat, they were at a disadvantage.
Even their famed puppet masters, the pride of Sunagakure, were rendered almost useless.
In other words, their entire strategy was being countered perfectly by Konoha.
"Damn it... How are we supposed to win this war?"
His frustration was palpable. The Kazekage, one of the strongest in his village, now found himself considering something he had hoped to avoid: Would he need to take the field himself just to turn the tide of battle?
Chiyo, hearing the reports of the Jonin captains, exited the medical tent and sighed. "Konoha is really full of talent these days. First, they introduce these strange new tools, then they bring out recovery potions and antidotes. It's impressive."
"What should we do now? We can't retreat," one of the Jonin spoke up. "Even if we wanted to, the people in the village especially those who've lost loved ones won't accept it."
Chiyo nodded in agreement. "Retreating isn't an option. We'll need to rethink our tactics. It's too late to try and match them in ninja tools or recovery potions."
She paused for a moment, then added, "Summon all the puppet master captains. We need to adjust our strategy."
---
Meanwhile, back in Konoha's command tent, the mood was far lighter. The recent victory over the Sand Ninja had everyone talking, especially about the new ninja tool Orochimaru had provided.
"The principle behind it is similar to a detonating tag," Nara Hakushu explained confidently. "The detonating tag seals explosives into paper, and once it's ignited, it triggers an explosion. But with this new device, the explosives are stored inside a metal container. When the container is hit, it shatters into fragments, causing even more damage."
"Right," another shinobi added, "the explosive range is smaller, but the metal shrapnel makes it more deadly."
"And it saves us kunai!" someone else chimed in with a grin.
They were, of course, discussing Orochimaru's latest invention: a grenade. There were two types, one with a timed fuse, and one that detonated on impact.
Orochimaru had provided the latter.
"This device detonates on impact," Hakushu continued. "Whether you throw it at the enemy or they strike it with a weapon, it explodes."
But despite their enthusiasm, everyone understood that the grenade, like the sniper rifle, wasn't perfect. The projectile speed was slow, and if the enemy knew it was coming, they could easily avoid or defend against it.
"It'll catch them off guard the first time, but after that, it won't be much different from a regular detonating tag," one shinobi noted.
Orochimaru, who was standing off to the side, didn't seem too concerned. He wasn't worried about leaks or the long-term impact of the tool. The current damage was enough.
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted as a Konoha ninja burst into the tent, his face pale with panic.
"Something's wrong!" he shouted.
"What happened?" one of the Jonin asked, their expressions turning serious.
"We've run into a group of Sand Ninja puppet masters!"
"Puppet masters?" The Jonin shared confused glances, then laughed. "And? What's there to be afraid of? The puppet masters aren't a threat anymore."
"That's right. With Tsunade-sama's antidote, their poison is useless. They're no longer a concern," another Jonin added.
The panicked ninja, however, shook his head vigorously. "No! Even with Tsunade-sama's antidote, this time it didn't work!"
The tent fell silent.
"That can't be," one Jonin muttered. "Are you suggesting Tsunade-sama's antidote isn't working?"
"I'm not making this up! You need to see for yourself!" the ninja insisted.
Tsunade, who had been sitting quietly, immediately stood up, her face set with determination. "Take me there. I'll see for myself."
As Tsunade headed out, Orochimaru's eyes lit up with realization. A sly smile crept onto his face.
"Is this the long-awaited showdown between Tsunade and Chiyo?" He mused. "It can't be anything else."
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