Konoha cat breeder

Chapter 209: Minato's Ruthless Plan

Three hours later.

Jiraiya, now fully recovered, sat in the main seat of the command tent, looking refreshed and relaxed.

Meanwhile, Tonari was completely exhausted, slumped in his chair with an expression of pure irritation—one that screamed, "Don't even think about bothering me, or we're going to have problems."

No one dared to disturb him.

But their gazes told a different story.

They couldn't help but stare at him with intense admiration and awe.

Being stared at like this made Tonari feel... uneasy.

It was like being a rare panda in a zoo.

But honestly? He understood why they were looking at him like that.

Jiraiya had suffered life-threatening injuries, and then Tonari had hacked him up even more—only for him to heal completely in minutes.

The more energetic Jiraiya looked, the more admiration they had for Tonari.

Jiraiya, grinning, looked at the exhausted Tonari.

He knew exactly what technique Tonari had used—one he had only seen performed by Tsunade. Even for her, it was something she rarely used, saving it as a last resort.

Tonari, annoyed, rolled his eyes.

"Ninjutsu—Creation Rebirth" was indeed a forbidden medical technique created by Tsunade.

This jutsu demanded an insane level of chakra control and chakra reserves. Even for Tsunade, she had to release her Yin Seal and activate Byakugō no Jutsu to perform it properly.

Tonari didn't have chakra reserve issues, but he had to train relentlessly to meet the control requirements.

And while Creation Rebirth seemed miraculous, it had serious side effects.

It rapidly stimulated cell division by consuming the body's limited regeneration potential.

Essentially, it sacrificed lifespan to force tissue regeneration.

Jiraiya's injuries were severe, meaning this treatment had shortened his life to some extent.

Tonari knew Jiraiya was aware of the risks—but seeing his big dumb smile, it was clear he didn't care.

Since he wasn't worried, Tonari wouldn't worry either.

It wasn't his lifespan being drained, after all.

For a ninja, dying of old age was a luxury few ever had.

If giving up a few years meant a full recovery, then it was a worthy trade.

Tsunade herself was the best example of this cost.

If she hadn't relied so much on Creation Rebirth, she would actually be older than Jiraiya and Orochimaru. Her excessive use of the technique drastically reduced her lifespan.

But Jiraiya didn't care about that.

Looking at Minato and Tonari, he felt reassured.

He might not have been able to hold off both the Third Raikage and his son...

But if he only had to stall one of them, he was confident he could do it.

If Cloud attacked again, Konoha just might be able to hold out.

Still, despite his good mood, Jiraiya knew the situation was still dire.

Konoha was engaged in three major battles, and none of them were going well.

If Kirigakure joined the war, things could get catastrophic.

This was still the early stage of the Third Shinobi War.

The war had just begun, and the various nations were still holding back.

But as resources ran out and casualties skyrocketed, the fighting would become increasingly brutal.

By the final stages, even Konoha would be exhausted—to the point where they had to shorten ninja academy training and send barely trained genin to war.

At that point, every village's true foundations would be tested.

Jiraiya exhaled, his expression growing serious.

"Alright. While Tonari's arrival helps fill our gap in high-end combat power and provides top-tier medical support, we still can't ignore the glaring difference in raw military strength."

"If Cloud launches a full-scale assault, I can't guarantee we'll be able to stop them."

His words immediately sobered up the atmosphere.

The soldiers outside the tent could celebrate—that was the whole point of the morale boost.

But the commanders couldn't afford false hope.

They had to face reality.

Tonari, despite his exhaustion, straightened in his chair.

Jiraiya's expression hardened.

"We're already at the border of the Land of Fire—this is the final defensive line. If we fail, Cloud will march directly into Konoha."

"We must hold the line."

"Does anyone have a plan?"

A heavy silence filled the tent.

Tonari frowned.

This was the problem—Konoha's strategic intelligence was spread too thin.

In the Iwa battlefield, the war effort was led by Nara Shikaku's father, Nara Shikahisa—one of Konoha's top strategists.

In the Suna battlefield, Nara Shikaku himself was proving his tactical genius.

But here?

There was no equivalent strategist leading the war effort.

Just as Tonari was about to speak, a calm voice cut in first—

"Jiraiya-sensei, fighting Cloud head-on isn't practical. We need to force them into smaller-scale battles."

It was Minato.

Tonari's eyes lit up.

So did Jiraiya's.

Minato had hit the nail on the head.

Konoha couldn't afford large-scale battles—Cloud's raw power was overwhelming.

Even with Tonari's arrival, Cloud could easily counter him.

At that point, it would be a bloodbath for the weaker Konoha shinobi.

"If we force Cloud into small-unit skirmishes, we might be able to tip the scales."

Jiraiya frowned.

"Easier said than done. How do we force them to engage in small-scale fights when they're the ones choosing the battlefield?"

"Go on, Minato."

Minato nodded, his face calm but serious.

"I know no one likes to admit this, but... fighting a fully mobilized Cloud head-on is suicide."

Everyone agreed—except Minato was putting it politely.

It wasn't just difficult.

It was impossible.

"But we can deny them the chance for a large-scale battle. We need to disrupt their rear lines, forcing them to fight us on our terms."

Jiraiya's brow furrowed.

"Details?"

Minato's tone was firm.

"We send teams deep behind enemy lines to harass their logistics and supply lines. If we hit them hard enough, Cloud will be forced to divide their forces—weakening their front line."

"This means they only have two choices."

"First option:"

"They send a portion of their forces back to handle our teams, weakening their main army."

"They'll have no choice but to slow down."

"To handle even one of our squads, Cloud will need at least three or four of their own. This means we'll drain their numbers, giving us the advantage."

Someone raised an obvious concern—

"And if they ignore our teams and push forward?"

Before Minato could answer, Tonari spoke first—his voice icy cold.

"Then we escalate the destruction."

"We don't just harass them—we butcher them."

"We target their supply chains, their medical units, and their civilians. We turn their own lands into a bloodbath."

A chill ran through the tent.

Even Minato looked at Tonari with a complicated expression.

Tonari was dead serious.

"If we don't want Fire Country civilians to die, then we kill Cloud's people first."

Silence.

Minato took a deep breath—

And continued the plan.

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