The Hidden Sand ninjas, feeling a mix of apprehension and loss, were escorted away. They would be secretly sent to a prisoner-of-war camp designated for Hidden Sand ninjas, where they would perform labor to maximize their current value. After that, Fumori masaki wouldn't need to worry about them; he would simply wait until they were needed again before arranging for their deployment.
Fumori masaki, while keeping an eye on the Hidden Sand ninjas' movements, also offered his condolences to the Konoha ninjas. He paid close attention to the lives of the lower-ranking ninjas. Although the strength of ninja clans held significant importance in the ninja villages, it was these individuals who truly formed the foundation of the villages. This would become increasingly evident over time.
Fumori masaki meticulously inquired about the living conditions and operational needs of the lower-ranking ninjas in the camp, such as their food, clothing, and whether their ninja tools were properly arranged. He had zero tolerance for any shortcomings in logistics and would severely punish any discovered infractions.
At the same time, if samurai troops failed to cooperate during combat, leading to tense situations, Fumori masaki would not let it slide easily. Since the two sides operated under different systems, the Konoha Ninja Village couldn't directly interfere with the internal management of the samurai army. They could only indirectly influence them through their relationships with local lords.
Because of this, the discipline of the samurai army had always been difficult to guarantee, especially after their numbers increased. Large-scale samurai armies always produced some undesirable individuals. If they were powerful samurai armies, it would be fine, as their discipline was at least strict. But other local lords couldn't guarantee it.
Under Konoha Ninja Village's policy of respecting other countries, samurai armies with poor discipline always caused them trouble. Konoha ninjas or friendly local lords often had to step in to deal with them. To be honest, they truly wished they could eliminate all these individuals.
However, the Konoha Ninja Village still couldn't directly deal with these people. Given the current situation, Fumori masaki could only immediately deal with samurai armies who committed serious mistakes. With the Konoha Ninja Village's current influence, he could silence the Daimyo and others. As for those whose crimes were not considered serious—in the eyes of the Daimyo and others—he would have to wait until after the war to deal with them. Using the credit from the war victory to clean out some troublemakers wouldn't be a big deal, and he had no intention of considering things like being too meritorious for his lord, as the Konoha Ninja Village was not truly a vassal.
Of course, samurai with poor discipline were not entirely without benefit. The Konoha Ninja Village and the samurai army were two completely different groups, and every country understood this very clearly. Although there was ill will towards the Land of Fire's samurai army, the Konoha Ninja Village's reputation had always been acknowledged, and other countries felt a strong sense of goodwill towards the Konoha Ninja Village for its efforts to uphold their dignity.
Even within the Land of Fire, the merchant associations supported by the Konoha Ninja Village were well-controlled and did not oppress ordinary citizens, unlike those supported by other nobles who merely followed suit. Those noble-backed merchant associations were completely driven by greed and, while not entirely indifferent to the interests of ordinary citizens, they didn't really care. Therefore, the common people of the Land of Fire preferred to go to the Konoha Ninja Village's merchant associations.
Although nothing was apparent now, in the future, when the Konoha Ninja Village gained supreme power in the Land of Fire, a new regime with goodwill and excellent credibility would quickly gain the approval of the Land of Fire's people—as long as the Konoha Ninja Village did not arrogantly believe it had to completely overturn the entire country's order, leading to widespread panic.
However, Fumori masaki never intended to target all the nobles of the Land of Fire. The Konoha Ninja Village couldn't control the entire country and still needed to rely on these people. He only needed to eliminate the problematic individuals among them to maintain the stability of the new regime, and he could proceed slowly.
Sometimes, taking things slowly is better than doing everything at once. As a saying goes in Fumori masaki's previous life: "Haste makes waste."
Rome wasn't built in a day. Seemingly instantaneous successes all have long-term, deep-seated factors behind them. Currently, the noble system of the Land of Fire has not yet completely disappointed the common people.
If the Konoha Ninja Village wanted to gain supreme power, it couldn't completely overturn the order of the Land of Fire.
Perhaps one day, the Konoha Ninja Village could completely dismantle the entire noble system of the Land of Fire, but at least in Fumori masaki's generation, it was impossible. Finding a transition that would benefit both the village and the country was what Fumori masaki needed to consider now.
Next, Fumori masaki arrived at Hatake Sakumo's tent. Upon learning of his arrival, Hatake Sakumo and the others immediately came out to greet him and bow. Although they all had close relationships with Fumori masaki—excluding Yamanaka Risa—this was official business, and they couldn't be too casual in official matters.
Of course, given the relationships of family, student, and daughter of a good friend, Fumori masaki's attitude could be gentler, and no one else would say anything. It's only natural for family members to speak more kindly to each other, isn't it?
Fumori masaki accompanied everyone into the tent. Yamanaka Risa, the only one considered an outsider, felt a bit uncomfortable, but facing the respected Hokage, this slight unease was quickly cast aside, especially since Fumori masaki didn't ignore her for being an outsider but instead offered a warm greeting.
"I heard that during the battle, your excellent perception and communication skills protected Sakumo and the others, helping them avoid several dangerous situations," Fumori masaki said with a smile.
"No, no, it was no great achievement. It was all thanks to Captain Sakumo and Asuna," Yamanaka Risa said, waving her hands somewhat excitedly, her face flushed red.
"There's no 'all thanks to' or 'not all thanks to' about it. A squad is arranged with three people precisely because everyone has their own position," Fumori masaki said. "You did very well. Without you, Sakumo and the others wouldn't have had such an easy time."
Hatake Sakumo nodded and said, "Yes, Risa, what Lord Hokage said is true. Your role in our squad is undeniable. There's no need to underestimate yourself."
"Thank you," Yamanaka Risa nodded vigorously.
Fumori masaki also gave evaluations for the performances of Hatake Sakumo, Asuna, and Mizuki one by one. He also knew that Mizuki had activated her Sharingan during this period. Regarding this, he only gave a reluctant affirmation. He had complicated feelings about the Sharingan bloodline limit. Although the Sharingan possessed great power, this bloodline limit, which could only be awakened through emotional pain and suffering, truly left him with little fondness.
Before leaving, Fumori masaki gave Asuna a deep look, which gave Asuna a bad premonition. After he left, Asuna asked somewhat nervously, "Why did Father look at me like that?"
"I don't know," Hatake Sakumo shook his head. "I just felt like Sensei's gaze had a deeper meaning."
"He wouldn't have found out about that, would he?" Asuna immediately thought of her impulsive overuse of natural energy. "Sakumo-kun, didn't you say that Tsunade-nee and Shigeru-oji wouldn't say anything?"
"This, I don't know," Hatake Sakumo could only say that. He couldn't even be sure if Fumori masaki really knew about that matter.
While Asuna and Hatake Sakumo were wondering, Fumori masaki continued to inspect the entire camp. After all the greetings in the camp were finished, he went back to rest for a while. Next, he would have a meeting with senior ninjas like Inuzuka Shigeru to discuss things. However, he still had one more matter to deal with later.
Asuna, of course, wouldn't know how far Fumori masaki's Sage Realm had progressed. He understood natural energy very well. Even though Tsunade had already given a heads-up and no one had mentioned the specific reasons for that incident, he still learned about Asuna's serious illness.
Although Tsunade hadn't told anyone about the natural energy, Asuna's special illness was still mentioned as an example. Fumori masaki, who understood natural energy very well, immediately realized that it was caused by an excessive influx of natural energy, as he himself had experienced something similar in the past.
Fumori masaki, relying on his own abilities, controlled the backlash of natural energy, and even advanced his Sage Art realm, allowing him to master secret techniques like the Eight-Part Wind Wheel. However, Asuna did not seem to have such ability, and like ordinary people, she faced a life crisis due to the excessive influx of natural energy.
Fumori masaki's Sage Art was different from others. Asuna's Sage Art was also created through Fumori masaki's bloodline inheritance and his own research into Sage Art, establishing a human-specific method of Sage Art cultivation. Compared to the Sage Mode of the Three Great Holy Lands, it might not be as mature, but it was the most suitable for humans.
The Sage Modes of the Three Great Holy Lands all had characteristics belonging to their respective races, because their Sage Mode cultivation methods were originally based on the characteristics of their own races. Although it was the same natural energy, different methods of use would lead to different results. This was a characteristic of Sage Art.
Even the most perfect Sage Mode would have some similarities to the Three Great Holy Lands. For example, Naruto's perfect Sage Mode, even though his body showed no abnormalities, his pupils still became exactly like a toad's. However, Fumori masaki's Sage Mode had no such drawbacks.
However, depending on the individual, the Sage Mark produced would also be different. For example, Fumori masaki's Sage Mark was closer to the shape of a flame, and as he introduced more natural energy, the Sage Mark would also expand its range. But he basically never let the Sage Mark extend beyond the areas covered by his clothes.
Thinking back, only during the First Ninja World War, when facing Ginkaku, did he allow the Sage Mark to spread to his face, thereby severing Ginkaku's arm in one fell swoop. Asuna's Sage Mark, however, was fixed and had a more girlish floral pattern, which he thought was quite beautiful.
Fumori masaki could also confirm that Asuna's Sage Mode perception was definitely different from his own. After meeting Asuna, his special sensory vision captured the unusual ripples remaining on her body, which truly allowed him to confirm Asuna's condition.
As a father, Fumori masaki naturally felt a hint of anger about Asuna's risky use of natural energy. However, he believed that Asuna must have done so due to a critical situation. In this matter, it was hard to say who was right or wrong, but it was certain that she hadn't valued herself enough.
Fumori masaki decided in his heart to meet Asuna again that evening for a father-daughter talk. With no one else present, it would be both a warning to Asuna on how to handle matters and how to love herself in the future, and also a chance to share his latest insights on Sage Art with her. In the wars to come, dangerous situations would surely still arise, and at such times, the best approach would be to help Asuna gain even greater control over Sage Art.
Fumori masaki, who could maintain Sage Mode constantly, moved without a trace, and only ninjas capable of precisely observing energy movements could detect his subtle presence. When he met Asuna in the tent, no one else knew, nor did anyone know what they discussed.
However, when Mizuki returned to the tent, she saw Asuna looking relieved. She felt a little surprised, not knowing what had just happened. When she asked Asuna, Asuna didn't elaborate, only saying that her father had come to see her. As for what the father and daughter discussed, Mizuki wisely didn't ask. Seeing Asuna's expression, she knew she must have endured a father's nagging.
It was well known that even a gentle person like Uchiha Kagami, from a father's perspective, would often make Mizuki feel nagged, yet she couldn't do anything but listen to him. Therefore, Mizuki couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy.
After Fumori masaki finished his discussion with Inuzuka Shigeru and others, he would set off northward. Besides his inspection objectives, his biggest goal was to confront Onoki. Therefore, the place he was going to was the main battlefield between the Hidden Stone Ninja Village and Konoha and Hidden Cloud. Although he came here personally, he had no intention of interfering with the specific operations. He knew that he, who had been away from the front lines for too long, might not be able to surpass these ninjas fighting on the front lines in terms of direct combat command ability.
With the strategy confirmed, the Konoha Fourth Ninja Division also began to adjust its arrangements, shifting its focus towards the Land of Rain. The remaining forces would serve as support, drawing the Hidden Stone ninjas away for the Hidden Cloud Ninja Village. The next strategic focus would be to deliver a rather fatal blow to the Hidden Sand Ninja Village.
Some units of the Konoha Fourth Ninja Division, including several high-ranking ninjas, had already entered the Land of Rain. Personnel from the Second Ninja Division also began to rotate, making more secure arrangements for future combat personnel. Uchiha Setsuna was among those transferred from the Fourth Ninja Division.
Uchiha Setsuna felt a surge of excitement. He had already entrusted Zetsu, and soon, it would be the day Uchiha Kagami died. To ensure the success of the plan, he had to be present in person. If Uchiha Kagami was lucky enough to escape, then he would step in to finish him off.
Having reached this point, Uchiha Setsuna had no intention of pretending in front of Uchiha Kagami. Anyway, as long as Uchiha Kagami was dead, no one would know his true identity.