End of The First Day of The Fourth War

"It's difficult to achieve the expected results in a short time.

No one can intervene in the war and change the situation as easily as someone like Yuki.

With tens of thousands of ninjas involved, it's not possible to determine the outcome in just a day or two.

Even someone as experienced in war as Madara naturally understands this better than Yuki.

However, even so, after a day, his expression looked a bit grim.

In Madara's original expectations, under the fierce attack of an additional five thousand troops from the Rock Ninja, they should have at least broken through Konoha Village's first line of defense on the first day.

But what he didn't expect was that even in a disadvantaged position, all Konoha Ninjas fought tenaciously with a fighting spirit he couldn't understand, never retreating until death.

Madara's repeated attacks throughout the day, while achieving temporary success, were quickly lost under the fierce counterattacks of Konoha Ninja.

This back-and-forth continued until the end, and the overall situation of the battle remained the same as it was at the beginning.

"A bunch of waste."

Seeing that all the Rock Ninjas had already withdrawn, Madara coldly said and was about to leave.

Yuki stopped him.

"Madara, since you want to delay me, then delay me thoroughly. Stay here with me for the time being. As for the war, others will take care of it."

Yuki, confident in his own people, didn't plan to let Madara out of his sight. He knew that after the war went smoothly, he had to settle scores with his opponent properly, not letting them escape as they did before.

At this moment, seeing Yuki's attitude that he would resort to force if necessary, Madara, though somewhat surprised, nodded indifferently.

"Since you wish for it, then so be it."

After all, he couldn't control those useless Rock Ninjas by going back, so it didn't hurt to stay.

Moreover, even with the perception of his Sharingan, he could still clearly sense Yuki's presence in the Rock Ninja camp. But it wasn't as secure as it was now.

He had done his best for the Rock Ninja, and he only hoped that these guys could be of some use tomorrow.

With this in mind, Madara glanced at the battlefield, where the flames and smoke gradually dissipated, and then at Yuki, who remained focused on him and shook his head slightly. Then, in the rising darkness, he and Yuki stood facing each other like two statues, unmoving.

For ninjas, sleeping outdoors was always the norm.

And for strong individuals like Madara, going without food or drink for several days didn't affect their condition at all.

Yuki was the same.

After finishing everything that needed to be done, he believed that the Konoha Village team could handle everything as long as they didn't disappoint him. He could then focus on dealing with Madara, a bigger threat than the Five Nations.

Time passed slowly.

Under cover of night, on the silent battlefield where both Konoha and Rock Ninja had already retreated, two figures remained standing as loyal spectators, waiting for the next major battle to begin in a short while.

On the other side, both the Konoha and Rock Ninja camps were still brightly lit, and voices continued to be heard.

Especially in the medical tents, the noise was even louder.

Compared to before, thanks to the medical reforms driven by Tsunade, Konoha Village had developed numerous medical ninja and advanced techniques, making their treatment of the wounded more efficient and thorough. As long as the injuries weren't fatal, they could almost always save lives. Those with less serious injuries could recover and rejoin the battle the next day after some treatment.

In contrast, the Rock Ninja had fewer medical ninjas and lower medical skills. Many of the wounded Rock Ninjas were suffering greatly.

In this give-and-take situation, if Konoha Village could hold on, their advantage in terms of recovery would become increasingly significant. This was one of the reasons why, in the previous Shinobi World War, Konoha Village, often at a numerical disadvantage, managed to hold on and ultimately win.

At this moment, after a day of fierce battle and after briefing the high-ranking Rock Ninja on tomorrow's battle plans, Onoki, who had already completed his tasks, took advantage of some free time to open the medical tent's curtain and check on his disciple, Deidara.

While the Rock Ninja's medical skills were generally lacking, they had more than enough resources to treat the disciples of the Tsuchikage. Quickly, he saw his own disciple lying on the bed, fiddling with clay with his hands, his back covered in thick bandages.

"How are you feeling now, Deidara?"

"Oh? Old man, you're here." Deidara turned his head, shrugged, and said, "Some cranky old nurse granny said I had to lie like this for a week. But I think a day or two will be enough."

"A week is a week." Hearing this, Onoki's expression turned serious. "Deidara, listen to the doctor from now on. If you dare to run off in the middle, I'll break your legs!"

Onoki knew very well that his disciple, who had narrowly escaped from Mei Terumi, was seriously injured. Even though there were medical ninjutsu to heal his wounds, the significant loss of chakra couldn't be replenished in a short time. So, Onoki was resolute.

Seeing this, the still-pale Deidara had no choice but to nod in agreement.

When his own teacher showed such an expression, it meant he was serious.

After accepting the reality and wondering about something, Deidara curiously asked, "By the way, old man, how did your fight with the flashy guy with golden hair go?"

"You mean Hashirama Senju?" Various thoughts floated through Onoki's mind, and he subconsciously touched his sore back. He sighed slightly and said, "It was a draw, more or less."

To be honest, even calling it a draw was a stretch.

In his fight with Hashirama Senju, especially when the latter used Sage Mode, Onoki had been at a disadvantage the whole time. The only reason he could hold on was that Hashirama had some reservations about his Dust Release. Besides, Onoki had more experience in aerial combat.

Aerial combat and ground battles were very different.

Even though Hashirama had learned the Light-Weight Rock technique, compared to Onoki, who had mastered this art for decades, he lacked the experience.

"If it were me on the ground, facing Hashirama Senju, I probably wouldn't have escaped unscathed like I did now." Onoki sighed, thinking that even with Hashirama's forces, his side would be in trouble.

"Konoha Village...is full of talent!"

Onoki self-mockingly shook his head.

Regardless of what Madara Uchiha's intentions were, he was fortunate to be standing on the same side as him. Otherwise, the joint attack of the Five Nations on Konoha Village would have become a joke.

As for himself and the Rock Ninja...

"Hey, old man! What are you thinking about?"

Suddenly, Deidara's voice interrupted Onoki's daydreaming, waking him from what seemed like a trance.

"Nothing."

Onoki snapped back to reality and shook his head, not sharing his thoughts with Deidara. He had to bear some of the pressure himself. The younger generation just needed to grow as quickly as possible.

"Rest well, Deidara. The future of Hidden Rock Village depends on you."

Onoki, who had high hopes for Deidara, looked at his disciple seriously now.

"I...I understand." Deidara, who wasn't used to Onoki's current demeanor, responded awkwardly.

"Get some good rest."

Finally, Onoki entrusted Deidara with a firm message before turning and leaving.

After visiting Deidara, he still had a lot of things to take care of. The latest intelligence indicated that 2,000 reinforcements from Konoha Village were on their way to the battlefield in the Land of Grass. To maintain numerical superiority for the Rock Ninja, he had to withdraw more personnel from his homeland to provide support. There was also Sand Ninja and Mist Ninja, especially the former. His Rock Ninja had already made their stance clear at the cost of blood. It was time for them to act."