Chapter 948: Chapter 54: The Beginning of the Invasion
Along the border between the Land of Demons and the Land of Bear, the ninja squad of the Land of Demons’ military had already gathered in secret.
There were only a hundred ninjas gathered here.
The difference was that these hundred ninjas belonged to a very special unit.
All of them were equipped with flying apparatus, forming a unique air combat unit within the military of the Land of Demons.
While operating the flying apparatus, they were also equipped with explosive tags and poison gas bombs for high-altitude assault, capable of delivering a comprehensive strike on ground enemies from afar.
Due to the high cost of flying apparatus and the limited effectiveness of resource utilization with current technology, the production output of flying apparatus within the military of the Land of Demons remained low.
To this point, the air combat squad only comprised three hundred formal members.
Gathered here was one third of the airborne forces.
This demonstrated a significant level of concern towards the ninja squad from the Hidden Sand Village.
The one leading this troop was Ayane.
The enemy they were confronting was the Hidden Sand squad, which consisted of a thousand ninjas.
Following previous reconnaissance, it had been identified that their anti-air arsenal primarily comprised long-range ballistae, supplemented by arrows and explosive tags, specifically designed to counter the aerial units of the Land of Demons.
However, Ayane did not pay much mind to these.
While the ballistae were somewhat troublesome for the air units, they were not capable of directly suppressing them.
Moreover, the role of the air units was temporarily focused on harassment, disrupting enemy formations and creating advantageous battle opportunities for other front-line troops, which was their primary duty.
Engaging directly with the enemy could result in excessive damage to the flying apparatus, which would be counterproductive.
"Lady Ayane, the third squad has completed their patrol."
A Jonin from the Land of Demons came to report.
He was the Squad Captain of this air combat unit.
The air combat unit consisted of teams of ten, with one captain and vice-captain, and eight members.
The hundred air combat ninjas here were divided into ten squads, led by the Squad Captain for operations.
"How is the situation?"
Ayane understood the significance of battle opportunities.
In Konoha, she had witnessed many great battles; knowing when to launch an attack or when to conceal troops was crucial for a commander.
Although not skilled in command herself, Hakushi’s hint was clear: once the Hidden Sand Village crossed the international boundary line, they could launch an attack on the Hidden Sand forces.
Previously, the Land of Demons had publicly announced that any armed foreign troops entering the Land of Demons’ borders without permission would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
The Land of Bear was a small country separated from others by a narrow valley, a valley where toxic gases lingered year-round, named Hell Valley.
Should the Hidden Sand forces cross Hell Valley and launch an attack on the Hidden Sand forces, the Land of Demons would hold the moral high ground.
Ayane was waiting for the opportunity when the Hidden Sand forces would cross Hell Valley and advance into the Land of Demons’ territory.
"They are gathering their forces, preparing to cross Hell Valley. It seems they are ready to take real military action."
The Jonin of the Land of Demons reported.
With Flying Ninja monitoring the activities of the Hidden Sand Village from the air, the position of this Hidden Sand ninja squad had long been exposed to the Land of Demons.
Their every move was under the surveillance of the Land of Demons.
"As expected, ensure that the border residents are evacuated for now, and refrain from attacking the Hidden Sand."
Ayane grinned slightly.
The commercial route between the Land of Wind and the Land of Demons had already been unilaterally closed by the Land of Demons. Without the supply from the Land of Demons, the commercial network within the Land of Wind must have faced various problems over the month of brewing.
Though not fatal, it would surely affect the economic output of the Land of Wind, diminishing the taxes collected by the nobles.
At the same time, given that the Land of Wind heavily depended on imports for food, water, and medicines, many secretly resented the Land of Demons for not recognizing their superiority.
Judging by the current actions of the Hidden Sand, it seemed they weren’t planning to conceal their intentions, opting instead for a straightforward approach to pressure the Land of Demons into reopening the trade route to the Land of Wind.
After more than a month of brewing, it was finally the moment for both sides to exert military force.
At this moment, the safety of surrounding residents needed to be ensured; they should be evacuated from this smoke-filled battlefield to prevent getting caught in the crossfire.
"Understood, arrangements have already been made, and the border residents will complete their evacuation within an hour."
"Good. After that, let’s evacuate quickly as well."
"Huh? Aren’t we going to attack directly?"
Officially, the moment the Hidden Sand Village crossed Hell Valley, the Land of Demons could launch an attack against the Hidden Sand forces to prevent the Hidden Sand ninjas from incursion.
"Not yet. A border conflict alone isn’t enough of an excuse for us to launch an assault on the Land of Wind’s mainland. Moreover, solving this all at once would force the Hidden Sand Village to weigh its options and potentially avoid war through compromise. Hmm... Let’s establish an evenly matched confrontation at best, making them believe their home base still holds the advantage in the Land of Wind."
"..."
Is this like fishing? The Jonin of the Land of Demons was at a loss for words.
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Maki commanded the forces to construct wide stone bridges using Earth Style techniques at both ends of Hell Valley, then pushed ballistae and various essential military goods towards the Land of Demons’ territory.
The ballistae were already loaded with substantial quantities of arrows that could be fired in rapid succession; the arrows were fitted with explosive tags, and the angles were adjusted to target the sky, ready to address any airborne threats.
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