"If I have time, I should visit some of the other ninja villages and see what they have to offer."
Or, should I ask Orochimaru directly?
Yes, but not right now.
At this moment, I lack the bargaining power to make a deal with him.
"No matter what method I choose, it won't be something that can be resolved in a short time."
Uchiha Kiyo put away the formation scroll and began contemplating ways to solve the problem.
I can't be constantly transferring chakra to this place.
That would mean I wouldn't have time to cultivate properly.
Furthermore, it seems that keeping the formation activated at all times is the best approach. Otherwise, the chakra would disperse, and when it does accumulate, the sudden burst of energy might attract unwanted attention.
"Looks like I'll have to narrow the formation's area for now, focusing only on the house's surroundings with the barrier active."
He smirked. "Well, at least the effort I put into this place wasn't in vain…"
With this decision made, Uchiha Kiyo got to work once again.
This time, since he was only setting up the barrier around his house, it took him just half a day to complete.
Additionally, he installed a chakra storage seal within the formation.
Essentially, it was a large-scale sealing technique that stockpiled a vast amount of chakra, with a controlled opening to regulate the energy supply to the formation.
With the reduced coverage and fewer reinforcement seals layered over it, the chakra consumption dropped significantly—now only one-twentieth of the original full-scale formation.
"Well… at least this is sustainable."
For Uchiha Kiyo, replenishing chakra was just a process. Unlike other shinobi, who had a daily limit on how much chakra they could recover, Kiyo's main constraint was his maximum chakra capacity. As long as his reserves weren't completely exhausted, he could always restore himself to full strength.
"With this settled, I can finally focus."
He could now devote himself entirely to his research.
Since the start of the war, Uchiha Kiyo hadn't had a chance to immerse himself in his studies.
Partly due to time constraints, but also because his growing distance from the higher-ups in Konoha made him wary—he had to be cautious about potential spies or surveillance.
After all, fully unleashing his research would inevitably cause disturbances, and he wasn't keen on having to explain himself if word got out.
…
While Uchiha Kiyo was establishing his base of operations, Ma Jia and his squad had been waiting for seven days, finally completing the preparation phase of their mission.
This mission was far from simple.
It wasn't just about launching a direct attack on an important Konoha-held stronghold.
Since such a target would naturally be well-defended, attacking recklessly would be suicidal.
Moreover, Sand Village had to assess Konoha's overall situation first to ensure that their strike wouldn't backfire and lead them into a trap.
Most crucially, they had to confirm the whereabouts of Konoha's famed White Fang.
Although they hadn't spotted White Fang nearby before the mission, there had been no reports of him appearing elsewhere either.
They couldn't afford to move forward blindly. If White Fang were lying in wait, a single misstep could mean disaster for the puppet masters leading this assault.
Even Sand's higher-ups knew Konoha wouldn't waste an elite like White Fang by making him sit around in ambush for seven days.
If he still hadn't appeared by now, it was a strong indicator that he was occupied elsewhere, giving them a window of opportunity.
Thus, the seven-day wait wasn't in vain.
Ma Jia had received this information from a Jōnin—one of his former classmates.
"Tch, this guy became a Jōnin while I'm still just a lowly Chūnin? What a joke."
Inside his mind, Ma Jia No. 1 and No. 2 grumbled in the sealed space.
Still, having a former classmate as a Jōnin did come with benefits. At least he could get insider information, preventing him from walking blindly into a death trap.
Sand's forces hadn't wasted the past week. Their patience was rewarded when White Fang finally made an appearance on another battlefield, where he clashed with Elder Chiyo herself.
"Looks like today's the day we move out. Be careful, and try to stick close to puppet masters of similar rank."
The Jōnin, codenamed "Sand," advised.
Judging by his name, his family must have had high expectations for him.
Through his investigations, Ma Jia learned that Sand was indeed a genius.
At just twenty-six years old, he was already a formidable Jōnin and was close to reaching elite Jōnin status—his promotion was only delayed due to insufficient mission credits.
If this operation went well, he'd likely receive that promotion.
Despite not being particularly close to Ma Jia, Sand still looked out for him as a former classmate.
Unfortunately, he didn't seem to exist in the original storyline. He must have either died in action or hit a bottleneck, remaining an elite Jōnin without making it to the spotlight.
"Just because someone isn't mentioned in the original doesn't mean they don't exist… This is a real world, after all."
Ma Jia gathered his gear and rejoined his newly formed team.
His original team had suffered casualties, leaving them incomplete. But after proving his worth, he had managed to integrate into a new unit.
They hadn't accepted him out of sympathy—only strength mattered on the battlefield.
While the original Ma Jia had been weak, the current Ma Jia was controlled by Uchiha Kiyo's shadow clone, making him vastly more competent in combat.
He had displayed his prowess with Wind Release techniques and hand-to-hand combat, securing his place in the team.
He didn't reveal too much, keeping his skills at the level of an elite Chūnin.
But his proficiency with short to mid-range Wind Release techniques, especially his enhanced Gale Palm, made him a valuable asset in close-quarters combat.
His team consisted of two puppet masters who weren't particularly skilled in offense—one specialized in defense, while the other focused on battlefield control.
Though they could use long-range ninjutsu, they weren't effective in precision attacks. That's where Ma Jia came in.
"Gui, Kong, double-check your puppets. We can't afford any mistakes."
Gui and Kong didn't mind Ma Jia's caution. In fact, they appreciated it.
Survival on the battlefield required vigilance.
After another half-hour, their orders came in.
The attack had begun.
Their unit maneuvered behind enemy lines alongside several other teams.
Their objective was simple—draw Konoha's attention and divert a portion of their forces.
When a group of Sand ninjas suddenly appeared, Konoha predictably dispatched scouts to investigate.
These scouts were quickly eliminated by Ma Jia's squad and their allies.
Konoha, recognizing the threat, sent additional forces to deal with them.
Though similar skirmishes had occurred before, this time, Sand's forces were launching a full-scale assault.
The battle escalated. Konoha's reinforcements, though formidable, struggled against Sand's puppet masters.
Despite suffering some casualties, Sand's forces managed to eliminate the second wave of Konoha ninjas.
Eventually, Konoha could no longer afford to ignore the threat and dispatched two Jōnin to lead a larger counteroffensive.
"Perfect. If we can split the battlefield and occupy these Jōnin, we'll gain a massive advantage."
Even in a key strategic location, Konoha's manpower was limited.
Forcing them to deploy three Jōnin just to deal with this diversion meant they were stretching their forces thin elsewhere.
After reporting this to command, Ma Jia and his teammates braced themselves for the coming battle.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE 170+ CHAPTERS
patreon.com/HACKDWORLD