"Each man to his duty
And don't be afraid.
Wait! I will
need a report
On the strength of the foe.
I can find out
the truth
I know their ways;
Fought their wars,
Served my time"
-Les Miserables "Upon these Stones (Building the Barricade)"
War is part of human behavior; one person has something the other wants, and they fight for it. When the conflict happens between powerhouse countries – especially powerhouse countries whose economy is centered on the creation of human war machines – the conflict escalates beyond imagination.
"The last temple has fallen, other warrior-priests are retreating back here." Panted a young bald-headed boy.
"How big is Amegakure's force?" A big-busted woman asked from the biggest chair in the room.
"The main force seems to be about five hundred or so. It was reported that there are a couple back-up forces, we're guessing half as small." The messenger responded, accepting a glass of water from one of the officials seated around the large wooden table. Maps and folders emptied of their contents were strewn across it, accompanied by hastily scribbled strategies.
"Shit." Muttered the Gondaime, slamming her fist down on the table.
"Guessing?" asked the youngest one seated at the table, leaning back lazily into his own chair.
"Our scouts cannot get close enough to accurately estimate their numbers." The messenger replied, observing as faces fell all across the table.
"What I kind of monsters are these people?" asked a graying old man.
"I wouldn't call them monsters yet. So far I believe we are pretty evenly matched." The Gondaime answered with a slight smile.
"What do you mean? Even with only one back up force they outnumber us, and they've managed to barrel their way through half of the fire country, opposed at eight temples along the way, in just short of a week. We've already lost!" a man cried out, waving his arms all around him.
"True, we are outnumbered; seven hundred to who knows how many. But our shinobi are trained to the highest standards. And we have the home field advantage. As we speak I have five teams, under the instruction of Tenten and Yuuhi Kurenai, setting up traps along the two circles drawn on this map." Tsunade said, digging through the pile on her desk for the proper map. Once she found it, she placed it in the middle, letting her advisors see the two lines encircling Konoha.
"Every able bodied civilian is also helping, either building a series of trenches fifty meters from the wall or gathering basic necessities such as food and water. The hospital's been recruiting new staff, and they've been modifying a couple apartment complexes for the influx of wounded. From what I've heard from Sakura, their only problem now is there isn't enough intensive care equipment and properly trained surgeon-medics. The rest of the civilians, as well as shinobi children, are being lead to the safe grounds."
"So, how much time do we have until they arrive?" Shikamaru asked, turning to the messenger once Tsunade was done convincing the elders that no, Konoha was not doomed yet.
"What's left of the priests should come within the next couple hours, and I'm guessing that Amegakure's main force will arrive late tomorrow." The messenger replied automatically.
"Very well, I might as well go see how my village is going now that all this is settled." Tsunade said, getting up from her chair and making her way to the door. Half way through her walk her left arm made a barely visible jabbing motion, sending the messenger down to the floor.
"ANBU! Send him to the interrogation squad." She declared, making two masked figures appear on each side of the fallen boy.
"Wha? Gondaime what is going on here?!" asked a mildly outraged elderly woman.
"Seriously how stupid do the rain shinobi think we are?" Tsunade asked to herself as she continued on her way out the door.
"Does anyone have any idea what's going on here?" the elderly woman asked to her fellow advisors. Most shrugged, as in the dark as she was.
Shikamaru was the one to speak up.
"It's simple really. Normally when someone has a bloody hole in their clothing, there's an injury to accompany it. And, personally, I wouldn't even entertain the thought of shaving when my home is being attacked, much less leave such obvious marks of it being the first time to shave my head." Said Shikamaru, a slight laugh in his voice. "If they are all like this, this war will be a piece of cake… Too bad he was probably sent here to make us think exactly that."