The Third Tsuchikage turned his gaze toward the massive, burly man beside him, whose
bare, muscular chest was slick with sweat. "Raikage, you should take a rest as well."
The Fourth Raikage's expression was ghastly. It wasn't just because this specific operation
had failed; it was the report that had arrived recently, the contents of which had made his
heart skip a beat.
He had originally intended to maintain a precarious, "tightrope" peace with Konoha, hesitant
to provoke a direct confrontation. But while Onoki was steady and composed, he was still a
Kage. Even with the Raikage's inner turmoil, he managed to force a tight, strained smile.
The two found a massive boulder and sat in its shadow, pulling out military ration pills to
squeeze every last drop of stamina from their weary bodies. In times of war, even a Kage,
the supreme leader of a village, didn't enjoy much in the way of special treatment.
They ate a few bites of cold, tasteless food and washed it down with large gulps of water.
The Raikage, given his immense stature, drained his massive canteen in just a few swigs.
As he did, his face grew even darker and more ominous.
Meanwhile, the shinobi clearing the battlefield made an excited discovery. Seeing their
reaction only made the Raikage more irritable.
They pried open two large iron crates. One was packed to the brim with hundreds of tin cans
of meat. The other was filled with bottles of Cola buried under layers of ice—hundreds of
them. Clearly, these were standard-issue supplies for the Konoha forces.
After a thorough sweep, the scouts confirmed that the retreating Konoha ninja hadn't
tampered with the goods. Smiles broke out across every face. They had intercepted similar
supplies before, but usually only in small, scattered amounts. Both Kages had established a
policy: any intercepted supplies belonged to the shinobi who found them. Naturally, the men
were ecstatic.
However, compared to their own logistical situation, Konoha's supply level was simply
absurd. The logistics for the Hidden Cloud and the Hidden Stone were a disaster, largely
because the nations backing them had limited financial depth.
It wasn't that the two Kages lacked experience or failed to understand the importance of
logistics; it was that this war was making it impossible to see a way forward. If it weren't for
Konoha's terrifyingly fast recovery rate, they wouldn't have wanted to fight at all. But Konoha
was so aggressive that they had to grit their teeth and push back just to avoid being
completely crushed.
The shinobi on both sides weren't ignorant. They understood the stakes of this conflict. In a
sense, this was a war for national destiny. Even if a family was down to its last living ninja,
they had no choice but to fight.
But spirit alone cannot overcome the cruelty of the physical world. No food means no food;
it's an unavoidable reality.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs makes this clear:
1. Physiological Needs
2. Safety Needs
3. Love and Belonging
4. Esteem
5. Self-Actualization.
Most humans cannot satisfy even their most basic physiological needs; seeking liberation
through illusions is simply unrealistic. Food, water, sleep, air—these are the essentials.
Without them, humans will put their heads down and toil like donkeys just to obtain the
barest necessities.
These shinobi loved their villages, but the reality was that the villages could no longer meet
their basic physiological needs. Meanwhile, Konoha was meeting them perfectly. Aside from
the most advanced psychological needs, Konoha provided everything else for its ninja. Once
physiological needs are met, the Konoha Allied Forces naturally began to pursue the
ultimate need: self-actualization.
In previous wars, hidden villages would spend vast amounts of time and money stockpiling
resources for a conflict that might last years. But this time, the two great villages lacked both
capital and time. The Third Shinobi World War had ended not long ago; no matter how hard
they scrambled to develop, it wasn't enough.
Their logistics could only provide the bare basics: compressed biscuits, dry cornmeal cakes,
ration pills, and just enough water. Beyond that, they couldn't produce a single scrap of
meat.
To make matters worse, the grain merchants in the Land of Earth and Land of Lightning
were collectively hiking their prices. These bastards dared to do this right under the noses of
the Kages, nearly driving the two leaders to a stroke from sheer rage. The Fourth Raikage
had personally beaten one major merchant into a "tomato" on the spot, but even that couldn't
change the reality of rising prices.
No one wants to do business at a loss, but everyone rushes toward a profit—even if it's a
trade that might cost them their lives. Out of desperation, the two villages had bought a small
amount of meat as a meager consolation.
But "wanting" isn't "having." Even if you executed the quartermaster, you couldn't conjure
supplies out of thin air. The world is made of matter, and it cannot be entirely dictated by
spirit or will. Though shinobi possessed chakra—a supernatural power that could interfere
with reality—they still had to eat. Humans need food to live; trying to eat air only leads to
starvation.
Ration pills only ensured that a ninja's stamina wouldn't plummet due to hunger. As for the
taste... let's just say they weren't much better than "dark cuisine," with a lingering, medicinal
aftertaste. But flavor wasn't the point of a ration pill. Since their inception, they were famous
for being efficient, practical, and utterly revolting. They were a necessity for a quick recovery
of stamina and chakra. Under normal circumstances, if there was any other choice, a ninja
wouldn't touch them.
Now, with so many Konoha supplies intercepted, the mood of the group improved instantly.
There was too much to carry comfortably, so they decided to enjoy it right then and there.
In a festive atmosphere, one or two ninjas with culinary skills stepped forward and began
cooking up a feast on the battlefield. Those who had been choking down ration pills while
fighting back stomach acid endured their discomfort and waited quietly.
One particularly observant ninja took two bottles of ice-cold Cola and handed them to the
Fourth Raikage and Onoki. The bottles were clearly printed with the words: "Produced by
Hiruko of Konoha."
Every single bottle came from Hiruko's factory.
The Fourth Raikage lowered his eyes, a surge of fury bubbling within him. Those Konoha
bastards... they really are rich. Every single one of them is a walking treasure chest. No
wonder they recovered so fast after the last war. This kind of luxury was actually
standard-issue for their entire army.
The Raikage waved his hand. "Distribute it all. Everyone, replenish your strength."
The decision was, unsurprisingly, popular. The men cheered and instantly cleaned out the
cold sodas. The canned meat was tossed into the pots; everyone was careful to suppress
the scent to prevent enemy scouts from detecting them.
Soon, the group had finished most of the meat and gulped down the refreshing Cola. With
only a little left, each person packed one bottle of soda and two cans of meat for the road.
"Wait!"
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