The outcome of the Third Shinobi World War is well-known to everyone: Konohagakure, with its overwhelming strength, swept through its rivals and emerged as the dominant force in the ninja world. From then on, it reigned supreme.
However, the cause of the war remains a mystery. The original manga did not provide any specific explanation, and opinions on various Hokage forums are divided, each with its own reasoning. Among the relatively plausible theories, two stand out.
The first theory involves Jinghang. The Third Kazekage was assassinated by Sasori of the Red Sand, and his body was taken to be turned into a human puppet. With no trace of him alive or dead, Sunagakure was thrown into chaos, leaderless. In a rush, Rasa assumed the position of the Fourth Kazekage. To divert internal conflicts, he chose to launch an invasion against Konohagakure.
The second theory is similar to the first. During the chaos in Sunagakure, Kumogakure, advocating military expansion, seized the opportunity to attack Sunagakure. Meanwhile, opportunists from various villages initiated unjust wars to achieve their own goals.
In any case, the causes of the war are all tied to Jinghang's "death." Furthermore, there are two universally acknowledged facts about the Third Shinobi World War.
1. Legends Born from the War
This war brought forth a group of formidable figures and countless legendary stories that would be talked about in the ninja world for years to come.
For example, the Third Raikage single-handedly fought against ten thousand Iwagakure ninjas for three days and three nights, ultimately sacrificing himself heroically.
Or Minato Namikaze, who fought on two fronts: on one side, he left Killer B and the future Fourth Raikage helpless; on the other, he led Kakashi to destroy Kannabi Bridge, giving Konohagakure a significant advantage over Iwagakure, earning him the moniker "Yellow Flash."
Might Duy opened all Eight Gates to confront the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, turning them into a trio of survivors (this event occurred earlier).
Madara Uchiha's series of schemes targeting Obito Uchiha...
These events indirectly highlight a crucial point: this war was far more brutal than the Second Shinobi World War, with a much wider impact.
2. Manipulations Behind the Scenes
The second universally acknowledged fact is that behind all this chaos were the manipulations of Black Zetsu, whose ultimate goal was to "split the mountain to save his mother," and the elderly "Dance King," Madara Uchiha.
Fortunately, at this point in time, Sasori, as Sunagakure's "Thousand-Year Prince," not only avoided the tragic childhood of being orphaned but was also entrusted with great responsibilities by Jinghang. Under careful cultivation, he had become a true inheritor of the "Will of Wind." It is unlikely that he would commit the heinous act of "patricide."
Moreover, with Sunagakure now prosperous and strong, it would be fortunate if they refrained from provoking others.
Therefore, the spark that ignites the war is unlikely to come from Sunagakure.
The Inevitability of War
However, Jinghang still believes that the Third Shinobi World War will inevitably break out—it is only a matter of time. This is not just because of the deliberate provocations of Black Zetsu and Madara. More importantly, it is due to human nature.
As Ren Woxing once said, "As long as there are people, there will be grudges. Where there are grudges, there will be conflict. People themselves are the conflict; there is no way to escape it." In the ninja world, resources and wealth are limited. If you take more, others will naturally have less. This inevitably breeds resentment, which no one and nothing can prevent.
Having lived in the ninja world for over thirty years, Jinghang is not afraid of war. Since it is unavoidable, he must carefully consider how to ensure that Sunagakure gains the greatest benefit at the smallest cost during the war.
Of course, the best option would be to let the other ninja villages fight to the death while Sunagakure remains neutral for as long as possible, reaping the greatest benefits in the end.
After all, without weakening the strength of Konohagakure and Kumogakure, how can Sunagakure rise?
Preparations for War
To achieve this goal, Jinghang has been diligently preparing during these years of peace. Leveraging Sunagakure's strong economic power, he has increased investment in the ninja academy and the construction of the standing army. With a standing army of over 16,000 and a reserve force of over 4,000 (ninjas who take on missions daily), Sunagakure now boasts a formidable military force that no other village can ignore.
Furthermore, considering Sunagakure's unique geographical features, Jinghang invested 5 billion ryo to develop a deep defense system centered around three key locations: Sunagakure, the Moon Lake New District, and the Yuexi Peninsula.
The First Line of Defense
The first line of defense utilizes the vast deserts of the Land of Wind as a natural barrier. In the western Black Prince Desert's Black Wind Outpost and the eastern Yellow Pagoda Desert's Old Wan Camp (formerly a bandit hideout), there is a stationed regiment in each location. These forces can quickly mobilize to any point in the desert using sand ships.
Additionally, along the Crystal Highway connecting the three locations, there are three regiments of highway security forces dedicated to ensuring safe and smooth travel along the route.
The Second Line of Defense: The Bronze Formation
The second line of defense is the puppet defense system deployed around the outskirts of Sunagakure, the Moon Lake New District, and the Yuexi Peninsula. Jinghang named it—"The Bronze Formation."
This system is a high-level innovation. In the manga, **Sasori's Red Secret Technique—"Performance of a Hundred Puppets"—was said to be an ultimate ninjutsu capable of destroying a nation single-handedly. It left a deep impression on Jinghang, inspiring him to discuss this idea with Sasori.
Sasori, however, shook his head repeatedly, thinking that his godfather's idea was too fantastical and unrealistic.
A puppet master's ability to control puppets is limited. Ten puppets per person is already the maximum, and only three people in the entire village (Chiyo, Akasha Kimoku, and Sasori) could achieve this level. With the current number of puppet masters in Sunagakure, it would be impossible to surround even Sunagakure, let alone three cities.
Jinghang, however, proposed a new approach: modifying the chakra strings controlling the puppets from a "series" connection to a "parallel" one. This way, there would be no need to micromanage each puppet's movements. Since any ninja's taijutsu, ninjutsu, and attack patterns follow fixed routines, the puppets could be pre-programmed with corresponding tactical actions. The remaining task would simply involve a group of people providing chakra as a power source.
The Rise of Semi-Automatic Puppets
Inspired by this, Sasori became extremely excited. He locked himself in the design studio of the Red Sand Research Institute, working tirelessly for seven days. Finally, he developed the first generation of "semi-automatic" puppets—"The Arhat."
These puppets required no deliberate control. With a continuous supply of chakra, they could perform a full set of combat moves. Moreover, their actions were not rigidly mechanical but could adapt defensively and counterattack based on the opponent's attack patterns.
Although limited to basic taijutsu, this was already a significant breakthrough. This innovation shattered the limitations on the number of puppets a master could control, making it possible for one person to command more than ten puppets.
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