After all, Konohagakure was currently in the difficult predicament of fighting on multiple fronts. On one hand, they needed to dispatch a large amount of manpower deep into the perilous Forest of Death to hunt down members from the Three Great Ninja Villages and the mysterious Akatsuki.
On the other hand, they had to maintain a sufficiently powerful defensive force within the village to prevent enemies from taking advantage of Konohagakure's depleted military strength.
Consequently, Konohagakure was no longer able to mobilize a sufficient number of top-tier experts to encircle and annihilate the terrifying Kage-tier powerhouses from the Three Great Ninja Villages. Fortunately, however, the forces retained by Konohagakure for defense remained ample.
Chapter 404