A protracted war is like a really long game of tag, but instead of just two kids, there are lots of kids on each team who are chasing each other. The game doesn't end until one team captures all the members of the other team.
In a protracted war, there are two sides fighting each other for a very long time, usually more than a year. It's not just one battle, but many battles over a long time. The reasons for fighting can be many and complicated.
Just like in the game of tag, each team wants to capture the other team's members. But in war, this means fighting to gain control of land or resources, or to make the other side agree to certain terms.
Protracted wars can be very hard on everyone involved. People can get hurt or killed, and things can get destroyed. At the end of the war, there will be a lot of rebuilding to do to make things better.
Overall, it's important for people to work together and find peaceful solutions whenever possible, so that protracted wars don't happen as often.