"Not bad at all!"
Hearing that the three Kage had decided to hold their ground, Aoi Ren couldn't help but voice his appreciation.
"As expected of the Kage. If they had tried to break out under these circumstances..."
He had only deployed four columns out of his fifty thousand Serpent-Cursed Soldiers.
Even if a few hundred had managed to fight their way out, they would have run straight into an ambush of ten thousand more. The outcome would have been just as grim...
But since they chose to defend in place, it made little difference whether there were forty thousand or fifty thousand soldiers surrounding them...
"It seems this will turn into a prolonged battle." Aoi Ren smiled coldly and turned to leave; his presence was no longer needed on the battlefield.
Forty thousand Serpent-Cursed Soldiers had the Allied Forces sealed tight, with another ten thousand in reserve.
Within five days at most, the alliance would be completely crushed and wiped out.
And in those five days? Even searching the entire ninja world, who could gather tens of thousands of shinobi in such a short time to come to the rescue?
The outcome is decided.
---
Meanwhile, inside a crude tent, the three Kage looked at one another in disbelief. They never imagined that one day, they would meet their end at the hands of common citizens.
The Tsuchikage gave a helpless, bitter smile. "Things have come to this... we have no choice but to ask for reinforcements."
"It's too late for that," Hiruzen Sarutobi replied with a wry laugh. "All three of us are already here. Unless the First Generation were to rise from the dead, who else in this world could save us?"
Hearing this, the First Kazekage, Reto, threw his hands up in frustration. "Then what? Do we just sit here and wait to die?"
Holding their ground was only a temporary measure. Every second that passed, another shinobi fell. And with every death, their defensive line grew that much weaker.
"We can last at most five days!" Reto slammed his fist on the table in anger. "I never thought that I, the First Kazekage, would be surrounded and killed by commoners!"
Hiruzen shook his head with a faint smile. "Brother Reto... it is not yet that dire."
"Oh?" Reto looked at him sideways, confused. "Do you have a plan, Hokage?"
"It's hardly a brilliant plan — just making use of the advantages we shinobi possess." Hiruzen took out a paper crane.
"We need to send a message out and expose a deception."
"A deception?"
"Exactly." Hiruzen nodded, narrowing his eyes.
"During the fighting earlier, I heard those Serpent-Cursed Soldiers shouting that Hanzō is a God and you... Aoi Ren... are the Divine Son. I am not certain yet, but I believe these people have been thoroughly deceived."
"Once we expose that lie..." Hiruzen released the paper crane with determination. "...this entire situation will crumble."
Seeing Hiruzen speak with such confidence, the Kazekage and Tsuchikage had no other options.
They followed suit, sending messages via communication techniques to summon their best men from their villages to infiltrate and investigate Amegakure.
---
Back in Amegakure...
"We welcome the Divine Son's return!"
"Divine Son, are there still blessings available today?"
Fanatical believers cheered in unison. Aoi Ren nodded, his face beaming with a bright smile.
"Rest assured, everyone! Even with great victories at the front, the bestowal of divine grace shall never cease!"
Hearing this, the crowd grew even more frenzied with excitement, kneeling to worship as Aoi Ren walked into the shrine.
But the moment he stepped inside, Hanzō rushed to meet him, his face pale and rigid with anger.
"Why? Why do you not stop creating more Serpent-Cursed Soldiers now that we have already won the battle at the front?!"
"Haha... Hanzō, have you been watching the front lines?" Aoi Ren laughed dismissively.
"What do you think? The Allied Forces couldn't even fight back, could they? Now the Land of Rain can finally hold its head high!"
"That is not what I am talking about!" Hanzō gritted his teeth, wanting to say more.
But before he could utter another word, Aoi Ren turned with a smile and walked away, heading toward the Divine Grace Compound in the mountains behind the shrine.
__________________
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