Land of Rain,
Konoha Camp.
A camp originally built for three thousand people now seemed strangely empty.
Bang.
"What the hell is wrong with your Intelligence Department? Hanzo didn't become famous for swordsmanship—he's known for the poison gas of his salamander, you idiots!"
Tsunade slammed her fist on the table and roared at the intelligence officer from the Yamanaka clan.
"I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama. In Konoha's records there is only one record of Hanzo fighting—he defeated the samurai Mifune of the Land of Iron with a single strike of his blade. As for poison gas… this is also the first time we've seen him use it."
The Yamanaka intelligence officer hurried to explain.
"The first time? With a gas mask that huge on his face, and you didn't think to investigate it? Do you know how many people died because of your mistake this time?!"
"I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama."
"Stop it, Tsunade."
Orochimaru interrupted her.
He understood that Konoha had never truly taken a small country like the Land of Rain seriously.
Almost all of the intelligence network had been deployed in the other Five Great Nations—especially the distant Land of Water across the sea.
"Tsunade, how is the antidote coming along?"
"Heh. An antidote? With no medicinal herbs and no equipment, Orochimaru, do you expect me to just conjure one out of thin air?"
Tsunade sneered.
At the same time, she thought to herself that Konoha had far too few medical ninja. Once this was over and she returned to the village, she would make sure to train a large number of medical ninja.
At that moment, Jiraiya walked in.
His expression was grim.
"Jiraiya, what are the casualties?"
While studying the map, Orochimaru asked calmly.
"The situation isn't good. Over five hundred died on the spot. And nearly a thousand more ninja have been poisoned by the gas. They won't be able to recover their combat capability anytime soon."
"So in the very first battle we already lost nearly two thousand people… two-thirds of our forces wiped out in a single fight. This really is a Ninja World War."
Orochimaru raised his head as he spoke.
"Tsunade, can your Katsuyu guarantee these ninja will return safely to Konoha?"
"Yes. But detoxifying them will take a lot of time. There are simply too many poisoned victims, and the gas may already have spread deep inside their bodies. Konoha has very few ninja capable of using the Extraction Technique for Delicate Illness. Within two months, it's impossible for all of them to return to the battlefield."
Tsunade answered seriously.
"In that case, Tsunade—leave the jōnin here. Treat them personally. Send all the chūnin and genin back to Konoha."
"That's fine. But Orochimaru, if we do that, I won't be able to fight for the next three days. My chakra will be completely tied up."
"That's fine. For now, we need to avoid battle anyway."
Orochimaru carefully planned routes on the map.
"Jiraiya, send a request for reinforcements to the village. It would be best if some elite ninja from the major clans could come. I need their Secret Techniques for certain things."
"Got it."
Just as Jiraiya was about to leave, Orochimaru's hoarse voice sounded again.
"It would be best to bring Sakumo-senpai here as well. You've both felt Hanzo's strength already. He's Kage-level. The three of us alone can't take him down."
"Understood."
After Jiraiya left—
"Tsunade, prepare for relocation. We just need to hold out for three days. As long as we endure these three days, things will turn around."
"Right."
Tsunade also left to organize the evacuation.
She still needed to arrange escorts to send the wounded back to the village.
Life was truly fragile.
A single kunai, a single shuriken, or a trace of poison gas was enough to make a life vanish.
The brutal Ninja World War gave Orochimaru—who was participating in a large-scale battlefield for the first time—a harsh lesson.
...
Land of Earth.
Tsuchikage's Office.
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, looked at the intelligence report in his hand and burst into loud laughter.
"Hanzo, you bastard—you really did it. Konoha, so this day has finally come for you too."
"Kitsuchi."
"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama."
"Five thousand ninja. Attack Konoha."
"Yes, sir."
"Advance layer by layer and fortify every step. Don't rush—but move steadily."
"Understood, Tsuchikage-sama."
After the tall and broad Kitsuchi left, Onoki continued writing something.
"Azuma Shibito."
"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama."
"Deliver this letter to the Cloud Village."
"Yes, sir."
"Go openly and proudly. Understand?"
"Yes."
After Azuma Shibito left, Onoki looked out the window.
"Rather than letting you sit on the sidelines… I might as well drag you into this muddy water right now."
...
Land of Wind.
The Third Kazekage looked at the intelligence report in his hand and smiled faintly.
"Sensei… it seems the entire ninja world is helping prepare this grand finale for you."
"Rasa."
"Sensei, I'm here."
"Three thousand ninja from the Sand Village. March against Konoha."
"Yes. But Sensei, isn't three thousand a little too few?"
"No. As long as Chiyo finishes putting on a show over there, she'll be able to free her hands soon enough."
"Rain Village has bitten Konoha viciously. If Konoha doesn't retaliate, they might as well stop calling themselves one of the Five Great Hidden Villages."
"If Konoha's next wave of counterattacks is resisted by Rain Village, then Rain Village will push further and invade the Land of Fire. But if they fail to hold out, they'll be forced to focus on dealing with Konoha's pressure instead. Either way, Rain Village won't have the time or desire to interfere with the Land of Wind."
"But Sensei… what if Rain Village forms an alliance with Konoha and attacks the Land of Wind together?"
"Rasa, I'll teach you something. The essence of war is the seizure of gain."
"I want something you have. But if you demand too much in return—or refuse to give it—then what happens?"
"There's only one answer: war."
"We fight until you give me what I want, or until you beat me so badly that I no longer dare to ask."
"That is the true nature of war."
Rasa fell into deep thought.
The Third Kazekage continued speaking.
"In the First Ninja World War, the four great ninja villages fought until their heads were bloodied. But why did the Sand Village remain safe and untouched?"
"Because the Land of Wind is poor."
"There's nothing here but sand. If they attacked us, what would they gain?"
"I see now."
"No—you don't."
"What I just told you concerns the grand strategy of the ninja world. But the most important factor in the ninja world is still strength."
"If you lack strength, nobody cares whether you're poor or rich. If they want to crush you, they'll crush you."
"That's why the Second Kazekage—my teacher and your grandmaster—was so great."
"The Sand Manipulation Technique. When used in the desert, a genin becomes as strong as a chūnin, a chūnin becomes as strong as a jōnin. Even though jōnin cannot break through the barrier into the Kage level, the power of their ninjutsu increases dramatically."
"And then there's the puppet technique, which solves our disadvantage in manpower. And the unique Wind Release of the Land of Wind."
"You could say this: on the deserts of the Land of Wind, Sand ninja are the strongest."
"Sensei… I think I understand now."
"We Sand ninja possess nothing others want, and we are strong at the same time. That's why no one invades the Land of Wind."
"Correct."
"But if we want better lives, we must go out and fight."
"Everyone in the Land of Wind—who wouldn't want clean water, abundant food, and fertile land where crops can grow?"
"Sensei… you mean this war is for the sake of the Land of Wind?"
"That's right."
"We are launching this war for the countless citizens of the Land of Wind who cannot survive otherwise."
"If a ninja village wants to become powerful, it must maintain good relations with the Daimyo's court and present a united front."
The Third Kazekage tirelessly passed down his experience to Rasa.