Ten minutes later, the four looked at the spot where Hanzo had disappeared, and couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "He's gone..."
Even with their combined strength, they still hadn't defeated Hanzo. Conversely, Hanzo couldn't eliminate them either, so it was a draw.
However, according to Hanzo, if he couldn't defeat all four of them within ten minutes, he would consider it a loss for him. In a sense, they were the victorious party.
But, being proud individuals, the four weren't entirely satisfied with this outcome.
Tsunade was the first to express her strong dissatisfaction:
"That was truly a terrible performance..."
Tsunade complained.
"Oh."
Tōshirō echoed his girlfriend, then looked at Jiraiya, his eyes expressing reproach and accusation:
"Jiraiya, what was wrong with you? You couldn't hit him even like that. It happened several times, completely wasting good opportunities."
Jiraiya silently lowered his head.
Tōshirō was right; his performance was indeed poor, and some parts of it were genuinely reckless.
Tsunade denied it: "I wasn't talking about him."
Tōshirō continued with another "Oh," then looked at Orochimaru, reprimanding him: "Orochimaru, your coordination was also terrible just now. When an opportunity arises, go for it boldly. Don't be indecisive.
"Your problem is that you're sometimes too hesitant. With me here, what are you afraid of? Go all out. If something goes wrong, won't I, Absolute Zero Tōshirō, have your back?"
He had risen to prominence in the past six months. With three kekkei genkai plus the power of a Tailed Beast, he had become a major figure in the ninja world.
If one encountered him during a mission, they could even directly abandon the mission without being penalized.
Among his abilities, Tōshirō's Ice Release had left a deep impression, with the title "Absolute Zero" being the best proof.
Of course, soon, that title might change to "Konoha's Four Ninjas."
Tōshirō made a lot of sense.
Orochimaru silently lowered his head, his face showing shame.
He was sometimes overly cautious.
Seeing Tōshirō misunderstand, Tsunade quickly said, "I wasn't talking about them two. I was talking about myself!"
Tōshirō was startled, then realized. He patted Tsunade's cute little head, his face gentle and doting:
"It's okay, girls are cute when they're a little clumsy.
"Besides, failure is the mother of success."
"Nobody is born knowing everything. Consider this a learning experience. We'll definitely do better next time."
With that, Tōshirō made an encouraging gesture: J-)
"You bastard…"
This time, Orochimaru and Jiraiya, uncharacteristically, stood together and complained about him.
When it came to Tsunade, Tōshirō was often biased.
If they could, Orochimaru and Jiraiya truly wished these two annoying lovebirds would go back to their old ways of bickering, instead of constantly having to endure their affectionate displays.
Although these two still bickered frequently, the bickering had shifted from verbal jabs to physical ones.
Perhaps realizing he was being a bit too biased, Tōshirō cleared his throat twice:
"Just kidding, I'm just trying to lighten the mood. To be safe, I suggest we first move our injured comrades to a safe place."
Hearing this, the three nodded.
There was a Land of Demons nearby, which was a neutral country.
They could move their injured comrades there, let them recover, and then return to Konoha, to avoid enemy ambushes on the way.
The four of them weren't afraid; even the Demigod of the ninja world couldn't defeat them. Their main concern was their injured comrades who had difficulty moving.
Moreover, their medical supplies were insufficient and needed to be replenished in the Land of Demons.
The only concern was whether the Land of Demons, a neutral country, would accept them.
After all, the Land of Demons was a neutral country and, by principle, should not interfere in conflicts between nations. Naturally, they wouldn't want these Konoha ninjas to appear again, lest they invite trouble upon themselves.
However, this was an extraordinary time, and the four couldn't bother with these rules for now. They'd figure it out when they got there.
Land of Iron
Located between the Land of Fire and the Land of Whirlpools, there was a country that, due to its special climate, was perpetually covered in snow, with blizzards sweeping for miles.
At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi led the Konoha ninjas to this place. Seeing the snowy landscape, he pulled down the brim of his hat and couldn't help but sigh:
"No matter how many times I come, it's always snowing here."
This was the Land of Iron, with its unique climate, perpetually snow-covered, and extremely beautiful.
Also, because it was a neutral country where ninjas wouldn't fight, some wealthy individuals would specifically travel here for sightseeing and leisure. They didn't have to worry about safety and could enjoy the scenery.
Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi's presence here was certainly not for leisure.
He came here for a very important matter, one that could determine Konoha's survival.
For this, he had to come here, even at great risk.
"Lord Hokage, are you worried about an ambush?"
His guards, looking around, remained highly vigilant.
Hiruzen Sarutobi reassured them: "Don't worry. Since it's initiated by the Lands of Earth and Water, and witnessed by the Land of Iron, there won't be any problems."
Probably…
As he said this, he actually had little confidence in his heart.
Years ago, the Land of Lightning had also claimed to seek an alliance, but who knew, the two Gold and Silver brothers directly launched a coup, leading to the demise of both the Raikage and the Hokage.
Now, with the mention of an alliance again, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but make associations. He sighed inwardly, hoping he wouldn't follow in his teacher's footsteps...
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, shaking off the accumulated snow, as if shaking off his own confusion. He led his guards towards the castle of the Land of Iron.
Leaving a trail of footprints along the way, when he came to his senses, the group had already arrived at the Land of Iron's main city.
Near the castle, numerous armored guards were patrolling.
They were soldiers of the Land of Iron, and they also held the status of samurai.
Before ninjas became popular, they were the symbol of military power in this world.
However, with the rapid rise of ninjas, the status of samurai gradually deteriorated. From initially holding high social status, they became miserable existences who couldn't even afford to eat.
Unable to out-rob or out-fight ninjas, the status of samurai became particularly awkward. The Land of Iron was born from a group of these samurai banding together for warmth.
Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's group arrive, someone quickly stopped them.
Hiruzen Sarutobi politely introduced himself and asked them to inform their General.
Their presence here was confidential, and these low-ranking guards were unaware.
"Understood, please wait a moment."
The small leader, wearing a horned helmet, nodded and turned to leave.
Although he wasn't happy with these ninjas who took their livelihoods, he still had to show proper respect.
Hiruzen Sarutobi waited in the cold wind for a while, and soon the small leader returned. Unlike before, he now stood behind a few other people.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked from afar at the leading figure: a middle-aged man with a headband, wearing a kimono, and a samurai sword at his waist.
He was a serious man with eyes sharp as blades and a mustache above his lips.
He was the General of the Land of Iron, the leader of the samurai—Mifune.
Although he was a samurai, his strength was formidable, comparable to a Kage, making him a man not to be underestimated.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had met him before; they were old acquaintances.
Mifune looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi standing in the cold wind and said in a low voice, "I apologize for keeping you waiting. I truly regret not coming out to greet you."
With that, he glanced sideways at the small leader behind him, his sharp gaze seemingly blaming him for making the venerable Hokage stand outside in the cold for so long.
The small leader, struck by the gaze, shrank his neck and took a few steps back.
Mifune was a very upright and incorruptible man. It was precisely out of respect for his character that the alliance meeting was chosen to be held in the Land of Iron, with him as guarantor.
Of course, this guarantee was not free. The guaranteed party had to pay a sum of money.
It wasn't that Mifune was greedy for wealth; rather, he intended to use this money for national construction.
"Don't do that again next time," Mifune said sternly.
"Y-yes..." The small leader readily complied.
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, smoothing things over: "Lord Mifune, he meant no harm. He merely wanted to inform you quickly."
The small leader looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his eyes behind his mask showing gratitude.
He had long heard that the Third Hokage was a very upright person. Now he realized that he had, purely for his own selfish reasons, left them freezing in the cold for half a day, and the Hokage, despite his status, not only didn't blame him but even interceded for him. He truly was a great person.
Mifune nodded: "Lord Hokage's virtue truly inspires my admiration."
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, indicating that he was the one who should respect Mifune's virtue.
After a round of polite compliments, with the groundwork laid, Hiruzen Sarutobi walked alongside Mifune, beginning to inquire about the information of the alliance partners: "Besides myself, have the other two arrived?"
Mifune, as the guarantor, understood who he was referring to without needing further words and replied: "Lord Mizukage has arrived. Lord Tsuchikage has not arrived yet."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in understanding, following his footsteps. Before long, they entered the city and came to a room. The room was circular, with a warming brazier nearby and a round conference table in the center. A middle-aged man sat beside it, his eyes closed.
He appeared slightly older than Hiruzen, but Hiruzen Sarutobi knew his true age.
This middle-aged man was from the same era as the First Hokage. During the first Five Kage Summit, he had accompanied the First Mizukage as a bodyguard.
All the bodyguards present at that meeting later became Second Kage, but one was an exception: the man before him.
He had lost to Gengetsu Hozuki in the competition and failed to become the Second Mizukage as he wished.
After the Second Mizukage and Second Tsuchikage died together, he now actively served as the Third Mizukage in this world.
He only looked so young because of his effective anti-aging methods.
Seemingly noticing Hiruzen Sarutobi's arrival, the Third Mizukage turned his head and looked sideways, though his eyes remained closed.
The man was not blind; it was a habit he maintained from years of training his sensory ninjutsu.
"Lord Hokage, you have arrived," the Third Mizukage slowly spoke.
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, feigning ignorance, "Where is Lord Tsuchikage?"
The Third Mizukage said calmly, "As for the Tsuchikage, he hasn't arrived yet…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded understandingly, his inner eyelids narrowing imperceptibly as he subtly observed the man, wondering why he was here.
He had a clue about the Tsuchikage, but why would the Mizukage get involved in this mess? Did Konoha have something that the Land of Water coveted?
As Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered, he casually found a seat and sat down relaxed, waiting for the Third Tsuchikage's arrival.
Though he appeared at ease, he was actually constantly vigilant. He didn't want to repeat his esteemed teacher's tragedy. However, to maintain the demeanor of a great nation, he pretended to be calm and collected.
Unlike Hiruzen Sarutobi, his guards were extremely vigilant, holding their breath, constantly observing every movement around them. At the slightest disturbance, they were ready to strike back immediately.
The tragedy of the Second Hokage was fresh in their minds, and these guards certainly didn't want the Third Hokage to suffer the same fate.
The people in the room were mostly silent. For a moment, the atmosphere became extremely tense, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
Fortunately, this atmosphere didn't last too long. A person entered the room, breaking the stagnation.
Everyone looked over. It was a short, stocky middle-aged man with a prominent feature on his face.
He had a huge red, bulbous nose, which marred his otherwise decent facial features. Combined with his extremely short stature, it was hard not to find him amusing.
However, judging a book by its cover could lead to severe consequences. After all, this man was the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, known as "Onoki of Both Scales," possessing the extremely rare Dust Release, a Kekkei Tota that surpassed kekkei genkai.
Onoki looked at the people around him and said, unaware of the tension, "It seems I'm the last one here."
With that, his body floated, and he drifted to a chair.
After a brief opening, Onoki went straight to the point: "Lord Hokage, the main reason I called you two here is to discuss the alliance between the Lands of Water, Fire, and Earth."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. An alliance was something Konoha, plagued by war, desperately sought right now.
If they could ally with the Land of Water and the Land of Earth, the war could end instantly without even needing to fight.
However, neither the Land of Water nor the Land of Earth had any familial ties with Konoha, and even had past grudges. The fact that they proposed such a thing clearly indicated they weren't acting charitably but had ulterior motives.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had largely guessed their intentions, but he still specifically asked: "Lord Tsuchikage, what does the Land of Earth hope to gain from this alliance with Konoha?"
Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi being so direct, Onoki stopped pretending and got straight to the point, stating his demand: "It's nothing major, really. I just want to reclaim something from your Konoha that rightfully belongs to our Land of Earth."
"What thing?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"The Five-Tails."
Onoki was short, but his attitude was extremely firm. Those two words alone conveyed an unwillingness to concede even an inch.
As expected… Hiruzen Sarutobi's face turned bitter: "Lord Tsuchikage, you're truly making an impossible demand. You should know that if a Tailed Beast is extracted, the jinchūriki will die…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't particularly like Tōshirō now, but it was undeniable that Tōshirō was an indispensable fighting force for Konoha.
Without him, Konoha's overall strength would drop by a whole level.
"Of course I know that..."
Onoki's expression darkened, and he lowered his voice. After saying this, he raised his tone: "But don't forget what you promised me back then!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."
"You told me that Tōshirō didn't have a Sharingan."
"..."
"So, I was at ease leaving the Five-Tails with your Konoha. But you, after three years, gave me a huge surprise."
Onoki's words were entirely logical, and Hiruzen Sarutobi found it hard to refute.
After a long pause, he squeezed out a sentence: "Actually, I only found out about Tōshirō having the Sharingan half a year ago..."
Well, saying something like that, even Hiruzen Sarutobi himself didn't quite believe it.
Indeed, upon hearing this, Onoki immediately felt his intelligence insulted. He flew into a rage, calling him by name: "Hiruzen Sarutobi, do you think I'm short, so my brain capacity is also small?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly denied: "That's not what I meant."
Onoki pressed aggressively, his eyes as if they could devour people: "Then what do you mean?"
"..."
Onoki said indignantly: "Are you taking me for a fool? You, the Hokage, didn't know that Tōshirō had a Sharingan?"
"..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to cry but had no tears. He was like someone who had eaten a bitter herb and couldn't say it.
He truly didn't know.
Who knew that this Tōshirō guy had hidden his Sharingan for so long?
Onoki's stance was extremely firm: "In short, if you don't return the Five-Tails to me, I will lead Iwagakure to attack your Konoha. If you don't give it, I'll take it by force!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't someone to be easily intimidated. He gritted his teeth and said gruffly, "Onoki, don't go too far! What do you mean 'return'? Ultimately, your Five-Tails was originally given to you by our First Lord, and not just the Five-Tails; your Four-Tails is also from Konoha."
Onoki said coldly, "Are you saying you're willing to go to full-scale war with our Iwagakure for the sake of a jinchūriki?"
"I didn't say that. You're being too aggressive."
Hiruzen Sarutobi snorted: "But if you keep pushing your luck again and again, our Konoha is not afraid of having one more Iwagakure as an enemy."
He wasn't protecting Tōshirō for Tōshirō's sake, but for the overall strategic situation of Konoha.
This was also why, even if he disliked Tōshirō now, he still had to send Tōshirō to the battlefield to gain military achievements.
Tōshirō was too strong; wherever he stood, he could significantly reduce Konoha's losses. Enemy nations, wary of his strength, wouldn't dare to act recklessly.
To hand over Tōshirō now would be tantamount to cutting off his own arm. Hiruzen Sarutobi was not that foolish.
And even if he were to hand him over, what reason would he give?
Did they really think Tōshirō would just offer his neck without resisting?
Moreover, Tōshirō's clan behind him would not stand by and watch him die.
Not to mention, Tōshirō was also Tsunade's boyfriend, and he was highly regarded by Lord Mito and the Uzumaki clan's faction she represented.
Tōshirō couldn't be moved simply because someone wanted to move him; his backing had to be considered.
Therefore, he would rather fight another Iwagakure than hand over Tōshirō.
Seeing that neither side was willing to budge, the air was filled with tension. Even the guards on both sides seemed ready to fight at any moment.
At this point, the Third Mizukage stepped in to mediate at the right time: "Alright, alright, calm down, both of you."
"I've been calm all along."
Onoki snorted, taking the hint and backing down.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the Third Mizukage, speaking more politely: "Lord Mizukage, you specifically appeared here not just to listen to us argue, I presume."
The Third Mizukage showed a mysterious smile: "Can you two, for the sake of our age, listen to one thing I have to say first?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him, confused: "Go ahead."
The Third Mizukage clasped his hands together, resting them on his chin: "Indeed, directly handing over the Five-Tails would be too great a blow to Konoha. How about this: our Land of Water will step in and offer some compensation."
Hiruzen Sarutobi became even more confused, somewhat unsure of what the other party was planning. How did their two countries' affairs involve the Land of Water?
"If you return the Five-Tails to Iwagakure, how about our Kirigakure compensates your Konoha with a new Tailed Beast?"
"What!?"
"How about the Six-Tails?"
"Wha... wha..." Hiruzen Sarutobi was too shocked to speak.
"In terms of tail count, it's one more than the Five-Tails, you know~" the Third Mizukage's voice carried a hint of teasing.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes widened: "What exactly do you want to do?"
"Iwagakure wants the Five-Tails from Tōshirō, and our Kirigakure wants Tōshirō."
"Wha... what."
"To be precise, only his corpse is needed."
(End of Chapter)
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