Konoha Camp.
Inside the central command tent.
Orochimaru stood by the sand table map, adjusting the flags placed on it.
Each small flag represented a squad of Mist ninja, each large flag a sub-unit. The different colors indicated the nature of the teams, some were reconnaissance squads, some assassination teams, others combat units.
The atmosphere inside the tent was heavy. Danzo sat nearby, silently studying the map, his expression grim. A few elite Jōnin gathered around, all looking equally serious.
"The Sand ninja's movements are putting a lot of pressure on our flanks," Orochimaru's hoarse voice broke the silence after he planted a few flags on the map.
The situation was growing increasingly dire.
Just dealing with the Mist ninja and Rain ninja had already been a massive strain, and then, only two days ago, the Sand ninja began operations along the southern border flank.
These Sand ninja were dispatched by the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, but their mission was unusual, not simply war, but purging dissenters.
In the previous conflict, Chiyo was killed by Kaede, and Ebizo's authority suffered a serious blow. Rasa, who had been forced to assume the Kazekage position under shaky circumstances, had now firmly secured his role as the Fourth Kazekage.
But after solidifying his position, Rasa didn't stop consolidating power. He either bribed, suppressed, or intimidated the village's upper ranks, quickly bringing most of the Sunagakure under his control.
Those who resisted, forming factions difficult to control, much like Konoha's Uchiha clan, were sent out to invade territory in the Land of Fire.
The Sand ninja had not entirely torn up previous agreements.
This latest deployment was limited to border areas, operating in disputed territories, avoiding direct conflict with Konoha's forces and refraining from outright war.
Yet even if the Sand ninja were not actively engaging in combat, the mere presence of hundreds of their troops along the border was a heavy burden for Konoha.
Ignoring them was not an option.
Their deployment forced Orochimaru to divert some troops to counter them, which in turn intensified clashes with the Mist ninja on the main front.
The Tsuchikage, Onoki, was exceptionally cunning and sly. Especially after Kaede and Namikaze Minato had gained fame, Onoki refrained from large-scale attacks and instead favored scattered skirmishes.
Thousands of Iwa ninja had been divided into hundreds of small teams operating along the border, with some even infiltrating deep into the Land of Fire.
Their goal was simple:
To counter Namikaze Minato and Hatake Kaede.
Even if Minato or Kaede appeared on the battlefield here, losing one squad at most was acceptable; if things went wrong, they could simply retreat.
Konoha was fighting on three major fronts simultaneously. Only about seven to eight thousand ninja were engaged on the Iwa front, but casualties had already reduced their actual combat strength to fewer than six thousand.
Meanwhile, Iwagakure still had nearly ten thousand ninja, all poised to strike.
The shortage of troops made launching a decisive frontal assault impossible. Since the enemy outnumbered them and didn't intend to engage in full-scale battle, Konoha's smaller forces couldn't execute a counter-encirclement.
So Konoha was forced to adapt to the Iwa's hit-and-run tactics. Both Orochimaru and Danzo had led teams out to respond, but results were disappointing, as Onoki frequently led elite units to launch sudden strikes.
"The Sand ninja's activities definitely require vigilance," Danzo said solemnly, eyes fixed on the map. "They haven't attacked yet, but they could start a war with us at any moment."
Everyone knew one thing clearly now: apart from the Land of Fire, the other four great nations wouldn't attack each other anymore. If they did, the remaining two nations would be no match for Konoha's forces and would be picked off one by one.
Sunagakure understood this well, so without worrying about Iwa's sneak attacks, they could join the war at any time with no hesitation.
"If we could deal with the Amegakure, the situation might stabilize… but that bastard Hanzō of the Salamander…"
Orochimaru's eyes darkened with a troubling glint.
If it were any other minor ninja village, Konoha could easily wipe them out by dispatching a squad or two.
But Amegakure was different. Their ninja numbered in the two to three thousand range, and most importantly, their leader, Hanzō of the Salamander, was an incredibly powerful ninja.
Even the Five Kage struggled against him.
Under these circumstances, Amegakure became an extremely troublesome factor.
Normally, Konoha wouldn't fear them, but now, while facing off against Iwa and guarding against Sand, any move by Ame could be deadly.
"Any news from Kaede's side?"
Orochimaru turned to Danzo.
Danzo was responsible for the battle situation in the Land of Rain. His Root operatives were spread throughout the Rain borders gathering intel, including watching the Amegakure.
Danzo shook his head. "We've lost contact with Kaede, but my men have tracked Ame's movements. They reached a town near Amegakure a day ago and have likely returned to their village by now."
"That Hanzō guy…"
Orochimaru muttered with a grim expression.
Hanzō's careful, cautious nature made it nearly impossible to find a chance to eliminate the Ame threat. Given the current situation, they had no choice but to have Kaede return first, then send him to deal with Iwa's squads.
If Kaede could wipe out a few squads, and Iwa detected his silver flash active on the battlefield, their activity and operations would certainly decrease.
That would ease the pressure on the front lines.
If Hanzō launched a sudden flank attack, Kaede could lead the counterattack then. At this point, that was the only viable strategy.
"Danzo-sama."
Just as Orochimaru was lost in thought, a Root ninja suddenly entered, saluting Danzo and handing him a sealed scroll. "Intel just came in from Amegakure."
"Hm…"
Danzo took the scroll, slowly unrolled it, and scanned its contents. The first line reported that Hanzō of the Salamander had led the Rain ninja back to their village.
Danzo glanced at Orochimaru. "Hanzō has returned to Amegakure. We don't know Kaede's exact location now. Orochimaru, do you have any news? I'll send my men to try to contact him…"
"No," Orochimaru shook his head. "Kaede hasn't had enough time training under me to learn summoning techniques, so I can't use my summoning beasts to reach him…"
His voice trailed off.
Suddenly, Danzo's expression changed. He stared fixedly at the scroll, his face frozen as if he had seen something unbelievable.
"What is it?" Orochimaru asked, frowning.
Danzo stared at the scroll for several seconds before snapping out of his disbelief. He lowered the scroll and looked at Orochimaru, inhaling deeply.
"Hanzō is dead."
"Amegakure has collapsed."
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