Because there were too many opponents and Orochimaru was not at his prime, his tactics were gradually deciphered by the Iwa-nin, who then began encircling him. Although Orochimaru noticed this in advance, he now found himself in a situation where he couldn't perform many techniques due to insufficient chakra.
However, at this moment, Hatake Sumao had already caught up. Taking advantage of the distraction Orochimaru created, the White Fang tanto behind Hatake's back unsheathed itself at his will. Unlike the aggressive attack he launched earlier against Sanshouo Hanzo, Hatake now showcased the art of silent killing.
The White Fang in Hatake Sumao's hand transformed into a venomous snake's fang. Each time it flashed, a life was snuffed out as he swiftly repositioned himself to strike again. By the time the Iwa-nin realized what was happening, an entire squad had already been killed by Hatake's silent attacks.
Killing so many enemies in such a short time was the main reason Hatake's presence was exposed, though he didn't seem to mind. He swung his blade once again and switched to frontal assault to cover the retreat of Orochimaru.
Although the Iwa-nin tried their best to stop him, none could resist the sharpness of Hatake Sumao. Meanwhile, Orochimaru was no pushover either. Relying on his deeper understanding of Hatake's techniques, he detected the movements before the Iwa-nin did and had already begun plotting how to link up with him.
Though not in top shape, Orochimaru still possessed experience and intelligence. Using the last of his explosive tags, he set a trap that both attacked the enemy and successfully linked him with Hatake Sumao. From there, Hatake launched a head-on assault while Orochimaru supported from the side using ninjutsu.
With their combined strength, they quickly broke free of the encirclement. The main reason was because the Iwa forces lacked someone capable of confronting Hatake Sumao directly.
Then, Hatake Sumao and Orochimaru withdrew while still fighting back. Eventually, they linked up with Konoha's relief forces, which startled and scattered the remaining enemies.
When the Iwa-nin retreated, more than half of them had already been slain by the hands of Orochimaru and Hatake Sumao. If not for the pair having nearly depleted their chakra, they would have wiped out all the enemies completely.
Afterward, Onoki received reports from the frontline and became furious. He began taking Hatake Sumao seriously, even rating him higher than Orochimaru and the other two Sannin. After some thought, he accepted the Sand-nin command that had originally drawn his mockery—that is, if they encountered Hatake Sumao, they were allowed to abandon the mission without penalty.
Later, Hatake Sumao personally admitted that Sanshouo Hanzo's strength was greater than his own. Because Hanzo had already weakened after fighting the Sannin, Hatake had managed to hold his ground. If the battle dragged on, he wasn't sure he would've won.
Hatake Sumao even greatly admired Hanzo's sword techniques, as between these two stood the current pinnacle of swordsmanship in the ninja world.
Finally, considering the goodwill expressed by Sanshouo Hanzo and, more importantly, his immense power, Hiruzen Sarutobi sent Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado to sign a peace treaty with Hanzo. This gesture was intended to help his old friends save face and hide the setbacks from the early days of the war.
Although the peace agreement was eventually signed successfully, these two never even got to meet Hanzo. It was obvious that Hanzo looked down upon them, and he might have even held significant resentment against them, considering how they had commanded battles earlier on and made enemies of each other.
But even Sanshouo Hanzo, a man bearing the title of "Half-God" in the Ninja World, had no choice but to swallow his pride when faced with the formidable power of Konoha.
Afterward, Hatake Sumao returned to Konoha for a brief period of rest and recuperation before being urged once again by Hiruzen Sarutobi to head toward the battlefield in the Land of Lightning. With his blade alone, he convinced the Third Raikage—who had previously been hesitant about invading Konoha—to abandon all thoughts of invasion.
At this time, Hatake Sumao had ended multiple wars consecutively, allowing everyone throughout the Ninja World to recognize the legend of the "White Fang of Konoha," and fully acknowledge the overwhelming strength of the White Fang.
An order that seemed almost laughable—"abandon the mission if you encounter the White Fang of Konoha"—was actually followed, even by a hotheaded figure like the Third Raikage. This shows just how severely the Cloud-nin had suffered.
Just as people thought the Second Great Ninja World War was about to end, Kirigakure's Mist-nin decided to eliminate Whirlpool Country preemptively so that it wouldn't pose an obstacle during future conflicts. Meanwhile, due to repeated instances during the war where common villagers and low-ranking shinobi were used as cannon fodder, widespread discontent brewed among the civilian-nin. Secretly colluding with the Land of Water, they gave the Mizukage a perfect opportunity.
Thus, under the command of the Third Mizukage, Kirigakure and several shadowy forces hidden deep within the ninja world mobilized nearly all their troops. Overnight, they completely destroyed the military-political structure of the Land of Whirlpool. Even the Senju clan, who had come to support the Whirlpool Country, was utterly wiped out—the prime-aged members of the Senju clan were practically exterminated.
By the time Konoha received news of this, it was already too late; or perhaps more accurately, it was already too late when Mito Uzumaki heard about it. From then on, cracks began forming in the relationship between Mito Uzumaki and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Although Kirigakure also suffered heavy losses during the war, with the original Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist completely annihilated during the counterattack from the Whirlpool Country and the Senju clan, and with countless shinobi lost, this blood-soaked campaign forged the survivors into an elite force that became the new pillars of Kirigakure. Most of the second generation of the Seven Swords and even the future Fourth Mizukage emerged onto history's stage at this time.
Being situated on islands, they hardly needed to worry about large-scale invasions, and the infamous Blood Mist Policy initiated by the Second Mizukage helped protect the secrecy of the Land of Water—for instance, making such a successful surprise attack possible, which was largely thanks to that very policy.
It also discouraged rash attacks, as no faction would dare to launch an offensive without sufficient intelligence.
After plundering the riches of the Land of Whirlpool, Kirigakure reinvested heavily in training its shinobi. Within just a few years, it had risen back to prominence ahead of the Third Great Ninja War—and even surpassed its previous peak.
However, during the attack on Whirlpool Country, the Third Mizukage and his Anbu unit managed to kill Jen Senju, but the Third Mizukage himself was seriously wounded in the process when Jen Senju launched a dying counterattack. Forced to make necessary arrangements, he separated from the main force early and, under the protection of an Anbu squad, set off ahead of schedule on his journey back to the village for treatment, hoping to avoid worsening his injuries.
It was precisely for this reason that the Third Mizukage became Madara Uchiha's target. On his way back to the village, he fell under the control of Madara Uchiha's Sharingan, triggering the Blood Mist tragedy.
However, the Blood Mist tragedy set in motion by Shiyu Uchiha differed from the one initiated by Obito. Madara wanted to forge a loyal pawn; though brutal, his methods did make Kirigakure stronger. Obito's, however, was pure revenge—a teenage tantrum from a moody kid.
Moreover, the great war between Iwa-nin and Cloud-nin didn't last long either. After an evenly matched battle between Onoki and the Third Raikage, it ended anticlimactically. Why would they fight until they're blue in the face with a giant watching over them anyway? Not everyone was as insanely reckless as Hiruzen Sarutobi.
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