Inside the room, it was just their own people, so Sarutobi Hiruzen finally lit his pipe.
But his next sentence changed the expressions of the Sannin and Hatake Sakumo.
"We must be prepared to fight on three fronts."
Tsunade looked serious: "Is it that severe? Does the Land of Earth really have intentions to join the war?"
"What we need to fear now is not the Land of Earth, but the Land of Rain." Shimura Danzo said coldly, "Those guys hadn't expressed their stance just now, so I withheld the report. Actually, Amegakure has declared war on Sunagakure."
Orochimaru and Hatake Sakumo looked thoughtful, and then their faces quickly turned ugly.
"What does that mean? What's the difference between Amegakure declaring war on Sunagakure and Sunagakure declaring war on Amegakure?" Jiraiya looked confused.
"Hanzo is picking the softest persimmon to squeeze." Orochimaru explained, "The Land of Water is not on the Ninja Continent, and the Land of Lightning is far away. The five major nations closest to the Land of Rain are only the three neighbors."
"Among these three countries, the Land of Wind is recognized as having the weakest overall strength."
"Hanzo wants to measure the combat power gap between Amegakure and the Five Great Ninja Villages through the weakest Sunagakure. If it's just to expand territory, would you choose the resource-rich Land of Fire or the desert-filled Land of Wind?"
"Of course the Land of Fire." Jiraiya answered subconsciously, then instantly realized, his eyes widening: "You mean, Hanzo the Salamander's next target is very likely our Land of Fire?"
"That depends on how Sunagakure responds." Orochimaru said equally coldly, "If Sunagakure displays powerful strength, making Hanzo the Salamander see no hope of victory, perhaps that ambition can be curbed. If the battle is one-sided, or there isn't much difference, the Five Great Ninja Villages will no longer have any deterrence against this existence standing at the pinnacle of the Ninja World."
"By then, it will be either us or the Land of Earth who has to face the most terrifying Salamander in the Ninja World."
Hatake Sakumo added: "Once we really go to war with Amegakure, Iwagakure and Sunagakure will definitely take advantage of the situation to loot."
"Why?"
"Because of the severe economic imbalance." Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "Among the five major nations, the environments of the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth are the harshest. The former lacks resources, and the latter is difficult to develop. If not for our checks and balances, they would have long launched wars of annihilation against the surrounding small countries."
"And their enemies are not just us, but also the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water."
"In the First Great Ninja War, the Second Mizukage and the Second Tsuchikage perished together, forging a deep hatred."
"Although there are several small countries between the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning, there is no buffer zone like the Land of Rivers."
"If the economic gap of the Land of Earth is left far behind by them, these two countries will not let go of the opportunity to kick them while they're down."
"Currently, Onoki is the most anxious among the Five Kage." Orochimaru sneered, "He even specifically trained a batch of ninjas without files, disguised as rogue ninjas or missing-nin to infiltrate surrounding small countries, specifically looting passing merchant caravans or assassinating ninjas from other countries to weaken their national strength."
"That little old man is so sinister?!" Jiraiya looked incredulous.
"That's why we need to be prepared for a three-front war." Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze was deep. "Once a melee really breaks out, it will be a long campaign. For the sake of their respective clans, none of them will personally lead teams to the front line. You five are the people I trust most."
"When they submit the lists, you will select subordinates, reorganize the teams, and be ready to head to the border at any time."
"Yes!"
The Sannin and Hatake Sakumo looked solemn. Shimura Danzo also responded, but he felt bitter in his heart.
Whenever Sarutobi Hiruzen issued orders, he couldn't help but recall the moment of choice back then.
Although he was cowardly at the time, he eventually made a decision, willing to step out to buy time for Tobirama-sensei and his companions.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen beat him to it, causing him to miss out on the position of Hokage.
Every time he thought about it, Shimura Danzo felt a wave of regret.
If he had stepped forward faster back then, would the person sitting here issuing orders now be him?
This feeling was probably something only Namikaze Minato in recent years could understand.
Naturally, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't know Shimura Danzo's thoughts.
After entrusting important tasks to the five, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly looked at Orochimaru and asked, "Orochimaru, did you bring the items?"
"I always carry them with me, Sarutobi-sensei."
Orochimaru nodded.
Under the puzzled gazes of Jiraiya and the others, a small white snake drilled out of Orochimaru's sleeve and spat out a disproportionately large storage scroll.
Opening the scroll and taking out the items sealed inside.
Several kunai instantly appeared in the eyes of Jiraiya and the others.
"Kunai?"
Jiraiya, who thought it was something important, was slightly stunned.
Shimura Danzo and the others were similarly stunned.
Suddenly, Hatake Sakumo seemed to discover something. He picked up a kunai, stared at the pattern on the silicone protective sleeve, his pupils constricted slightly, and looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen in astonishment: "Hokage-sama, could this kunai be..."
Tsunade's expression also changed slightly. She picked up a kunai and examined it carefully, saying in disbelief, "This is... Granduncle's Flying Thunder God kunai?!"
Shimura Danzo also picked up a kunai, but his eyes, hands, and heart were all trembling slightly.
"Correct, these are all Flying Thunder God kunai." Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded with a smile, puffing on his pipe with a hint of hidden pride.
Like him, Orochimaru was very satisfied with their reactions.
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen admit it, Tsunade immediately pressed, "This isn't Granduncle's pattern. Who learned Granduncle's Flying Thunder God Technique?"
"It's Hayate and Mio's child." Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't hide it.
"Hayate and Mio's child?"
Tsunade and Jiraiya were slightly stunned, while Hatake Sakumo and Shimura Danzo quickly searched their minds for these two names and appearances.
Jiraiya reacted first and looked at Orochimaru: "Hayate and Mio's child, isn't that your disciple, Orochimaru?"
"Gojo Yoru, the brat Kushina likes?" Tsunade also remembered and thoroughly memorized Gojo Yoru's appearance.
Shimura Danzo clenched his fists, filled with jealousy.
Kushina, Uzumaki Kushina, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki...
Gojo Hayate and Gojo Mio's child, possessor of the Flying Thunder God Technique, the person the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki likes...
Hiruzen, you actually silently cultivated such a secret weapon. What a terrifying calculation!
At this moment, Gojo Yoru officially entered the watch list of Konoha's higher-ups.
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