Western border base of the Land of Fire.
Since Konoha hadn't officially joined the war yet, nor were they fighting on three fronts...
The Sannin, Konoha's White Fang, and Shimura Danzo were still gathered together, constantly monitoring the battlefield between Sunagakure and Amegakure.
Currently, the busiest and most endangered were the reconnaissance teams and Anbu responsible for infiltrating enemy countries to gather intelligence.
Intelligence on Sunagakure's counterattack was quickly delivered to Orochimaru and the others by the reconnaissance team.
"That damn woman Chiyo actually developed the formula for the antidote to the Salamander's poison?"
Looking at the intelligence on the scroll, Tsunade looked surprised.
"Not only that, Sunagakure seems to have found the Salamander's weakness. They once had a brief stalemate with Hanzo," Shimura Danzo knew more.
Jiraiya looked happy: "If Sunagakure and Amegakure are in a stalemate, Hanzo shouldn't be able to shift targets and choose to attack us, right? Does that mean a melee won't break out?"
Knock knock knock—
Almost as soon as Jiraiya finished speaking, a knock on the door suddenly sounded.
"Come in."
As the voice fell, the door was pushed open from the outside, and a white-eyed man wearing a green flak jacket walked in.
"My lords, my clansman's summoning beast brought back the latest intelligence."
The white-eyed man didn't waste any words and directly handed a sealed scroll to Shimura Danzo, who had the highest status as the Hokage's Assistant.
"Thank you for your hard work, Kawa."
Shimura Danzo, whose wings were not yet fully fledged and who also dreamed of becoming Hokage, nodded politely in response.
After Hyuga Kawa left, Shimura Danzo immediately used the Unsealing Technique to open the scroll.
After reading the contents of the scroll, his face instantly turned ugly.
Noticing the change in Shimura Danzo's expression, Hatake Sakumo asked, "Danzo-sama, has the situation changed suddenly?"
"Mhm, see for yourselves."
Shimura Danzo placed the scroll on the table.
Soon, the faces of Orochimaru and the others also turned ugly.
"That guy Onoki suddenly increased troops on the border; sure enough, he has bad intentions," Jiraiya complained. "Dormant for three months, he finally made a move. Fortunately, it's only against Amegakure, still unrelated to us."
"If it were only that, it would naturally be a good thing." Orochimaru's finger gently slid across the text on the scroll, suddenly stopping at a line, and said in a deep voice, "But taking advantage of the stalemate between Hanzo and Sunagakure to suddenly launch an attack on Amegakure—is it really just for slaughter and looting wealth? Remember, they are not allies of Sunagakure. Aren't they afraid Hanzo might suddenly change targets?"
Hatake Sakumo added: "Amegakure has a large number of Rain ninjas guarding it. Even if the wealth inside is much more than other towns and villages, there's no need to risk entering a military base to loot."
Hearing this, Jiraiya's expression instantly became serious: "In other words, the slaughter and looting are just on the surface; they have other plans?"
Orochimaru and the others looked at each other for a few seconds and said in unison: "The antidote."
As a medical ninja, Tsunade immediately said in a deep voice, "We cannot sit and wait for death. Even if it's considered joining the war, we must act."
"Regardless of whether Iwagakure is after the antidote or whether they have obtained the antidote and formula, they are already prepared to go to war with Amegakure. If they really develop the antidote formula for the Salamander's poison too, we will be in an absolutely passive state."
"I never believed that guy Onoki was just after the resources of the Land of Rain."
"Who knows, if both Sunagakure and Iwagakure have the antidote, will Hanzo unite with them? Or perhaps, relying on the antidote in their hands, they deliberately lure Hanzo to our side? How would we deal with that?"
"We must also obtain the antidote and develop the formula to neutralize the Salamander's poison."
After listening to Tsunade's analysis, the moods of Orochimaru and the others sank to rock bottom.
However, Orochimaru still said, "Let's report to Sarutobi-sensei first."
Shimura Danzo and the others had no objections.
With the help of the clan's summoning beasts, the intelligence of Iwagakure's raid on Amegakure, along with Tsunade's analysis, was soon placed before Sarutobi Hiruzen.
After reading this intelligence, Sarutobi Hiruzen's mood also became heavy.
"Onoki, what exactly are you thinking?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen tried to put himself in Onoki's shoes to speculate on the other party's thoughts.
The Land of Earth had a vast territory, surrounded by numerous small countries. Plus, being adjacent to the Land of Demons, Land of Rain, and Land of Waterfalls, they didn't lack trees and water sources at all.
As for minerals, being full of rocky mountains and high mountains, they didn't lack those either; the resources were just difficult to exploit.
What they lacked were places suitable for trade and economy, as well as the status and reputation to attract nobles and commoners from other countries to commission missions.
However, the harsh environment of the Land of Rain, apart from water resources, was not suitable for trade at all. Rather than offending Hanzo the Salamander, who had amazing combat power, it would be better to take advantage of Konoha moving a large number of troops to guard the western border to conquer the Land of Waterfalls, which had dense forests and fertile land.
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a heavy puff of smoke, then his eyes suddenly became sharp, and he murmured, "Onoki, is your target... the Land of Fire?"
At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen made a decision.
Just as Tsunade analyzed, regardless of whether Iwagakure's target was the Land of Fire, Konoha could not sit and wait for death.
Thus, Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his hand and made a gesture.
The next second, an Anbu appeared in the Hokage's office, kneeling on one knee and speaking respectfully: "Hokage-sama."
"Go notify Genin Gojo Yoru to come see me. No need to rush him; just let him prepare before coming over."
"Yes."
The Anbu bowed his head, then turned into a blur and disappeared.
A moment later, Gojo Yoru, who was accompanying Uzumaki Kushina in Sealing Jutsu training in the yard, received the Anbu's notification.
"I understand. I'll head over after preparing." Gojo Yoru nodded, understanding Sarutobi Hiruzen's meaning.
Immediately, he went back to his room to organize his things.
"Yoru, are you going to join the war?" Uzumaki Kushina followed him in.
"I'll only know after seeing Hokage-sama." Gojo Yoru smiled. "It might just be needing my Flying Thunder God Technique to send some things to the border for Orochimaru-sensei."
Although he said this, Gojo Yoru was already prepared to join the war.
Not coming to him for three months meant the war situation was okay and didn't require the Flying Thunder God Technique yet.
Now that they finally sought him out, the melee must have broken out.
If Gojo Yoru remembered correctly, the participants in the Second Great Ninja War were only the four countries: Land of Rain, Land of Fire, Land of Wind, and Land of Earth.
And Konoha seemed to be fighting on three fronts.
"Could it be that someone is in danger and needs reinforcements?" Gojo Yoru thought to himself, remembering Orochimaru asking him for a few Flying Thunder God kunai.
Or perhaps, they needed him, the Flying Thunder God user, to secretly execute certain missions?
Whichever it was, Gojo Yoru wouldn't have time to rest.
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