Shimizu Becomes a Hot Commodity

The situation in the Land of Rain had begun to clarify from that point onward, shifting away from the original multi-nation melee.

Sunagakure's forces stationed in the Land of Rain could no longer hold out against the combined force of the demigod and the Three Sannin. That was why Chiyo had led the bulk of Sunagakure's troops away with their supplies.

A few seconds later, the silence in the Kazekage's Office was broken.

Chiyo pushed open the door and entered the room with a scroll in hand.

"Ebizo, with the supplies and manpower the village has left, can we still organize another war in the Land of Rain?"

"Big Sister, this is...?"

Ebizo looked at the scroll in Chiyo's hand and hesitated.

"That old fool Ōnoki doesn't want to give up Iwagakure's interests in the Land of Rain either. He sent someone with a request for an alliance. If we can continue deploying troops, Iwagakure will still have White Rock lead the battle, send out the Explosion Release Unit, and even use the power of the tailed beasts at a critical moment!"

Chiyo slapped the scroll onto the desk and spoke to Ebizo.

"They're even planning to use the tailed beasts. Iwagakure is really going all in. That doesn't sound like something that sly old fox Ōnoki would do."

What Ebizo meant was that he suspected Ōnoki had other intentions.

"But this is our only chance to win this Ninja World War."

Chiyo shook her head.

"The Third Kazekage is advancing toward the Land of Fire. Although we currently hold the advantage because White Fang is injured, that monkey Hiruzen Sarutobi is still stationed in Konoha. Once he makes a move, even the Kazekage may not be able to win, not to mention that Uchiha, Konoha's trump card, still hasn't been deployed on a large scale.

"We all know that Konoha has preserved its strength to counter threats from the other great ninja villages, but we also know that as long as those people aren't tied down, we can never truly win.

"In truth, our goal of carving off territory from the Land of Fire has already failed. We can only plunder as many resources as possible while we still have the advantage. The Land of Rain is our only way out."

If the Land of Rain were taken, the three great nations of Wind, Fire, and Earth would directly border one another. By then, Konoha would not only have to face attacks from the Lands of Wind and Earth through the Land of Grass and the Land of Rivers respectively, but would also face an additional threat geographically.

And unlike the other directions, there would be no small nation serving as a buffer zone. It could directly threaten the heartland of the Land of Fire.

The same held true for the Lands of Wind and Earth.

In that sense, the Land of Rain was a truly vital battleground.

Especially for the water-scarce Land of Wind.

The neighboring Land of Rain, however, had its moisture blocked by mountain ranges, while its low-lying terrain caused vast amounts of moisture to gather there, making it the ninja world's "Rain Extremes."

Even if these poorly educated ninja did not understand why a single mountain range could produce such drastic geographical and climatic differences, it did not stop Sunagakure from longing to acquire the resource-rich Land of Rain.

Ebizo took several forms from a drawer and began marking them with a pen.

"The village currently has a total of one hundred and twenty-three active jonin. Fourteen of them, including Ishido, are presently unable to fight due to injuries or illness. The coastline west of our borders requires at least fifteen jonin to lead the defense, while the village itself needs at least thirty jonin to maintain internal stability and basic defenses.

"Those fifty-nine cannot be moved. Subtract the forty-three jonin on the eastern front under the Third Kazekage, and we have only twenty-one jonin available for deployment. Subtract this old man, who needs to remain in the village, and including you, Big Sister, we only have twenty combatants at jonin level or above."

"The Puppet Force..."

"The intelligence units..."

It took Ebizo quite some time to finish organizing everything.

"Ninja tools, Ration Pills, and all kinds of logistical supplies are barely enough to launch another large-scale war. But our manpower is likely insufficient, especially our high-end jonin-level combat strength. Even if Iwagakure's situation is better than ours, I doubt it is better by much.

"With this lineup, we can hold a stalemate against Amegakure and Konoha. But our logistics are inadequate. If we fail to make progress for an extended period, we will be fortunate if we can retreat intact."

Chiyo responded with silence.

"Big Sister, don't let hatred cloud your eyes. A contest between nations is not settled overnight. In a few years, once Rasa and the others have grown stronger—even once Shimizu and Sasori have matured—the situation will change. Only then will our chances of victory be greater."

Ebizo knew that ever since Sasori's parents had died, Chiyo had dreamed of slicing White Fang, the chief culprit, into a thousand pieces, then making Konoha, which had orchestrated it all, pay the price.

"This old woman naturally cannot let go of their deaths, nor am I willing to accept them! But I also know what I should do and what I should not do."

Chiyo clenched her fists and looked at Ebizo.

"The new generation needs time to grow, and it needs resources as well. Aren't we fighting for time and resources right now? If we don't defeat others, why would they give us time? The village is already poor, and the daimyo wants to keep cutting military funding. If we don't defeat others, how are we supposed to obtain resources?"

"Big Sister, how much of what you just said do you truly believe?"

Ebizo sighed helplessly.

No one understood his sister's personality better than he did.

The stubbornness in Chiyo's nature had given her strength beyond that of ordinary people, while her powerful abilities and extraordinary talent had granted her confidence and decisiveness. But when those traits combined with her consistently impatient temperament, they became extremism, even stubborn self-righteousness.

Perhaps she would change only after growing old and suffering enough setbacks. But Chiyo was currently at the peak of a ninja's strength, full of drive, and the deaths of her son and daughter-in-law had made her personality increasingly extreme.

Chiyo remained unmoved, so Ebizo could only turn his gaze toward Kazakami Senran.

Kazakami Senran rubbed his nose.

Going by what those two had said, if they sent troops to the Land of Rain again, he, as a jonin, would definitely have to go.

His squad would most likely have to go with him.

"My advice remains the same: give Shimizu, Pakura, and the others as much time as possible. Let them gain the strength to establish themselves in this ninja world. Only then can they become the village's future pillars."

"This old woman will place your squad in the reserve forces, so your safety will be ensured. And I will take Shimizu as my disciple and teach him everything I know about Puppet Technique."

Kazakami Senran abruptly raised his head.

Chiyo was going to take Shimizu as her disciple!

That meant Chiyo would not allow Shimizu's squad to undertake truly dangerous missions. Their safety would be guaranteed.

"Well, that really is a difficult choice."

Ebizo shook his head.

"Actually, this old man would also like to take Shimizu as a disciple. Don't forget, when it comes to puppet crafting, this old man is better than you, Big Sister."