"Still, this wasn't really such a big problem." Sarutobi Toru casually toyed with Yakushi Nonō's fullness as he considered it carefully. "Hmm, just five Jōnin who can't use Konoha's signature ninjutsu. Root can still scrape them together."
At that thought, Sarutobi Toru frowned again and asked, "With just that, and no true Kage-level powerhouse holding the line, I'm afraid they still won't be able to stop the offensives of the other two ninja villages, will they?"
"Correct. I heard that Rōshi, who had been wandering the Land of Earth ever since leaving Iwagakure, has already gone to reinforce Sunagakure's frontline battlefield in the north of the Land of Earth. Also, Ōnoki has rehired Kakuzu, who was called the Immortal Ninja during the last Shinobi War." Yakushi Nonō's eyes shimmered with tears from being bullied, yet she still answered indistinctly.
"That should be enough." Sarutobi Toru nodded. Although Rōshi had fallen out with Ōnoki, that definitely did not mean he no longer cared about Iwagakure. He probably had not expected Iwagakure to fall into such a state so suddenly. It was perfectly normal for him to step forward at a critical moment like this.
As for Kakuzu, Ōnoki had hired him during the last Shinobi World War, and supposedly their cooperation had gone quite pleasantly. After all, Ōnoki had always paid bounty ninjas generously. It was only natural that he had hired him again this time.
Chiyo, Ebizo, and Rasa were not especially strong even among Kage-level fighters. Even Kinnara, though he possessed Wood Release, was limited by his age. Among Kage-level fighters, he could only be considered upper-middle tier.
But with a mature Jinchuriki like Rōshi and a veteran Kage-level fighter like Kakuzu joining forces, plus support from Konoha's Root, if Kinnara's Wood Release was left out of the equation,