"So this is the legendary Sharingan?" Keiko carefully examined the small transparent bottle in his hand under the sunlight. Inside the clear solution floated a pair of eyes, their pupils ringed by three tomoe. As Keiko turned the bottle, the eyeballs swayed gently with the liquid. That bewitching red seemed to hold a soul-stealing power.
"Yes. They belonged to someone named Kagami Uchiha. He tried to cast a genjutsu on Shamon, but Shamon struck first and dug them out. By the time I arrived, Shamon was badly wounded—his kidney had been pierced through—yet he was still clutching those eyeballs tightly. Luckily, I had a collection bottle on me, so they should still be fresh. Want them? Should I put them in for you?"
Chiyo spoke as if it were nothing.
"No rush, no rush. Put them in cold storage first. I still haven't decided how to use them." Keiko handed the bottle back to Chiyo.
As a transmigrator, Keiko naturally knew that the Sharingan was definitely a good thing. But honestly, the thing was pretty sinister. Awakening it, Mangekyo Sharingan, Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan—every advancement was more troublesome than the last, and they always involved severing Bonds or something equally heartbreaking. It was bad for the brain and could easily drive someone insane.
The abilities became more powerful with every stage, and in the end, one could even summon a Susanoo mecha. But the durability of those abilities was terrible. Use them too much, and you went blind. Replace the eyes? How could you possibly be lucky enough to have a biological brother who had also awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan waiting around for you?
Still, ever since Keiko began learning ninjutsu, he had been thinking about what to do if he encountered an Uchiha in battle.
He was not afraid of giant mecha. He had one too, and tests on Tailed Beasts had proven it worked wonderfully. The troublesome part was genjutsu, which was Keiko's weakest area among all his ninjutsu. He simply could not use it at all! So he had done plenty of anti-genjutsu training in his daily life, but the Uchiha Clan's genjutsu...
Sigh, that was impossible to guard against. Fortunately, after that old schemer Madara Uchiha faked his death and hid himself away, the Uchiha Clan suffered a break in its line of talent. Even now, there did not seem to be anyone particularly outstanding.
The only somewhat famous one, Kagami Uchiha, had already been killed by Boss Shamon. Keiko had just been playing with his eyes. It would still be several decades before legends like Shisui, Obito, and Itachi were born, so the threat was minimal.
Pulling his wandering thoughts back, Keiko sat up straight and solemnly said to Chiyo, "Grandma Chiyo, I happen to have something to discuss with you."
"Is it about this war?"
"Yes."
"Then go ahead."
"After defeating Shimura Danzō, I want to form an alliance with Konoha!"
Chiyo fell silent. Her expression darkened slightly. But Keiko showed no intention of stopping and continued speaking confidently.
"I looked over the intelligence Ebizo submitted from the agents planted across various regions.
Eight days ago, Kumogakure secretly began gathering shinobi, though their exact intentions remain unknown;
Six days ago, unrest broke out in Takigakure. Nearly all its upper leadership was slaughtered by rogue shinobi, and the major clans began fighting one another;
Five days ago, Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage of the Hidden Stone Village, issued a general mobilization order. Three days ago, he annexed the Hidden Crystal Village and three surrounding small villages without shinobi settlements;
Two days ago, a large number of Kirigakure shinobi landed in the Land of Fire. Their exact purpose remains unknown..."
Keiko spoke unhurriedly as he casually poured Chiyo a cup of tea. Chiyo's cold expression gradually shifted into one of contemplation.
"This is no longer a skirmish. This is a shinobi world war!"
As the leader of Sunagakure's Militant Faction, what Chiyo desired and had always pursued was gaining the greatest possible benefit for the village through war, securing a better future for the village's children, and obtaining a greater voice in the struggle among the Five Great Nations.
She was not a simple-minded war fanatic like the Kaguya Clan, nor was she an ambitious schemer like Black Zetsu, who constantly provoked wars.
Moreover, Chiyo had lived through the First Shinobi World War, when chaos had first given way to the rise of the Five Great Nations. Naturally, she knew what a world war meant. Boulders could be ground into dust, villages could become scorched earth, hard-earned wealth could vanish like a bubble, and living lives could turn into heaps of white bones!
The current situation was so similar to the First Shinobi World War. After several months of fighting against Hidden Rain and Konoha, both the Militant Faction and the conservative faction had suffered severe losses. Manpower, wealth, and food supplies had all reached the red line.
If Keiko had not turned the tide and crushed the White Fang of Konoha on the western front, Sunagakure might no longer exist. His final mobilization had drained even the ANBU and ninja academy of their strength. Yet Konoha had likely used only half its forces. Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other major figures had not even moved from Konoha.
"Sunagakure must withdraw from this war, recuperate, develop its economy, and take advantage of the war to absorb displaced talent and increase its population. Only the final victor is the true victor! Otherwise, if Sunagakure gets dragged into this furnace of war, even if it survives, it will be devastated!" Keiko said with resolute eyes.
Looking at the young man she had watched grow up, Chiyo saw profound strategy and unwavering conviction in him. That air of unquestionable authority made her gaze blur slightly. For an instant, the image of her husband Reto seemed to overlap with this young man. Slowly, Chiyo's eyes became incomparably firm as well.
"How much longer do you think this war will last?"
"Four to five years."
"Are you certain Konoha can achieve final victory?"
"Konoha has deep foundations and many powerful shinobi. Hiruzen Sarutobi is decisive and steadfast, astute in handling affairs, and rarely makes mistakes. He will certainly win."
Chiyo closed her eyes and thought for a moment.
"What do you need this old woman to do?"
The moment Keiko heard there was hope, he hurriedly leaned forward and "fawningly" filled Chiyo's teacup.
"You're one of the village's senior elders, and you watched me grow up. Don't I know exactly how capable I am? I only just became Kazekage, so I don't have much authority yet. If I make a decision like this, I'm afraid some clans may not understand..."
Chiyo was the leader of the Militant Faction. If she stepped forward, it would naturally be more effective than the Kazekage using his lofty title to pressure others.
"What is there not to understand? Let them fight to the death on the battlefield, and they'll understand! You are the Kazekage rightfully recommended by Shamon and recognized by the elders of every clan. Who would dare disobey your orders? Don't worry. When the time comes, this old woman will speak up!" Chiyo slapped the table domineeringly. There, the matter was basically settled.
"How confident are you about defeating Shimura Danzō?"
Keiko confidently drained the tea in front of him in one gulp and smiled.
"I wouldn't dare say ten out of ten, but at least nine-point-nine."
"Ah! It hurts!" Jiraiya grimaced in pain.
"Stop shouting. You're lucky this Iron Sand wasn't poisoned, or you'd have been dead already."
Tsunade held a huge magnet, drawing out the Iron Sand embedded in Jiraiya's flesh.
Danzo narrowed his eyes, pinched a small amount of the extracted Iron Sand between his fingers, rubbed it carefully, then sniffed it.
"Was he alone?"
"He was alone," Orochimaru answered.
"Have you dealt with him before?"
"I've heard of him, but never met him."
"Sigh, this defeat wasn't your fault." Danzo sighed.
"The ANBU's intelligence gathering on him was far too lacking. This is outrageous. For such an important enemy, our intelligence contains only his battle record and background. There is not the slightest information on the characteristics of his ninjutsu or his tactical habits. Is this what you call intelligence work?" Danzo berated an ANBU-looking figure wearing a mask.
"How much Iron Sand like this do you think he brought?"
Orochimaru considered it for a moment.
"Judging by the ninjutsu called Iron Garden... at least ten tons."
"Order the entire army to retreat to the Night-Cry Sand Sea. Notify logistics to purchase magnets in bulk throughout the Land of Rain and the surrounding towns and villages. Prepare at least thirty tons! No, fifty tons!"
Danzo held up five fingers with domineering force.
"It seems Lord Danzo intends to build an enormous Beast Trap."
Orochimaru smiled and licked his lips.
Before you continue