When Uchiha Ran arrived at the largest tent in the center of the camp and lifted the heavy flap, air thick with smoke and medicinal herbs rushed over him.
More than a dozen jonin captains had already gathered inside, the backbone of Konoha's defense line in the Land of Rivers.
The atmosphere inside the tent was even heavier than its smell.
Under the dim yellow lamplight, the dozen or so Konoha jonin captains sat or stood, their faces marked by travel-weariness and killing intent. Their gazes were fixed on Baiyun Zaojian beside the simple sand table in the center.
The temporary commander of Konoha's main camp in the Land of Rivers direction had his brows tightly furrowed.
Since it was a jonin meeting, Uchiha Ran's arrival caused little stir. Only a few jonin familiar with him gave him slight nods.
Baiyun Zaojian skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point, his low voice carrying clearly to everyone's ears:
"Everyone, the latest battle report: in the northwest, Iwagakure's main force has been confirmed to have crossed the border of the Land of Grass and engaged in a small-scale clash with the eight-thousand-strong shinobi force led by Lord Kunugi Mokume!"
The kunai in his hand pointed to the Land of Grass on the sand table.
"The scale of the battle is not large, but it is exceptionally fierce. Iwagakure has committed more than ten thousand troops, clearly intending to apply intense pressure and pin down our forces in the northwest."
A restrained wave of sharp breaths echoed through the tent. A fierce battle involving ten thousand troops meant Konoha's northwestern defense line would be under enormous pressure.
Fortunately, Kunugi Mokume was an Elite Jonin from the same era as the Three Sannin and possessed abundant command experience. Holding off Iwagakure's army for several months should not be a problem.
Baiyun Zaojian's finger did not pause. It moved eastward across the map before landing heavily on the Land of Fields, his kunai nearly piercing the map.
"But more urgent and more threatening intelligence has come from here—Kumogakure!"
He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across every jonin present.
"Kumogakure's elite forces have moved secretly with incredible speed. They have already seized vast regions in the northern and central Land of Fields and effectively control half the country! Their strategic intentions could not be clearer."
"The village has determined that it is only a matter of time before Kumogakure tears up the peace agreement and formally declares war on Konoha. Their seizure of the Land of Fields is meant to secure the best staging ground and forward base for invading the Land of Fire!"
This grave assessment confirmed Uchiha Ran's earlier analysis outside the tent, crashing down on everyone's hearts like a boulder.
A war on two fronts, against the combined pressure of Iwagakure and Kumogakure, two great shinobi villages—it was almost a repeat of the Second Shinobi World War.
"To address Kumogakure's threat," Baiyun Zaojian continued, a note of resolve entering his voice.
"The Third Hokage has issued an emergency order transferring Lord Jiraiya, who had been stationed on the Land of Rain front, along with one thousand shinobi, to the Land of Fields. He will personally organize a defensive line to resist a possible full-scale invasion by Kumogakure!"
Jiraiya's name brought a faint sense of reassurance. The title of one of the Three Sannin was still a decent calming force.
It was a pity that the White Fang of Konoha, Hatake Sakumo, was no longer around. Otherwise, he alone could have intimidated half of Sunagakure. As for the other half, they definitely would have wanted to kill him.
That was the deterrent power of a Shadow Level shinobi.
"What about the Land of Rain direction?"
A stern-faced jonin could not help asking. "With Lord Jiraiya transferred away, Amegakure..."
"That is precisely the key to the next mission!"
Baiyun Zaojian immediately picked up the thread, pointing his kunai at the Land of Rain on the sand table.
"Since Hidden Sand's Pakura force has withdrawn from the Land of Rain and contracted to defend the Mount Kikyo region, the pressure from the Land of Rain has greatly diminished. But that absolutely does not mean we can rest easy."
"Amegakure, ruled by the demigod Hanzo of the Salamander, has never been a peaceful player. You should all know that during the Second Shinobi World War, the Land of Rain arrogantly declared war on the three great nations of Fire, Earth, and Wind at once."
"Though the three of our villages later joined forces and crippled them, Hanzo's ambition has not died, and his shinobi village still possesses a solid foundation."
He looked around at everyone, his gaze blazing.
"Once Amegakure judges that Iwagakure holds the upper hand, or if it is won over and tempted by Iwagakure, it may very well side with Iwagakure or even launch an attack on the Land of Fire in an attempt to claim a share of the chaos. The village has already anticipated this risk!"
The tent fell silent, with only the crackling of burning torches audible.
"Therefore, the Third Hokage's orders are very clear!"
Baiyun Zaojian declared firmly.
"Our Land of Rivers camp is required to utterly defeat the Hidden Sand southern forces entrenched here and end the war in the Land of Rivers in the shortest possible time!"
"The village has assigned us the task of sending five hundred shinobi to the Land of Rain after Lord Jiraiya departs, to take over and reinforce the Land of Rain defense line, closely monitor Amegakure's movements, and be ready at any time to support either the Land of Fields or Mount Kikyo battlefield."
This showed that the war in the Land of Rivers had to be concluded swiftly. They then had to immediately split off forces and move north to fill a potential powder keg commanded by the demigod Hanzo.
Although Hanzo was a smart man, it was exactly smart men with strength like his that required vigilance.
Otherwise, during the later stages of the Third Shinobi World War, Shimura Danzō would not have volunteered to negotiate with Hanzo in Amegakure, offering support to wipe out Akatsuki in exchange for Amegakure fully siding with Konoha.
Of course, throughout the Third Shinobi World War, Amegakure did not actually side with Iwagakure. Compared to the other shinobi villages, Hanzo leaned more toward Konoha.
That was because, under the Third Hokage's leadership, Konoha had always practiced defensive protectionism. As long as no one provoked it, it generally would not start trouble.
Hanzo, who had become a conservative and a dictator, liked shinobi villages like that.
He had even once ambushed Iwagakure supply lines with a small elite force, forcing Ōnoki into a temporary ceasefire and shifting his focus toward the Land of Grass.
(The manga mentioned that Iwagakure's attack on Konoha from the Land of Rain was delayed by Amegakure's guerrilla warfare.)
By the end of the Third Shinobi World War, the orphans and remnant soldiers of Amegakure had formed Akatsuki.
And in order to reduce military expenses, Hanzo tacitly allowed the civilian organization Akatsuki to maintain public order and even provided it with weapons (as established in the Book of Formation).
But he had not expected Akatsuki to later grow so powerful that even members of his direct forces defected to it, directly threatening his position.
That was why he eventually joined forces with Shimura Danzō in an attempt to wipe out this peace organization, which also revealed Hanzo's political leanings.
Of course, at present, no one but Uchiha Ran dared guarantee that Hanzo would behave himself. Moreover, Iwagakure and Hidden Sand might open a Land of Rain battlefield at any moment, just as they had during the Second Shinobi World War. They had to remain on guard.
"Time is pressing, everyone!"
Baiyun Zaojian said in a deep voice:
"Iwagakure is attacking fiercely in the northwest, Kumogakure is sharpening its blade in the northeast, and Hidden Sand lies to the west..."
"Konoha has reached a critical moment of life or death. We must completely eliminate Hidden Sand in the southern Land of Rivers!"
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