The Konoha shinobi force advanced at a steady pace through the desert of the Land of Wind.
An intelligence officer approached and handed Nara Shikaku a report that had just arrived.
Nara Shikaku read it, surprise crossing his face.
"Did something unexpected happen, sir?" Fugaku asked.
Nara Shikaku nodded. "I don't know whether it's good news or bad. The Third Raikage ambushed the Tsuchikage in Iwagakure, leaving Ōnoki severely wounded.
All the Kumogakure forces stationed on the northern front have rebelled. Northern Land of Earth is now effectively under Kumogakure's control, but the Raikage has been trapped by the Iwagakure Army in a wasteland near Iwagakure."
Orochimaru gave a cold chuckle. "Ōnoki has spent his whole life plotting, yet the Third Raikage outmaneuvered him.
I doubt anyone expected Kumogakure's target to be northern Land of Earth rather than Konoha."
"If Kumogakure and Iwagakure are fighting each other, do we still need to support them? Their war has little to do with Konoha," a Jonin asked.
That was probably what most of them thought. Konoha had chosen to ally with Iwagakure mainly because Kumogakure wanted to join forces with other Ninja Villages against Konoha.
Both Kumogakure and Iwagakure bore deep grudges against Konoha, so naturally everyone would rather see them cripple each other.
"We can arrive late, but we can't stay away. The Tsuchikage is shrewd. If we never show up,
I'm worried Iwagakure and Kumogakure will reach some kind of agreement. Kumogakure has the upper hand, but the Raikage is surrounded by Iwagakure forces near the village.
The two sides have effectively reached a balance. Ōnoki is clever enough to trade the Raikage for the northern Land of Earth territory Kumogakure has seized.
The Third Raikage is one of the strongest men Kumogakure has produced in decades. If he dies