"Report!"
"Urgent news from the rear!"
An Iwa shinobi wearing a red headband rushed into the command post in the Land of Grass, his face drenched in sweat.
"Speak!"
"Lord Higashishibito! Lord Ōnoki is locked in a bitter battle within our borders, and the reserve troops have begun to rout!"
"What!?"
Hearing this, Higashishibito stopped studying the strategic map in the command post, turned, and snatched the intelligence report from the Iwa shinobi's hands.
After opening it and reading it, Higashishibito's expression darkened considerably.
They had finally gained a firm foothold in the Land of Grass after considerable effort and were on the verge of invading the Land of Fire. The camp under his command even had fifty elite Iwa jonin.
Although Iwagakure's jonin assessments were rather lax, they were still jonin!
Ordering him back to reinforce them now meant giving up the juicy prize that was the Land of Fire. Surely Konoha couldn't produce some powerhouse who could instantly wipe out all fifty of their jonin.
"Ah! The Third Raikage must be well into his fifties this year."
"How is he still this strong!?"
Higashishibito set down the report and sighed in the command post. Hearing this, the Iwa shinobi before him scratched his head.
"Lord Higashishibito, it isn't that Lord Ōnoki is struggling against the Raikage."
"Lord Ōnoki and the Third Raikage are both locked in a bitter battle..."
Huh?
Higashishibito picked up the report again. Hadn't they been fighting to the death earlier? How had they ended up together now? And who were they fighting together?
These big shots have such messy circles...
Sigh...
What else could he say?
Higashishibito walked out of the command post and looked toward the Land of Fire's distant border defenses. Stationed there were a commander named Mimura Hamaki and the Konoha