Hatake Sakumo laughed heartily and did not ask why.
"Lord Danzo, when did you become so sentimental?"
"We could even hold our own against the Raikage. What else could possibly catch us out?"
Sakumo's cheerfulness rubbed off on Danzo as well.
"Yes, I spent every day and night thinking about how to keep that brute in check."
"But..."
The deadliest blades were the ones your own people thrust into your back.
Danzo's gaze abruptly turned cold, but he did not tell Sakumo about what he considered Konoha's darkness.
He could not allow anyone to taint Sakumo's pure Will of Fire!
Watching Sakumo head toward Takahashi Yū's tent, Danzo involuntarily clenched his fists and made up his mind.
If they want to lay a hand on my adjutant, they'll have to get my permission first!
If they're going to use dirty tricks, let's see whose hands are dirtier!
Sakumo should bask in the sunlight like a leaf. Then I'll bury myself deep in the darkness underground and become the true "Root"!
"Captain, don't go any farther. We're almost inside the Land of Rice Fields."
Yamanaka Ayano called out helplessly to Takahashi Yū.
"What Land of Rice Fields? The Shinobi World is only so big. How can there be so many countries?"
Takahashi Yū pushed aside the brush in front of him and spoke with some disappointment.
"Captain, stop looking. We've already caught all the wild animals around here."
"Who's looking for wild animals? I'm scouting the enemy!"
Takahashi Yū answered with righteous conviction.
Yes, yes, of course. It's been over ten days, and the Cloud Shinobi have stayed holed up in the Land of Lightning, yet you've somehow scouted the enemy all the way to the Land of Rice Fields' border, Captain.
In the end, Takahashi Yū still knocked out a few wild rabbits inside the Land of Rice Fields with his killing intent, slung them at his waist, and headed back toward camp with Yamanaka Ayano.
Konoha's forces were now stationed less than a hundred li from the Land of Lightning.
Contrary to Takahashi Yū's expectations, Kumogakure had not announced its surrender and had instead withdrawn into its own territory.
They had even left their borders wide open, roaming among the high mountains and fighting a guerrilla war against Konoha. After all, Konoha had always called itself an "army of righteousness" and would not plunder civilians.
Danzo was furious as well. He knew Kumogakure was stalling, not just to prolong Konoha's war, but also in the hope that Konoha would offer to reduce the war reparations.
But who was Danzo? When it came to making life miserable for others, no one in the Shinobi World could match him.
With news of Takahashi Yū's victory over the Third Raikage already spreading throughout the Shinobi World, Danzo had sent Kumogakure a letter: if they still refused to surrender, he would spread the news throughout the Shinobi World that the Third Raikage was crippled and the Eight-Tails was dead.
If the Cloud Shinobi still refused to see reason, then however much Danzo hated the losses, he would march straight in and invade the Land of Lightning!
Raikage Building · Conference room
Bang!
A, the future Fourth Raikage, slammed his hand on the table.
"How did they know the Eight-Tails was dead?!"
Born in Konoha Year 21, A was nineteen that year, his build a size smaller than his father, the Third Raikage. Now he slammed the table and rose in the conference room, glaring at everyone present.
Youthful hotheadedness and undisguised emotion showed on his face.
He had been leading a squad to meet intelligence operatives at the Land of Earth's border, so he had not fought alongside his father.
After being recalled to the village, he had learned of the Eight-Tails' death and his father's defeat, and had seen the Third Raikage's miserable condition for himself. He had been suppressing his fury ever since.
Now the enemy's ultimatum lay on the table, and it had actually gotten many of the facts right.
He could no longer hold back. He suspected there was a spy among the Kumogakure leaders present!
"Calm down!"
A young man who looked utterly out of place among the surrounding brutes spoke up.
Twenty-five-year-old Dodai was now Kumogakure's intelligence chief. Though he was a bloodline ninja who had been abducted and brought to the Cloud Shinobi as a child, he enjoyed the Third Raikage's deep trust.
"Isn't this letter also a probe aimed at Kumogakure?"
"If we lose our nerve and surrender immediately, we'll confirm everything in it!"
"If we let Danzo spread the news throughout the Shinobi World, I'm not sure the Lands of Earth and Water will be able to resist. The outcome will be the same-the news will be confirmed!"
"That Danzo..."
Dodai, too, fell into thought for a moment.
Bang! The wooden table could no longer withstand A's heavy hand and split along its grain.
"I've thought of a way!"
Dodai looked in astonishment at his boss's brute of a son. A way? How could those words possibly come out of your mouth?
"Let him spread it! I'll lead a team and beat whoever attacks!"
"Then we'll say they couldn't even defeat me, so Father and the Eight-Tails didn't need to act!"
Smack, smack. Dodai slapped his own face twice. He should never have pinned any hopes on this big oaf.
"What? That won't work?" A was very displeased by Dodai's face-slapping.
Dodai grew somewhat agitated. As a trusted aide who had followed the Third Raikage for years, he considered A woefully inadequate in both combat ability and thinking. Was this really the man who would carry Kumogakure's banner in the future?
"Do you think Konoha's forces on the border are dead?"
"Even if you can hold off the other greedy countries, who's going to hold off Konoha?"
"Danzo, White Fang, Takahashi Yū! Which of them can you face?"
Those few questions left the young A speechless.
"Then what do we do?"
Everyone else remained silent as well.
Dodai had a splitting headache too. After thinking for a long time, he still had no ideas. The Raikage and the Eight-Tails had both fallen; even a god could not have come up with a solution to this mess.
Defeat was already a fact. All that remained was to see how they could reduce the reparations.
"First, write a letter to keep Danzo at bay. Then write another offering our surrender in exchange for reduced reparations. Bypass Danzo and send it to Konoha!"
Dodai saw things very clearly. They could not negotiate terms of surrender with Danzo. There was no reasoning with him, and if things went badly, Danzo might truly invade the Land of Lightning in a fit of rage.
So you think you can set terms with me, do you?
Konoha was unlikely to agree to this condition either, but he still wanted to try, even if all it did was buy them more time.
I hope the boss wakes up soon.
Dodai held his forehead, truly wishing he could wrap himself in Lava Release. Ever since Kinkaku and Ginkaku had wiped out a large number of Kumogakure's elite, including the Second Raikage, in one fell swoop, the Cloud Shinobi had fewer and fewer top-level fighters. It was tough!
Things were different from the dire situation in Kumogakure.
Carrying a few wild rabbits, Takahashi Yū followed the enthusiastic Konoha ninja, who were also carrying game, toward the mess camp.
Ever since Takahashi Yū had eaten through the camp's food reserves, the ninja had been forced to fend for themselves if they wanted some meat.
After all, ordinary households in the Land of Fire had no meat either. They could only buy some rice or wheat.
After Takahashi Yū's battle with the Third Raikage ended, the war had entered its final stages. Danzo had also issued an order that "lives come first," instructing the Konoha ninja not to advance recklessly during guerrilla operations.
They only needed to wait quietly for Kumogakure to surrender.
The ninja on the Land of Lightning front all wore hopeful expressions. At last, they were going home.
Before you continue