Meanwhile.
Outside Kirigakure, in the Land of Water.
Lin Ze stood quietly on a reef by the sea, gazing at the distant village shrouded in thick mist, slightly lost in thought.
Through Ryūchi Cave's Snake Network, he had already learned most of the details of the battle between Kumogakure and Iwagakure.
"The Fourth Raikage... he really is a tough one."
Lin Ze murmured to himself.
Although he saw Kumogakure as a band of thugs, plundering, kidnapping, and provoking others everywhere, he had to admit that everyone in the village had a ruthless streak.
The Third Raikage had died in battle, the Fourth Raikage had lost an arm, the Two-Tails had been taken, and dozens of Jōnin had fallen...
Despite that string of blows, Kumogakure had not collapsed. Instead, under the Fourth Raikage's leadership, they had stabilized their lines, forcing Ōnoki to negotiate peace.
That resilience was indeed impressive.
And Ōnoki had quite a sharp eye, too!
Lin Ze's thoughts turned to Iwagakure's diminutive Tsuchikage.
He had kicked Kumogakure while it was down, launching a war at its weakest moment and crippling his longtime rival in one fell swoop, securing ten years of development for Iwagakure.
An indemnity of 3.5 billion ryō, blueprints for the Chakra Cannon, a border Demilitarized Zone...
Iwagakure had profited enormously from this war.
However...
A faint, odd smile appeared on Lin Ze's lips.
At this point in the original story, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Roshi, and the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, Han, had both already defected from Iwagakure and were wandering outside.
But now, both were fighting in the Iwagakure Forces, safe and sound.
Clearly, his recent seizure of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails had frightened them.
Although Roshi and Han were stubborn, they were not stupid. They knew that staying in Iwagakure under Ōnoki's protection was safer than wandering