Kumogakure was already struggling to deal with Konoha, and it wanted to take on Sunagakure too?
He doubted the Hidden Cloud Village had the nerve.
"You've never seen the Third Raikage's temper... He's sure to hold a grudge against us now."
Chiyo somewhat regretted not keeping a closer eye on him. The Third Kazekage was too young, and he had even been called the "strongest" Kazekage.
After hearing it said so often, he had started to believe it himself. His head was practically in the clouds.
"Let him hold a grudge. My Magnet Release is no joke. If he dares go to war with the Hidden Sand Village, I'll use it to teach him a lesson."
The Third Kazekage was brimming with confidence.
He was known as the "strongest Kazekage." Even if the Third Raikage was known as the "strongest Raikage," they were both the strongest, so there shouldn't be much difference between them.
"Alas, let's avoid clashing with the Hidden Cloud Village in the future," Chiyo said helplessly.
Over the past few days, she had learned that Yeyue Ziyun had destroyed Konoha's supplies all by himself and had held his own against Hiruzen Sarutobi's three prized disciples: Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade.
Presumably, Yeyue Ziyun had already grown strong enough to stand among Kage Level fighters.
He was so powerful at such a young age. Who knew what he would become after this war?
With the "strongest Raikage," the Third Raikage, as well, the Hidden Cloud Village's future could hardly be brighter. It was best not to make enemies of them.
Besides, the Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Sand Village were so far apart that the two villages had little reason to hate each other. All the more reason for them to join forces against Konoha.
"L-Lord Kazekage, t-the Hidden Cloud Village has gone too far!"
Just then, the envoy ninja whom the Third Kazekage had sent to the Hidden Cloud Village returned to the Hidden Sand Village, his face bruised and swollen.
He went straight to the Third Kazekage to lodge a complaint.
"Wh-what happened? How did you get beaten up like this?"
The Third Kazekage stared at the Sunagakure Jonin in astonishment.
He could hardly recognize the man.
He was in terrible shape. Not only was he covered in blood, but his face was swollen almost beyond recognition.
If not for the ninja's Sunagakure Forehead Protector and the distinctive clothing of a Sunagakure envoy, the Third Kazekage might have taken him for a beggar and thrown him out.
"L-Lord Kazekage, Yeyue Ziyun and that bastard Third Raikage... They actually called you an idiot!"
Thinking of what had happened to him in the Hidden Cloud Village, the Sunagakure Jonin felt so wronged that he nearly burst into tears.
He then gave a truthful account of what had happened in the Hidden Cloud Village, including how Ziyun and the Third Raikage had told him to get lost.
Of course, he also mentioned how Dodai and the Hidden Cloud higher-ups had thrown him out and beaten him up at the end.
The Hidden Cloud Village had gone too damn far.
"Damn it, those bastards in the Hidden Cloud Village! They have no respect for the Hidden Sand Village at all! Do they even acknowledge me as the Third Kazekage?!"
The Third Kazekage roared after hearing him out. Black Iron Sand and Gold Dust swirled around him, his pride and joy, the Kekkei Genkai Magnet Release.
"Alas... I knew things would turn out like this."
Chiyo, on the other hand, had foreseen this outcome long ago.
After all, she knew the Third Raikage's temper only too well. He was single-minded and paid no heed to social niceties.
Going to demand supplies while the Hidden Cloud Village was struggling through a hard-fought war carried an implicit threat.
Given the Third Raikage's temperament, how could he tolerate someone threatening him? The fact that he hadn't killed the envoy meant he had held his temper in check.
What Chiyo hadn't expected, however, was that the Hidden Cloud Village's genius, Yeyue Ziyun, would think the same way as the Third Raikage.
Hadn't they offended both Kumogakure's present and its future?
"Bastards, I'll show the Hidden Cloud Village the consequences of insulting the Hidden Sand Village! Declare war! Declare war on the Hidden Cloud Village!"
The Third Kazekage paid no heed to such concerns. Young and hot-blooded, he had been insulted, so he naturally wanted to get even with the Hidden Cloud Village.
Otherwise, wouldn't he disgrace his title as the "strongest Kazekage"?
"Third Kazekage, don't be ridiculous. The Hidden Cloud Village is so far from the Hidden Sand Village. What good would fighting them do? Do you think you could take the Hidden Cloud Village's land for yourself?"
Seeing that the Third Kazekage was losing his head, Chiyo immediately put on the airs of a Kazekage advisor. Her face turned cold, and the Third Kazekage fell silent.
Fight the Hidden Cloud Village? Had he lost his mind?
Hidden Cloud Village and Hidden Sand Village were essentially the two countries farthest apart in the Shinobi World, one in the east and the other in the west.
With such a vast distance between them, what could Hidden Sand Village gain even if it defeated Hidden Cloud Village?
Taking a piece of Konoha's land in this great war was Hidden Sand Village's most pressing task.
If they helped Konoha strike at Hidden Cloud Village now, not only would they gain nothing, but Konoha would turn around and deal with them once it was finished with Hidden Cloud Village.
"Advisor Chiyo, what do you suggest we do, then? We can't just stand by and watch Hidden Cloud Village humiliate Hidden Sand Village."
The Third Kazekage had been cowed by Chiyo, though there was still considerable dissatisfaction in his voice.
You deserved to be humiliated. Who told you to kick them while they were down and demand supplies?
Chiyo silently cursed the Third Kazekage, then began to think.
The best course now was to join forces with Hidden Cloud Village and go to war against Konoha.
That would ease the pressure on Hidden Cloud Village. Presumably, its higher-ups would understand Hidden Sand Village's good intentions, resolving the conflict between the two villages.
Most importantly, attacking Konoha alongside a major village like Hidden Cloud Village would force Konoha to fight on two fronts.
If they won the war, Hidden Sand Village could take a piece of Konoha's land, easing the village's financial pressure while securing some hope for its future.
Wasn't that much better than fighting Hidden Cloud Village?
"Let's declare war on Konoha directly. This is the best opportunity!"
Chiyo spoke to the Third Kazekage after carefully weighing the pros and cons.
"Hmph, I understand. Declare war! I'll lead six thousand Sunagakure ninja to the Land of Fire at once!"
After hearing Chiyo's analysis of the pros and cons, the Third Kazekage snorted. This plan really was the best option now.
Besides, Konoha had just fought a major battle with Hidden Cloud, losing over four hundred Konoha Ninja, while Hidden Cloud had lost only a little over eighty.
Konoha's morale was low right now. Hidden Sand Village's entry into the war would surely have a strong deterrent effect and secure them an opening victory.
The Third Kazekage had not, however, let go of his grudge against Hidden Cloud Village.
He would remember this feud, and once he had the chance, he would take ruthless revenge on Hidden Cloud Village.
Three days later, six thousand Sunagakure ninja gathered at the border of the Land of Fire under the Third Kazekage's command.
Hidden Sand Village officially declared war on Konoha!
Meanwhile, Hanzo of the Salamander, the leader of the Land of Rain, also received a letter from Ebizo, a senior advisor of Hidden Sand Village, expressing the hope that they could join forces with the Land of Rain and declare war on Konoha.
Hanzo of the Salamander also thought it was a good opportunity, so he led the Land of Rain's ninja in declaring war on Konoha.
The Second Shinobi World War had officially begun.
"Hidden Sand Village couldn't resist declaring war after all."
In the Hokage's office in Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff on his large pipe after receiving the news.
With Konoha's current strength, dealing with both Hidden Cloud Village and Hidden Sand Village wouldn't be too difficult.
After all, Konoha had yet to deploy major clans like the Uchiha Clan and the Ino-Shika-Cho.
They had been kept off the battlefield to guard against a surprise attack on their home by Hidden Sand Village.
Now that the Hidden Sand Village had declared war, Konoha no longer had so many concerns. They would fight.
This time, Hiruzen Sarutobi sent the Nara Clan Head to lead four thousand Konoha Ninja, including members of major clans such as the Uchiha Clan and the Ino-Shika-Cho, to the front lines against the Hidden Sand Village.
"The Hidden Sand Village has finally entered the fight. Looks like the Third Kazekage knows what's good for him."
The Third Raikage was overjoyed when he learned that the Hidden Sand Village had declared war on Konoha.
The outcome he had been waiting for had finally arrived. With the Hidden Sand Village and the Land of Rain tying Konoha down, the Hidden Cloud Village could catch its breath.
Meanwhile, a new mission appeared in Ziyun's mind:
[S-rank mission: Defeat Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya and give them the title of Three Sannin!] Mission details: Defeat Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya and give them the title of Three Sannin. Time limit: 30 days; mission rewards: Paramecia Fusion Fruit; Logia Snow-Snow Fruit; Mangekyō Sharingan Advancement Card; Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique; mission failure: No penalty.
"The Fusion Fruit and the Logia Snow-Snow Fruit, and even a Mangekyō Sharingan Advancement Card."
Ziyun's heart stirred when he saw the rewards for this mission.
The rewards were especially generous this time, the most generous since Ziyun had transmigrated. There was a bit of everything.
The Fusion Fruit was the fruit of Bullet, the "Demon Heir" and a member of the Pirate King's crew. Although it was a Paramecia fruit, it was a top-tier one.
First, the Fusion Fruit could merge inorganic matter the user touched with their own body. Not only that, it could also combine inorganic matter and rearrange it to create new weapons.
Once it reached Awakening, the Fusion Fruit could draw every object within several kilometers into the user's body and turn it into their own power. At its strongest, the user could even reach a height of over a thousand meters!
Compared with that height, Tailed Beasts were tiny. Ziyun reckoned a couple of slaps could leave one half paralyzed.
If Ziyun remembered correctly, the largest thing in Naruto was the Ten-Tails, and even that was only a thousand meters tall. Hashirama Senju's Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands was about the same height.
But Ziyun thought the Fusion Fruit might be a little stronger than Hashirama Senju's Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands, because he could merge with any object around him.