harleyscars Chapter 73 The Second Shinobi World War... has begun!
Chapter 73 The Second Shinobi World War... has begun!
During Tsunade's coma.
The Land of Rain, inside the tower.
Hanzo the Salamander sat on a wooden chair, listening to his subordinates' report, his mind automatically conjuring up images of Iwagakure attacking Amegakure.
"Of the three pharmaceutical workshops, two were looted by the Iwa ninja. Only the secret workshop closest to the tower, which no one but Lord Hanzo was allowed to enter, had its outer sensory barrier damaged."
At this point, the Rain Ninja, kneeling on one knee, spoke with a tone full of regret: "I never expected that besides Iwagakure, there would also be Konoha ninjas who took the opportunity to infiltrate. I was careless and failed to strengthen the security of the secret workshop. Please punish me, Lord Hanzo."
"Don't blame yourself, Sagawa. You did a great job. Protecting the village is the most important thing."
Hanzo the Salamander fiddled with a storage scroll, his gaze seemingly peering through it at the Flying Thunder God kunai and the stone sealed inside. He said in a deep voice, "Without prior intelligence, anyone facing the Flying Thunder God technique for the first time will face a near-death experience."
"In the face of that technique, the more people there are, the easier it is to create an opportunity for the opponent. Whether it's seven or seventy people, they're just throwing their lives away."
Gripping the scroll tightly, Hanzo of the Salamander sneered, "It's a good thing that the three workshops have been divided up by Iwagakure and Konoha. I'll split the formulas and medicines, with each workshop responsible for a portion, and I'll handle the final step."
"Unless you can raid three workshops at the same time, no one will get the complete formula. This time, I will not give them time to develop the formula, just like I did with Sunagakure."
Sagawa immediately raised his head, his eyes filled with admiration, and said, "As expected of Lord Hanzo, you had foreseen this moment all along."
The truth is, Hanzo the Salamander was habitually cautious and felt that he shouldn't put all his eggs in one basket.
If it weren't for the many medicinal materials and steps required to make the antidote, the fact that he had to manage the village and didn't have much time, and the fact that Konoha's shadow clones would only exacerbate his fatigue, Hanzo of the Salamander wouldn't even want to delegate the formula and medicine-making work to his subordinates; he would do everything himself.
"Slug, Tsunade, Flying Thunder God Technique, and Thunder God Sword..." Hanzo of the Salamander murmured, "Without a doubt, those two are Konoha ninjas. That summoning beast, that technique, that sword, are impossible to hide or disguise."
"White hair... Could that kid be a descendant of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju? Even if he isn't, he should be a member of the Senju Forest."
"If the news that Konoha has quietly nurtured a new generation of 'Tobirama Senju' gets out, I believe those major powers will be uneasy."
Suddenly, Hanzo the Salamander formed a hand seal and cast a genjutsu on Sagawa.
Sagawa's eyes remained glazed over for more than ten seconds.
When they came to their senses, Hanzo of the Salamander spoke up and ordered, "Draw a picture of this person's appearance, mass-produce portraits, and at the same time spread the word that Iwagakure attacked our Amegakure and stole the complete antidote formula."
"yes!"
Sagawa lowered his head slightly, then looked up in confusion: "Lord Hanzo, shouldn't we spread the news about the Flying Thunder God Technique user's identity and the news that Konoha also looted the pharmaceutical workshop?"
"There's no point in saying it now; those two great powers will only be skeptical. If Konoha weren't after the antidote formula, they probably wouldn't have played this card. Who knows when they'll confirm this information?" Hanzo of the Salamander stood up and sneered. "Once I return from the border of the Land of Fire, they'll have no choice but to believe it."
"Since we've chosen to enter the fray, none of them will escape unscathed. I intend to seize this opportunity to weaken the power of these three great nations simultaneously."
Under Sagawa's gaze, which was as if he were looking up to a god, Hanzo the Salamander vanished in a blur.
There was no point in him leaving Amegakure secretly without using the salamander's burrowing ability.
The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan, the insects of the Aburame clan, and the ninja dogs of the Inuzuka clan... These three ninja clans alone possess perceptions of distance, range, and close range, as well as X-ray vision and scent.
Not to mention other ninja clans, all of whom have members skilled in sensory techniques or who have signed blood contracts with various summoning beasts.
Furthermore, Konoha is allied with the already destroyed Land of Whirlpools, and they definitely possess the best sensory barrier in the ninja world. They probably set up such a barrier far from their border base.
To infiltrate this country's border base undetected, not even the earth-burrowing salamander, let alone the flying Onoki, could do it.
Therefore, Hanzo of the Salamander did not hide his purpose at all. He wanted to openly inform the three major powers around him that he was going to the border base of the Land of Fire, not to seek revenge against the Land of Earth for attacking Amegakure not long ago.
This news quickly reached the command centers of the three major powers.
Neither the Land of Wind nor the Land of Earth gloated or watched the spectacle unfold; instead, they remained vigilant.
"Could this be a smokescreen?"
At the command post of the border base of the Land of Wind, Chiyo looked at her younger brother Ebizo, who was in charge of intelligence and espionage, and said with a deep frown, "We just fought them not long ago, and Amegakure was attacked by Iwa ninja. Instead of retaliating against the Land of Earth, he went straight to the border of the Land of Fire. Could this be just a smokescreen, and his real target be us or the Land of Earth?"
"Whether it's a smokescreen or not, we can't let our guard down," Ebizo analyzed. "Although you've developed the antidote formula, each vial of antidote and each set of protective gear represents additional military expenditure and requires a lot of manpower and resources."
"And the deadly poison in the salamander can be fully absorbed in just five minutes."
"Unless we are confident that we can kill that being who stands at the pinnacle of the ninja world, we should stick to our original tactics, disperse our forces, and avoid them if possible."
Ebizo said with a deep gaze, "Now that the Land of Earth has entered the fray, I don't believe that their attack on Amegakure was just to plunder the treasures of the most powerful military base in the country."
"If nothing unexpected happens, Onoki's goal is to take advantage of the fact that we are holding back the Salamander and Hanzo to seize the antidote, or the formula for the antidote."
"His decisive action shows that the Iwagakure reconnaissance team and the Anbu have obtained certain intelligence and are extremely confident."
"Regardless of whether the Land of Earth succeeds or not, their actions are tantamount to declaring war on the Land of Rain."
"Now the Land of Rain is in a situation of fighting two against one. Instead of retaliating against the Land of Earth, which doesn't even have an antidote production line, Hanzo the Salamander is heading straight for the border base of the Land of Fire... Either it's just a smokescreen, as you said, sister; or Hanzo the Salamander wants to force the Land of Fire to take action."
Ebizo looked at Chiyo and suddenly asked, "If the two major powers around us both have antidotes, but we don't, and that most deadly poisoner in the ninja world keeps poisoning us, what should we do?"
Chiyo's eyes flashed, and she said coldly, "Rob it!"
"Yes, we can only rob, and we must rob!" Ebizo said. "Whether it's robbing Amegakure like the Iwagakure ninja, or robbing us or the Land of Earth, the Land of Fire will get involved."
"At that time, Hanzo only needs to control the quantity of antidotes, or even stop producing antidotes altogether, and keep wearing down Konoha. Then all they will have left is to rob us and Iwagakure."
"If Konoha doesn't make this choice, but instead gathers a large army to attack Amegakure, forcing Hanzo to confront them head-on and preventing him from releasing poison on a large scale, we can't just sit idly by. Otherwise, we'll be handing over the Land of Rain, this border region between three countries, to us."
"Once the Land of Rain becomes the territory of the Land of Fire, we, who are already separated by the Land of Rivers as a buffer zone, will be even more passive, and the same goes for the Land of Earth," Ebizo said coldly. "This is a blatant conspiracy."
Upon hearing this, Chiyo couldn't help but sigh sincerely, "Amazing. He wasn't swayed by hatred in this situation and came up with a solution so quickly. No wonder he's called a 'demigod.' It's a pity he wasn't born in our Sunagakure, and it's also a good thing he wasn't born in one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages."
"Actually, besides the two situations mentioned above, there is another possibility," Ebizo suddenly said quietly, "that is, Konoha did not sit idly by and wait for death, but watched as Iwagakure made a move, and they also made a move immediately, and also seized something, giving Hanzo a reason to attack them."
"If Konoha also obtains the formula, it would undoubtedly be the worst-case scenario for us."
Chiyo's face instantly darkened as she understood Ebizo's meaning.
If all three major powers possess the antidote formula, then unless a ceasefire is reached, would there be any need to choose who to attack?
Although it's hard to admit, their Wind Kingdom is indeed the weakest of the five great nations in terms of overall strength.
Previously, the balance was maintained by the Land of Rain and Hanzo the Salamander acting as a balancing force in the middle.
Now everyone has the confidence to face the deadly poison of the salamander, but Hanzo the salamander still targets the Land of Wind.
If the battle with the Land of Rain continues, the already unbalanced economy of the Land of Wind will only worsen.
At that time, between the large and small countries, which country, the Land of Fire or the Land of Earth, will choose to attack?
Thinking of this, Chiyo immediately said in a deep voice, "No, I must report to the Kazekage immediately and prepare for the worst."
……
In the Land of Earth, the news isn't relayed to the border command post, where the commander then decides whether to report to the Tsuchikage.
Instead, the message was immediately relayed to Onoki, who was stationed in Iwagakure.
"Those who can stand at the pinnacle of the ninja world are indeed extraordinary."
Onoki quickly understood Hanzo's plan and gave him the same high praise as Chiyo, saying with regret, "Such a talented guy, born in such a small country, is such a waste. If only he were from our Iwagakure village!"
"No matter how capable you are, you're still just a pawn in your hands, Dad."
Huang Tu, who is fifteen years old this year and still a boy, has eyes full of admiration for Onoki. He smiled and flattered, "Just as you said, Father, the terrain of our Land of Earth, as well as your Light and Heavy Rock Technique and Dust Release, are natural defenses and deterrents. When faced with the choice between retaliating against us and dragging the Land of Fire into the fray, Hanzo of the Salamander decisively chose the latter."
"Once Hanzo of the Salamander starts this, and we add fuel to the fire, Sunagakure, which has already entered the fray, will definitely not let go of this opportunity to kick someone when they're down. What was originally just a battle between the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind will immediately turn into the Land of Fire being attacked by three countries at once."
"With the help of the Land of Wind and the Land of Rain to weaken the Land of Fire, our Land of Earth will surely be able to take a bite out of the Land of Fire!"
Looking at his son, who was full of vigor and seemed to disregard Hanzo of the Salamander and the Land of Wind, Onoki solemnly lectured him: "You brat, don't underestimate anyone who stands at the pinnacle of the ninja world, especially those who possess strategic deterrence and can fight against an entire nation. They are the most terrifying type of people in the ninja world."
Do you know why Hanzo the Salamander is called a demigod of the ninja world?
"Because if this guy goes crazy, he can cause widespread devastation throughout the ninja world."
"Neither I nor the Third Raikage of the Land of Lightning possess such ability and deterrent power."
"The last person who could inspire such fear in the ninja world was the ninja world's Asura, Uchiha Madara, who could rival the God of Shinobi."
Onoki said in a deep voice, "Although their combat strength is not on the same level, if Hanzo of the Salamander wanted to, he would be fully capable of turning the Land of Earth into a country with only Iwagakure left."
"What kind of situation do you think we'll face at that time?"
Upon hearing this, Huang Tu subconsciously imagined such a scene in his mind, and immediately shuddered, his eyes filled with lingering fear as he asked, "Father, is this why you strictly forbade indiscriminate slaughter and forbade any harm to the children and teenagers of Amegakure?"
"That's right, you ruined Amegakure's future, and he can ruin yours too," Onoki said. "Unless we can kill that salamander and confirm that there's only one salamander in that summoning world, this is an unspoken rule that all five great ninja villages must abide by. If you want to become the Tsuchikage in the future, you must remember this, understand?"
"I understand, Dad." Huang Tu nodded obediently.
"Pass on my orders: disperse the combat forces, leaving the sensory squad and the barrier squad to guard the border base," Onoki said with a deep gaze. "If Hanzo of the Salamander's journey to the border of the Land of Fire is just a smokescreen, and his real target is us, then have the combat forces abandon the border base and retreat to protect the nearest town. If he dares to go any further, I will take action myself."
At this point, Onoki emphasized, "Remember, until an antidote for the salamander's deadly poison is developed, if any squad encounters Hanzo the Salamander, regardless of whether it's a real person, a shadow clone, or someone else using transformation techniques to disguise themselves, if you can't distinguish the real from the fake, you must disperse and retreat as quickly as possible. Squads skilled in Earth Flicker Technique should prioritize using their protective gear and cover the rear for the others, but do not linger in battle. Survival is the most important thing!"
"yes!"
Huang Tu nodded, then vanished from the Earth Shadow's office in an instant.
Onoki's short body floated up and flew from the window to the rooftop of the Tsuchikage Building. He looked at the Hidden Stone Village that he had always protected, silent, seemingly lost in thought or perhaps immersed in some kind of memory.
After a long while, Onoki's eyes suddenly sharpened and hardened. He turned to face the Land of Fire and whispered, "The Second Shinobi World War... has begun!"