I, Uchiha: Split Konoha

Chapter 32 International Dynamics

Just two months after Sarutobi Shinnosuke took over the defense of the Land of Lightning's borders from the Land of Fire, the defense of the Land of Water was also taken over. All the hard-earned gains of so many years were snatched away by someone else, and Orochimaru, one of the three legendary Sannin, was ordered to return to his village.

When this news spread, countless ninjas on the front lines frowned secretly, as if this was going too far. After all, Orochimaru was still a hero of Konoha.

The Land of Lightning, Hidden Cloud Village.

Inside the Raikage's office building, the relatively young Fourth Raikage, A, frowned deeply as he looked at the intelligence report.

"Orochimaru has been transferred back to the village? The front lines have been replaced with Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the Uchiha clan, and the Hyuga clan? What is Konoha trying to do? They're completely disregarding us!"

He had just slowed down a bit at the front, and Konoha was already taking advantage of his kindness. Wasn't this a way of saying that changing personnel meant they weren't afraid of them? Raikage A's eyes widened in anger.

Inside the office, Tsuchishiro, a mature-looking man, saw the hot-tempered Raikage and shook his head with a wry smile, saying, "Raikage-sama, although Konoha lost the Fourth Hokage and some elites during the Nine-Tails' attack, its current strength is still formidable. Regarding the intelligence from the front lines, perhaps there is some information that deserves our attention even more."

Tsuchishiro, a Jonin of Kumogakure, served as a courtier to the successive Raikage and examined the legendary Lightning Plow and Hot Blade techniques. In his youth, he enjoyed the deep trust of the Third Raikage and possessed the Lava Release bloodline limit. (The Rubber Uncle as Naruto calls him)

Tsuchishiro handed over a specially retrieved intelligence report, his expression growing even more serious.

The Fourth Raikage opened the scroll with displeasure. When he saw the information inside, his brows furrowed, and a look of seriousness flashed in his rugged eyes, especially when he saw the date at the end.

"Tsuchishiro, you mean you received the intelligence about Sarutobi Shinnosuke's arrival at the front two months ago?"

This intelligence report itself isn't problematic, but the most crucial aspect is the timeline. You have to understand that two months ago, nobody knew that Sarutobi Shinnosuke was coming to the border to serve as a commander.

This is the biggest problem! The Fourth Raikage immediately became serious, and Tsuchishiro also nodded solemnly and said in a deep voice, "There is no problem with the timing, the problem is that the person who sent back the information does not seem to be someone we arranged."

"Although the information was transmitted through one of our spy systems, the spy has already been captured by Konoha, and this line had been abandoned. Unexpectedly, someone suddenly sent back information again."

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Raikage's expression immediately turned serious. "Tsuchishiro, this intelligence transmission has been upgraded. We must pay close attention to it and also be on guard."

They were all seasoned veterans of the ninja world, and had naturally seen it all. Tsuchishiro nodded solemnly after hearing this.

"Lord Raikage, rest assured. There are only three possibilities since this line of communication was able to transmit information. One is that our people have not been exposed, but this possibility is too low. The second is that someone in Konoha is dissatisfied with the authorities or is too greedy, so they betrayed the interests of their own village. The third is that this is very likely a trap set by Konoha."

It's common for spies to be arrested, and then the other side to use that spy's intelligence network to pass on false information. Even worse, some spies use that intelligence network to pass on important information themselves, thus proving their betrayal of the village. In most cases, they will demand money or similar things in return.

They might even devise a grand scheme, using genuine intelligence to sacrifice some of their own interests in exchange for greater gains, only to reveal their true intentions at the last moment.

"Lord Raikage, their objective is very clear: they are simply offering information in exchange for gold and some precious medicinal herbs."

After Tsuchishiro presented the materials demanded by the Konoha spy, the Fourth Raikage, A, scoffed, "Give it to me! The person who can spread this information isn't of low status. As long as the information is accurate, we'll give it to you."

"yes!"

Ninjas always prioritize intelligence. Whether this person is real or fake, they are at least useful for the moment. A few supplies are perfectly normal. If the other party doesn't want anything, he would be suspicious.

The other party trades intelligence for gold and medicine, and they also have a special department to verify the authenticity of this intelligence, so they are not easily fooled. It all depends on the methods of both sides.

However, this time the Hidden Cloud Village miscalculated. After exhausting countless methods, they found that it was all in vain, because the information they received was all true, without any exaggeration.

"Tsuchishiro, order the frontline to prepare for another probing harassment, and see what tricks Konoha is up to."

"Yes!" The more composed and experienced Tsuchishiro did not hesitate at all after hearing this. On the contrary, he was full of admiration for his Raikage's Raikage Wind Walk. This was the kind of personality a Kage should have: impulsive but never reckless, rough but meticulous.

The Land of Water, the Hidden Mist Village.

In the dim space, Suigetsu Hozuki slowly opened his sharp teeth, his eyes looking at the intelligence in his hand with great interest. He couldn't help but grin and say with a bloodthirsty laugh, "Heh heh, it seems there are quite a few like-minded people in the ninja world."

There's never a shortage of people who betray their own village's interests to gain more for themselves. Just like him, didn't he also secretly betray the interests of some villages?

"Hehe, that's a bit too much of an appetite, wanting so many precious medicinal herbs and gold. But I'll grant your wish, I hope you, little rat, won't try anything funny."

As for the other side setting a trap? That's a joke to Suigetsu Hozuki. With such a big incident happening in Konoha, the village has decided to launch a probing war against Konoha, but it will only be limited to small-scale local battles.

The Hidden Mist Village never cared about these sacrifices; all they cared about was profit.

The Land of Earth, Hidden Rock Village.

Inside the towering Tsuchikage's office, the short Tsuchikage, unlike his white-haired self during the Fourth Shinobi World War, was clearly still full of energy. Looking at the information that required an upgrade, Onoki frowned from time to time, revealing a solemn expression.

"Is he yet another selfish person who betrays the interests of his own village? Or is it just another staged act?"

As he muttered to himself, Onoki, a man who had experienced three Shinobi World Wars, was full of wisdom. When he saw the last part of the information and the other party's requirements, he raised an eyebrow.

"What a huge appetite! But it's not impossible. As long as the intelligence is accurate, it's certainly worth it."

Muttering to himself, Onoki placed the intelligence report on the table and stamped it with an S-rank seal. "Order the intelligence department to keep a close eye on it. Also, make sure to analyze any important intelligence reports carefully. As for the gold and medicines they are asking for, as long as they don't exceed the value of the intelligence, then give them to them."

Having finally discovered a high-ranking traitor within Konoha, he naturally wanted to press his advantage. Of course, it was also possible that it was a trick orchestrated by Danzo, who was hiding in Konoha's shadows. However, such methods were common tactic used by all countries, and it came down to who had the better skills and who had the better strategic abilities.

Please restrain yourself.

(End of this chapter)