Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

"This result is not bad. At least it will make Konoha anxious for a while. However, Hiruzen Sarutobi has returned to Konoha and sent his disciple Orochimaru to the Cloud Village battlefield. I estimate that Orochimaru will undoubtedly be the next Hokage of Konoha!"

Ebizo didn't take the battle between Kumogakure and Konoha to heart. Although he lost money, the result was good for Sunagakure, at least the war wouldn't end so quickly. What he was concerned about now was Hiruzen Sarutobi's intention in not sending his disciple Orochimaru to the Kumogakure battlefield. Although Orochimaru was also very strong, his fighting style was no match for the Raikage, and he was even inferior to Shiwa Aburame and Sora Hyuga. Sora Hyuga's Gentle Fist and Shiwa Aburame's Insect Techniques were both chakra-targeting techniques, which could at least limit the Raikage. Orochimaru wasn't a hard-hitting fighter and couldn't fight the Raikage one-on-one, nor did he have any chakra-targeting methods.

Hiruzen Sarutobi himself was still a good choice, at least he had an indestructible, all-powerful, ever-expanding staff that could fight the Raikage, while Orochimaru was completely outmatched. Yet even so, Hiruzen Sarutobi still wanted Orochimaru to go. Ebizo, who had served as Minister of the Interior for many years, immediately realized one reason: Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to retire!

294. Danzo is truly a born Nie Zi.

Looking back now, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been Hokage for over twenty years, so it wasn't wrong for him to step down and make way for a suitable person. Orochimaru was hailed as a once-in-a-century genius, and even their Golden Lion Shiki praised him highly, so he was indeed a good candidate.

Thinking of this, Ebizo suddenly realized that Hiruzen Sarutobi had been Hokage for over twenty years... and Sunagawa had also been Kazekage for over twenty years, going from a young heartthrob to an old veteran. It seemed that their village had never considered a successor for the next Kazekage. Then Ebizo glanced at the three people around him. All the people in Sunagawa who had the qualifications and were qualified to be Kazekage were here.

First of all, although Shinto is a bit old, he's only in his early thirties. In terms of both reputation and strength, he's the best candidate to be the next Kazekage. Unfortunately, this bastard is too unreliable. Otherwise, he would have been Kazekage twenty years ago. I thought he would change as he got older, but this bastard is still the same as before in his early thirties. He's only getting older but not making a fuss. He's thirty years old and still fighting with a kid. Pass!

Then his gaze turned to his beloved nephew. As the rightful heir, it would be easy for him to take over. Unfortunately, the boy seemed to have some misunderstanding about his biological father and refused to become the Kazekage no matter what.

The last grand-nephew... good-looking and talented. Image is very important for someone in power these days. Look at Hiruzen Sarutobi and Onoki; they've been called "shorty" for decades. In that respect, they're still young. His personality is a real headache. Even the red-haired girl is pursuing him, but this kid hasn't reacted at all... If he becomes Kazekage, wouldn't he have to serve as Minister of the Military Affairs for decades more?

He was planning to work until he was sixty and then retire...

In other words, Sunagakure has talented people, and there are as many as three of them, but none of them are cut out to be Kazekage. They can only pray that their grand-nephew won't end up like that bastard Shinto, with his arrogant personality that he can't change for the rest of his life. He is the hope of the whole village!

"...Don't look at me like that. Who knows what the future holds? Besides, I know Orochimaru well, I guarantee I know him. His scientific experiments are more popular than the Hokage. Hiruzen Sarutobi is just doing useless work. Just you wait and see, I bet the next Hokage won't be Orochimaru. But if Orochimaru goes to Kumogakure...won't there be internal strife? Danzo Shimura may not be good at much else, but he's incredibly good at seizing power."

Seeing Ebizo's eyes, Masato knew what the old guy was thinking again. But he didn't want the ominous position of Kazekage, and he wasn't interested in sitting in an office all day without air conditioning. That kind of life was simply inhuman. Although Sunagakure wasn't as big as Konoha, there were still a lot of things to deal with. If it weren't for Ebizo's dedication as the Minister of the Military Affairs, and Sunagakure's lack of ambition for power, Sunagakure wouldn't even have time for his annual hip-swaying performance.

Regarding Orochimaru becoming Hokage... let's just talk about it. If it weren't for the fear that this little butterfly might affect the plot and that being too arrogant would damage his reputation, he would swear on the spot that if Orochimaru became Hokage, he would eat shit on live stream!

Furthermore, although Danzo was badly beaten by the Raikage, it must be said that Danzo's vitality is truly a bug. It's unclear whether it was the group led by Yusaori's father that opened up his meridians last time, but this time he was beaten even worse by the Raikage than Yusaori's father's group last time. Although he was on the verge of death, there was no news of him returning to Konoha. Only Shikamaru Aburame was truly on the verge of death and was sent back to Konoha. Therefore, if Shimura Danzo is still resisting on the front line of Kumogakure, it is hard to say whether Orochimaru would turn against him. A proud genius like Orochimaru would not listen to someone like Shimura Danzo who is incompetent but pretentious. And Shimura Danzo could not possibly not know that Hiruzen Sarutobi sent Orochimaru to the Kumogakure battlefield to gain prestige in preparation for becoming Hokage.

How could Shimura Danzo, whose life's goal was to lead Konoha to the moon, so easily relinquish his authority...? The drama on the Kumogakure battlefield is more exciting than any war movie! ヾ(^Д^*)/

........

Inside the Hokage's office building, the three leaders of Konoha were quiet and silent. They had nothing to say because their friend, who had just recovered from his injuries, had been beaten up again. As three friends who had grown up together, fought together, and killed people together, they couldn't help but sigh that Danzo was truly a born bastard!

Having lived in the ninja world for so many years, they had never actually seen anyone survive being beaten three times in a single battle. This time, their comrades had truly opened their eyes. If their comrades' haste in the Rain Country had led to their heavy losses, then this time, their comrades were perfectly fine. When they arrived with their men, the battle was already raging on the front lines, and Konoha was at a significant disadvantage, being relentlessly pursued by Kumogakure. Only the Senju clan was brave enough to die on the battlefield, but they died gloriously and deserved their fate.

Danzo saw his own men being overwhelmed and made a strong entrance, which wasn't wrong, and his command was also fine. It was a matter of soldiers against soldiers and generals against generals. As the leader, he went head-to-head with the Raikage, and then his underlings went to find their own opponents to grind down the Cloud Ninja's forces. As long as the Cloud Ninja underlings were defeated, no matter how strong the Raikage was, it wouldn't matter.

But the problem is that he's too weak. He managed to block the Cloud Village's attack, but his comrade was seriously injured. Despite his injuries, he refused to leave the front line and stubbornly refused to go back.

This made Danzo, the young leader of Konoha, both angry and amused, but also deeply moved. Danzo truly loved Konoha!

"Sigh... Hiruzen, how about we bring Danzo back? We'll remember his contributions. We can't let him linger there. The village has excellent medical equipment and services, and the nurses are... cough cough! He's not young anymore, I'm really worried he won't be able to handle it."

After a long silence, the cultured man couldn't help but speak up. The thought of them comfortably drinking tea here while their comrades were suffering in hospital beds on the front lines brought tears to Mitokado Yan's eyes. Last night, he couldn't help but drink an extra bowl of chicken soup for his comrades. Whenever he thought of the resolute look in his comrades' eyes before they set off, and their lofty ambition of not returning until they broke through the clouds, Mitokado Yan was deeply moved.

"Sigh! Since he doesn't want to come back, let him stay where he is. Orochimaru will take care of him..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi also sighed deeply. He'd been tricked by his best friend so many times before, but this time, his friend's unwavering courage and willingness to stand up to the Raikage had deeply moved him as well. Although his friend was seriously injured, his integrity remained. Forcing his friend to return now... would be a double blow to him, both physically and mentally!

295. Masato-sama has really heavy tastes...

His best friend shed blood for Konoha, and he absolutely couldn't let his best friend shed tears!

After finishing his sentence, Hiruzen Sarutobi took two deep drags on his pipe, gazing at the night view outside the window. It was as if he were transported back to his childhood days when he dragged his best friend to the bathhouse to study the human body, only to be discovered and his friend ended up taking the blame and getting beaten to a pulp...

I absolutely cannot let my best buddy bleed and cry!

......

"That bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi...! (▼he▼メ)"

On the battlefield of Kumogakure, Danzo, unaware that his best friend was preventing him from bleeding and shedding tears, was now sporting a pig-like head that was almost deformed, his eyes lifeless, but he was still gritting his teeth. However, the person he was targeting was not the Raikage who had turned him into a pig-headed man, but his best friend, the Hokage.

why?

Why did he fight so hard for Konoha, knowing he was a loser yet still going head-to-head with the Raikage?

Isn't it all for the Hokage position, to sit on it and see the view from up there?

This was his lifelong dream. When he learned that the Raikage had been suppressing Hyuga Sora and Aburame Shiwa all the way, he immediately knew that his two comrades would definitely send a large army to support the Kumogakure battlefield, and the number of troops would definitely be considerable. After all, the Raikage was known for his fierceness. So he quickly returned to the battlefield, hoping to lead his subordinates to block the Raikage at his doorstep. In that case, his reputation would be redeemed, and he might even surpass his former glory. After the war, he could stand up again and run for Hokage!

Now that none of the Senju clan members who have any influence are left, as long as he can defend against the Raikage and reach the peak of his prestige, coupled with that powerful campaign declaration, he can already see himself wearing the Hokage robe, leading Konoha to unify the ninja world, and then standing on the moon looking down on the glory of the ninja world!

Being beaten to a pulp by that bastard Raikage was somewhat within his expectations. He hadn't anticipated that, despite both being Kage-level, the Raikage was so much stronger than Hanzo of the Salamander. He hadn't even seen the Raikage's movements before being taken down. Moreover, he didn't know what had gotten into that Raikage that caused his mood swings so drastically, getting angry for no reason and attacking his face.

Although he discovered a small mishap, the result was still good. He had indeed managed to defend against the Hidden Clouds. Moreover, looking at the eyes of the Konoha underlings who changed his medicine, filled with admiration and respect, he realized for the first time how great it felt to be admired and respected!

But now everything has changed. His best friend, that bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi, actually sent Orochimaru to this battlefield!

He knew why his best friend had sent Orochimaru to this battlefield – wasn't it because he wanted Orochimaru to become the next Hokage so he could come and gain prestige?

Hiruzen Sarutobi is cutting off his escape route!

He knew perfectly well that his life's work was to become Hokage, but that bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi, knowing he was here, still let his disciple reap the rewards on the battlefield!

...

The battle on the Cloud Village battlefield had just ended, and the battle on the Sand Village battlefield, led by Sunagawa, was equally fierce. The scene was much more spectacular and magnificent than that on the Cloud Village battlefield. Because the battle on the Cloud Village battlefield was fought with real guns and bullets, most of the scenes were basic hand-to-hand combat and slashing. Only when the core members of both sides were facing off did some of the more imposing scenes appear.

The situation in Sunagakure was quite different. For the past six months, both sides had been engaged in daily battles, racking up stats. As the saying goes, stats don't lie. After the war ended and they returned to their villages, whether they won or lost, these warriors who had been on the battlefield and killed people were the most popular with girls. They would have stats to back them up when they bragged, wouldn't they? Of course, if someone could still be killed like that, then it could only be considered bad luck.

Everyone basically understands this unspoken rule: the more intense the better, so that the leaders see that they are fighting to the death to protect the country. Who knows, some leader might catch a glimpse of them, ask their name, and they might be set for life!

"boom!"

"When is this bastard Fengying going to stop acting?! Don't you dare run away! You bastard! (▼へ▼メ)"

Everyone was acting, except for one person. The hot-tempered Tsunade smashed a huge crater in the ground with another super-powerful punch, but no data was recorded. She was furious as she watched the Sand Ninjas constantly dodging her!

She hadn't been to a casino for almost half a year. Only her grandfather, who had taught her gambling, could understand her pain. Back in the Land of Rain, she could at least occasionally gamble at the casinos. But here, in the middle of nowhere, with no one in sight for two kilometers, she didn't even have the chance to send money to the working people of the Land of Fire. And that wasn't all. In the past six months, that idiot Kazekage had been organizing friendly matches every now and then. If she could also rack up some stats, she wouldn't care about MVP. She'd won that before; it was just a nice-sounding title with no real effect. Once was enough. As long as she had some stats regularly, it would be fine. At least it wouldn't feel so empty and boring.

For the better part of half a year, these Sand Village ninja avoided her like the plague. Even when she chased after them, these bastards preferred to face Sakumo rather than confront her directly. In other words, including this recent friendly match, the Sand Village played nine games against them over the entire six months, and she had no stats added to the database—still 0 kills. How could Tsunade, with her fiery temper, tolerate this? She unleashed a torrent of profanities on the Sand Village ninja who had retreated a hundred meters after taking only two steps forward…

"...-_-||"

"Kill them!"

The Sand Ninja underling, who had retreated a hundred meters away, was covered in cold sweat, but dared not look at the female tyrant who could punch a crater with a single punch. He pretended not to see her and charged toward the other side, brandishing his weapon as if he had not seen her at all.

joke!

Before the fight started, Chief Yusa had already said that this female tyrannosaurus was Lord Shinto's girlfriend. If they accidentally hurt her, and if a miracle happened and Lord Shinto actually managed to win her over, then they would be in big trouble!

Moreover, that female tyrannosaurus's fists were no joke; they were truly ferocious. Each punch created a huge crater, even blasting the yellow granite into dust. Who the hell would dare to challenge her!

That said, Shinto-sama's tastes are really unusual...-_-||

"boom!"

"Let's just wait and see. I estimate that once the Cloud Village situation is over, the Sand Village will also be out of the picture. For now, we can only do as Lord Shikano said and stall here..."

He kicked a Sand Ninja who was being chased by Tsunade and was probably just asking for trouble. Hearing Tsunade's complaint, he comforted her, saying that she felt like she was punching cotton; he understood that feeling. However, he also completely understood his Sand Ninja underlings. That Golden Lion Shiki was a bastard who would even kill his own people...

296. Why do the people of Sunagakure all love demolition?

"Magnetic Release: Iron Sand Rain!"

"Magnetic Release: Iron Sand Binding Attack!"

"Magnetic Release: Iron Sand Boundary Technique..."

Happy!

So much fun!

On the battlefield, Sunagawa was already in a state of high alert, controlling the iron sand and showing off various skills. He had almost turned the battlefield into his personal performance show. Iron cones, iron balls, and layers of iron sand rain formed from various iron sand were endless. Regardless of whether they could hit anyone, he was always the most dazzling one on the battlefield.

In this war, he wanted to declare to the ninja world that he, the Kazekage Sunakawa, was still capable of fighting!

In his youth, he was inexplicably touted as a prodigy on par with Onoki, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and others. Although he didn't have any outstanding achievements to boast about, he didn't mind, because before Shinto grew up, he, Sunagawa, was the top star of Sunagakure!

However, as Masato gradually rose to prominence, his top spot was gradually replaced. In fact, none of this mattered much. He was not someone who cared about fame, and Masato's reputation was earned through hard work and was well-deserved.

After he became Kazekage, he spent his days going back and forth between the Kazekage office and home. When he had a rare holiday, he would sing and dance for the villagers. To be honest, he hadn't fought in over twenty years. Not only did people in the ninja world doubt him, but he himself doubted whether he could still fight. On the way back, he was still filled with trepidation. His opponent was White Fang, who used the technique of distraction. If he was defeated in one round, he would really lose face!

So when he launched his first attack, he desperately flew high. Konoha's White Fang has long Achilles tendons, extremely strong explosive power, and excellent jumping ability. He is a famous dunker. If he flew too low and got knocked down by him, he would be finished!

When he gradually regained his former form in several attacks, Sunakawa found that he seemed to be able to fight again!

Look at these iron cones, iron balls, and iron rain—their power and destructive force are incredible! ヾ(^Д^*)/

"Boom boom boom!"

"Wow! Wind Shadow is really fierce! It seems to be getting stronger and stronger! Σ(⊙▽⊙a)"

"Who says otherwise? Look, it's been smashed into several more big craters...(⊙▽⊙)"

"..."

The Konoha underlings watching from afar felt a chill run down their spines as the Kazekage continued his rampage. These various metal lumps were relentlessly wreaking havoc on the battlefield, like professional demolition contractors. The battlefield, already ravaged by the Golden Lion's attack and the barrage of sword energy, was now further devastated by the Kazekage's relentless assault over the past six months, leaving them with a feeling that it was on the verge of collapse...

"...Don't worry about Fengying, let him play by himself over there....ヽ(ー_ー)ノ"

While organizing the attack, Nara Shikaichi observed the battle situation and noticed that many of his underlings were quite frightened by the Kazekage's various iron lumps smashing into their dreams. Nara Shikaichi was also annoyed by the Kazekage's increasingly enthusiastic smashing. He found that the people of Sunagakure were more or less abnormal, especially prone to getting carried away, and once they got carried away, they liked to cause destruction.

The Golden Lion was like that, and now the Kazekage is doing the same thing. There's not a single person in sight, yet he's still recklessly smashing things, using mana like it's free...

"boom!"

"You bastard Fengying, if you've got the guts, come down here and fight me for three hundred rounds! (▼へ▼メ)"

The hot-tempered Tsunade was equally uncompromising when it came to demolition. With a belly full of resentment, she pointed at Sunagawa, who was flying high in the sky showing off his various skills, and roared angrily.

"Hahaha... Hiruzen Sarutobi's disciple, come up here if you dare! Magnet Release: Iron Sand Assault!!"

Hearing Tsunade's roar from mid-air, Sunagawa nearly lost his footing. A cold sweat broke out on his brow. This violent girl was Shinto's beloved. He was hoping she would marry into Sunagakure and give birth to several super geniuses for the village. So, before every battle, he would instruct Saori's father to tell his underlings to stay as far away from this violent girl as possible. Although he knew she was fierce, team battles were different from regular ninja fights. If she got hurt in any way and became infertile, that would be the end of them!

Are you really going to let Masato remain single?

Was all that incredible talent wasted...?

He still wants to challenge me to a fight? There's no way he'd agree!

“That damn bastard….(▼he▼メ)”

Tsunade glared angrily at Sunagawa in the air and the Sand Ninja underlings a hundred or so meters away from her, her fists clenched tightly.

"Sigh... Tsunade, you should go and treat the wounded first..."

Nara Shika, seeing Tsunade's furious expression, twitched her lips and tried to comfort her. She said that the current situation was extremely similar to what happened in the Land of Rain. The Sand Ninja would avoid her whenever they encountered her and were unwilling to confront her directly. Back then, in the Land of Rain, at least there were Amegakure and Iwagakure ninjas who were boosting her stats. Now, there was nothing. Everyone was just putting on an act until the Cloud Village's side was finished, and Konoha would basically have the victory.