Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Tsunade said irritably.

She herself didn't care, but her younger brother was a different story. The Senju clan needed him to continue the lineage, and it wasn't good for the Senju clan's heir to spend all his time following her around. He probably wouldn't be able to pick up any girls until he died. The men of the Senju clan should prioritize having children. She had already decided that after the war ended, she would take Nawaki back and have the Hokage arrange for him to have ten or eight girls, aiming to have three children in two years. Then she would have Hiruzen Sarutobi put Nawaki in a high-ranking position so he could have a stable salary and support his family.

Although Nawaki's talent is lacking, he can still rise to the upper echelons of the Senju clan by virtue of his lineage. Both Koharu and Homura Mitokado, who are both idle people, have been supported by Hiruzen Sarutobi for so many years, so why can't Nawaki do the same?

"Seriously? Several more? Sis, are you treating me like a stud pig?!"

Rope Tree stumbled and almost fell to the ground, staring in disbelief at her older sister as if she were seeing a demon emanating black energy.

Although he didn't know much about human anatomy, he had a brief conversation with Jiraiya and had heard the saying "Thirty is like a wolf, forty is like a tiger." Although his talent was a bit lacking, the Senju clan's physique was top-notch. He might be fine at first, but it was hard to say what would happen later.

"Hey! My brother, now the Senju clan is down to just you and me. Who else can we rely on but you? You have a great responsibility!"

......

Shortly after the ninja world began discussing the mystery of Minato Namikaze's origins, Konoha officials immediately came out to clarify that after Konoha's great scientist Orochimaru compared Minato Namikaze's genes with those of Shiki the Golden Lion, the two were found to be unrelated by blood and were simply strangers who looked alike.

However, while Konoha's official clarification had some effect within the village, it had absolutely no impact on the ninja world. Even though Orochimaru's research report was stamped with Konoha's official seal, it didn't matter. People continued to discuss the topic, as if the more Konoha explained it, the more popular it became.

Ultimately, Hiruzen Sarutobi never truly grasped the essence of the Eight Trigrams. The most important aspect of the Eight Trigrams isn't their accuracy, but rather their unique ability to inspire free-flowing imagination and creativity. Therefore, compared to war, such seemingly trivial matters can truly ignite people's fearless spirit of exploration...

"Lord Shinto, the Cloud Village has already entered the fray, and the Iwa Village has been resting for a long time. I estimate that once the Cloud Village starts fighting, the Iwa Village will also start fighting the Leaf Village at the same time. Should we...?"

The ninja world was still discussing whether Minato Namikaze was the seed of Shiki, but it didn't affect the atmosphere on the battlefield at all. After receiving news of the Cloud Village's entry, Rasa, who had missed an MVP, immediately convened a leadership meeting, mainly to ask for Shinto's advice. There was no need to ask the other clan heads who were just there to make up the numbers, as they were surrounded by their clan bodyguards. Asking them wouldn't have made any difference. The core of this battle against Konoha was still Shinto. Without him going up against White Fang, he couldn't have racked up any points even if he wanted to.

"Of course we must fight, but we must not forget the core principles of Sunagakure... Otherwise, if we continue to fight Konoha like this, we will only kill people and gain nothing, which is not in line with the core principles of Sunagakure."

Shindou stroked his chin and said that he supported Rasa's idea. For the sake of his old leader or Rasa's dead father, he would help Rasa protect him and get him a few MVPs. However, if they just fought against Konoha like this, they would get nothing except for Rasa getting a few MVPs by the end of the war. On the contrary, they would suffer great losses. After all, they had mobilized more than half of their forces. The enemy's more than 10,000 men were nothing in Konoha. The two sides were not even in proportion.

Therefore, we need to find a way to gain more benefits from this war to compensate for the village's losses....

The surrounding clan heads, all seasoned veterans, trembled upon hearing Masato's words, their eyes lighting up as they looked at him as if they saw a glimmer of light within him...!

681. This time, the jungler's target is Fog's Den.

"Then what should you do between us...?"

The patriarch of the Maochuan family trembled, his eyes gleaming, but after 0.01 seconds he returned to normal and asked calmly.

They're all seasoned veterans, unlike youngsters like Rasa. They can understand the meaning of attacking Shinto with just one sentence. What is the core principle of Sunagakure?

Isn't it just about quietly making a fortune during wartime? In this respect, whether it was World War I or World War II, although Sunagakure lost some underlings, the benefits they gained were proportional to the losses, or even much greater. The key figure in World War I was the Third Hokage leading a group to the Land of Water. In World War II, they made even more money from trading with Konoha and raiding in the Land of Earth. The key figure in raiding in World War II was Shinto, who was very familiar with this business.

Seeing Rasa's puzzled expression, they couldn't explain. After all, some things are better left unsaid. Developing war resources is not something to be done openly, especially when it involves raiding one's ally's hometown. After all, they are one of the Five Great Ninja Villages. If they were to bring it up in public, it would damage their reputation.

"Da da da...!"

"...Kumakure is too far away, and the Third Raikage is on the front lines. More importantly, I've teamed up with the Raikage a few times, so it's not a good target from either a moral or logical standpoint. As for Iwagakure, that short, red-nosed Onoki's behavior this time is very unusual; he definitely has some backup plan, so Iwagakure isn't a good target either. Konoha is definitely out of the question; they're constantly harassed by those small countries and ninja villages, and with several major battles on the battlefield, their surrounding areas are completely blocked... So our target this time can only be the Land of Water. However, the Mist Ninja haven't entered the fray yet; we need to wait until the Mist Ninja enter and engage in fierce fighting with Konoha before taking action..."

After tapping his fingers on the table for a while, Masato pulled out a world map and marked the other three villages with big crosses. He circled the Water Country, which was far from the land, in red to emphasize it.

The best target for action at this time is the Land of Water. Madara is currently in charge of the Land of Water, and he is determined to weaken Konoha's power. Therefore, Madara, who has endured for so many years, will definitely make a big move in this war. The Hidden Mist Village, which has been lying low for so many years, is incredibly powerful militarily. Moreover, Madara's goal is to destroy Konoha. Even if he knows that his hometown of the Hidden Mist Village has been attacked, he won't care. After all, the Hidden Mist Village is not his home. As long as he achieves his goal and fights Konoha as fiercely as possible, nothing else matters.

As long as their people are careful and don't get discovered by the Mist Ninja, it doesn't matter if they get spotted by Madara's white-clad underlings...

"Even if Kirigakure really enters the fray, judging from the strength they've preserved over the years, the defenses within the Land of Water are still quite strong. Why not choose the Land of Earth? Although Onoki might have some backup plans, he brought 30,000 people with him this time, leaving the Land of Earth's internal defenses rather weak. As long as we're careful, there shouldn't be any major problems. After all, we're familiar with the Land of Earth, but the Land of Water... we haven't been there for many years. It's easy for something unexpected to happen then."

Although these clan leaders were afraid of death, they were still quite shrewd. When they heard that Masato wanted to set his sights on the unfamiliar Land of Water, several clan leaders, including Clan Leader Nomakawa, disagreed.

Even setting aside the fact that the Mist Ninja haven't entered the fray yet, based on their normal thinking, the Mist Ninja's actions wouldn't be large-scale, and the number of troops they send wouldn't be too many. With the Mist Ninja's strength, at most they'd have around 20,000 men. And given their strength accumulated over thirty years, 20,000 men would probably only be a small fraction of their forces. Their domestic defenses are still very strong. As for the Land of Water, although Onoki might have some backup plans, it's a fact that he's led troops to the front lines for so many years. It's also a fact that the Land of Earth's internal defenses are currently weak. Since neither side is viable, it's better to choose the less risky Land of Earth; at least they know the way...

"So that's why you guys have been stuck in the second tier for so many years. Don't use your mediocre thinking to speculate on those extraordinary behaviors. I bet you, Onoki is definitely prepared this time. He's been tricked so many times in the past that he's already learned from his mistakes. Believe me, if someone leads a team to raid the Land of Earth right now, they'll be surrounded by Onoki in less than two days. Do you really think the Azabu clan of Kumogakure is stupid? If it were that easy, Kumogakure would have made their move long ago. They wouldn't be waiting for you."

"On the contrary, Kirigakure has been quiet for more than 30 years. If they don't make a big move this time, how can they show their strength as one of the five great ninja villages? Although they are far away, I estimate that Kirigakure will definitely make a big move this time."

Shinto looked at these cowardly and greedy old men with undisguised contempt, rubbing his hand back and forth on the "Uchiha Greatsword" on the table. The youngest of these old guys was over forty, and the oldest was almost sixty. They had long lost their ambition. The reason they hadn't stepped down was the same as Meikawa Hakuchi back then. Power is an addictive thing. Once you try it, it's hard to quit. Back then, Meikawa Hakuchi was willing to give up his position as the young clan leader for decades. Moreover, Meikawa Naito was forced to step down because the old man's thinking couldn't keep up with the times. Chiyo had no choice but to force the old man to step down.

However, this has only happened once in all these years. After all, it is very sensitive to forcibly intervene in the affairs of another family. Even Chiyo would not do that again. So, generally speaking, the change of family head is only possible if the previous family head has passed away or is too old to step down. Otherwise, the next person can only take over after the previous family head dies naturally.

The guys sitting here today were pretty good when they were young, closely following Sunagawa's footsteps, so they had a smooth life for decades. But now they're middle-aged, and the older they get, the more afraid they are of death. They're not puppeteers, and they don't bring hundreds of bodyguards to the battlefield. They're just here to make up the numbers.

"Yes, Masato, what you said makes a lot of sense. We didn't consider things properly!"

Seeing the undisguised contempt in Masato's eyes and the way he was doing things, the old men shuddered and nodded solemnly.

They are definitely not backing down.

Yes! It's definitely not admitting defeat, it's just that this bastard's knife is too sharp; no matter how many of their underlings they have, they can't withstand it...

(;￢＿￢)??

Luo Sha gave the group of old men a dismissive look, then suddenly seemed to have found a way to get along with them...

682. Sunagawa died young due to inadequate education.

"Lord Shindou, isn't this a bit inappropriate? Ultimately, we're still on the same side..."

Rasa snapped out of his reverie and, after listening to their conversation, finally understood what the core principles of Sunagakure were. However, he felt that Lord Shinto's plan was a bit hard to talk about, too damn underhanded. He had always believed that Sunagakure was on the side of justice, but if they did this, how would they be any different from those old schemers like Konoha, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure?

If they are discovered, the reputation of Sunagakure will be ruined.

“Rasa, in this ninja world, anyone too upright, unless they're the protagonist and have some kind of halo around them, would be signing up with the Six Paths. You're the Kazekage now; you can't put the village's interests above your own. Let's not even talk about whether we can defeat Konoha in this war—that's a matter for later. You have to have a backup plan; you can't put all your eggs in one basket. You have to find a way out for the village. If we lose this war, without a backup plan, our village will be living a life of meager sustenance for the next few decades. Is that what a Kazekage should be doing? If we can get a lot of resources from the Land of Water, what does it matter if we lose the war? Even if we have to give Konoha a few more acres of land, Sunagakure will be fine. Being born in Sunagakure means we can't develop harmoniously like other villages. Only by constantly fighting can we lead the villagers to prosperity.”

"Sigh! That makes sense. That teacher passed away early, so his teachings probably didn't reach this level. Born in Sunagakure, forget about being upright and honorable, or world peace. What we need to do is figure out how to acquire resources! As long as it benefits the village and the people, what does it matter if we are infamous for eternity?"

Looking at Rasa, who is still a young man full of hope for the future and has not experienced the hardships of life, Shinto has to play the role of a teacher. He looks at him with righteous indignation. This kid is still too naive. It is also because of Sunagawa's poor education that he died. Otherwise, he would not have been tricked to death by Orochimaru in the original work. Although Orochimaru is a very talented person, when Orochimaru asked him to cooperate in the original work, Orochimaru was already a notorious evil scientist. He actually brought several bodyguards to meet such a person. How confident is he or is he out of his mind?

If it were Sunagawa, even if he agreed to Orochimaru's plan, he wouldn't go to meet with Orochimaru. After all, the Kazekage's prestige is undeniable, and the other party is just a rogue ninja. Going there would be a loss of face even if nothing unexpected happened, let alone if he were tricked by Orochimaru, which would be even more humiliating.

As you can see from the original story, after Da Rasa was killed by Orochimaru, Sunagakure completely fell to the bottom of the five great ninja villages, and its appearance rate greatly decreased. If it weren't for Gaara, who was a Jinchuriki, the five great ninja villages would have become four.

"...Master Shinto is right, I was too attached to appearances...!"

Looking at Shinto's sacred and solemn face, Rasa was deeply moved. It was because their ancestors were willing to put aside their pride and take risks that the villagers were able to live a life free from worries about food and clothing in this desolate and barren village.

For the sake of the village and its people, what does it matter if he is infamous for eternity? At least he has lived up to the trust the village placed in him!

Suddenly, Luo Sha felt an even heavier burden on his shoulders!

"Yes! I am very pleased that you were able to come to your senses in such a short time. I believe your teacher would also be very pleased if he knew this in the afterlife. He was right to have judged you."

Shinto looked at his son with the satisfaction of a father, nodding with increasing approval.

“…”

The old men around him twitched at the corners of their mouths. Only this bastard could talk about such a despicable and shameless thing with such righteous indignation.

"...But Lord Shindou, who will we send? And when will we go?"

Seeing that same easily misunderstood look in his eyes again, Luo Sha suppressed the urge to take action and forced himself to ask.

He's still a novice at jungling, so he mainly relies on experienced players.

They definitely can't go; he needs to grind stats on the battlefield. Master Zhendou needs to go and lane against White Fang for him. If Master Zhendou goes, he'll get killed by White Fang. A great mage like him doesn't have Master Zhendou's rock-solid defense to dare to engage in a direct sword fight with White Fang...

"Just let Jie lead the team. He's more experienced in this area. As long as we're careful, there won't be any problems. As for when... let's wait until Kirigakure enters the fray and fights Konoha a few times. My sixth sense tells me that Kirigakure will be almost fully mobilized this time, even if they don't send their entire army. When they're fighting fiercely and Kirigakure is reinforcing their forces, Jie and the others will set off. As long as we don't go too deep and attack their crystal, there definitely won't be any problems."

........

After Sunagakure finalized their jungle clearing plan, Kumogakure had already started fighting Konoha. This time, Hiruzen Sarutobi sent Orochimaru to face the Raikage, seemingly just to annoy the Raikage. Although the Third Raikage was no longer at his peak, he was still nearing the end of his prime. Moreover, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that the Third Raikage valued his reputation, so he gave Orochimaru 20,000 troops and some small clans from the village, a full 5,000 more than Kumogakure's 15,000.

After all, the Third Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode, which combines offense and defense, is too powerful. We must not provoke the Third Raikage's temper. Orochimaru is not stupid enough to provoke the Third Raikage's temper. In addition, the Third Raikage is too tough, and others may not be able to withstand it. Only Orochimaru's snake-skin can hold off the Third Raikage's explosive attack, which is a kind of alternative feeling of softening hardness.

"boom!"

"Charge! Let's show Konoha how powerful Kumogakure is!!! (▼he▼メ)"

The Third Raikage slammed Orochimaru to the ground with a powerful punch, and the next second Orochimaru unleashed another incredibly cool move: opening his mouth wide and shedding his skin like a snake, emerging drenched in sweat. The entire scene made the Third Raikage's stomach churn, and he felt like his dinner from the night before was stuck in his throat.

"Oh! Kill!!"

As the saying goes, "A brave general makes a brave army," and this was especially true of the exceptionally brave Cloud Ninja God of War. Led by the Third Raikage, the Cloud Ninja underlings reached their peak of morale, roaring as they charged towards the enemy.

"Heh...kill all these Cloud Ninja..."

Orochimaru, soaking wet, chuckled softly to his underlings behind him.

"kill!"

That kind of roar and outburst wasn't Orochimaru's usual persona, but seeing their leader remain so calm after being punched and seemingly unharmed, the Konoha underlings felt inexplicably at ease and charged forward with high spirits.

"Bang! Hell Thrust - Four-Handed Strike!"

Orochimaru looked up, mouth agape, like a snake shedding its skin...

"Bang! Hell Thrust - Double Strike!"

A snake with its mouth agape and mouth open is shedding its skin...

"boom!"

A snake with its mouth agape and mouth open is shedding its skin...

"Damn it! Hell Thrust - One-Shot Strike!"

"boom!"

It's like a snake shedding its skin, its mouth agape as it lies on its back...

683. The Raikage was disgusted.

After fighting on the battlefield for half a day, a strange scene appeared. The henchmen around were fighting each other, and it seemed that killing one would break even, killing two would make a huge profit, and killing three would make a huge profit. However, the two big shots in the center were completely different. The Third Raikage, enduring stomach acid, blocked Orochimaru and beat him mercilessly. Just by looking at his posture, it seemed that the Third Raikage completely suppressed his opponent.

However, as time went on, although Orochimaru was constantly being beaten by the Third Raikage, every time he raised his mouth to the sky and shed his skin like a snake, he was only wet and a little disgusting, but otherwise unharmed.

"Hell Thrust - Four-in-One Hand!"

"boom!"

A snake, its mouth agape and its skin shed, lies on its back...

"Hellish Thrust - Three-Pronged Attack"

"boom!"

A snake, its mouth agape and its skin shed, lies on its back...

"..."

The battlefield, which had been fiercely battling each other, suddenly fell silent. The underlings on both sides tacitly stopped fighting and turned their attention to the battle between the two big shots in the center. Every time the Third Raikage unleashed his powerful ultimate move, it only resulted in Orochimaru shedding his skin like a snake. After fighting for half a day since the start of the battle, Orochimaru was completely unharmed, leaving the underlings on both sides dumbfounded.

"...Big brother, how many times has this happened? That guy from Konoha is still unkillable, you idiot, you bastard..."