Konoha: Starting with Sage Mode

On the other side, in the Land of Rain, in the Hidden Rain Village.

Kirito's White Zetsu clone, playing Hattori Masanari, is resting with his eyes closed in a secret room in the central tower of Amegakure.

Hanzo the Salamander was also there. He looked at Kirito's nonchalant expression and showed displeasure.

The situation in Amegakure is dire. According to those who returned from reconnaissance, before dawn, the Kumogakure ninja outside Amegakure began preparing for battle. If all goes as expected, the enemy will launch another attack as soon as it gets light.

The Amegakure ANBU he sent to deal with the group of 'mercenaries' from Kirigakure has not yet returned.

The current situation was driving him crazy, but his good companion didn't seem worried at all. What gave him such confidence?

"Zhengcheng, it's almost dawn. Will the person you're waiting for really come?"

Hanzo couldn't help but ask again.

That's right. The reason he and Hattori Masashige were here was to meet someone. As for who that person was, neither he nor Hattori Masashige knew.

But one thing is certain: as long as this person arrives, the current crisis in Amegakure will truly have a turning point.

"Relax, Hanzo. We've done everything we can. The situation in Amegakure can't get much worse. We'll just have to find a new place to develop. As long as the Land of Rain doesn't perish, Amegakure won't truly perish."

Kirito heard Hanzo's anxious question again, opened his eyes, and sighed.

He had already received news about Sakumo Hatake from his original body. Now, his mind was no longer focused on waiting for the people from Konoha to come here, but rather on regretting that he hadn't gone with his original body.

However, if his White Zetsu clone goes, his identity will most likely be exposed and he will be revealed.

Moreover, this body is quite badly injured, and its Sage Chakra reserves have dropped to rock bottom. It will take some time to fully replenish them and restore its peak fighting power.

"The Blood Dragon Eye's abilities are still a bit lacking. I should find a new pair of Byakugan for my main body, or perhaps one Byakugan and one Sharingan."

Kirito thought absentmindedly.

"I'm not as optimistic as you. If Amegakure falls, those bandits will definitely destroy this place completely. It will be incredibly difficult for us to rebuild a new Amegakure. The surrounding great ninja villages won't give us a chance either, and besides..."

Upon hearing this, Hanzo said with a pained expression.

Having witnessed too much despair, he is now pessimistic about the future of Amegakure. If he hadn't heard Kirito say that Konoha might support them, he would have already planned to have the remaining Amegakure ninja evacuate the village.

The less than two thousand ninjas remaining in Amegakure were Amegakure's last hope, and he didn't want to let these ninjas stay and fight against Kumogakure.

It's so painful to have to place your hopes on someone else.

"coming."

Kirito suddenly interrupted Hanzo and turned to look in the direction of the gate.

Hanzo immediately turned his head to look over.

The next moment, the door opened, and a bright and elegant blonde female ninja walked in.

Chapter 243: The Responsibility of a Demigod

"I didn't expect it would be you who came."

Kirito saw that the person who came was Tsunade, smiled and took the initiative to go forward to greet her.

Hanzo of the Salamander recognized the person as Tsunade and couldn't help but feel a sense of awe, marveling at how many talented people Konoha had.

Just as Hattori Masanari thought, he never actually expected Tsunade to come and talk to them in person, because Amegakure was now practically a dead end. Tsunade was of noble birth and too important to Konoha, so the people of Konoha would never allow her to come here.

After all, once her whereabouts are exposed, all the Cloud Ninja outside Amegakure will definitely come out in full force and will surely kill Tsunade.

Outside Amegakure, among the Cloud Ninja are powerful Kage-level ninja such as the Third Raikage, Brubi, and the Third Raikage's son. If Tsunade were to encounter any of them, she would almost certainly die.

But Tsunade herself still came.

As expected of the granddaughter of the God of Ninjas, her courage is no less than that of her grandfather.

"What, do you think I wouldn't dare? I promised to help Yuyin, so naturally I keep my word."

Tsunade looked at Hattori Masanari's surprised face and said with a displeased expression.

It was naturally very risky for her to come here in person, but as a member of the Senju clan, she had to keep her word. So she came in person to show that she, Tsunade, was willing to help Amegakure, and that Konoha, which she was backing, would also help Amegakure.

As expected, as soon as she arrives, the situation in Yu Yin will improve immediately.

In fact, there was another reason why she came here in person: her family's response was too slow. Although the Third Hokage had replied and promised to send troops to support Amegakure, he did not say when the troops would be sent.

She expressed her understanding, after all, about half of Konoha's forces were still in the Land of Wind. Although the battle there was almost over, it would take some time for them to return and provide reinforcements. It wasn't something that could be done in just one night.

Currently, she can only command the two thousand-plus Konoha ninja stationed on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain.

These two thousand-plus Konoha ninjas were certainly a formidable force, but compared to the tens of thousands of Cloud ninjas outside Amegakure, they seemed rather weak. Moreover, the people from Konoha lacked Kage-level shinobi who could significantly influence the battlefield.

Therefore, she came here in person to demonstrate Konoha's attitude, so that Amegakure could feel at ease and Kumogakure would be wary.

"Of course not. I just didn't expect you to come alone. Princess Konoha, you truly are a heroine among women. I, Hattori Masanari, admire you the most."

Kirito quickly denied it, praising it highly.

"Thank you, Tsunade, thank you for coming."

Hanzo the Salamander also thanked them repeatedly.

He understood the significance of Tsunade's personal visit and was truly grateful.

If Tsunade is coming, it means that Konoha will really lend a hand to Amegakure.

This is wonderful! Amegakure is finally saved.

At this moment, the despair in Hanzo's heart was finally pierced by Tsunade's unwavering gaze, which was as firm as the sun, and he finally saw the hope of victory.

Tsunade felt a mix of emotions upon hearing Hanzo's excited voice.

She looked at Hanzo the Salamander and realized that he was no longer the almost invincible demigod of the ninja world she remembered.

Back then, the opponent single-handedly confronted her, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and a group of elite Konoha ninjas, and then defeated them like a god. The reason why the three of them did not die back then was entirely because this person deliberately let them go.

Of course, the other party deliberately let the three of them go not because they truly appreciated them, but because they didn't want the conflict between Amegakure and Konoha to remain unresolved.

If the three of them die at Hanzo's hands, the old man and the people of Konoha will go mad.

At that time, Amegakure and the Land of Rain will probably be massacred by Konoha.

She thought that one of the reasons why Amegakure was able to get the Third Hokage to accept Amegakure's surrender terms of no compensation was because Hanzo of the Salamander had deliberately let the three of them go.

At that time, Hanzo was so powerful and spirited; his powerful aura was something she could only look up to.

But this Hanzo was wrinkled, his hair was gray, and his face was full of fatigue. He looked like an old man at the end of his rope, and the aura and spirit of a hero were gone.

In just over a year, this demigod of the ninja world has lost his former strength.

"In the end, they lost. Once a ninja is defeated and compromises, it seems that nothing will be left behind."

Tsunade, reflecting on Hanzo's changes and considering the reasons behind them, sighed deeply.

At the same time, a sense of vigilance and enlightenment arose in her heart.

If she really becomes Hokage in the future, she might be able to compromise, but she absolutely cannot lose.

No wonder the Third Hokage never personally went to the battlefield. If even he, the Hokage, suffered defeats on the battlefield, then given Konoha's current situation of being surrounded by enemies, Konoha might truly face the crisis of annihilation.

If the Hokage doesn't possess the formidable fighting power of her grandfather's side and personally go to the battlefield, it can only mean that Konoha has reached a point of life and death.

Tsunade's arrival greatly boosted the morale of the remaining Amegakure ninja who remained in Amegakure. Most of them had already resolved to live or die with Amegakure and were determined to live or die with the village. However, they did not expect Konoha to extend a helping hand at this time.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't happy or grateful.

No one wants to die, and no one wants to fight a battle they can't win.

"Great! Konoha has stepped in to help us. We're saved!"

"Yes, our Amegakure is saved. I heard that it was Lord Masashige who persuaded Konoha to help us. Lord Masashige is indeed amazing."

"As expected of Lord Masaaki, with him here, Amegakure will surely survive this calamity."

……

In Amegakure, many Amegakure ninja were overjoyed to learn that Tsunade had secretly come to Amegakure.

"Lord Hanzo, listen to this! What are these guys saying? A bunch of ungrateful bastards! Don't they know who has been struggling to protect Amegakure? Lord Hanzo, your Anbu has suffered heavy losses, while Hattori Masashige's Fuchibu is basically intact because they are scattered throughout the Land of Rain. And now they are trying to win people's hearts."

After this battle, Amegakure will likely fall into the hands of this treacherous fellow; his wings have grown strong and his power is now fully grown.

Gintaru the Salamander, the head of the Amegakure ANBU, coldly observed the other Amegakure ninjas from afar, and whispered to Hanzo the Salamander beside him.

Hanzo the Salamander remained silent, his tired face devoid of any expression, but the disappointment and sorrow revealed in his equally weary eyes spoke volumes about the turmoil within him.

unspeakable trouble.

This is the current situation of Hanzo the Salamander.

He did indeed travel far and wide to protect Amegakure, paying a heavy price, and his once powerful armed force, the Amegakure Anbu, was crippled as a result.

But so what? He ultimately couldn't prolong Yu Yin's life.

It is an undeniable fact that Tsunade was brought by Hattori Masanari. Even if he wanted to lie to others that he had successfully obtained Konoha's support, he would not dare to do so, for fear of angering Tsunade, Amegakure's lifeline.

"Lord Hanzo, we can't let Hattori Masashige continue to be so smug. Not only these people, but all the kids in the village idolize him. If he doesn't die, what will become of our salamander clan in the future..."

Seeing that Hanzo didn't answer him, Gintaru, the salamander, grew increasingly anxious and continued to try to sow discord between Hanzo and Gintaru.

But before he could finish speaking, he was met with Hanzo's murderous eyes, forcing him to swallow his words and quickly lower his head, feigning submission.

"Yinda, remember this: the village is the most important thing. Amegakure doesn't just belong to our Salamander clan; it belongs to everyone in Amegakure."

Hanzo warned in an unfriendly tone.

Yes, he was indeed dissatisfied with the Rain Ninjas who only praised Hattori Masashige, and he was also personally dissatisfied with Hattori Masashige constantly seizing power in the village, but no matter what, the village was the most important thing.

He was now very clear-headed, knowing that if Yu Yin continued to fight amongst themselves, their destruction was imminent.

After warning his trusted confidant Yinda, Hanzo the Salamander quickly left. He was too tired and needed a good night's sleep before preparing for what might be his final battle.

After a long while, Sanshoyu Gintaru slowly raised his head.

By this time, the submissive look on his face had vanished, replaced by a gloomy and ruthless expression. He looked in the direction Hanzo had left and sneered inwardly, "If you won't do it, then I will. This is the last chance, you fool."

Meanwhile, in the Cloud Village military camp outside Amegakure, the Third Raikage and other high-ranking Cloud Village officials had learned from spies lurking in Amegakure that Tsunade had appeared there, and they immediately convened an emergency meeting.

"Damn Tsunade, damn Konoha, they actually came out to steal the fruits of others' labor at this time! I'm so angry! Tell me, can we tolerate this?"

The Third Raikage, his hair standing on end in fury, spoke with murderous intent.

Because the table in the military tent could no longer withstand his damage and was gone, he had nowhere to vent his anger, so he punched his son on the head, sending him flying.