Uchiha's personal opinion

Uchiha Tokumitsu turned his gaze toward the Land of Rain.

Even if the Rain Ninja can't send a thousand people, hiring five or six hundred would be good enough to sustain a major battle.

I wonder if the esteemed demigod Hanzo would be willing to accept a mercenary mission?

Uchiha Tokumitsu fell into deep thought.

Chapter 191 The Shogunate mobilizes its elite troops

Poverty makes people lose their ambition; this is the best description of the current situation in Rain Village.

Under the combined pressure of the three great powers, Hanzo angrily raised an army and declared war, engaging in a series of battles with Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Konoha. Although he did not suffer a defeat, he had almost exhausted the vitality of Amegakure.

Even Hanzo's own family members had been almost completely wiped out on the brutal battlefield, which was like a meat grinder.

The ninja army strength that Rain Village had accumulated over decades was being depleted like water in battle after battle.

Even though the Rain Ninja, under Hanzo's leadership, dominated the battlefields of the Land of Rain and won more battles than they lost against the three great nations, they were still at a disadvantage in terms of both individual ninja combat strength and numbers, and were quickly exhausted in battle after battle.

Therefore, Hanzo tacitly accepted Konoha's garrison in the southeastern part of the Land of Rain, and also tacitly accepted the de facto occupation of the northwestern border defense forces in the northeastern part.

Even the small towns in the northern border region that were occupied by Iwagakure were beyond Hanzo's ability to retake.

And even if we do recover it, so what?

As soon as I leave the base, the Iwagakure, returning with a vengeance, will easily crush the remaining Amegakure ninja into mincemeat.

Even the dilapidated headquarters of Amegakure was beyond Hanzo's means to be repaired.

Not to mention continuing to cultivate ninja power.

So earlier, when Uchiha Himon received instructions from Uchiha Tokumitsu to send an envoy to Amegakure to try to negotiate the hiring, Hanzo only hesitated for a moment before readily agreeing.

The Uchiha clan then sent supplies to offset the cost of the hired missions, which helped the dying Amegakure recover.

Therefore, Hanzo was very concerned about the Uchiha clan's war mission and specially selected elites from the Rain Ninja Army, which was in a period of transition, and entrusted them to his trusted Jonin Amata to lead to the Land of Water to participate in the war.

However, Hanzo did not expect Amada to return so quickly.

Even more unexpectedly, the amount of captured materials, spoils of war, and funds that could be brought back was so great!

The wealthy Uchiha clan and the once-prosperous Kirigakure clans discarded all sorts of resources they looked down upon, while the Rain Ninja, who accepted everything, packed it all up and brought it back.

Yutian returned to the village with a total of twenty people, each carrying a huge scroll filled with all sorts of useful and useless supplies.

……

"Uchiha Tokumitsu is going to expand the number of mercenary ninja?"

After hearing Yutian explain the reasons in detail, even Hanzo the Salamander, who was known as a "demigod", was momentarily stunned.

Uchiha Tokumitsu allowed the Amegakure ninjas participating in the battle to retain 70% of the value of the spoils, but Amegakure still had to collect the village tax again through his own hands.

However, he wasn't ruthless; he only took 30%, and he gave it all to the village.

It was precisely because of the 30% of the spoils that Hanzo the Salamander was deeply shocked.

"This is too much..."

Although he remained silent and thoughtful, the words kept echoing in Hanzo the Salamander's mind.

Immediately, another question occurred to him: if he had already lost 30%, wouldn't what was left in the hands of the hired Rain Ninja be...?

Putting everything else aside, among the twenty people that Yutian brought back, I guess they are all quite wealthy, right?

Despite his inner turmoil, Hanzo the Salamander managed to suppress his impulse to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

And isn't this opportunity coming right away?

Uchiha Tokumitsu will have to spend a lot of money to hire a large number of Rain Ninja to participate in the war!

Not only do they provide food, lodging, and equipment, but you also get a large share of the loot!

In his heart, Hanzo the Salamander was unwilling to accept large-scale war mercenaries.

This is a blatant act of taking sides, tantamount to joining forces with Uchiha Tokumitsu to declare war on the Daimyo of the Land of Water and the Mizukage of Kirigakure.

After being ganged up on by three major powers and suffering a crushing defeat despite his supposed invincibility, Hanzo the Salamander learned to assess the situation carefully.

but……

"I wanted to refuse..."

Upon hearing Hanzo's words, Amada was initially surprised, but then delighted.

He only noticed his original intention after he heard the rejection.

"However, the Mizukage is violent, the Daimyo is ruthless, he treats the ninja clan as enemies, and kills ninjas as if it were nothing. He is by no means a virtuous person! Since General Tokuko is willing to uphold justice, we should also send troops to help him!"

Hanzo the Salamander spoke with force and conviction.

"Lord Hanzo is wise and mighty!"

Upon hearing this, Yutian immediately knelt down and bowed in submission.

"My mind is made up! The main force will send another 800 soldiers! You all go and gather the ninja army immediately!"

Hanzo the Salamander gave orders to his ninja retinue.

"As ordered!"

Immediately, a Rain Ninja attendant received the order and left.

"Lord Hanzo, if another 800 ninja are to be transferred, what will happen to the defense of that area..."

On the other hand, the attendant ninja asked somewhat nervously.

He was the Jonin in charge of border defense, so he had to bite the bullet and say something.

"Tell Uchiha Himon in the northwest to send troops to assist in the defense of the northern border of the Land of Rain!"

After thinking for a moment, Hanzo of the Salamander gave an unexpected answer: "This is a prerequisite for Amegakure to accept mercenaries in the war; otherwise, Amegakure will never send troops!"

After saying this, Hanzo of the Salamander casually asked someone to bring him paper and pen, and personally wrote a secret letter, handing it to Amada and ordering him to immediately go to Midway Island to discuss the mercenary participation with Uchiha Tokumitsu.

"Yes, sir!"

Amada Jin left in high spirits.

He rushed to Midway Island to report the good news to Uchiha Tokumitsu!

After Amada left, one of Hanzo's attendants, who had been hiding in the shadows, whispered, "Lord Hanzo... Jonin Amada seems a bit off..."

"Nothing strange about it, he just got his legs go weak from being hit by Uchiha Tokumitsu's Golden Judgment..."

"Hanzo the Salamander," Hanzo replied casually.

"Then this..."

The attendant was somewhat puzzled.

Loyalty that is not absolute is the same as absolute disloyalty.

Given Hanzo's usual temperament, he would have immediately thrown him into the water dungeon and severely punished him to bring his thoughts back to the right path of Amegakure. How could he have become so lenient?!

"He's still useful, so there's no need to deliberately control him." Hanzo the Salamander stood up, picked up his signature kusarigama, and walked towards the training ground.

After slacking off for a long time, even Hanzo the Salamander felt that his flesh had grown thicker and his skills had declined somewhat.

But now that the decision has been made to participate in the war, one must hone one's skills even more.

The Hidden Mist Village of the Land of Water is famous throughout the ninja world for its Water Release techniques, and Hanzo of the Salamander happens to be most proficient in Water Release among the five elemental ninjutsu. He also wants to use this opportunity to prove whether the Water Release of his Amegakure lineage or the Water Release inherited from the Hidden Mist Village is superior.

……

When Jonin Amata arrived at Midway Island once again, weary from his journey, the allied forces of the ninja clans who had come from Konoha had just arrived as well.

Standing on the dock, Jonin Amada watched with some horror as squads of Konoha ninja filed out of the armored ship. Each one was imposing and well-equipped. The only ones that Amegakure could probably compare to them were Hanzo of the Salamander and his few elite guards.

"More than a thousand people..."

Amada Jonin muttered to himself.

Since Uchiha Tokumitsu possesses such an elite ninja army, why would he need to hire Rain Ninja? Surely he doesn't have too much money to spend!

"Fifteen hundred people, all of them are elite ninjas from the Konoha clan."

A woman's voice sounded behind Yutian.

"Hello, I didn't mean to spy on you..."

Yutian suddenly heard someone speaking behind him, and his hair stood on end in terror.

Turning around, I saw a red-haired female ninja from the Shogunate wearing a Jonin vest.

"you are……"

Yutian vaguely recognized the person in front of him; he seemed to be one of Uchiha Tokumitsu's attendant ninjas.

"I am Kaori Uzumaki, and I have come to greet Lord Amada on the orders of Lord Tokumitsu."

"This is what the attendant ninja, Uzumaki Kaori, replied politely."

As soon as he reached the shore, Uchiha Tokumitsu knew his whereabouts and even sent someone to greet him...

Yutian swallowed hard and replied politely, "Then please lead the way, Your Excellency..."

……

"Eight hundred ninja soldiers..."

Uchiha Tokumitsu stroked his chin, carefully reading Hanzo's handwritten letter.

Yu Tian stood in the hall, looking cautious and timid.

Uchiha Tokumitsu was most concerned about the participation of Hanzo of the Salamander in the war.

As for the exorbitant hiring fees he wrote in his handwritten note, Uchiha Tokumitsu didn't care.

"Since Mr. Hanzo is willing to work together to uphold justice, that would be wonderful."

Uchiha Tokumitsu smiled as he folded and put away Hanzo's handwritten note.

"I've agreed to the hiring fee, as long as Mr. Hanzo arrives at headquarters ahead of schedule."

"As for the border defense cooperation... that's easy to handle. I will notify the commander of the Northwest Border Defense Force, and then we will dispatch three detachments to the northern border for assistance."