Uchiha's personal opinion

Chapter 92 The War Symphony of the Rain Country

Sakumo Hatake refused Jiraiya's request to meet with Tokumitsu Uchiha.

Judging from Uchiha Tokumitsu's attitude when he first visited the base, he knew that this young ally did not have much affection for the Hokage's disciples, so he directly refused on his behalf, so as to avoid the overly idealistic Jiraiya saying something he shouldn't have said that would anger Uchiha Tokumitsu and cause unnecessary trouble.

Several days passed without any response from the village regarding the contradictions and conflicts between the command of the mobile force and the high command of the dispatched army, as if they were unaware of the conflict.

This made Hatake Sakumo both relieved and somewhat saddened.

They breathed a sigh of relief because they wouldn't have to deal with internal strife during the great war.

What's sad is that even after things have escalated to this point, the village's higher-ups, especially the Hokage, are still trying to cover things up and whitewash the situation, without considering how to resolve or reconcile the existing conflicts and problems.

"Nara Masatsugu died in vain."

While carefully reading the latest Hokage decree, Hatake Sakumo talked with Uchiha Tokumitsu.

"Why did they choose to become Danzo's dog instead of being proper Jonin? What good is it if they don't die in vain?" Uchiha Tokumitsu said lazily. "Besides, the Nara clan only has a few Jonin. If it weren't for the alliance of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans and their long-term close ties with the Hokage, how could they monopolize the position of Jonin team leader with their strength?"

"Uh... the Nara family's strategies are quite good."

Sakumo Hatake offered a brief explanation.

"A cunning Nara Jonin used Yin Release ninjutsu to ambush a three-tomoe Uchiha..." Uchiha Tokumitsu repeated his old tune to show his disdain, "Perhaps the hereditary Jonin position has made the Nara family a bit arrogant, forgetting who the real Yin Release masters are."

"Never mind..."

Hatake Sakumo stopped the conversation about the Nara clan with a wry smile. "What do you think of the Hokage's decree?"

“I’ll see with my eyes,” Uchiha Tokumitsu said jokingly, taking the imperial edict handed to him by Hatake Sakumo and reading it.

As expected, the edict made no mention of the conflicts between the mobile forces and the dispatched army; it focused entirely on the specific requirements for the next phase of the operation.

"Our Hokage is indeed a master of mediating disputes."

Uchiha Tokumitsu said with a hint of mockery.

Sakumo Hatake shook his head somewhat helplessly.

"According to the information in this article, Sunagakure and Amegakure have already started a full-scale war, and it is evenly matched..." Uchiha Tokumitsu clicked his tongue in amazement, "I can only say that he is worthy of being called 'demigod' Hanzo of the Salamander, and he is worthy of being called Amegakure ninja who are not afraid of death. His resilience is indeed impressive."

"Hanzo's summoning beast, the Salamander Ibuki, is indeed exceptionally lethal in large-scale warfare." Sakumo Hatake summarized the performance of the Rain Ninja in the war in the imperial edict.

The implication is that the Rain Ninja are not a threat and that Hanzo is the only one who can hold them back.

"As long as Hanzo is alive, Amegakure will not perish." Uchiha Tokumitsu expressed his opinion. "With a strongman like Hanzo of the Salamander around, even if Amegakure suffers a temporary defeat, as long as Hanzo still has the will to fight again, Amegakure will not be destroyed."

"Hanzo the Salamander and Ibuki the Summoning Beast..." Sakumo Hatake sighed, "They are truly a terrifying combination."

With his immense strength and Water Release ninjutsu second only to the Second Hokage, coupled with the deadly poison of his summoning beast Ibuki, and the unique geographical environment of the Land of Rain, Hanzo the Salamander, fighting on his home turf, was practically the chosen one of the Land of Rain, born to be invincible.

Its rise was swift, and its fall was sudden.

This is a true reflection of the Rain Ninja's situation.

As a small ninja village, the rise of Amegakure was entirely due to the strength and personal charisma of Hanzo the Salamander.

However, the five great nations and the five great ninja villages never considered accommodating a newly rising small country as an equal partner.

Hanzo, who led the rise of the Rain Village, hoped to get a share of the spoils from the great powers, but the great powers showed him through war that they would rather smash the pot than give the hungry Rain Village a chance to lick it.

Although the ninja world is vast, for the daimyo and the great ninja villages who are accustomed to feasting and plundering, the profits are never enough to go around.

"Rising from blood and tears, declining amidst hardship..."

Uchiha Tokumitsu sighed, "Even Iwagakure, which is currently in a standoff with Kumogakure, is not willing to sit idly by and has once again dispatched ninja troops to garrison the northern border of the Land of Rain."

"Speaking of which, will the Hidden Cloud Village suddenly attack the Hidden Takigakure?" Sakumo Hatake suddenly thought of an unrelated question.

“Probably not…” Uchiha Tokumitsu thought for a moment, “Takigakure also has tailed beasts. If they’re provoked, they might not care about the rules at all and just run to the Cloud Village’s stronghold, the Cloud Thunder Gorge, to release their tailed beasts.”

“That’s true…” Hatake Sakumo ignored the question that had suddenly appeared, “Regarding the Hokage’s decree, what do you plan to do, Tokumitsu-kun?”

"We'll see how it goes." Uchiha Tokumitsu said with a hint of amusement, holding the edict in his hand. "Let us enter the southern border of the Land of Rain together with the western border defense forces, to support Sunagakure's attack on Amegakure... Anyone who didn't know better would think this edict was signed by the Kazekage..."

Sakumo Hatake was somewhat speechless at this.

“Besides, I just killed the son and daughter-in-law of Elder Chiyo, a high-ranking member of Sunagakure, and now you want me to go and support them…” Uchiha Tokumitsu’s tone was full of dissatisfaction. “…Is the Hokage thinking that I’m made of iron and that Sunagakure’s poison can’t do anything to me?”

"How about I lead the army, and you take charge of the rear, Deguang-kun? That way, I can entrust my back to you."

"No, no, no." Uchiha Tokumitsu firmly shook his head in refusal. "The war symphony of the Land of Rain has already begun; how can the Uchiha clan be absent?"

"Then how about we split up and act separately?"

"But this would make it difficult to withstand Hanzo's attack," Uchiha Tokumitsu still felt uneasy.

"Hanzo..." Sakumo Hatake frowned, feeling a bit troubled. "He's still fighting the Sand Village. He shouldn't be able to extricate himself from the battle with Konoha so soon, right?"

"Better safe than sorry. After all, our troops are all our own clansmen or relatives, so we can't afford to be careless." Uchiha Tokumitsu flicked the imperial edict. "Besides... for some reason, I always feel that the dispatched army can't stop Hanzo's offensive."

“It’s not that bad. After all, it’s five thousand ninjas, not five thousand pigs…” Hatake Sakumo felt that Uchiha Tokumitsu’s idea was a bit pessimistic. “Danzo’s strength is still quite good, and the Hokage’s three disciples are all very strong. With them around, even if there are some mistakes in the command of the ninja army, it won’t lead to a major defeat.”

"Let's see what 'Ninja Darkness' plans. Our mission is just to provide support anyway." Uchiha Tokumitsu thought for a moment and decided it was better to be cautious. "After all, Danzo is notoriously petty. We just need to take care of ourselves."

After some discussion, the two finalized their strategic plan to lead their troops into the southern region of the Land of Rain to support the Sand Village's threat to the Rain Village.

The core of the operation was naturally the most elite mobile force, followed by the larger ninja army under the western border defense forces, which served as the main force in the open to attract the enemy's attention. Meanwhile, Uchiha Tokumitsu's private army, the Red Guard, lay in wait in the border area as a reserve force in case of unforeseen circumstances.

After discussing the details of the operation with the commanders of the western border defense forces, Mimura Yoru and Kime Kōtō, and once everything was finalized, Uchiha Tokumitsu and Hatake Sakumo once again led their troops into the Land of Rain.

……

The western border of the Land of Rain.

The front line where Rain Village and Sunagakure confront each other.

Even though it was near the arid lands of the Land of Wind, a light drizzle was still falling from the sky over the Land of Rain.

For the Sand Village in the desert, rainwater is as precious as gold, but for the people of the Rain Country, it is a symbol of the blood and tears of this tragic nation.

Hanzo leaned on his kusarigama and looked up at the sky, feeling incredibly agitated.

The Sand Village's resilience and strength far exceeded his expectations. Whether it was an offensive or defensive maneuver, the Rain Village, whose ninjas were far inferior to those of the Great Nations, suffered greater losses.

After a series of battles, the Rain Ninja, who had come out in full force, had suffered nearly a thousand casualties. What was even more fatal was that their supplies were gradually running out.

"Lord Hanzo..."

A Rain Ninja knelt on one knee beside Hanzo the Salamander.

"Has the matter been investigated thoroughly?"

“We’ve found out…” The Rain Ninja lowered his head, not daring to look directly at the god in his eyes, “It was Konoha… it was a small team from the eastern Konoha ninja army that attacked the supply line…”

"Konoha..." Hanzo the Salamander felt extremely exhausted, both physically and mentally.

The village was already struggling to withstand the repeated attacks from various major powers; if they all attacked at once, the weak Amegakure would be completely overwhelmed.

Fortunately, the conflicts between major powers were greater than those with the Land of Rain, and there was almost no basis for trust to form a direct alliance, which is why the Rain Ninja were able to hold on with great difficulty.

Hanzo led his troops to attack Sunagakure in the hope of quickly repelling the invasion and deterring the restless Konoha and Iwagakure.

However, since the start of the full-scale war, even Sunagakure is not something that the mere Amegakure can contend with.

The strength of the five great nations and five great ninja villages lies not only in the formidable combat power of individual high-ranking officers, but more importantly, in their solid, systematic combat hierarchy. In this respect, Amegakure is at a comprehensive disadvantage.

Moreover, when facing Elder Chiyo, a high-ranking member of Sunagakure who is also skilled in using poison, the effect of Hanzo's summoning beast Ibuki's deadly poison is relatively limited, which is equivalent to crippling nearly half of Hanzo's lethality on the battlefield.

The already precarious situation, coupled with the harassment from Konoha in the rear, made the already dire situation feel almost unbearable for Hanzo of the Salamander.

"Do you have any intelligence on the Konoha ninja who carried out the harassment?"

Hanzo the Salamander asked coldly, his tone devoid of emotion.

"After reconnaissance and identification, it was confirmed to be the direct subordinate force of Shimura Danzo, a high-ranking official of Konoha..." The Rain Ninja didn't dare to raise his head, "...that is, the Root."

"Heh... As expected of the legendary 'Darkness of Ninja,' just like a rat in a gutter, best at taking advantage of chaos to rob."

The veins on Hanzo's hand, gripping the kusarigama tightly, were bulging, revealing the intense anger he felt.

"Pass down the order..." Hanzo of the Salamander closed his eyes, "Distribute full ninja tools and rations to the entire ninja army, and prepare for battle at any time..."

"Yes!"

Although Yunin was somewhat surprised by the decision, she resolutely carried out her leader's order.

"After this battle, regardless of victory or defeat, all troops will withdraw and return to attack Konoha!"

Hanzo the Salamander, who suddenly opened his eyes, gritted his teeth, deeply resenting the Konoha Expeditionary Force that was harassing him from the rear.

This is also a helpless move.

The Rain Village already had a significant disparity in combat strength, and if the lack of supplies were added to the mix, even if Hanzo of the Salamander was incredibly powerful and renowned, he wouldn't be able to withstand the Sand Village's relentless attacks.

Therefore, the only way to survive is to fight a fierce battle to intimidate Sunagakure and then withdraw. Staying here to confront them will only lead to gradual weakening and death.

The orders have been firmly issued, but it remains to be seen how much fighting force Rain Ninja will have left to continue following Hanzo of the Salamander in the fight against Konoha after such a resolute gamble.

As the endless drizzle continued, Hanzo the Salamander began to feel anxious and uncertain again.

"Land of Rain, when will the weeping cease..."

Chapter 93 Bloodstained Rain Sonata

Two o'clock in the morning.

The sky, unusually, began to clear up at this time.

Under the bright moonlight that shines selflessly upon the world, the rainforest, cratered and scarred by ninjutsu, is a kaleidoscope of colors and shadows, as if countless terrifying monsters are lurking in the shadows.

The fresh air after the rain, mixed with the stench of corpses and blood, constantly reminded everyone that this place was a battlefield of endless slaughter.

Behind the Rain Ninja's position, Hanzo of the Salamander stood at the forefront of the ninja army, carrying his usual chain scythe.

Apart from a few ninjas still deployed at the front to cover the movements of the ninja army, all the forces of the western Rain Ninja are about to be here.

There were also more than a dozen Rain Ninja sealing ninjas around, who were trying to use barrier techniques to cover up the ninja army's chakra fluctuations.

Two thousand seven hundred people. This was the limit the Rain Ninja had reached after a series of battles.

However, more than half of them were genin (lower-ranking ninja).

But... it's unknown how many people will survive and return after this battle.