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One week later, in the Land of Rain.
"Damn it! Why did Konoha let Hanzō return? We can't continue like this. We've suffered too many casualties."
The front-line commander of the Sand Ninja watched the rampaging Salamander. Even a slight movement of its massive body crushed many attacking Sand Ninja to death.
"Retreat quickly!" Seeing the salamander suddenly expel a cloud of black mist, the Sand Ninja leader immediately ordered a cessation of the attack and a withdrawal of their forces.
…
"Sir, this is the battle report just received from the front lines. Please take a look."
In the rear command camp, Ebizō was contemplating the current war situation in the Land of Rain when a ninja suddenly appeared within the tent.
Ebizō opened the battle report handed over by the ninja and examined its contents.
"Damn it! How did Akashi issue that command? How could such heavy casualties occur! Is he an idiot? He charged forward when he encountered Hanzō's Salamander!" Looking at the shocking casualty figures in the battle report, Ebizō, who was usually calm and collected, couldn't help but curse.
He regained some composure, but as he reflected on the Sand Ninja casualties detailed in the report, Ebizō's resentment towards Konohagakure for releasing Hanzō intensified.
If they hadn't suddenly released Hanzō, the Sand Ninja would have occupied the entire Land of Rain long ago. It wouldn't be like the current stalemate, with the Sand Ninja caught in a precarious situation.
If they attacked, the morale of the Rain Ninja was high due to Hanzō's return, and Hanzō's Salamander was too deadly for ordinary ninja; the Sand Ninja couldn't afford such losses.
If they didn't attack, what would become of the territory they had already seized? Would they simply return it to the Land of Rain? If that happened, Ebizō wouldn't even need to return to the village; he would likely face severe punishment from his own forces on the front lines.
They had paid a heavy price to acquire that land, and to simply relinquish it with a single sentence? Had their sacrifices been in vain?
As a last resort, Ebizō sent another urgent letter to Sunagakure, requesting reinforcements. Upon receiving Ebizō's plea, the ambitious Third Kazekage immediately dispatched more troops to support Ebizō, ordering him to hold onto the occupied territory at all costs.
As more and more Sand Ninja poured into the Land of Rain, the casualties of the Rain Ninja began to steadily increase, eventually surpassing even those of the Sand Ninja.
This was because every time the Rain Ninja were pushed to their limits by the Sand Ninja, Hanzō was forced to intervene.
However, although his injuries had been treated by Tsunade and Kiko, the recovery time had been too short, and he was not yet at full strength. Hanzō was under increasing pressure.
…
Hokage's office.
"Hanzō has sent several messages urging us to fulfill our obligations as allies as soon as possible and assist them in resisting the Sand Ninja. He states that the Land of Rain can no longer endure."
Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his fingers on the desk, his brow furrowed. "Sakumo, have you ascertained the specific situation in the Land of Rain?"
"I apologize, but I have not yet obtained detailed information," Hatake Sakumo replied, shaking his head.
The affairs of the Land of Rain had always been under the purview of Danzō and his Root organization. Danzō was currently still at the border of the Land of Rain and had not returned.
Recently, he had not provided the Third Hokage with any updates on the situation, leaving Hatake Sakumo unclear about the specifics.
"Is it truly the case that Hanzō cannot hold out much longer?" Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but feel a flicker of doubt regarding his previous assessment.
Then, a sharp glint of determination flashed in his eyes. "Regardless, we must not allow the Sand Ninja to occupy the Land of Rain. Order Danzō to await an opportune moment. Once Hanzō shows any indication of negotiating with the Sand Ninja, immediately launch an attack on the Sand Ninja forces within the Land of Rain!"
"Yes!" Hatake Sakumo nodded.
A few days later, after receiving the Third Hokage's order, Danzō finally reported the current situation in the Land of Rain to Hiruzen, also detailing his own actions within the country.
It turned out that since Hanzō's return to the Land of Rain, Danzō had instructed his Root operatives to sow discord between the Land of Rain and the Sand Ninja.
Sometimes they masqueraded as Rain Ninja to attack Sand Ninja encampments, and at other times they sent agents disguised as Sand Ninja to raid villages in the Land of Rain.
They had become so engrossed in their clandestine activities that they had neglected to report the actual situation in the Land of Rain to Konohagakure.
Upon hearing Danzō's explanation, the Third Hokage couldn't help but curse, "You're trying to fool ghosts with burnt offerings!" He immediately ordered Danzō to cease his petty tricks, warning him of the potential consequences if the two nations discovered his manipulations.
But where was the Land of Rain? It was the very place where Madara was concealed. Nothing could escape Black Zetsu's surveillance. If Black Zetsu knew, then Madara would know as well.
…
"Hmph! That brat from the Shimura family is still so cowardly, only capable of such minor, underhanded tactics. But it works to my advantage; let me add more fuel to the flames of this war."
The vast underground palace was desolate and dark, with a grotesque statue hundreds of meters tall standing in its center.
The statue resembled a human being with its skin peeled away, revealing only muscle-like striations across its body. Nine tightly closed eyes were set upon its face. Its hands were shackled to its chest, with its five fingers spread and raised upwards.
The statue's texture was peculiar, appearing as a blend of rock and ancient wood, conveying a sense of both immense hardness and resilience. This statue was none other than the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path of the Ten-Tails, and a throne stood before it.
Madara-sama sat upon the throne, chuckling disdainfully.
Standing before him was White Zetsu, who had just finished reporting Danzō's recent activities in the Land of Rain.
The aged man slowly opened his eyes, and ripples spread outwards in his Rinnegan. The terrifying ocular power resembled boiling magma, seemingly affecting even the surrounding space, causing faint distortions to shimmer around him.
"The Uzumaki woman who fled to the Land of Rain wasn't affected at all, was she?"
White Zetsu replied, "Do not worry; the woman was completely unaffected. However, do we truly not need to deal with the Konohagakure ninja named Yuta? He may pose a threat to our future plans."
"Yuta…" Uchiha Madara shook his head. "He's just an insignificant pawn; pay him no mind."
"No, he is the renowned Silver Fox of Konohagakure in the ninja world. Some time ago, he defeated and even captured the demigod Hanzō of the ninja world."
"Hmph, so what if he defeated Hanzō? It is still not worth mentioning," Uchiha Madara's aged yet powerful voice echoed through the immense underground space with strange vibrations. "That child who relies solely on poison… ridiculous!" A disdainful sneer curled the corner of his lips.
Even in his current weakened state, he was still a supreme being standing at the apex of the ninja world, capable of looking down upon even the Second Hokage.
As for the so-called demigods of the ninja world, the Silver Fox of Konohagakure, etc., they didn't even warrant his attention.
"Protect that woman and ensure nothing befalls her. Understood?"
"Yes!" Uchiha Madara slowly closed his eyes, and the terrifying ocular power that had filled the underground space gradually receded.
"Has she found a suitable partner yet, then?"
This time was different from the original timeline. With a larger number of Uzumaki clan members still alive, Uchiha Madara had higher standards for the vessel of his eyes.
White Zetsu tilted his head, his pale face showing a hint of embarrassment. "Hey, hey, aside from those who remained in their homeland, the Uzumaki clan are now all in Konohagakure and unlikely to leave the village. And the Land of Whirlpools is currently surrounded by spies from several major nations; it won't be easy to abduct someone! If it proves too difficult, just find her an ordinary person; don't deliberately make things harder for me."
"The quality of the future vessel for these eyes is directly related to my strength after resurrection. This is the key to the success of our plan. White Zetsu, do not be lazy!" Uchiha Madara gently chided.
"Hey, I understand. Besides, it's not like I've been idle. I've been gathering intelligence on other Uzumaki clan members."
White Zetsu began to count. "Among the current Uzumaki clan, in addition to those trapped in the Land of Whirlpools and those hiding in Konohagakure, there appears to be a Konohagakure ninja named Akano who possesses the Uzumaki bloodline, and he was once a companion of the Konohagakure Silver Fox."
Seeing that Madara seemed impatient, White Zetsu didn't dare to continue boasting and hurriedly reported the information he had collected to Uchiha Madara.