The Konoha side was visibly stunned. What Hanzo revealed suggested that Iwagakure had not only allied with Amegakure, but also colluded with Suna forces.
"Is it because of this connection that you were able to locate us here?" Tsunade asked gravely, her eyes fixed on Tsuchigawa.
Based on Iwagakure's information-gathering capabilities alone, there was no way they could have discovered Konoha's camp.
Tsuchigawa offered a faint smile and glanced at Hanzo as he spoke, "We indeed should thank Leader Hanzo. After all, Ame is his territory."
Although Amegakure wasn't particularly powerful as a ninja village, the Second Great Ninja War had taken place on its soil.
Therefore, if someone could track Konoha's movements, that wouldn't come as a surprise.
"Tsuchigawa, what you told me earlier was that this involved a tripartite alliance between Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Amegakure. Yet now, Suna forces are still nowhere in sight. And judging by appearances, your 'vanguard' hasn't performed particularly well either?"
Hanzo narrowed his eyes slightly. The number of Konoha ninja hadn't decreased much from the intelligence reports, and the original dense forest terrain had changed.
This indicated that before Iwagakure launched their attack, Konoha had already learned about their plan and prepared defenses accordingly.
But if Konoha truly understood their plan, surely they wouldn't think they could resist an assault from three great ninja villages with just themselves?
Tsuchigawa's face darkened slightly too. Truthfully, even he had no idea what that sudden blaze was all about.
No one could have possibly guessed that the culprit behind all this was none other than the boyish Minato—a young-looking ninja currently within Konoha's ranks.
Minato rapidly analyzed the current battlefield situation from within his team.
Most Konoha ninja were intimidated merely by Hanzo's arrival. However, Minato knew that Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru among their ranks would be capable opponents for him.
After this battle, those three would become known as the "Legendary Sannin," feared across the ninja world.
The Rain Ninja were not a major concern—they numbered only around a hundred.
Although Iwagakure deployed nearly a thousand ninja, Konoha's forces mostly consisted of elites, including dozens of ninja from the Uchiha clan. With their Sharingan, even several dozen fighters could match more than a hundred ordinary ninja.
After all, one pair of Sharingan and dozens of pairs made a completely different equation.
Therefore, Konoha might still have a slight edge in this battle.
However, all this relied upon Suna forces not showing up. If they joined the battle, things could spiral out of control quickly.
Suna's commander, Chiyo, was a renowned figure from the same era as the Third Hokage. Even Sakumo Hatake would probably struggle to defeat her...
The key factor determining this battlefield would be Chiyo's intentions.
According to Hanzo, Tsuchigawa had allied with both him and Suna forces. But now, while Ame's troops had arrived, Chiyo's detachment remained absent without explanation.
"Could it be that Chiyo is planning to sit back and let the tigers fight, hoping to reap the rewards afterward like the fisherman who benefits from their struggle?"
Minato quickly grasped this implication. Indeed, this was precisely how Sunagakure operated—he, as The Fourth Hokage, knew it all too well.
If this encircling plan against Konoha hadn't been disrupted by his interference, Iwagakure's core earth-based assault would have greatly diminished Konoha's combat strength. Even if Suna chose not to join the fight, the outcome of the battle would still have been clear.
However, to swallow up Konoha, Iwa and Amegakure would definitely pay a heavy price. With the likes of Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Sakumo Hatake on their side, even Hanzo might not escape unscathed.
In that case, Sunagakure would have emerged as the greatest beneficiary of this campaign...
But due to his intervention, Konoha's forces had barely suffered any losses at all. And no one could have predicted that Jiraiya and the other two from Konoha could actually stand up to Hanzo!
In other words, as long as Konoha remained undefeated, Chiyo would never dare to interfere recklessly.
"Rest assured, we'll win." Minato, who had already seen through the battlefield situation, softly told Nawaki and Uchiha Yan beside him, both of whose bodies were trembling.
Facing Hanzo's oppressive aura, it was only natural these two inexperienced newcomers felt fear.
This was also why, during the Third Great Ninja World War, when Minato confronted enemy squads numbering in the dozens or even hundreds, opponents would flee at the sight of him.
It wasn't just because of orders issued by high-ranking officials from various great nations, but also because of the natural aura exuding from his seasoned battlefield experience.
Even ordinary ninja wouldn't dare meet his gaze directly.
Upon hearing Minato's words, both looked startled—searching anxiously for any trace of terror on his face.
Yet instead, within those clear blue eyes, they saw... anticipation!?
Indeed, the epic confrontation between Hanzo and the Sannin had been one of the most legendary battles of the Second Great Ninja World War. Back then, Minato had merely heard about it from his teacher.
Now, though, he was about to witness it firsthand—how could he not feel thrilled?
Moreover, according to his analysis, Konoha faced danger, but no real threat of defeat. As long as Suna hesitated with its opportunistic mindset, Konoha wouldn't lose.
"It seems Chiyo has gone back on her word..." Tsuchigawa's voice turned grim, though he himself remained calm.
Hanzo's eyes flickered slightly. He was an extremely meticulous person; even if the opponent appeared weak, as long as there was any potential threat, he would eliminate it immediately without hesitation.
Originally a crushing victory, now additional uncertainty arose due to Suna's betrayal, which made him especially displeased.
"But with Leader Hanzo on our side, we will definitely win even without Suna. After wiping out Konoha, we can destroy Sunagakure next. That way, the Land of Rain can temporarily avoid threats coming from the Land of Wind."
Tsuchigawa chuckled. His confidence came solely from the figure standing before him—Leader Hanzo himself. As long as Hanzo stood on the same side, their success was guaranteed.
His underlying message was clear: Hanzo's actions had already incurred Konoha's wrath. If he withdrew now, he'd also provoke the Land of Earth.
And given Wind Country's tendency to take advantage of others' misfortunes, even with Hanzo present, the Land of Rain might very well be devoured by the three nations altogether.
However, as Tsuchigawa said, if they truly wiped out both Konoha and Suna Ninja forces one after another, the situation within the Land of Rain might indeed change.
"Hehe, well then, I'll place my trust in you Iwa Ninja for once—just this once..." After speaking, Hanzo's gaze locked directly onto Tsunade and the other five standing at the front of the Konoha camp, still looking down on them as if they were mere children.
"That bastard!" At this moment, Tsunade's face flushed with rage. She roared furiously, then slammed her fist downward.
Todoroki!
[Monstrous Strength] surged outward from her like an explosion, blasting through the war-torn battlefield and carving out a massive crater over ten meters wide. She glared up at Hanzo, unflinching.
"You senile bastard! You really think you're untouchable?"
...
...(To be continued.)
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