As the Rain Country expeditionary force urgently adjusted their deployment, Sakumo Hatake finally received two pieces of good news.
The first was that the first batch of ninja supplies from the Hidden Leaf side had already arrived at the camp. After distribution and replenishment, the Leaf ninjas quickly set up defensive positions, laying traps and using Explosive Tags and other ninja tools to block off every direction from which an attack might come.
The second piece of good news was the volunteer reinforcement unit rushing over from the Land of Lightning, led by Jonin Koryo, with a total of four hundred and thirty personnel. Among the reinforcements was also a Jonin capable of immediately alleviating the current critical situation — Dan Kato, who mastered the Spirit Transformation Technique.
[The Spirit Transformation Technique] could separate the practitioner's spirit from his physical body, transforming him into an active spiritual entity capable of moving freely through space. It enabled spirit possession and direct assassination, and when used for intelligence reconnaissance, the technique proved extremely advantageous.
Right now, what Sakumo Hatake urgently wanted to know most was the movements of the Rain Ninja Village.
Therefore, as soon as Jonin Koryo led the reinforcements to arrive at the Rain Country's main camp, Sakumo Hatake immediately returned from the front lines to greet them.
"You've all worked hard."
Sakumo Hatake rarely showed such warmth, but he gave Koryo Jonin — one of his most loyal supporters — a brief hug. The tension from the interrogation incident vanished in an instant.
"Honorable Soushu also gave tremendous support," Koryo Jonin calmly replied.
Sakumo Hatake nodded and clapped Koryo on the shoulder — no words needed.
Then, he turned his gaze toward Dan Kato.
"Dan Jonin, welcome!"
Sakumo Hatake extended his hand toward Dan Kato actively. "What our headquarters needs most right now is a ninja like you, who masters forbidden techniques!"
"I also hope I can contribute something helpful to the Ninja Force."
Facing Sakumo's praise, Dan Kato promptly reached out with both hands and shook his hand firmly, humbly replying, "However, my personal abilities are limited, and I lack battlefield experience. I beg you, Master Sakumo, to guide me often."
"Let's go inside and talk further!"
Without unnecessary pleasantries, Sakumo Hatake directly invited the newly arrived senior supporter inside, pulling Dan Kato by the hand into the Central War Tent.
"What we're facing right now is not only the direct offensive from the Rain Ninja Village but also potential threats coming from the Herb Country."
Sakumo Hatake hadn't forgotten about the small unit from Iwagakure infiltrating the Herb Country mentioned by The Third before departure. However, prior to the arrival of reinforcements from the Northern Front, due to insufficient available ninja forces and urgent deployment adjustments, it had been impossible to address this matter immediately.
Now that Lord Dan Kato had arrived and possessed the Spirit Transformation Technique, he could finally investigate and confirm the true situation on every front.
"The Ninja Force headquarters had already begun strategic redeployment. Except for one border town, all other cities or settlements with no value had been completely abandoned — the purpose being to consolidate effective forces and confront the Rain ninjas in a decisive battle."
Sakumo Hatake outlined the forward positions of their forces on the map—the current location of Konoha Ninja Forces deployed within the Land of Rain—and said, "The problem is that we have absolutely no idea how far along the Rain Ninja Village's mobilization has gone."
"If it's a matter of reconnaissance against the Rain Ninja Village, it shouldn't pose too great a challenge," Lord Kakashi replied.
Having previously served on the battlefield in the Land of Rain, after hearing Sakumo Hatake's words, Lord Kakashi offered to personally carry out the mission using the Kinjutsu.
"However, there is a certain risk involved in performing the Spirit Transformation Technique, so I'll need Dan Kato to guard my body while I'm away."
"Besides the Rain Ninja Village, we must also keep an eye on the Grass Country front."
Sakumo Hatake pointed at the map once again. "Iwagakure's movements seem somewhat unusual, yet both the Intelligence Division and the Anbu have failed to grasp their exact situation. Therefore, I must ask Lord Kakashi to monitor this front as well."
Though this seemed like piling too much on someone as dependable as Lord Kakashi, Sakumo Hatake had no choice—it wasn't easy for him to find capable Jonin these days, and both the Rain and Rock threats were impossible to ignore.
In fact, although Sakumo Hatake had never shared his suspicions with others, deep down inside, his greatest fear was that the Rain Ninja Village might team up with Iwagakure and launch an attack against them. If that happened, things could get extremely serious.
"If that's the case, then which direction should be our priority?" Lord Kakashi nodded and asked one question afterward.
"First, the main headquarters of the Rain Ninja Village, then we inspect the Grass Country," Sakumo Hatake responded decisively.
Actually, if merely considering territorial size, the Grass Country officially controlled land greater than that of the Land of Rain. Additionally, any Iwa ninjas sneaking into the Grass Country would most certainly hide their tracks extremely well, making immediate detection unlikely. For this reason, Sakumo Hatake naturally decided the order of reconnaissance should target the Rain first and the Rock second.
"No problem!"
Lord Kakashi readily agreed. He quickly went over the key points for safeguarding his body during the soul projection, and Sakumo Hatake immediately assigned every Jonin from the reinforcement unit to serve as personal guards for Lord Kakashi to ensure the safety of his physical form while his soul was out of his body.
Meanwhile, just as the Northern Front reinforcements arrived at Sakumo Hatake's Ninja Force headquarters, three thousand Rain ninjas, stirred into action under the banner of Sanshouo Hanzo, began departing the village in batches toward the southeastern border of the Land of Rain.
Unlike usual, however, Sanshouo Hanzo did not immediately set out himself but instead returned to the Tower to meet with an envoy sent from Iwagakure.
"Master Hanzo!"
As the towering Sanshouo Hanzo strode swiftly into the Tower's reception hall wielding his chain sickle, the Iwa ninja ambassador rose respectfully and bowed.
"Jonin Kitsuchi! Since we've already dispatched our forces as promised per our agreement, when does Iwagakure plan to launch its offensive?"
Sanshouo Hanzo skipped formalities entirely and cut straight to the point. "Can the six thousand elite troops promised by Onoki arrive on schedule for battle?"
He knew this well—launching an offensive against Konoha without Iwagakure's support would be highly risky.
However, this secret alliance was like an undercurrent, known only to a handful of trusted high-ranking officials within the Rain Ninja Village.
If Iwagakure showed any hesitation or intention to use this alliance to suppress the Rain Ninja Village, Sanshouo Hanzo would decisively withdraw his forces immediately, even if it meant damaging his own reputation by recalling the three thousand Rain Ninja already dispatched. After all, although this unit numbered a considerable force, it was the last remaining strength of the Rain Ninja Village—its overall combat power had greatly declined compared to its prime, including over a thousand newly promoted Genin who still struggled with basic ninja tool throws.
Although Sanshouo Hanzo himself possessed extraordinary strength capable of tearing through Konoha's defenses alone, he knew all too well that even the strongest ninja had their limits. If his forces were too weak, even breaking through enemy lines wouldn't deliver the expected blow. Therefore, support from Iwagakure was absolutely vital—there could be no room for error.
"Just now we received an eagle message from Herb Country," Kitsuchi said without hesitation. "At the same time Lord Hanzo began mobilizing, two thousand Iwa ninja have already launched a diversionary attack on Konoha's northwestern border defenses."
"Another four thousand troops under my father's command will pass through the Land of Rain to join your forces. Our two villages will then combine strength and launch a joint assault against Sakumo Hatake!"
"It's really the White Fang!"
Sanshouo Hanzo was deeply shocked.
He never imagined that the current leader of Konoha's invasion force was none other than Sakumo Hatake himself!
Kitsuchi was also somewhat surprised—this further proved just how desperate the Rain Ninja Village's situation had become, so much so they couldn't even secure basic intelligence anymore.
Yet upon reflection, it made perfect sense.
Though the Rain Ninja Village had played a crucial role during the Second Great Ninja War, in recent years it had constantly been on the defensive, never given a moment's peace. The reason its village headquarters hadn't fallen yet was mainly due to the Half-God, Sanshouo Hanzo's intimidating presence. As for those rain ninja, viewed by powerful nations as nothing more than trash fish, they had changed hands countless times already—in such circumstances, naturally maintaining an effective intelligence network was impossible.
"In Lord Hanzo's presence, even the White Fang isn't worth mentioning."
Though his tone remained polite as always, Kitsuchi instinctively adopted a more respectful form of address for Sanshouo Hanzo.
"Also, please assign someone to act as a guide, ensuring our forces can smoothly link up with the Rain ninja."
"Agreed!"
Sanshouo Hanzo didn't dwell on minor details—he immediately summoned one of his trusted Jonin, gave brief instructions, then left the Tower alone, instantly Body-Flickering toward where the ninja forces were advancing.
Even with Iwa's support, Sanshouo Hanzo still intended to lead the charge personally, becoming the sharpest blade that would tear open Konoha's defenses the moment battle began.
"Oh no! Something terrible is happening!"
Approximately one hour after Dan Kato's soul left his body, his physical form—closely guarded inside a hidden tent—suddenly shivered violently and cried out loudly: "It's not just the Rain ninja!"
"What's happening with Lord Kakashi?"
The Hidden Leaf Jonin guarding outside the tent immediately rushed in, and the Medical Ninja among them stepped forward to check on Dan Kato's condition.
"I need to see Lord Sakumo!"
Dan Kato struggled to rise, unwilling to reveal what he had witnessed through his Spirit Transformation technique in front of these Jonin. He waved his hand, confirming his body was unscathed before vanishing with a Body Flicker.
Sakumo Hatake received news the moment Dan Kato regained consciousness. He rushed over at once and met Dan Kato right in the middle of the camp.
"What did you find out?"
Hatake Sakumo asked.
"The Rain ninjas have already mobilized… And—"
Dan glanced at the Jonin surrounding them and didn't continue speaking.
"Speak freely."
A chill ran down Sakumo Hatake's spine, but he told Dan to speak freely anyway.
"The Rain Village has now fully deployed its forces, totaling approximately three thousand troops."
Dan hesitated slightly before continuing.
"Keep going."
Sakumo Hatake knew this wasn't the only piece of intelligence Dan had obtained.
"Iwa."
The word slipped from Dan's mouth.
"How many?"
Sakumo continued pressing.
"There are already four thousand Iwagakure ninjas within the Land of Rain, and they're currently advancing toward our positions under disguise with cover from the Rain ninjas."
Dan took a deep breath and whispered, "Onoki himself is leading them!"
"Tsk."
Sakumo Hatake paused for a moment, then let out a long sigh.
At this point, he could already guess Hiruzen Sarutobi's true intentions.
Although he believed taking over command would inevitably lead him into some kind of trap, he never expected such an almost impossible situation to arise.
Moreover, judging by the sheer number of enemy troops deployed now, there was no way Konoha's Intelligence Division, Anbu, Root Division, and other secret intelligence networks remained completely unaware. If the intelligence network were truly that ineffective, Konoha wouldn't have survived this long.
Therefore, someone must have hidden key intel — they wanted Sakumo Hatake dead.
However, what enraged Hatake Sakumo the most wasn't even that — it was how the Konoha leadership, led by Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, treated the lives of ninja under their command as worthless trash! That was something he could never accept.
"Three thousand Rain ninjas, four thousand from Iwa..."
The Hidden Leaf Jonin stood frozen, unable to speak after hearing this horrifying news.
This was already beyond the strength the Rain Country base could resist, let alone the presence of Onoki — one of the Five Kage — and the Near-God Sanshouo Hanzo!
"Lord Sakumo, we will certainly lose this battle!"
Koryo Jonin became anxious too. "At this point, we must withdraw immediately to preserve our strength for future counterattacks!"
Sakumo Hatake naturally understood this logic, yet he still hesitated.
Abandoning those unnecessary border towns was already a risky decision. If they withdrew directly from the Land of Rain, all the frontline deployments would be completely wasted.
More importantly, even if they abandoned these positions and retreated back into the Land of Fire, what would they achieve? Would Iwa and Rain really stop at the border?
Although Koryo Jonin's suggestion made sense from the perspective of preserving the headquarters' strength, in reality, unless Sakumo Hatake was willing to withdraw his forces and allow the enemy alliance to march unimpeded into the Land of Fire, the upcoming battle could not be avoided.
"Send an urgent request for reinforcements to the Northern Front and report this situation to the village immediately!"
Soon after, Sakumo Hatake made his decision.
Koryo Jonin and the other supporters remained silent.
Though reluctant, they did not attempt further persuasion. Given Sakumo Hatake's nature, once a decision was made, he would never waver due to others' opinions.
Therefore—
"If he wants to fight, then we fight!"
Sakumo Hatake raised his voice, declaring, "We are Konoha ninjas known as the strongest in the ninja world. No matter how many enemies come at us, we must always have the spirit that ensures victory in every battle!"
"Hai!"
Without another word, Koryo Jonin immediately used Body Flicker to return to the Directly Commanded Units' base and begin mobilizing for battle.
As for whether this battle would bring life or death, to these loyal followers of Sakumo Hatake, it simply wasn't even worth discussing.
"Wuwuwu—"
Accompanied by piercing horn signals, the Rain and Iwagakure alliance, having moved nonstop at full speed, finally arrived before Konoha Ninja Force's outer defensive line.
Under the fanatical gazes of the Rain ninja, Sanshouo Hanzo rode his summoned beast Ibuse Poisoning slowly stepping onto the battlefield!
"Wuwuwuwuwu—"
The second round of horn blows rang out across the battlefield. Standing at the front of the Ninja Force, Sanshouo Hanzo raised his chain-sickle and slashed down fiercely, carving a sharp arc through the air as if cutting through an invisible barrier. Then, like an arrow released from a bow, he spurred his summoned beast forward charging straight into combat!
"Kill them!"
The Rain ninja erupted into earth-shaking roars, surging forward like stormy waves!
"Prepare combined ninjutsu techniques!"
At once, Onoki—who had stationed himself secretly within the Ninja Force—issued coordination orders for joint operations.
According to their prior agreement, the Rain ninja would shoulder the task of launching the initial attack for reconnaissance purposes while Iwa's Ninja Force focused on suppressing fire with first-wave ninjutsu attacks, then follow up after Sanshouo Hanzo breached Konoha's defenses.
Though it seemed like they were being used as cannon fodder to test Konoha's defenses, Sanshouo Hanzo still agreed.
After all, in this survival-of-the-fittest Ninja World, weakness itself was a sin; those who were weak deserved to suffer. Even though the Hidden Rain Village had someone as powerful as Sanshouo Hanzo, compared to Iwagakure's Kage leading the invasion in person, the Rain ninja's role was merely serving as disposable probes for the initial assault.
"Detonate immediately!"
Inside Konoha's defensive command post, Sakumo Hatake—who had been waiting in readiness—also promptly issued his command.
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