In a single day, all sorts of rumors continuously spread and intensified throughout Konoha. The entire village was alarmed three times in one day, leaving everyone anxious and unsettled.
Yet despite this, the Hokage Tower showed no intention of dispelling the rumors, merely releasing battlefield updates from Rain Country's border region in an orderly fashion.
Just as news of the large-scale conflict along Herb Country's border had just begun to circulate, villagers hadn't even had time to say "here we go again" before whispers about Rain Country's expeditionary force being defeated by the Iwagakure-Rain Ninja Alliance began spreading wildly.
As rumors about the ongoing war spread wildly through Konoha, clan members who knew the truth could stay silent no longer and came forward to clarify matters. At that moment, suddenly, the Hokage Tower issued a major announcement: The elite forces under the command of the legendary Sannin stationed in Lightning Country had already assembled completely and were now rushing at full speed to reinforce the Rain Country battlefield. The official statement intentionally emphasized the crucial roles played by the Hokage's three legendary Sannin disciples, while mentioning Hyuga Soushu's name only briefly and deliberately downplaying his involvement.
Before the villagers could fully digest these successive bombshells, a messenger hawk carrying urgent news arrived from Rain Country. Soon after, an upper ninja squad directly reached the village center and publicly announced that the border defense battle in Rain Country, co-commanded by Sakumo Hatake and Hyuga Soushu, had ended in a great victory—successfully repelling the joint attack by Iwagakure and Rain ninjas who had turned rebellious. Both sides' forces were now locked in a standoff after fierce combat.
This rapid series of twists struck like a boulder dropped into still water, instantly causing huge waves across Konoha. Faced with such sudden and dramatic shifts on the battlefield, villagers were left dazed and deeply confused. They struggled to comprehend how, within the span of just one hour, the situation had flipped from border crisis to enemy defeat. Had Konoha's ninja forces truly been so overwhelmingly strong? Or had the Hokage Tower secretly orchestrated everything from the start?
However, there was no unified answer to this question within the village.
The Hokage Tower remained silent without providing any formal explanation, instead quickly mobilizing a battalion of a thousand warriors from the Hokage Clan's sphere of influence to rush immediately toward Herb Country's front line as reinforcements under the command of Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the Hokage's son.
As for the Rain Country main camp where fortune had just turned in their favor, the Hokage Tower seemed to intentionally play it down.
Far away at Rain Country's border, Sakumo Hatake and Hyuga Soushu finally reunited.
Under pressure from Onoki and Sanshouo Hanzo, the Iwagakure-Rain Ninja alliance steadily withdrew, gradually pulling out of the battlefield.
Yet they hadn't fully retreated either—they withdrew to the ruins of the border town, completely destroyed earlier by Konoha's ninja forces before they abandoned the position, continuing their standoff against Konoha while regrouping.
On Konoha's side, finally relieved from immense tension, Sakumo Hatake could now relax and meet with Hyuga Soushu.
But when the two men stood face-to-face, Sakumo found himself at a loss for words.
When Soushu returned to the village temporarily after stepping down from his role as Commander of the Northern Front to submit his report, he had given Sakumo a rather direct warning—but back then, Sakumo hadn't truly listened.
Upon learning of the imminent threat to Rain Country's military camp, Hyuga Soushu bypassed the formalities of seeking approval from the Hokage Tower and directly dispatched Koryo Jonin, the Jonin under Sakumo Hatake, along with over 500 ninja reinforcements. This elite force played a decisive role in allowing the Rain Country's military camp to hold out until Hyuga Soushu could arrive with his main army.
As memories of past events flooded back, Sakumo Hatake struggled for words when facing Soushu—drenched in blood but still smiling as always.
Thanking him?
That would feel too distant and formal.
But then again, what should he say at a moment like this?
"I…"
Sakumo opened and closed his mouth several times but couldn't seem to find the words.
"These are [Mysterious Medicines]," Soushu said with a smile, handing over a sealing scroll. "They should come in handy for your men. While Princess Tsunade's [Medical Ninjutsu] is certainly effective, your men will also need to replenish their physical stamina. Luckily, I've brought a few extra military rations pills."
Sakumo pursed his lips, forcing a smile onto his face as he reached out and took the sealing scroll. He then called over Koryo Jonin, who had lost his left arm in the chaotic battle, and handed it to him.
Hyuga Soushu also noticed this old acquaintance, who now looked pitiful indeed.
Koryo Jonin's clothes were tattered, his face pale, and his left arm amputated at the shoulder, with hastily wrapped bandages soaked in blood. Yet despite all this, he maintained a look of quiet determination.
After receiving the sealing scroll from Sakumo, Koryo turned slightly and bowed deeply to Soushu before stepping back and leaving the conversation between the two commanders.
"What are your plans for him?" Soushu asked, slightly raising his chin toward Koryo, whose steps wavered as he walked. "For a ninja, losing an arm means more than just a decrease in combat capabilities."
"An administrative ninja position within the Jonin Unit, or..." Sakumo didn't finish his sentence.
He could tell Soushu wasn't done speaking yet.
"He'd be well-suited as chief of staff for the Northern Border Defense Force," Soushu offered.
"I've no objection; it depends on his wishes," Sakumo immediately nodded in agreement.
"Still," he paused briefly, adding, "with talents like yours, serving merely as a border commander seems a bit of a waste. Do you have any thoughts on other options?"
The two did share a certain level of camaraderie, after all. Plus, whether it was the battles on the western and northern fronts or this recent long-distance reinforcement, Sakumo had always received unwavering support from Soushu. If he failed to understand the importance of returning such favors, his career path would essentially be over.
Sakumo may have been known for his integrity, but he certainly understood how things worked socially.
"The border forces are seriously undermanned—we need Konoha to provide reinforcements," Soushu replied.
Now, nearly half of Hyuga Soushu's ninja forces remained unfilled. If he could fully staff these positions, his control over the central and southern fifteen districts of the Land of Lightning would certainly take a significant step forward. Later, if he could also integrate the northern regions of the Land of Fire along with several buffer states including the Land of Rice Fields, Soushu would then stand as a semi-independent force outside the direct control of Konoha.
At that time, with Hatake Sakumo actively rallying support for the New Will of Fire (Konoha's guiding philosophy centered on unity and sacrifice) from within, and Hyuga Soushu commanding heavy forces to support from without, toppling the old establishment led by Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi would no longer be difficult.
Yet for anyone, long-term trust was the most precious thing.
That's why Soushu proactively proposed bringing Koryo Jonin—who was not only an old friend but also one of Sakumo's most trusted men—into his own ranks. The purpose was to increase mutual trust through a certain degree of transparency, ensuring this alliance remained strong and enduring.
Moreover, in terms of capability, although Koryo had lost his left arm, he was still an experienced jonin who had long commanded ninja forces and was equally skilled in internal affairs. Appointing him as Chief of Staff for the Border Forces wasn't at all mismatched, especially since Soushu didn't require overwhelming combat ability or direct battlefield participation from him.
Hatake Sakumo clearly saw through this, but simply nodded in agreement, claiming it was Koryo's choice to make.
Hyuga Soushu also believed that as long as Sakumo gave the word, Koryo would unquestionably obey and devote himself fully until the very moment their alliance eventually fell apart.
With such groundwork laid, Soushu's request to replenish the vacancies within his ninja forces naturally seemed quite reasonable.
"Will three thousand be enough?"
Hatake Sakumo pondered briefly before offering a number.
"I'd prefer those from civilian backgrounds or minor ninja clans," Hyuga Soushu added immediately afterward.
If another batch of ninjas loyal to the Hokage faction were assigned, they wouldn't serve him as effectively—they simply couldn't afford their price tags.
"Agreed!" Sakumo readily accepted. "Anything else?"
"There's an Instructor Corps under my command. If you're interested, please assign some senior jonin from the Jonin Unit to assist me later on—I guarantee they won't be treated poorly!"
Hyuga Soushu continued, "Even decorated veteran jonin forced into retirement by injuries would do just fine."
The so-called veteran jonin referred specifically to high-ranking ninja like Koryo—loyal retainers of Sakumo who had been forced into retirement due to injuries.
Most of these veterans came from civilian or fallen minor ninja clan backgrounds. Once disabled beyond jonin mission requirements, their official status sharply declined. Though many possessed considerable savings, they largely lived lives of quiet dissatisfaction despite financial security.
This suggestion from Soushu actually helped Sakumo address a longstanding problem.
After all, as the official advisory and management body for Konoha's entire jonin force, the Jonin Unit had a responsibility to find alternatives for those injured beyond service.
Although Hyuga Soushu had publicly offered the Instructor Corps—as what appeared to be the most crucial source of fresh strength for his personal power base—as bait, it was mainly because these decorated veteran jonin represented an excellent investment.
Currently, the ninja under his command mostly came from the prestigious Uchiha and Hyuga clans. However, aside from Uchiha Mahiru, his trusted confidante, and Might Duy, the earnest but not particularly cunning disciple, Soushu actually had very few people he could truly trust.
Even those who weren't entirely trustworthy but could still be of some use were in painfully short supply.
Therefore, Soushu's power structure was like a castle built on sand. It couldn't withstand even a moderate storm. Even though tax region contracts and direct control over the five southern prefectures brought him massive wealth, not turning those resources into actual strength was like letting a kid run around a busy market with gold in hand—just asking for trouble!
The Instructor Corps, serving as the foundation of his future power, must thus be staffed with competent and trustworthy individuals. Moreover, these appointees needed to possess certain abilities while avoiding the creation of new factions within the power structure. Under such circumstances, those decorated veteran jonin naturally became ideal candidates.
These individuals, already jonin rank themselves, inevitably possessed exceptional qualities. Although their physical abilities might vary when they still had intact bodies, at the very least their vision and depth of experience met the standards required of a qualified jonin—something quite different from jonin originating from the Hokage faction. Those who rose to jonin rank outside the Hokage faction undoubtedly possessed their own strengths.
Hence, for Hyuga Soushu, these decorated jonin were the best choices for instructors.
Moreover, even if some of them harbored different aspirations, due to their physical impairments limiting individual combat effectiveness, Soushu could relatively easily eliminate any potential threats, which also related directly to his control over the Instructor Corps.
In short, employing these veteran shinobi was definitely more beneficial than harmful for the current Soushu, at the very least significantly reducing the time required to cultivate personally loyal ninja forces.
"In that case, I'll gladly thank you then!"
Hatake Sakumo didn't really think much about it, so regardless of the bloodstains on Hyuga Soushu's body, he gave him a big hug.
Meanwhile, as the Konoha Ninja Forces rapidly regained their vitality under Tsunade's medical care, the atmosphere between them and the opposing Iwagakure-Rain Ninja Alliance turned extremely peculiar.
Sanshouo Hanzo tightly covered the filter mouthpiece of his gas mask, while his Rain ninjas gathered around him. Though still facing the Konoha forces opposite them, they anxiously kept glancing back and forth at the Iwagakure ninjas surrounding their flanks and rear.
The reason Sanshouo Hanzo covered his filter wasn't due to a broken or spare-less mask, but rather to use this gesture as a warning to those suspicious-looking Iwa ninjas: he had the power to take everyone down with him—it'd be wise not to do something that hurt friends and helped enemies at the same time.
After all, the original three thousand Rain ninjas had now been reduced to only about twelve hundred, whereas Iwagakure still maintained more than two thousand shinobi. Added to this was the presence of Third Tsuchikage Onoki, which compelled Sanshouo Hanzo to adopt this desperate measure.
This eerie atmosphere lasted for nearly an hour before Onoki finally floated over, hovering above the Rain ninjas as he looked down upon Sanshouo Hanzo standing at their forefront.
"Can you still fight?"
Onoki's tone remained unnaturally calm, like the eerily still sea surface right before a storm.
Sanshouo Hanzo glanced back at the Rain ninjas, wrestling with inner turmoil.
However, after some consideration, Sanshouo Hanzo still shook his head.
Though calling off the fight now would mean all those more than a thousand Rain ninja sacrifices were for nothing,
there was no choice. Never mind sharing in the victory—if the battle continued, the Rain ninja faced near-total annihilation.
"In that case," Onoki said, "have the Rain ninjas withdraw first. We'll discuss the rest later."
His voice carried not the slightest change in tone.
This already amounted to de facto acknowledgment that Iwagakure was unwilling to continue fighting.
But under the circumstances, Sanshouo Hanzo had little time to dwell on implications and immediately signified agreement.
Onoki waved his hand, and the Iwa ninja force promptly cleared a path.
Under Sanshouo Hanzo's leadership, the Rain ninjas withdrew from the battlefield while being watched by the Iwa ninja.
"Father, Honored One."
Kitsuchi swiftly approached his father using [Super Lightweight Rock Technique].
"What do you think they resemble?" Onoki asked, pointing toward the retreating Rain ninjas.
"A defeated army?" Kitsuchi hesitated, unsure what his father meant.
"No!" Onoki shook his head and sneered. "Don't they look more like a pack of homeless dogs?"
Kitsuchi had no reply.
"Either you're sitting at the table, or you're on the menu!" Onoki remarked contemptuously. "As a village leader, Hanzo doesn't even comprehend this simple truth. It seems the title 'semi-god' is nothing but an empty reputation after all."
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