"That's right, I don't care if you're a demigod or not. With so many of us here, we can definitely ruin your reputation!"
"The likes of the Hidden Rain, in the eyes of our Hidden Sand, are worthless."
The one who said this was obviously a new generation Hidden Sand ninja who had just joined the war.
If it were the older generation of Hidden Sand ninjas, they wouldn't utter such thoughtless words.
One must understand, the title of demigod isn't self-proclaimed; it was a name unanimously acknowledged by many ninjas, including the three Sannin, during the Second Great Ninja War.
"Is this what you mean, Puppet Granny?"
Ignoring the clamor of these young Hidden Sand ninjas, Hanzou wouldn't pay attention to mere verbal squabbles with these young ones.
A true strong person would channel their power into action rather than get embroiled in petty arguments.
On Chiyo's face, it was unclear whether it was sweat or rainwater.
She did not respond to Hanzou's question.
"Trying to stall for time? A meaningless action. Why don't you guess how long it would take for me to kill all the Hidden Sand ninjas here if I personally make a move? For someone like you who has witnessed my true power, this question shouldn't be hard to answer."
Seeing Chiyo remain silent, Hanzou knew she was planning to delay time and wait for the Hidden Sand forces to gather and surround him.
From the start, she kept a distance of more than ten meters from him, wary of his Instantaneous Body Jutsu and swordsmanship.
Because this ten-meter distance was, for Chiyo, a safe distance that allowed her to react and quickly counterattack when facing him, the demigod.
Thus, Hanzou exuded a cold killing intent, and the bloodstains on his scythe were washed clean by the rain, leaving it bright and clear.
Making it clear to Chiyo, he wouldn't give the Hidden Sand troops the chance to surround him.
If they didn't step aside, he would slaughter all the Hidden Sand ninjas here. Before the main Hidden Sand forces could gather and encircle him, he definitely had the capability to accomplish this.
Chiyo's face changed, then she spoke solemnly:
"Hanzou, I don't know why you're suddenly targeting the Hidden Sand, but I believe there must be some misunderstanding. I hope after you return, you can calmly reflect on this and not fall into the enemy's trap."
She truly didn't know what had driven Hanzou to so relentlessly target the Hidden Sand.
What could a few dead Hidden Sand ninjas possibly represent, and Hanzou hadn't explained it to her, even suggesting that she, as a high-ranking advisor of the Hidden Sand, should know what was going on.
This filled Chiyo with profound confusion inside.
"No need. I've already investigated thoroughly. The identity of the Hidden Sand ninjas is beyond doubt. I will no longer compromise or tolerate you. Indeed, for ninjas, life only amounts to battles from birth to death. Whether it's you or me, it's a life of lamentation."
The final words were directed at himself.
Afterward, no Hidden Sand ninja dared to step forward and block Hanzou or the other Hidden Rain ninjas from leaving.
Hanzou led the Hidden Rain ninjas and vanished into the wind and rain, returning to the Hidden Rain Village.
After Hanzou's departure, Chiyo took a deep breath and, with a grim expression, commanded:
"Investigate! I want to know as soon as possible what exactly happened on the Hidden Rain side! We can't let Konoha off either; Hanzou wouldn't target the Hidden Sand for no reason, this must be Konoha's doing!"
"Yes!"
The accompanying Hidden Sand Jonin used the Instantaneous Body Jutsu to leave, knowing that the situation had become serious.
Originally a favorable situation, if the intervention of the Hidden Rain led to the failure of the plan, the consequences would be unimaginable.
◎
"The Hidden Rain has officially declared war on the Hidden Sand. I didn't expect you to accomplish it so quickly, Danzo. I seem to have underestimated you and those Root ninjas."
Inside a tent at the Konoha Camp, Orochimaru laughed sinisterly.
He knew that the Root's efficiency in executing missions was always speedy and that they would stop at nothing to get the job done, but he hadn't anticipated they'd so swiftly pull the Hidden Rain into the conflict, breaking ties with the Hidden Sand.
The situation, originally extremely disadvantageous to Konoha, suddenly turned favorable.
With Hanzou's Hidden Rain troops sharing the burden, it wouldn't be easy for the Hidden Sand to invade the Land of Fire.
"..."
Danzo sat in his place, silent, with a face betraying no emotion, whether sadness or joy.
"Since the Hidden Rain is about to launch a war with the Hidden Sand soon, we can't stay idle either. I'll send someone to negotiate an alliance with Hanzou. As long as we make good use of Hanzou's power, the Hidden Sand can soon be repelled. Your contribution this time is invaluable."
"...This is the mission of the Root. If there's nothing else, I need to go arrange the Root's tasks now."
"Please do. I'll handle the front battlefield from now on. Your Root is better suited for operating in the shadows. By the way, make sure the traces are cleaned up well, leave no evidence."
Orochimaru didn't insist on keeping Danzo with him as a guest; he, too, had to get busy.
The strategy to pull the Hidden Rain into the battlefield succeeded, but resisting the Hidden Sand wasn't looking quite so optimistic and needed careful handling.
Danzo walked outside the tent and, in an instant, his expression turned gloomy.
What on earth had happened?
This was completely different from the Root's plan.
Why had a conflict between the Hidden Rain and Hidden Sand arisen so quickly?
According to the original plan, there were still two very important steps yet to be executed.
Moreover, one Root team had been missing for several days, with no news at all. This made Danzo very worried; once the matter was exposed, the Hidden Rain would aim its attacks at Konoha.