In the Land of Rain, in the small town of Clearwater. This was a remote and humble village. Although its people were poor, it had remained relatively peaceful since the start of the war, far from the major battlegrounds.
But today, that peace was shattered.
Bam! A Konoha shinobi, clad in the standard green flak jacket, with a burly build and a stern face, violently knocked a middle-aged man to the ground, a menacing glint in his eyes.
"Lord Ninja, please, no! We are just ordinary civilians, not ninja! If you force us out, how will we survive?!" The middle-aged man lay on the ground, tears streaming down his face, clutching the Konoha shinobi's leg and pleading desperately.
"Get lost!" The Konoha shinobi remained unmoved, kicking the middle-aged man away and snarling, "Listen up! Konoha's military orders have been issued. All villages and towns in the Land of Rain are to be evacuated immediately. Otherwise, you will be killed!"
He made no attempt to hide his murderous intent, sending chills down the middle-aged man's spine.
"You have two hours to pack your belongings and get out of here. If you don't, you're all dead!" The Konoha shinobi spat, delivering his ultimatum before leaving with several other Konoha shinobi.
As soon as the Konoha shinobi were out of sight, the nearby villagers emerged from hiding and rushed towards the middle-aged man...
"Elder, what do we do now?" "Yes, Elder, why are those Konoha shinobi doing this to us?!" "If we leave here, how will our families survive?!"
The people surrounded the middle-aged man, their voices filled with anxiety and sorrow. Hearing their cries, the middle-aged man came to his senses.
He opened his eyes, now devoid of hope, and said in a dull, lifeless tone, "What choice do we have? Those Konoha shinobi said that if we don't leave, they'll kill everyone in our town. If we don't go, we're as good as dead!" After uttering these words, the middle-aged man collapsed, overcome with grief and despair...
"Elder! Please, don't scare us!" "Oh my god! What are we going to do?!" "Damn those Konoha shinobi! Why are they treating us like this?!"
The villagers cried out in despair, tears streaming down their faces, as they gathered around their unconscious elder.
In the distance, the Konoha shinobi who had just left heard the commotion but remained indifferent.
"Captain, isn't this too much?" "Yes, Captain. In these chaotic times, forcing the Rain Country civilians to leave their homes, their livelihoods. it's no different from killing them, is it?"
As Konoha shinobi who had been raised on the Will of Fire, many were kind-hearted. These two shinobi voiced their concerns to their Chunin captain, the burly Konoha shinobi from before.
"What do you know?! These are orders from above! Don't you understand what orders mean to us ninja? As shinobi, we must obey unconditionally, even if it costs us our lives!" the Chunin captain retorted angrily.
His harsh words silenced the two shinobi, who dared not utter another word.
Two hours later, shortly after the numb villagers had departed.
Suddenly, they saw flames engulfing their small town behind them! The Rain Country civilians gasped in shock. Tears flowed silently down their faces.
An overwhelming sense of pain and despair washed over them in an instant.
They had initially believed that even if they were forced from their homes, they would have a chance to return after the war. But now, the Konoha shinobi had extinguished their last glimmer of hope.
In fact, the Konoha shinobi were doing more than just forcing them to leave and burning down their homes! Next, they would systematically burn the farmland surrounding the town! Simultaneously, they would destroy the water and transportation infrastructure!
This was the scorched earth policy enacted by Zashi! Its purpose was to force Amegakure into submission!
What was happening in this town was being replicated across all the territories occupied by the Konoha and Land of Iron forces! Countless Rain Country civilians were losing their homes, forced to become refugees.
Of course, some chose to resist. But they were met with swift and brutal suppression!
And this was just the beginning!
As time went on, and the Konoha and Land of Iron forces continued to advance, the villages and towns of Amegakure were systematically eradicated.
One could only imagine the hellish landscape that the entire Rain Country would soon become!
This was also the reason why Zashi had replaced the captain of the Second Division. Sakumo Hatake would never carry out such a cruel and ruthless policy. Only Orochimaru, known for his cold-blooded nature, could faithfully execute this order.
In fact, it wasn't just the replacement of the supreme commander. The Konoha captains specifically chosen for these tasks were all ruthless individuals with ironclad wills and cold hearts. The Chunin captain mentioned earlier was a prime example.
Thus, after over half a year, the calamity inflicted by the Konoha and Land of Iron forces had engulfed nearly the entire Rain Country! In the original story, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, the three founders of the Akatsuki organization, lost their families and became orphans during this devastating period.
Faced with this onslaught, neither Amegakure nor Sunagakure remained idle. However, Zashi's strategy was a cunning one!
Utilizing the overwhelming strength of Konoha and the Land of Iron, he was systematically pushing Amegakure towards the abyss of despair! It was no exaggeration to say that if Zashi continued on this path. He wouldn't merely defeat Amegakure. He intended to exterminate the entire population of the Rain Country!!
Therefore, under such dire circumstances, Zashi finally couldn't remain passive any longer! He secretly contacted Sunagakure, preparing for a final, desperate stand!
One morning, the Sunagakure forces gathered their full strength and launched a frantic attack on the Konoha First Division's defensive line. Zashi, unfazed, joined forces with Sakumo Hatake and Gekko Yoru, easily repelling the Sunagakure army.
Meanwhile, the leader of Amegakure, the Demigod Hanzō, decided to take action himself! He led the elite forces of Amegakure, with a do-or-die determination, towards the Konoha Second Division's headquarters, unleashing a fierce assault!
For a time, a chilling atmosphere gripped the entire Rain Country! All parties involved knew that this could very well be the final battle of the Second Shinobi World War!