At first, the Konoha Second Division didn't pay much attention to the actions of Amegakure. Although, as the Second Division gradually eroded Amegakure's territory. Konoha dispatched a large number of ninja to guard important towns. Especially after implementing the scorched earth strategy, a significant number of ninja were deployed to every village and town in Amegakure to carry out the destruction. This further strained the Second Division's manpower.
The Second Division, which initially consisted of 5,000 ninja, was now reduced to only 2,000. However, even with just two thousand troops, they were still more than a match for Amegakure's shinobi. Don't forget, to the east of the Rain Country, there was another formidable force – the Land of Iron! Even though the Land of Iron had diverted a considerable number of troops to implement the scorched earth strategy, there were still 3,000 samurai keeping a watchful eye on Amegakure.
Therefore, although Amegakure still had three to four thousand troops available for mobilization, they posed no real threat to the Second Division. And indeed, that was the case.
Although Amegakure initially put on a fierce facade, the entire village was desperate. Only a mere 1,000 ninja followed Hanzō to attack the Second Division. The remaining Amegakure shinobi were all deployed to defend against the Land of Iron.
Though Hanzō was incredibly powerful, even among the Kage-level powerhouses, he was considered one of the strongest. The disparity of a thousand ninja wasn't something a single powerhouse could overcome. Moreover, Amegakure's most elite troops had already been lost in the wars of the past few years! In terms of individual shinobi quality, they were far from being Konoha's match.
Therefore, Hanzō's actions, in the eyes of the Second Division's high command, were nothing more than the desperate struggles of a cornered beast.
However, was that truly the case?
At that moment, in a valley not far from the Konoha Second Division's headquarters, numerous figures of Sunagakure shinobi suddenly emerged. There were a staggering 2,000 of them! Led by a green-haired Sunagakure shinobi, they stealthily advanced towards the Konoha Second Division's position.
Simultaneously, Hanzō, leading the Amegakure forces, received this news and a triumphant smile spread across his face. Unexpectedly, Sunagakure had actually managed to pull this off. They had secretly transported two thousand shinobi here without anyone noticing! Chiyo, that old woman, was truly formidable! Hanzō thought to himself.
"As long as we can take down the Konoha Second Division's headquarters this time, Konoha will suffer another heavy blow! Then, our Amegakure will have a chance to turn the tables on Konoha! Just you wait, Sakumo Hatake! Zashi! I will repay the pain you inflicted upon the Rain Country!" A spark of hatred ignited in Hanzō's eyes!
With that, Hanzō waved his hand, giving the order to his subordinates, "Commence the attack!"
Immediately, the thousand Amegakure shinobi charged towards the Konoha Second Division's forces with reckless abandon!
At the mountaintop headquarters of the Konoha Second Division.
Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade sat opposite each other, their brows furrowed as they watched the seemingly suicidal charge of the Rain shinobi below.
Although they had initially assumed that Amegakure's actions were a desperate last stand, the situation was clearly more complex! Frankly, Hanzō's behavior was akin to offering his head on a platter. Only fools or madmen would issue such irrational orders.
However, Hanzō, a seasoned shinobi known as a demigod, couldn't possibly be a fool or a madman, could he? The answer was obvious... It was simply impossible!
"What is Hanzō planning? Has the impending defeat of the Rain Country driven him insane?" Tsunade voiced her doubts.
Over the past six months, Tsunade had gradually emerged from the shadow of Nawaki Senju's death. Especially a few months ago, during a meeting in Konoha, she had met the love of her life – Dan Katō. Nourished by love, Tsunade had returned to her former self. In fact, to make Dan Katō a more suitable partner for her, Tsunade had even arranged for him to join the Second Division, helping him accumulate merits. And of course, under the watchful eyes of the Sannin, Dan Katō's safety would also be ensured.
This reminded Aizen of another man who had similarly benefited from his girlfriend's influence. His name was Minato Namikaze.
"I don't know, but one thing's for certain: Hanzō must have a plan, but it's still unclear what it is," Orochimaru said with a grim expression.
Even Orochimaru, known for his wisdom, was puzzled by Hanzō's intentions.
"Regardless of his plan, we'll adapt as needed. Since he's delivered these thousand shinobi to our doorstep, let's devour them first!" Jiraiya said calmly.
His words were met with approving nods from Orochimaru and Tsunade.
However, not long after they ordered their troops to encircle the Rain shinobi, a sudden war cry echoed from the sky! Groups of shinobi descended from above, attacking from behind. The iconic ninja attire was all too familiar to the Sannin.
"Sunagakure shinobi? How did they get here undetected, and in such numbers?" The three Sannin, who had just confronted the Rain shinobi army, looked as if they had seen a ghost.
How had such a large force of Sunagakure shinobi breached the First Division's defenses and remained unnoticed until this very moment, the start of the battle? It seemed nearly impossible!
"It's over! It doesn't matter how Sunagakure got here. Our priority is to contact Commander-in-Chief Zashi and relay this information. At the same time, we must defend the Second Division's headquarters," Orochimaru ordered calmly amidst the crisis.
Hearing Orochimaru's words, Tsunade and Jiraiya snapped out of their shock and hastily followed his instructions.
"Summoning Jutsu!" A loud voice boomed across the battlefield! With a massive plume of smoke, a mountain-sized salamander materialized before everyone.
"Poison Mist!" Hanzō, standing atop the salamander's head, formed a hand seal, and the creature opened its enormous mouth, spewing countless clouds of purple poison!
The poisonous mist permeated the battling armies. The Rain shinobi were unaffected, thanks to their gas masks. But the Konoha shinobi were in dire straits. Although Tsunade had developed an antidote for the salamander's poison, the expensive ingredients made it impossible to distribute to every Konoha shinobi.
Furthermore, even with an antidote, such a vast expanse of poisonous mist could only be neutralized for a limited time. Prolonged exposure would still prove fatal.
"We have to find a way to counter him, or we won't be able to hold our ground!" Jiraiya said urgently, watching as Konoha shinobi fell one after another.
Orochimaru and Tsunade agreed, and after issuing their final orders to the troops, they charged towards Hanzō.