Land of Rivers Border, Suna Battlefield~
Hatake Sakumo, rarely seen shouting, was commanding the Konoha ninjas to retreat.
Chiyo, controlling her ten puppets, furiously attacked the surrounding Konoha ninjas, having entered a frenzied state.
Bunpuku stood at the center of the battlefield, hands clasped together, as the yellow sand extending from under his feet continued to claim the lives of Konoha ninjas. The thick yellow sand encased his body, protecting him from any surprise attacks.
The entire ground had been transformed into a desert by him, and on this battlefield, no one could resist the power of Shukaku and its host.
"Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!"
"Wind Release: Sand Shotgun!"
The rain of yellow sand covered the entire battlefield, carrying terrifying momentum as it surged towards the Konoha ninjas. With no means to retaliate, the Konoha ninjas could only flee desperately while the Sand ninjas, invigorated, pursued them relentlessly.
Hatake Sakumo frowned deeply, knowing there was no effective way to deal with such a near-perfect Jinchuriki. The old man in front of him seemed to have fully harnessed the power of the tailed beast.
Not only could he partially transform into the tailed beast, but he also mastered a profound sealing technique. Sakumo had tried multiple times, but he could not successfully harm Bunpuku.
Sakumo's fighting style leaned more towards that of a samurai, which left him at a disadvantage against this type of opponent. Furthermore, Bunpuku was not like a young Gaara, who was overly reliant on the so-called "absolute defense."
Bunpuku skillfully used his sealing techniques in tandem with Shukaku's sand shield, creating an impenetrable defense. Without any means to counter Bunpuku, the Sand ninjas' morale soared, bolstered by the power of the tailed beast.
Konoha's forces retreated in defeat, unable to hold the border defense line of the Land of Rivers, and began falling back towards the Land of Fire.
The Konoha defense line on the Sand battlefield had completely collapsed.
..........
Hokage Building~
The Third Hokage, who had yet to fully savor the victory news from a month ago, now stared at the new developments on the Sand battlefield, his face ashen.
He had thought the Sand battlefield had already seen success and had planned to send Hatake Sakumo to support the Rain battlefield to end the war as quickly as possible.
But he hadn't expected the Sand ninjas to be so fierce, even bringing out their tailed beast!
This was the first time since the Battle of the End Valley that a tailed beast had been deployed as a regular weapon on the battlefield.
The current Kage of the Five Great Nations were all shocked by the success of this move.
It seemed that even without the likes of the "Uchiha Ghost" or the "God of Shinobi," one could still control a tailed beast and wield such formidable power?
After this, the Five Great Nations secretly accelerated their plans to cultivate their Jinchuriki. On the next battlefield, any nation without a Jinchuriki would be ganged up on by the other four.
The Third Hokage glanced towards the Senju residence and sighed inwardly.
Although he knew the power of the Nine-Tails was unparalleled among the tailed beasts, he was resolute in not letting Uzumaki Mito come out of retirement.
If he had to rely on the First Hokage's widow to protect the village, it wouldn't just be a matter of disgrace—he might as well commit seppuku after the war.
The Third Hokage tapped the table, signaling the remaining members of Tobirama's team to offer their thoughts.
The deployment of a tailed beast by the Sand ninjas had stirred the other three nations.
Iwagakure and Kumogakure had already begun patrolling Konoha's borders. If the Sand ninjas and Shukaku were to push into the Land of Fire, the situation would become irreversibly dire.
Shimura Danzo stepped forward. No matter the situation, he was always the first to respond, though his words weren't always what others wanted to hear.
"Hiruzen, this is the result of your poor leadership. The failure on the Sand battlefield falls squarely on your shoulders!"
Classic Danzo—always starting with accusations.
"I'm asking for suggestions, not for you to point fingers!" The Third Hokage retorted angrily.
The Third Hokage was exhausted by Danzo's insistence on infighting, especially with a tailed beast on the loose.
Seeing no one else was offering the advice he sought, the Third Hokage spoke up:
"At this point, we have no choice but to enlist the Uchiha clan. But Uchiha Setsuna must stay in the village to prevent him from using his Mangekyo Sharingan to gain control over the tailed beast."
"Danzo, you'll negotiate with Uchiha Fuma and bring our sincerity with you!"
Danzo snorted in dissatisfaction, looking at the Third Hokage with a mocking expression:
"You think Uchiha Fuma is like the Uchiha of old? He may be Kagami's son, but he is nothing like his father."
"Hiruzen, do you really believe he will follow your orders just because you are the Hokage?"
"Bring something of value to the table. Without it, that guy won't lift a finger!"
At this moment, Danzo seemed almost like an ally of Fuma, advocating for his interests.
It wasn't because they had any sort of relationship; Danzo simply understood a fundamental truth: some people cannot be swayed by sweet talk or moral persuasion.
Koharu Utatane stood up and angrily questioned:
"It's every Konoha ninja's duty to fight for the village! Letting the Uchiha fight on the battlefield is already a concession on our part!"
In the anime, the Uchiha had no chance to participate in the Second Shinobi World War, being completely isolated.
It wasn't until the Third Shinobi World War, when the village could no longer bear the pressure, that they allowed Minato Namikaze to become Obito Uchiha's mentor, showing a slight gesture of goodwill.
Danzo, however, looked disdainful, letting out a cold laugh in his mind.
The so-called Will of Fire might fool others, but it wouldn't fool himself.
Even Danzo acknowledged that with how the village had treated the Uchiha, it was impossible for any Uchiha to believe in the Will of Fire. Unless the clan produced a few insane members, it was ludicrous to think they could persuade Fuma with the Will of Fire.
Homura Mitokado then suggested quietly, "What if we use his relationship with Tsunade as leverage?"
The Third Hokage irritably waved off the suggestion.
"Lady Mito hasn't voiced her opinion on this matter. Doesn't that tell you something?"
The room fell into silence once again.
After a long pause, the Third Hokage spoke:
"Danzo, lead the Root division. For the other three nations, the Root must gather intelligence and prepare for any sudden attacks."
"And take the Eight Gates technique and the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing as our bargaining chips. Ensure Uchiha Fuma fully commits to driving back the Sand ninjas."
These two techniques were chosen after the Third Hokage's careful consideration.
The Eight Gates technique was something Fuma had always desired, which would show their sincerity.
As for the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing, a technique rarely practiced even among the Uzumaki, the Third Hokage believed it wouldn't give the Uchiha any real advantage.
Danzo scoffed, flicked his sleeves, and left the room. In fairness, among the group, only Danzo was actually getting things done.
Koharu Utatane, still unsatisfied, questioned the Third Hokage:
"We can't compromise with the Uchiha like this. You're aiding the enemy, Hiruzen!"
The Third Hokage shot a cold glare at Koharu, his voice stern:
"What do you mean 'aiding the enemy'? The Uchiha are a part of Konoha too! They have a duty to protect Konoha, and we have a responsibility to reward them for it!"
Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses, seemingly ignoring the Third Hokage's words, and continued his analysis:
"Given the current village dynamics, the Uchiha clan has no allies within Konoha."
"Letting them earn some war merit is inconsequential. Besides, there's no guarantee Uchiha Fuma can even defeat a tailed beast."
"And if he survives, we can blame the failure to repel the tailed beast on the scouting unit, severely damaging the Uchiha's reputation."
"As long as the majority of the village's clans continue to support us, we won't have to worry about the Uchiha's ambitions for now."
The Third Hokage listened quietly to Homura's analysis, nodding slightly in agreement.
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