Everyone in Konoha was shocked. Hanzo's statement implied that the Rock Ninjas had not only allied with the Rain Village but also with the Sand Ninjas.
"Is this how you managed to find our camp?" Tsunade asked, her expression solemn as she looked at Tsuchiguki. It was unlikely that the Rock Village alone could have located the Konoha camp with their intelligence-gathering skills.
Tsuchiguki smiled faintly, glancing at Hanzo. "We have Lord Hanzo to thank for that. After all, the Rain Village is his territory."
Although the Rain Village is not a powerful ninja village, the Second Ninja War was taking place on their land. If they could find the whereabouts of the Konoha troops, it was not surprising.
"Tsuchiguki, you told me that the Rock Ninjas, Sand Ninjas, and Rain Ninjas have united, but the Sand Ninjas have yet to appear. It seems your 'vanguard' isn't doing so well?" Hanzo narrowed his eyes slightly. The number of Konoha ninjas had not decreased as expected, and the terrain of the once-dense forest had changed. This indicated that Konoha had learned of the ambush in advance and had taken precautions.
But if Konoha truly knew of their plan, they wouldn't think they could resist the combined forces of three ninja villages on their own, would they?
Tsuchiguki's face darkened slightly. In truth, even he didn't know the origin of the sudden fire. No one could have imagined that it was the young Minato in the Konoha camp who had caused it.
Minato, amidst the Konoha forces, was quickly analyzing the current situation. While most Konoha ninjas were shocked by Hanzo's arrival, Minato knew that Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were strong enough to contend with him. After this battle, the three of them would be known as the "Sannin," becoming famous across the ninja world.
The Rain Village troops were not a major concern, numbering only a hundred. Though the Rock Ninjas had thousands of soldiers, Konoha's forces were all elite, including dozens of Uchiha clan members. With the Sharingan, the combat power of these few could rival that of hundreds of ordinary ninjas. A single pair of Sharingan was formidable, but dozens were an entirely different matter.
In the current situation, Konoha was still holding a slight advantage, especially with Sakumo and the Uchiha clan on their side. Even if Tsuchiguki could contend with either the Uchiha or Sakumo, he would be outmatched if they joined forces.
However, all this depended on the Sand Ninja troops not joining the battle. If they did, the situation would quickly turn against Konoha.
Chiyo, the commander of the Sand Ninja troops, was a powerful kunoichi who had fought alongside the Sandaime Hokage. Even Hatake Sakumo might struggle to defeat her. According to Hanzo, Tsuchiguki had allied with him and the Sand Ninjas, but while the Rain Ninja troops had arrived, Chiyo's forces were still absent.
"Could it be that Chiyo intends to watch the battle from afar and then reap the rewards?" Minato immediately considered this possibility. This strategy was indeed in line with the Sand Village's style. As the future Fourth Hokage, Minato knew this well.
If not for his actions disrupting the plan to ambush Konoha, the Rock Ninjas' earlier Earth Core Movement jutsu would have severely weakened Konoha's forces. In that case, even without the Sand Village's arrival, the outcome of the battle would have been grim for Konoha. However, if the Rock and Rain Villages sought to crush Konoha, they would still have to pay a heavy price. Even Hanzo might not emerge unscathed. In such a scenario, the Sand Village would be the biggest winner.
But because of Minato's influence, Konoha's combat strength remained largely intact, and no one knew that Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were capable of holding their own against Hanzo. In other words, as long as Konoha could hold its ground in this war, Chiyo would hesitate to intervene.
"Don't worry, we can win," Minato said to Nawaki and Uchiha Yoruki, who were trembling beside him. Facing Hanzo's overwhelming aura, it was natural for them, two newcomers with little battlefield experience, to feel afraid. This was one of the reasons why, during the Third Ninja War, Minato's opponents would flee when faced with him and his forces. It wasn't just due to orders from their superiors; Minato had developed an intimidating presence after prolonged exposure to battle, one that caused ordinary ninjas to fear even looking him in the eye.
Hearing Minato's words, Nawaki and Yoruki looked stunned. Though they were flustered, they couldn't find a trace of fear on Minato's face. On the contrary, his azure eyes held a hint of excitement.
In fact, Hanzo's battle against the Sannin was one of the most legendary encounters of the Second Ninja War. Minato had only heard about it from his teacher before, but now, he was going to witness it firsthand. How could he not be excited?
Through his analysis, Minato realized that the Konoha troops could escape this danger. As long as the Sand Ninjas maintained their opportunistic stance, Konoha would not lose to their opponents.
"It seems that Chiyo has changed her mind," Tsuchiguki muttered, his voice sinking, though he remained calm.
Hanzo's eyes flickered with caution. He was extremely prudent, never underestimating any opponent. If there was a threat, he would eliminate it swiftly. The situation had been overwhelmingly in their favor, but with the Sand Ninja's change of heart, new variables had emerged, making him particularly displeased.
"But with Lord Hanzo here, even without the Sand Ninjas, we will surely win. After defeating Konoha, we can turn our attention to destroying the Sand Ninjas. This way, the Land of Rain can avoid the threat from the Land of Wind," Tsuchiguki said with a smile. His confidence stemmed from Hanzo's presence. As long as Hanzo was on their side, success was assured.
What Tsuchiguki implied was that Hanzo's actions had offended Konoha, and if he withdrew now, he would also offend the Land of Earth. Moreover, with the Land of Wind's aggression, even Hanzo's presence might not be enough to prevent the Land of Rain from being overrun by three great nations.
But as Tsuchiguki suggested, if they could destroy the Konoha and Sand Ninja forces one by one, the situation in the Land of Rain might indeed change.
"Haha, well then, I will trust you Rock Ninjas this time," Hanzo said, his eyes locking onto Tsunade and the other five standing before the Konoha camp.
"Bastard!" Tsunade's face filled with anger as she shouted and punched the ground. "Boom!" The impact created a massive crater over ten meters wide around her. She glared at Hanzo, fearless.
"Old man, do you really think you're invincible?
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