"Then our opportunity has come. I doubt Orochimaru can handle and control two rampaging tailed beasts on the battlefield. Konoha is bound to suffer heavy losses, and Orochimaru will fall hard."
Chiyo chuckled coldly, taking over the conversation.
"If Konoha suffers severe losses, they'll have no choice but to send more reinforcements to the Eastern Front. That's when our village should declare war on them. Konoha won't be able to handle it."
Fighting on two fronts wasn't new to Konoha; they had done so during the Second Shinobi World War. At that time, Konoha fought fiercely against Amegakure while also clashing with Sunagakure.
But can Amegakure be compared to Kirigakure?
Anyone with common sense would answer: no comparison.
"I believe this is an excellent opportunity. As long as Kirigakure isn't bluffing and their jinchūriki rampage on the battlefield..."
The Third Kazekage crossed his arms, speaking each word clearly:
"That's when Sunagakure will wash away the humiliation."
I may not be able to defeat you, but it doesn't matter if I have an ally.
Once Kirigakure has Konoha on the ropes, Sunagakure can declare war, and what will Konoha have left to defend itself?
Is war really about to break out?
Though it wasn't explicitly stated, both Rasa and Pakura weren't fools. Judging by the tone and attitude of the Third Kazekage and the Chiyo siblings, a war between Sunagakure and Konoha was now inevitable.
The two exchanged glances, and Rasa clenched his fist, silently vowing:
The shame Konoha inflicted on our village, I will make sure to return it all, on behalf of my teacher!
"Both of you."
The Third Kazekage extended an invitation to the Chiyo siblings:
"The past is behind us. Today, I have invited both of you here to ask you to come out of retirement. Sunagakure cannot rely on me alone. I hope, for the sake of the village, you will support me."
Chiyo and Ebizō exchanged looks, falling into silence.
The Third Kazekage did not rush them. He believed that the Chiyo siblings would agree to his invitation.
Sunagakure's response soon reached Yagura.
So they won't act until they see results—looks like Sunagakure really has been scared by Konoha.
Shaking his head in mild disappointment, Yagura reported the response to the Third Mizukage.
"Mizukage-sama, Sunagakure has replied. They are unwilling to declare war immediately; they want to see our village's commitment first. Specifically, they want to see the jinchūriki wreak havoc on the front lines."
"Hmph, cowardly and weak!"
Not only Yagura, but even the Third Mizukage was displeased.
So, Sunagakure truly has no backbone left after what Konoha did to them?
At this point in the war, do they really think Kirigakure has any room left to retreat?
They want proof of commitment? Ridiculous.
But it didn't matter—the Third Mizukage wasn't bothered. If they wanted proof, they'd get it. Sending the jinchūriki to the battlefield to cause chaos was part of his plan from the beginning.
As long as it depleted both Kirigakure's and Konoha's strength, nothing else mattered.
What if the tailed beasts got loose? The Third Mizukage's response: not my problem.
After the war, whoever leads Kirigakure can go after the tailed beasts.
"Issue my orders—have everyone prepare. We'll launch a full-scale attack tomorrow!"
After a few days of rest, it was time for the main act.
"Yes, Mizukage-sama."
Yagura nodded solemnly and conveyed the Third Mizukage's orders, personally overseeing all preparations for the attack.
He initially wanted to visit the jinchūriki to talk and calm them down.
But the Third Mizukage stopped him.
What was the point of calming them down? The jinchūriki's only purpose was to charge onto the battlefield and fight to the death. If they got hurt or lost control, unleashing the tailed beast was enough. Nothing else mattered.
After several days of ceasefire, Kirigakure began mobilizing again.
Konoha's forces also immediately heightened their alertness.
With a command from Orochimaru, Konoha's forces prepared for the coming battle.
But Orochimaru couldn't figure out what Kirigakure was planning.
Unfortunately, the village had no significant intelligence, and Orochimaru himself couldn't just abandon the camp to scout for information.
With war on the horizon, the atmosphere in the camp was tense.
Kirigakure's forces had gathered, ready to attack at any moment. Orochimaru, frowning deeply, wore a serious expression as he pondered Kirigakure's intentions.
Would they really abandon their advantageous positions for an all-out assault against Konoha?
Unless Yagura had lost his mind!
What Orochimaru didn't know was that Yagura hadn't lost his mind—it was the Third Mizukage who had gone mad.
As a result, Yagura had no choice but to join the madness, along with every participant from Kirigakure.
One by one, warships lined up across the ocean, forming an overwhelming sight.
The tension was palpable, with Kirigakure showing all signs of launching a massive attack. Orochimaru made his preparations accordingly, not even sending anyone to hinder Kirigakure's advance.
Giving up the naval advantage was only beneficial to Konoha.
If Kirigakure was brave enough to charge onto the shore for a direct confrontation, Konoha was ready to face them.
"Minato, I have a special mission for you."
With the imminent battle, Minato received a summons to the command center.
"No need to be so tense."
Noticing the anxiety in Minato, Orochimaru smiled, patting his shoulder.
"I need you to head to the Land of Bears. If the battlefield changes drastically, and the Land of Bears isn't under heavy enemy attack, bring Takuya from the Land of Bears to us. Can you do that?"
"Of course!"
Without hesitation, Minato accepted the task, readying himself for the journey.
Bringing Takuya back wouldn't be difficult for him.
"Heh, take it easy. Before that, you need to go to the Uzushiogakure camp and bring Jiraiya back here.
A major battle is about to erupt, and it seems Kirigakure is ready to stake everything on it."
"Orochimaru-sama, Sensei will be back at camp soon."
Minato had no time for conversation—he needed to hurry to the Uzushiogakure camp to fetch Jiraiya and then head to the Land of Bears.
He didn't want any delays that might negatively impact the battle.
Temporarily abandoning the Uzushiogakure camp and bringing Jiraiya to help was a calculated move. Even with Jiraiya gone, there were still enough people to defend the camp.
If enemies took advantage of Jiraiya's absence to attack, the camp could hold out long enough for reinforcements to arrive.
If things got so bad that reinforcements couldn't even arrive in time, then leaving more defenders wouldn't make a difference.
"It seems Kirigakure is indeed ready to stake it all against us."
After making arrangements, Jiraiya followed Minato back to the shoreline camp.
Arriving at the command center, Jiraiya immediately asked:
"Orochimaru, what exactly is Kirigakure doing?
Yagura isn't the type to abandon his advantage and rush onto land for a direct fight. What's going on in Kirigakure?"
"I don't know either."
In response to Jiraiya's question, Orochimaru shook his head. He looked up, squinting as he gazed at the sea, watching the approaching ships, a slight smile forming on his lips.
"Perhaps something big has happened that we don't know about, forcing Yagura to choose an all-out attack."
"..."
Damn it.
I'm losing my mind here, and you can still smile?
Jiraiya wanted to curse at Orochimaru, but given that he himself had no better plan and hadn't uncovered any valuable intel, he chose to remain silent.
Since Orochimaru was in command, Jiraiya decided to follow his orders.
If things went wrong, it would be on Orochimaru.
In the Land of Bears:
"Slow down, take a sip of water first."
Takuya handed Minato a glass of water, feeling a bit sorry for him.
He's still just a kid—how could Orochimaru push him so hard?
Minato wasn't at his peak yet, and using the Flying Raijin Jutsu for long-distance travel like this was surely exhausting him.
Mostly, it was just tiring.
There Minato sat, panting heavily, looking like he was about to collapse.
"I have a feeling you're thinking something bad about me."
Taking the glass and drinking a couple of sips, Minato eyed Takuya suspiciously.
Is it just my imagination? Probably not!
I'm not the kind to falsely accuse people.
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 400+ at Patreon com/ Emik01.
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A bonus chapter
The next goal is 2500 for a bonus
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