Chiyo's strategy was shrewd. Providing a little intel to Hanzo was a small price for the Sand Village. If it meant Hanzo would drag Konoha down and force them to commit more troops, the Sand Village would benefit immensely.
Whether the Rain Village and Konoha fought each other to the bitter end or not was irrelevant to the Sand Village. Chiyo and the Third Kazekage hoped for a prolonged conflict, ideally one that would weaken both sides.
The choice between fighting to the end or accepting defeat weighed heavily on Hanzo. Admitting defeat would mean raising the white flag, announcing to the world that the Rain Village had failed, and that Hanzo had lost.
Accepting failure? Surrender? The mere thought of it was unbearable. Hanzo could barely stomach the word "defeat," let alone accept it.
But was he truly willing to surrender? Not at all.
Yet the situation was slipping out of his control. With the full-scale war between Konoha and the Sand Village drawing away many forces, the Rain Country battlefield was being gradually abandoned, and the Rain Village's losses were mounting.
A prolonged stalemate would be disastrous for both sides. But while Hanzo hesitated, Konoha pressed on, aiming for the glory of victory regardless of the cost.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, you must be feeling smug right now," Hanzo muttered. He clenched his fists until they drew blood, the crushed scroll slipping from his hands, mixing with the rain and mud on the blood-stained ground.
In reality, Sarutobi Hiruzen was far from smug. The Daimyo had once again sent emissaries to express his dissatisfaction with the chaos spreading throughout the Land of Fire, demanding that Konoha restore order quickly.
The Third Hokage, torn with worry, ran his fingers through his hair until strands came loose. The glory of victory was the last thing on his mind.
"Summon everyone," he commanded, eyes steely. If there was no other choice, then he would bet it all on a decisive battle to end the war.
The Rain Village was running out of strength, and the Konoha camp was in no better condition. Casualties kept mounting, and the constant deployment of ninjas to combat infiltrators in the Land of Fire had thinned their numbers even more.
Nara Shikako handed Shinki a report. "After this battle, the Rain Village won't be able to raise its head for at least two decades."
Analyzing the reports and intelligence gathered by Anbu, it was clear that the Rain Village had been devastated. Years of effort and resources had been wiped out in one war.
Twenty years? Shinki mused as he read the report. The Rain Village would be even worse off in twenty years than it was now.
"The Rain Village's troops are dwindling, but Hanzo himself remains a formidable threat. Unless he's taken down, Konoha won't win this war," Shikako noted grimly.
Hanzo's presence alone shifted the balance of power. He was the Rain Country's trump card. Though powerful, his influence was largely limited to the battlefield of the Rain Country, a conflict that paled in comparison to the looming war in the Land of Rivers.
"The River Country war is the real test," Shinki said.
Shikako rubbed his temples. "Hatake Sakumo has been reassigned, and we're running low on elite forces. Orochimaru and Jiraiya can only do so much. Even with them combined, taking down a demigod is nearly impossible."
"Why don't we pit our ninja heroes against the demigod?" Shinki joked, then burst out laughing.
Shikako gave him a withering look, unable to suppress a chuckle. "You're too much."
"I'm just a small medical ninja," Shinki said, feigning innocence. "I'd never dare take on a demigod."
Shikako snorted. "Right, just a medical ninja," he muttered sarcastically.
After a moment, Shinki grew serious. "Drag it out. The Rain Village can't hold on forever. Hanzo will have to accept defeat eventually. Victory is inevitable for Konoha."
"True, there's little choice," Shikako agreed, sighing. He wished he could order Shinki to lead a strike, but the rules restricted him. It wasn't worth risking the consequences.
"Next time someone suggests separating medical duties from combat leadership, I'll throttle them," Shikako thought, silently cursing the F4 for their decisions.
As night descended, the camp quieted. Only the watchful eyes of the night patrol remained alert, while others sought refuge in tents or makeshift shelters.
Shinki, too, took the opportunity to rest. With fewer injured arriving, he now had ample free time.
"Given that an enemy runs at 50 meters per second and a thrown ninja tool flies at 70 meters per second, how would one calculate the angle for an effective throw..."
"Ugh! Who even comes up with these questions?! Do ninjas need to solve math problems in battle?" Nawaki shouted, clutching his head in frustration.
He began to question all those hours he'd spent in physical training. At least during that time, he hadn't needed to solve puzzles that made him want to pull his hair out.
The little yellow-haired boy, Minato, tilted his head as he read through the problem. He thought he was a top student, but even he felt a bit overwhelmed by the complexity of the task.
"Calculate the angle for a ninja tool throw?" Minato murmured. "Do we really need to do this?"
"And this one! A genin has 100 total chakra. Using a D-level jutsu consumes one unit. How much chakra does a B-level jutsu use? Just end me now!" Nawaki groaned, shaking his head.
Shinki sat nearby, seemingly engrossed in a book, one hand resting on a stick. His face was neutral, but if one looked closely, they might have caught a glimmer of amusement.
"Who came up with these ridiculous questions?" Shinki thought. They were hilarious in their absurdity—part brainteaser, part riddle.
It was obvious that Nawaki was close to tearing his book apart in frustration.
Wait a minute...
Nawaki noticed the subtle twitch of Shinki's lips. He was laughing.
"Is he enjoying this?" Nawaki fumed internally.
With a quick tug, Nawaki signaled to Minato. The boy looked up and saw Shinki's amused expression before it vanished.
"Teacher," Minato asked hesitantly, "did you learn this kind of thing when you were in school?"
Shinki pondered for a moment, looking at their expectant faces. Finally, he shook his head and said, "Sorry, no."
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 260 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
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