Konoha had played its part in shaping the chaos engulfing the Land of Rain. If it hadn't sought to drag Rain Village into conflict, the region might not have suffered as it did.
Orochimaru, seated next to Shinki, wore a faint smile tinged with mockery. He noticed Shinki glancing at him and turned his head slightly. The two exchanged knowing smiles.
Good, they shared an understanding: once a course of action was taken, there was no need to seek excuses or vie for an honorable reputation.
What's going on with those two? thought the others. While everyone else criticized Sand Village, they seemed amused.
If it had been anyone else, Nara Shikako would have immediately reminded them to stay focused. But he had no authority over Shinki or Orochimaru.
"Everyone," Nara Shikako raised his voice, interrupting the argument, "Sand Village's retaliation isn't just about striking Rain Village; it's about seizing resources. Don't forget why they provoked this war in the first place."
Konoha's strategy needed to shift from proactive engagement to strategic patience. The longer Rain Village and Sand Village exhausted themselves, the better for Konoha.
Evacuation was not an option. If Konoha tried to withdraw, Sand Village and Rain Village would redirect their focus elsewhere. In a war where everyone sought advantage, any village attempting to step back would quickly become a target.
Shinki, as a medical ninja, was largely removed from these strategic decisions. His role was to stay at the camp and care for the injured, only stepping onto the battlefield if the camp was directly attacked or Konoha faced imminent defeat.
Sympathy for the innocents of the Land of Rain wasn't a luxury he could afford. If Sand Village was a villain in this conflict, Konoha was an accomplice. Compassion for the victims didn't align with that reality.
His priorities were clear: fulfill his duties, stockpile more puppets, and continue studying sage techniques.
Meanwhile, in Rain Village, Hanzo's rage was palpable. His poison sac throbbed with barely contained anger as he slammed his hand on the table.
"Damn old woman!!" he roared.
Hanzo and Chiyo had never liked each other. She called him an "old poison," and he called her "old woman." Now, Sand Village's relentless plundering had finally pushed him past his limits.
The cost of enraging a demigod was about to become clear.
***
"What did you say?" Shinki thought he'd misheard. He raised a hand to his ear. "Rain Village declared war on *us*?"
"Yes," confirmed the messenger, "and not just on us—on the Rock Village and Sand Village too."
Jiraiya, who had just returned from the battlefield for a break, scratched at his unwashed hair with a sigh. "I don't know what set off that demigod to declare war on all three major ninja villages at once. Isn't he afraid of being overwhelmed?"
Jiraiya was puzzled. It seemed Hanzo had followed a familiar path from the original timeline: seeing the dire situation and choosing confrontation over passive resistance. But this time, his declaration came at the very start of the war, not when battles were already concluding.
In an unexpected move, Hanzo led Rain Village forces in a frenzy, attacking territories occupied by Konoha, Sand Village, and Rock Village.
The three major ninja villages were caught off guard.
What was he thinking? How dare he!
To the three great villages, Rain Village was nothing more than collateral in their grand game. Konoha's initial ploy to drag them into conflict spoke volumes about the dismissive attitude toward them. Hanzo's reputation as a "demigod" didn't carry enough weight to earn true respect, as evidenced by the Third Kazekage's attempt to demean him.
No one had considered Rain Village's response worth worrying about—until now.
Hanzo had done the unthinkable: he declared war on not one, but *three* major ninja villages and launched attacks on their forces.
Where did Hanzo get this audacity? Did he really believe he was invincible?
In the original story, Hanzo's declaration of war had come when Rain Village could no longer endure the situation—when the battles between the great villages were winding down.
But now? The war had barely begun, and already Hanzo had lashed out.
To make matters worse, his swift action caught the three villages off guard, particularly Sand Village. Chiyo, expecting only a drawn-out revenge campaign from Hanzo, was unprepared for such a bold move.
"Our demigod is very brave," Shinki commented after a moment's silence. It was the only description he could think of. Anything else seemed inadequate.
Had it been him, he would have conserved strength, waiting for the great villages to exhaust themselves before striking. The Land of Rain was already in ruins. Better to let the major powers weaken each other first before making a move.
But Hanzo had disregarded this strategy, breaking the unspoken agreement among the villages and exposing his position.
Once word of this spread, the entire ninja world would be astounded.
Now it remained to be seen how the three major villages would respond.
If they did nothing, it would be a tremendous blow to their prestige. But now that Rain Village had made the first move, the great villages had the excuse they needed to engage fully.
"Let's set that aside for now. Can you take a look at my manuscript?" Jiraiya interrupted. Despite the seriousness of the situation, his mind was elsewhere.
Shinki blinked, confused, as a pile of handwritten pages was shoved into his hands. "You wrote all this?"
Jiraiya nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! That story you told before inspired me, so I added some scenes. Don't worry, you'll get a share of the royalties once it's published."
"No, I mean—when did you have the time to write this?"
Jiraiya shrugged. Royalties were a bonus, but not his primary concern. What intrigued Shinki was when he'd found the time to write a book while fighting on the battlefield.
"It was during breaks here and there. Why?" Jiraiya tilted his head, genuinely puzzled.
"..."
Incredible.
While others fought desperately on the front lines, risking their lives, Jiraiya had managed to find time to write—and it wasn't just battle notes; it was a full story about an imperial uncle!
Jiraiya truly was one of a kind.
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 170 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
Gimme power stonesssss