"Shirou! Is it here?"
Under the dreary rain, Shirou, who had returned to the edge of the collapsed pit in the mountain's rear, nodded gravely.
"Yes, it's here. Konan and Nagato discovered it during their patrol earlier."
This time, Shirou had brought Kushina along. However, looking at the dark river below, she appeared somewhat skeptical.
"Shirou, isn't it normal for there to be underground rivers? Even the deserts of the Land of Wind have them."
But Shirou, with a serious expression, said in a low voice:
"No! The information my two shadow clones sent back from below indicates that the underground rivers are interconnected into a vast network. Essentially, the entirety of the Land of Rain is built atop a web of rivers that eventually flow into the sea."
"Are you suggesting that, as natives of the Land of Rain, the Rain Shinobi might use these underground rivers as pathways to launch an attack?"
As Shirou explained the potential severity of the situation, Kushina's expression grew increasingly grave.
"It's possible! Although underground rivers present many uncertainties and dangers, the Rain Shinobi, being in their own country, must have conducted thorough studies of them."
Seeing the determination in Shirou's eyes, Kushina couldn't help but flash a confident yet playful smile and nodded.
"I understand what you mean. Leave this to me!"
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Poof!
In a thick cloud of white smoke, over two hundred Uzumaki Kushinas appeared, each cracking their knuckles and smirking confidently.
"Leave this to none other than the great Uzumaki Kushina!"X9999
Watching the countless confident clones of Kushina, Shirou couldn't help but feel a bit envious of her immense chakra reserves. Still, he consoled himself internally—soon enough, he'd have comparable power.
Especially after absorbing White Zetsu. The fusion of Hashirama's cells and the energy of the Divine Tree had caused a qualitative change in his Uchiha body, resulting in noticeable chakra growth within just a few days.
Suddenly struck by an idea, Shirou chuckled.
"The entire Land of Rain is a mesh of underground rivers. Even with a thousand shadow clones, it would be difficult to explore thoroughly in a short time. Kushina, let your clones head upstream, while I'll send a summon downstream."
Summoning Jutsu!
Poof!
With a burst of white smoke, a giant slug appeared.
"Lord Shirou."
Its gentle and soothing voice echoed as Shirou respectfully bowed to the Slug Sage.
"Lady Katsuyu, I'll be relying on you to investigate the underground rivers."
Katsuyu didn't display any visible expression, but her tone conveyed a hint of joy.
"Investigating the final flow of the underground rivers? Leave it to me."
The giant slug quickly split into countless smaller slugs, which swarmed into the pit and disappeared into the depths below.
Seeing this, Kushina smirked confidently.
"You're quite cunning! With Lady Katsuyu following the rivers, it'll save you a lot of trouble. Well then, leave the rest to me!"
She leaped into the pit with a shout. Swoosh, swoosh! Her countless red-haired clones followed, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
As the rain poured down, Shirou stood outside the pit, pulling out a map of the Land of Rain with a solemn expression, prompting Kushina to question him.
"Shirou, what's the use of a map? The underground rivers have no connection to it."
After all, underground rivers were like roots—completely unpredictable in layout, making maps useless for tracking them.
Shirou shot her a glance and teased:
"In the Ninja Academy, you never had the patience for classroom lessons. You barely scraped by on written exams."
This remark about her less-than-stellar academic history made Kushina grit her teeth and glare at him angrily.
"Is that my fault? Sure, I didn't mind learning ninja techniques, but the Academy kept throwing in cultural exams about 'The Will of Fire' and 'The Great Contributions of the Third Hokage to Konoha.' How was I supposed to relate to that?"
Her frustration mounted as she continued, "I wasn't even from Konoha! I was a transfer student! How was I supposed to empathize with all that propaganda? Besides, every time they praised the Third Hokage, I thought about how great my own country and parents were!"
The more she spoke, the more upset she became. Those exams had been way too difficult for her!
Watching her grow emotional over the past, Shirou sighed lightly.
"So, back then, to stop feeling like an outsider and to make Konoha feel like home, you decided you wanted to become Hokage, didn't you?"
Hearing him articulate her inner thoughts so clearly, and standing so close to him, Kushina's heart began to race.
He understands me!
Blushing slightly, she looked flustered, but Shirou, noticing her reaction, smirked teasingly.
"And yet, when you boldly declared in front of the class that you'd become Hokage, it backfired, and you ended up being ostracized by a bunch of your classmates."
"You're the one who's sneaky!" Kushina snapped back instinctively, but Shirou shook his head with a grin, handing her the map.
"Look here. The Land of Rain has numerous rivers, but they eventually converge into a few major ones. Three flow into the Land of Fire, and two pass through the Land of Rivers before reaching the ocean."
"And the geography of the Amegakure itself includes a natural lake, often referred to as the Sea of the Land of Rain. It's the largest body of water, and it connects directly to the rivers passing through the Land of Rivers and into the ocean."
As he explained this, Shirou's expression grew increasingly serious.
"The underground rivers of the Land of Rain are extensive, and intelligence has suggested that many of them lead directly to this lake near the Amegakure."
Realizing the implications, Kushina's face turned pale with alarm.
"Shirou! Are you worried that some of these underground rivers might connect directly to this lake near the Amegakure…?"
Before she could finish, Shirou nodded grimly.
"Even if there's just one connection, it would put us in danger. The geography of the Land of Rain gives the Rain Shinobi home-field advantage. If they weren't a small village, they might have already launched widespread counterattacks using these rivers."
Kushina's expression turned grave. "We need to warn Sister Tsunade and the others immediately! Even if there's no connection here, what about elsewhere? This is still the Land of Rain…"
Her voice trailed off as she noticed Shirou's amused expression. He smirked and teased her:
"Do you think I'd wait for you? I didn't just come back to bring you here—I also grabbed maps of the Land of Rain and intelligence on the Amegakure."
"I already sent an urgent report to Sister Tsunade. Don't worry. As long as we act quickly, it won't be a problem. Besides, while the underground rivers are vast and deep, they're also highly unstable."
"If the Rain Shinobi use them, they'll be taking significant risks. It's not something they can do repeatedly."
Hearing that he had already acted, Kushina pouted. "Show-off. Just because you think faster than everyone else doesn't mean you're better. You Uchiha can be as stubborn as mules when you want to be."
Shirou shook his head with a wry smile. This fiery girl never admitted defeat, at least not verbally.
...
Meanwhile, at the forward command post, Tsunade had received Shirou's urgent report.
"Orochimaru, Jiraiya, the plan for the final assault has a major flaw! If we leave our rear exposed and the Rain Shinobi appear behind us, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
Within the tent, Tsunade, clad in her ninja armor, slammed the table with frustration as she pointed to the intelligence report in her hand.
Orochimaru, usually composed, was visibly shaken, a rare bead of sweat trailing down his face as he rasped:
"We underestimated the situation. The underground rivers of the Land of Rain are an entirely separate world. If the Rain Shinobi exploit them, the losses could be catastrophic—not just to our forces, but to the entire village if we're dragged into a prolonged conflict."
Even Jiraiya looked alarmed. "Thankfully, Shirou discovered the collapsed underground river and sent his clones to investigate. Otherwise, we'd be in serious trouble."
"The Land of Rain isn't like other countries. Sure, other nations have underground rivers, but not to this extent. It's practically…"
At a loss for words, Jiraiya gestured vaguely, prompting Orochimaru to chuckle darkly.
"Like the roots or veins of a tree."
"Exactly, Orochimaru! That's it!" Jiraiya exclaimed, slapping his knee in agreement, only for Orochimaru to sneer disdainfully.
"Idiot."
"What did you say, Orochimaru!?"
As the two began bickering, Tsunade massaged her temples in exasperation. These fools.
"Should we cancel the final assault?" Jiraiya eventually asked, turning serious once more. Orochimaru, however, smirked coldly.
"Cancel? Impossible. This operation is meant to cover White Fang's mission. By now, he's already in motion. We launch in three days, but I suggest pulling back key forces quietly after the initial assault to reinforce our rear.
If Rain Ninja is truly planning to catch us off guard this time, they will most likely launch a surprise attack when we are exhausted. All we need to do is prepare adequately, as no one knows where they might strike if they do initiate an assault."
The underground river network is as intricate as a web of veins, making it impossible to effectively counter without prior knowledge of the enemy's target.
As for using this as an opportunity for a counterattack? Since the Rain Ninja are already planning to take advantage of this strategy, wouldn't they have prepared defenses as well?
In response to Orochimaru's analysis, Tsunade frowned and pointed her finger at a spot on the map behind her.
"If the Rain Ninja launches a surprise attack, the area of focus will be here. Although, as Orochimaru said, the exact target is unclear, we can concentrate our elite forces in this region!"
The moment Tsunade indicated the location, Jiraiya's expression changed dramatically. He said anxiously, "Tsunade, the elite clan ninjas are important, but so are the other ninjas in the village!"
The place Tsunade pointed to was the central rear area, which included several small towns—one of which was where Uchiha Shirou was located.
The most critical aspect of these small towns was that they housed many talented ninjas from various prominent clans. In these towns, they could gradually adapt to the battlefield, unlike ordinary ninjas who had no choice but to face the frontlines immediately.
"Jiraiya!"
Facing Jiraiya's words, Tsunade furrowed her brows and scolded angrily, "Do you take me for someone like that? This location is the heart of our formation. If I were the Rain Ninja, I would prioritize attacking this area to sever our retreat. Take a good look at the terrain!"
Jiraiya had never seen Tsunade this furious, which left him feeling embarrassed. Even Orochimaru, rarely silent, lowered his head and said nothing.
Scratching his head awkwardly, Jiraiya stared at the map's defense layout, mumbling without knowing what to say. After a long pause, he finally said to Tsunade, "Tsunade, I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn..."
But before Jiraiya could finish, Tsunade interrupted him with a cold laugh.
"Of course! You didn't mean it intentionally. After all, under the teachings of Third Hokage, haven't too-powerful clans always been considered obstacles to Konoha's growth?"
"Tsunade, I—!"
Jiraiya tried to explain, but Tsunade didn't give him the chance, continuing to mock him:
"Don't tell me I'm wrong! Wasn't it the Senju and Uchiha clans who founded Konoha, inviting other major families to develop together? Then came the ninja academy and countless civilian ninjas.
During the First Shinobi World War, when we faced powerful enemies, for the sake of Konoha's stability and peace, it was the Senju clan and the elite of the major families in the village who fought and won the war!"
"And now, in just twenty years, clans have become nothing more than obstacles in your eyes? Or do you mean that strong clans are a threat to those old cowards hiding in the village, too afraid to step onto the battlefield themselves, yet eager to maintain their rule?!"
"Tsunade!" This time, even Orochimaru's face showed a rare seriousness as he sternly interrupted Tsunade's harsh words.
Jiraiya's face turned bright red with embarrassment, and he struggled to find words to refute her.
Was anything Tsunade said false?
No!
Yet his casual remark had somehow ignited Tsunade's fury like a bomb.
Tsunade, however, simply snorted coldly and sat down, glaring at Jiraiya before her expression gradually softened.
"Jiraiya, think before you speak next time. If you don't understand Konoha's history, the Senju clan has plenty of records. Don't rely on the so-called accounts from the ninja academy or the village."
"Ridiculous!" Tsunade huffed one last time, leaving Jiraiya even more awkward as he turned to Orochimaru for help.
Orochimaru, uncharacteristically, shrugged with an expression of helplessness. Still, under Jiraiya's pleading gaze, he finally spoke in his hoarse voice:
"Tsunade, we're in the middle of a war."
With just one sentence, Orochimaru redirected the conversation back to the matter at hand. Jiraiya quietly let out a sigh of relief.
However, unlike Jiraiya, Orochimaru's sharp and observant nature left him deeply suspicious.
Tsunade had changed recently—a subtle but noticeable shift. She appeared almost the same as before, but Orochimaru could sense that she had grown more calculating and adept in her strategies.
She was becoming more guarded! She seemed to be aligning herself with the major clans, a sign of evident dissatisfaction with the village leadership.
But this wasn't the Tsunade he once knew. She used to be indifferent to such matters, easily annoyed by politics.
When did this change begin? It seemed to have started after Nawaki's death. That was when Tsunade's behavior began to shift.
Nawaki!
Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed slightly as a possibility crossed his mind. Once the suspicion took root, it was impossible to ignore.
"Could Nawaki's accident have something to do with Sensei and the others?!"
The thought left Orochimaru shaken. He glanced at Tsunade without revealing his emotions, but internally, he was in turmoil.
Nawaki! A disciple he had cared for like family!
If his death wasn't truly an accident, then—
For a moment, even Orochimaru's mind was unsettled.
As for Tsunade, she was visibly agitated. Her mood affected even Jiraiya, reflecting the tense state of the entire village. Senju had helped build Konoha, and now they were being pushed aside.
Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya sat together in the war tent, discussing strategy. Yet, deep down, all three harbored very different thoughts.