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"This is the legendary Sharingan, isn't it?" Jinghang held up a small transparent vial to the sunlight, examining it closely. Inside the vial, soaked in formalin solution, floated a pair of eyes with three tomoe encircling their pupils. The two eyeballs swayed slightly with Jinghang's movements, their mesmerizing crimson hue exuding an almost soul-stirring power.
"Yes, it belonged to someone named Kagami Uchiha. He tried to cast a genjutsu on Shamen, but Shamen was faster and gouged them out first. By the time I arrived, Shamen was gravely injured—his kidneys pierced—yet he clung tightly to these eyes, refusing to let go. Luckily, I had a collection vial with me, so they're relatively fresh. Want them? I could install them for you," Chiyo said casually.
"No rush, no rush. Just put them in cold storage for now. I haven't decided how to use them yet," Jinghang replied, handing the vial back to Chiyo.
As a transmigrator, Jinghang naturally understood the value of the Sharingan. It was undoubtedly a treasure, but he also knew how sinister it could be. Awakening the Sharingan, evolving it to the Mangekyō Sharingan, and then to the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—each stage was more complicated than the last, often involving severed bonds and heart-wrenching sacrifices. It was mentally taxing, turning people into emotional wrecks. Sure, the abilities were incredibly powerful, culminating in the summoning of the Susanoo, but the durability of these powers was questionable. The eyes would eventually go blind with overuse. And finding a sibling with a Mangekyō Sharingan for an eye transplant? How convenient would that be?
Still, ever since he began learning ninjutsu, Jinghang had been pondering how to deal with the Uchiha clan in battle. The Susanoo didn't scare him—he had his own countermeasures, which he had tested on tailed beasts with great success. The real headache was genjutsu, his weakest area. He had no mastery over it at all! To compensate, he had undergone extensive anti-genjutsu training. However, the Uchiha clan's genjutsu was notoriously insidious and nearly impossible to guard against. Fortunately, after Madara Uchiha, that old schemer, faked his death and went into hiding, the Uchiha clan's talent pool had dried up. Currently, there didn't seem to be any notable figures among them. The only one with some reputation, Kagami Uchiha, had already been killed by Shamen. Jinghang had just been playing with his eyes moments ago. As for prodigies like Shisui, Obito, and Itachi, they wouldn't be born for decades. For now, the threat was minimal.
Reining in his wandering thoughts, Jinghang sat up straight and addressed Chiyo with a serious tone, "Chiyo-sama, there's something I need to discuss with you."
"Is it about this war?" Chiyo asked, her expression turning somber.
"Yes."
"Go on."
"After defeating Danzo, I want to form an alliance with Konoha!"
Chiyo fell silent, her face darkening. But Jinghang pressed on, speaking with conviction.
"I've reviewed the intelligence reports submitted by the spies stationed in various regions. Eight days ago, the Hidden Cloud Village secretly began mobilizing their shinobi for an unknown purpose. Six days ago, the Hidden Waterfall Village experienced a rebellion, with nearly all its high-ranking officials slaughtered by rogue ninjas. The major clans have since turned on each other. Five days ago, the Second Tsuchikage of the Hidden Stone Village issued a full mobilization order, and three days ago, they annexed the Crystal Hidden Village along with three nearby small villages without shinobi forces. Two days ago, a large number of Hidden Mist Village shinobi landed in the Land of Fire, though their exact objective remains unclear..." Jinghang spoke steadily, pouring a cup of tea for Chiyo as he continued. Chiyo's previously cold demeanor shifted to one of deep contemplation.
"This is no longer a series of small skirmishes. This is a Ninja World War!"
As the leader of the militant faction in the Hidden Sand Village, Chiyo had always sought to secure the village's greatest interests through war, striving to create a brighter future for the village's children and to gain a stronger voice in the power struggles among the Five Great Nations. However, she was not a simple-minded warmonger like the Kaguya Clan, nor a schemer like Black Zetsu, who incited wars for personal ambition.
Having experienced the chaos of the First Ninja World War, Chiyo understood all too well what such a conflict entailed. Rocks could be ground to dust, villages reduced to ashes, hard-earned wealth turned to naught, and living beings transformed into piles of bones. The current situation bore an uncanny resemblance to the First Ninja World War. After months of fighting against Amegakure and Konoha, both the militant and conservative factions of the Hidden Sand Village had suffered significant losses. Resources, manpower, and food supplies were all stretched to their limits. If not for Jinghang's decisive victories on the western front against Konoha's White Fang, the Hidden Sand Village might have ceased to exist. It was worth noting that Jinghang's last mobilization had even drawn upon the village's ANBU forces and ninja academy students. Meanwhile, Konoha had likely only used half of its strength, with heavyweights like Hiruzen Sarutobi still sitting idly in the village.
"The Hidden Sand Village must withdraw from this war, focus on recovery, develop its economy, and use the conflict to attract scattered talents and increase its population. Only by emerging as the final victor can we claim true victory! Otherwise, if we get dragged into this furnace of war, the Hidden Sand will either perish or be gravely weakened!" Jinghang declared with unwavering determination.
Looking at the young man she had watched grow up, Chiyo saw a depth of strategy and conviction in him that left no room for doubt. In that moment, the shadow of her late husband, Rettō, seemed to overlap with this youth. Slowly, Chiyo's gaze grew equally resolute.
"How long do you think this war will last?"
"Four to five years."
"Are you certain Konoha will emerge victorious?"
"Konoha has deep reserves, numerous elites, and a leader like Hiruzen Sarutobi—decisive, perceptive, and rarely prone to mistakes. They will win."
Chiyo closed her eyes in thought.
"What do you need this old woman to do?"
Sensing an opportunity, Jinghang quickly leaned in, pouring her another cup of tea with a sycophantic smile.
"Chiyo-sama, you've watched me grow up. I know my own limitations. I've just become Kazekage, and my authority isn't solid yet. Making such a decision will likely face resistance from some clans..."
As the leader of the militant faction, Chiyo's support would naturally carry more weight than Jinghang relying solely on his title as Kazekage.
"What's there to resist? Fighting and dying on the battlefield will make them understand? You were nominated by Shamen and approved by the elders of each clan. Who dares disobey your orders? Don't worry, this old woman will speak up when the time comes!" Chiyo declared, slamming the table with authority. With that, the matter was practically settled.
"What are your chances of defeating Danzo Shimura?"
Jinghang confidently downed his tea and smiled.
"Not ten out of ten, but at least nine-point-nine."
"Ow! That hurts!" Jiraiya winced, his face contorted in pain.
"Stop whining. You're lucky this iron sand wasn't poisoned, or you'd be dead by now," Tsunade retorted, holding a massive magnet to extract the iron sand embedded in his flesh.
Danzo squinted, picking up a small pinch of the extracted iron sand. He rubbed it between his fingers and sniffed it thoughtfully.
"He was alone?"
"Alone," Orochimaru confirmed.
"Have you encountered him before?"
"I've heard of him, but never met him."
"This defeat isn't your fault," Danzo sighed.
"Our ANBU's intelligence gathering is sorely lacking. For such an important enemy, we only have records of his achievements and background. There's no information on his jutsu or combat habits. How can we call this intelligence work?" Danzo scolded a masked ANBU operative.
"How much of this iron sand do you think he brought?"
Orochimaru pondered for a moment. "Based on that so-called Steel Garden jutsu... at least ten tons."
"Order all forces to retreat to the Night-Singing Sand Sea. Notify logistics to purchase large quantities of magnets from the Land of Rain and surrounding towns and villages. Prepare at least thirty tons—no, fifty tons!" Danzo commanded, raising five fingers for emphasis.
"It seems Danzo-sama is preparing to forge a massive beast cage," Orochimaru remarked with a sly smile, licking his lips.