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The Third Raikage heroically perished in the Land of Earth... This news, officially announced by the Hidden Rock Village, naturally caused an uproar in the Ninja Realm.
With direct confirmation from Hidden Rock, the matter was almost certainly confirmed.
Since the start of the Third Great Ninja War, he was the second of the Five Kage to meet an unexpected end.
The first was the Third Kazekage, who has been missing. Although the Hidden Sand Village initially tried to conceal it, due to the Third Kazekage's prolonged absence and the operations of spies from various countries, the news, despite no direct response from the Hidden Sand, was tacitly acknowledged as fact.
The second was the Third Raikage.
Compared to the Third Kazekage, who was missing and possibly still alive, the death of the Third Raikage was certain.
The last direct death of a Five Kage on the battlefield occurred during the First Great Ninja War.
It's been nearly twenty or thirty years since a Five Kage perished due to battle.
As the first Five Kage in so many years to die in battle, the death of the Third Raikage was of significant importance.
The anger of the Hidden Cloud was beyond description; the Hidden Rock ninja who killed the Third Raikage were brimming with momentum, undoubtedly putting more pressure on Konoha.
Furthermore, while fighting against the mighty Konoha, even injuring Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, and at the same time fighting against the Hidden Cloud and successfully plotting to kill the Third Raikage... this undoubtedly proved the strong military power of the Hidden Rock Village.
When the war ends, merchants seeking cooperation with Hidden Rock will undoubtedly increase more than usual.
Even Sand, temporarily an ally, felt a tremendous increase in pressure due to Hidden Rock's series of formidable actions.
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"The, the Raikage-sama is dead?"
When the Hidden Cloud Jonin returned safely to the Land of Lightning and heard this news, it was like a bolt from the blue in their minds; their bodies froze in place, and their expressions turned dull.
"How, how could this happen? How could Raikage-sama die? This must be a lie, right?"
These Jonin's faces displayed disbelief and sorrow; they still couldn't believe that their respected Third Raikage had died on the land of the Land of Earth.
"Although it's hard to believe, this is an established fact. Raikage-sama... he indeed perished."
The Hidden Cloud Chunin responsible for reporting closed his eyes and also showed a look of sigh and sadness, expressing regret for the Third Raikage's sacrifice.
But what's done is done, and continuing to pursue it at this time holds no significance.
Since the Third Raikage is dead, the grand strategy previously established will also need to be adjusted to some extent.
"Damn it! At that time, we shamelessly abandoned Raikage-sama and ran away ourselves..."
A Jonin fell to his knees in collapse, his face crumbled with tears, pounding his fists on the ground, blood seeping out.
The other Jonin couldn't bear it either, bursting into tears.
"Raikage-sama must have discovered Hidden Rock's plot, which is why he decided to stay behind so we could safely leave the Land of Earth, sacrificing himself alone..."
It must be like this.
Their wise and powerful Raikage-sama must have sensed something was amiss, so he decided to stay behind alone, allowing his subordinates to evacuate safely, sacrificing himself in the process.
This great righteousness, and the deep affection for his subordinates, left the surviving Jonin who returned to the Land of Lightning in utter shame, unable to face their colleagues waiting for good news in the village.
They were the disgrace of the entire Hidden Cloud.
"What's the situation in the village now?"
After the sadness, a Jonin wiped their tears, eyes red, and inquired to the reporting personnel.
"The village is currently filled with indignation, many Jonin are also in an uncontrollable state, expressing their desire for Hidden Rock to pay a blood debt. There are several meetings held daily to discuss whether to engage in an open war with Hidden Rock."
The communication ninja gave a brief overview of the situation in the village.
"So, what is the final decision?"
The returning Jonin were no longer concerned about who would take the position of Fourth Raikage; they only wanted revenge against the Hidden Rock ninja who killed the Third Raikage.
The communication Chunin said with a solemn face:
"The advisors and higher-ups taking charge in place of Raikage-sama decided to abandon the original strategy, temporarily disregarding the situation with Konoha, and immediately launch an attack on Hidden Rock to avenge Raikage-sama!"
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Surrounded by high mountains and hills, with a fortress almost like a natural barrier, formed the natural protection circle of the Hidden Rock Village.
The village's buildings were primarily forged from rock, presenting a dark gray color.
Hidden Rock Village Hospital.
"Oh, my old back!"
Onoki was recuperating in a ward, but when he tried to get out of bed, he suddenly strained his back, letting out a painful cry, causing several young female nurses accompanying him to frantically lift him and settle him back on the bed.
"Tsuchikage-sama, your back injury hasn't healed yet, please don't get up and stand randomly. You actually hid it from us before, sneaking out to battle, you really don't take care of your body."
"What do you little girls know, only if I go can I restrain that brute Raikage. I'm known as the 'Both Scales' ninja, just standing there is a deterrent."
Feeling underestimated by these young nurses, Onoki's red nose twitched, shouting in displeasure, and lecturing the young ones with the tone of an elder.
Having served as the Tsuchikage for nearly thirty years, he had seen it all.