Konoha, Year 45, mid-December.
The two-and-a-half-year war in the Land of Rain finally came to an end as Konoha and Hidden Sand signed a peace agreement.
The day after the formal signing of the peace agreement, Hidden Sand Ninja, having lost a large amount of strategic resources, had no choice but to withdraw from the Land of Rain and return to the Land of Wind to recuperate and rebuild.
Similarly, Konoha did not linger in the Land of Rain for too long. Under the direction of one of the Sannin, Orochimaru, the defensive line quickly retreated back within the borders of the Land of Fire, leaving only five hundred ninjas to guard the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain. The remaining nearly two thousand ninjas followed Orochimaru back to Konoha Village, ending their long wartime careers.
Latter part of the same month, Hidden Cloud Village Ninja, using the Land of Hot Water as a passage, launched a massive invasion into the Land of Fire, formally declaring war on Konoha.
Konoha, appointing Senju Tobirama's disciple, Akimichi Torifu, as commander, led three thousand Konoha ninjas to confront the Hidden Cloud Village Ninja on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water.
This news puzzled many strategists from other villages and even many Jonin within Konoha expressed doubts about the decisions of the higher-ups.
The reason the war in the Land of Rain could end so swiftly was undoubtedly due to the great merit of Orochimaru, one of the Sannin.
Logically, it seemed necessary to maintain this wave of victory by allowing Orochimaru to once again take command and repel the Hidden Cloud Village Ninja stationed in the Land of Hot Water.
However, the commander leading the Konoha ninja against the Hidden Cloud Village Ninja was not Orochimaru, but Akimichi Torifu.
This is not to underestimate Akimichi Torifu's abilities. As a disciple of the former Hokage Senju Tobirama, sharing the same teacher as the Third Hokage and other Konoha leaders, and a secret technique ninja of the Akimichi Clan, his abilities are undoubtedly impressive.
In terms of reputation, strength, and political background, he is unmistakably a ninja entrusted with heavy responsibilities within the Hokage Faction.
Yet, one point of criticism is that Akimichi Torifu is too old, being over fifty years old. From any perspective, the young and vibrant Orochimaru, one of the candidates for the Fourth Hokage, is more suitable to replace him.
No matter how outsiders speculated, the Konoha leadership did not disclose any information, causing some to suspect whether this was a conspiracy by the Konoha leadership, such as secretly changing the commander, making it appear that Akimichi Torifu was in charge while secretly sending Orochimaru to the front lines to catch the Hidden Cloud ninja by surprise.
Hidden Cloud had to halt their offensive and observe Konoha, to see if Orochimaru had secretly arrived at the front lines, replacing Akimichi Torifu as the main general.
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Land of Grass.
While the war between Konoha and Hidden Sand in the Land of Rain had ended, the conflict between Konoha and Hidden Rock in the Land of Grass was still raging intensely.
In the dimly lit forest, Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku, and Akimichi Chouza sped forward.
These three, as the newly promoted young Jonin of Konoha Village and all hailing from elite secret technique ninja clans, gradually spread their name of 'Ino-Shika-Cho' throughout the Ninja Realm, becoming leaders among the younger generation of Konoha.
"I didn't expect the main general against the Hidden Cloud to not be Orochimaru-sama; that's a bit unexpected, Shikaku."
Yamanaka Inoichi sighed.
In his mind, on the other battlefield against Hidden Cloud, it should have been Orochimaru, who had defeated Hidden Sand ninja, serving as the commander, not Akimichi Torifu, who was already over fifty.
Although saying so might seem disrespectful to Akimichi Torifu, even if he were to defeat the Hidden Cloud, there's no higher position for him to attain in Konoha. If he loses the war, it would ruin his reputation. Win or lose, it's not favorable for Akimichi Torifu.
In contrast, the younger Orochimaru needs this war more, to firmly establish his position in the village and make final preparations for becoming the Fourth Hokage.
Therefore, Yamanaka Inoichi cannot understand the actions of the village leadership; clearly, allowing Orochimaru to deal with the Hidden Cloud ninja should be the best strategy right now.
To be honest, Akimichi Torifu could retire and enjoy his later years after a few more years as a ninja; this is not the time to send him out to meet the Hidden Cloud ninja, especially as a commander in such an important position.
"In any case, there are pros and cons."
Shikaku sighed softly.
"Oh, how so?"
"Having Orochimaru-sama face Hidden Cloud is indeed the best strategy and the choice that aligns with Konoha's overall current interests. However, what aligns with the village's overall interests might not necessarily align with the interests of the village leadership. You need to recognize the distinction between the two."
And the direction of the village is ultimately in the hands of the higher-ups, such as the Hokage and advisors.
This is a conflict between the old and new factions of Konoha.
Therefore, not allowing Orochimaru to engage with the Hidden Cloud ninja, letting his reputation cool for a while, is not entirely unreasonable.
Inoichi and Chouza were stunned, then fell into silence.
The Sannin became famous in the Second Great Ninja War, and Orochimaru is the outstanding one among them. Over the past ten-plus years, in every war Konoha has experienced, Orochimaru always goes to the most dangerous battlefronts. Among hundreds of battles, wins outnumber losses. He is one of the few practical combat ninjas in Konoha who can hold general positions.
His tactical style is not confined to conventional theories; as long as he can achieve victory, no matter how despicable or cunning the methods, he spares no effort, solely to ensure Konoha's victory.
As a result, neighboring countries, especially small ones, suffer great and enduring trauma during the process, yet it also establishes the stability of the Land of Fire and Konoha. In Shikaku's view, Orochimaru's contributions are undeniably significant.