Chapter 115: Attacked on Three Sides - A Strategy to Break the Deadlock!
On the other side.
The border of the Land of Fire, the Land of Rain defense line, Konoha garrison headquarters.
Raindrops fell, striking the leather surface of the command tent with dull thuds.
The sky was covered with dark clouds, and blue lightning roared wildly.
Inside the military tent, a group sat in silence, hands pressed to their foreheads, staring at the intelligence reports spread across their desks, their expressions grave.
Jiraiya's team: Minato Namikaze, Shikaku Nara, Hamaki Mimura.
Everyone gathered in the military tent represented the elite forces among Konoha's Jōnin—the village's finest strategic minds.
But at this moment, their expressions were deeply troubled.
"Lord Jiraiya, are you certain this intelligence is accurate?" Shikaku Nara, the military strategist wearing his flak jacket and sporting his distinctive spiky ponytail,
frowned. He looked up toward the head of the tent, where sat a tall man in a red outer coat with a forehead protector bearing the kanji for "oil." His white hair reached his waist, and two red marks stretched down his cheeks from beneath his eyes. He stood at least 1.9 meters tall.
This man was none other than Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin.
Jiraiya scratched his head in frustration, sighed and said,
"It's been confirmed that Sunagakure will join forces with Iwagakure to declare war on Konoha together."
"They're just waiting for the envoy to the Land of Earth to reach an agreement with the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, and this alliance will be finalized."
After receiving this confirmation again,
Shikaku took a deep breath and analyzed with a grim expression,
"In that case, on the Land of Rain battlefield, the village will be attacked by both Suna and Iwa. Additionally, the intelligence from the Land of Fields on the border between the Lands of Fire and Lightning is equally troubling. Furthermore, Kirigakure has ended their conflict with Sunagakure."
"At this rate, we'll be attacked by at least Suna, Iwa, and Kumo."
"In the worst-case scenario, we'll be surrounded and attacked from all sides!"
"You're all familiar with what this means. Everyone here witnessed what the Second Shinobi World War was like."
"What was the final outcome for the Land of Rain when it was attacked from three sides?"
As soon as these words left his mouth, everyone present tensed, staring at the intelligence reports with even greater alarm.
During the Second Shinobi World War, the Land of Rain, overestimating its strength, attempted to become the sixth great shinobi nation. Ultimately, attacked from three sides, it was utterly devastated and remains on the brink of collapse to this day.
Konoha was stronger than the Land of Rain,
but if simultaneously attacked from all four directions,
they honestly couldn't withstand such a ferocious assault.
Just three days after the Third Shinobi World War erupted, bad news kept arriving.
Now the fuse had finally been lit with such a devastating revelation.
Everyone in the room fell silent.
For Konoha, the Third Shinobi World War would be more catastrophic than any previous conflict!
So catastrophic that even their children might be thrust into battle.
The thought of such a possibility struck Hamaki Mimura, who was seated at the table, and
he immediately stood up and asked urgently,
"Lord Jiraiya, is there no way to prevent this?"
This was the question everyone in the room wanted to ask. As he spoke, all eyes turned to Jiraiya at the head of the table.
Even his direct student, Minato Namikaze, standing beside Jiraiya, glanced over.
Under everyone's gaze,
Jiraiya was silent for a moment, then raised his head and looked outside the tent with a determined expression.
He took a deep breath and declared:
"Of course there is!"
"To deal with this situation!"
"The village has assembled a reliable team!"
"And formulated a plan called the 'Land of Rain Assassination Operation'!"
"I've called you all here to refine this plan and contribute to this assassination operation's success!"
Then Jiraiya looked outside the tent, his eyes blazing with resolve.
"The Sannin and their disciples will serve as the core executors of this operation—"
"We will eliminate the envoy Sunagakure sent to form an alliance with Iwagakure—the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa!"
Everyone was stunned by these words!
They weren't just shocked that Sunagakure had sent the Fourth Kazekage himself to ensure the alliance's success.
They were also shocked by Jiraiya's previous statement!
The Sannin and their disciples were going to assassinate the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa?!
Upon hearing this,
everyone's eyes immediately turned to Jiraiya, who looked solemn, and Minato Namikaze standing beside him, looking bewildered.
Minato, with a dumbfounded expression, was equally confused.
He had just retreated from Iwagakure territory with his master Jiraiya and hadn't received any notice from the village.
Why was he suddenly being asked to assassinate Rasa?
Seeing his expression, everyone smiled knowingly,
thinking, The answer is obvious, Minato, and you're still playing dumb? You're quite the actor.
The Sannin and their disciples?
They were the only ones present who met the requirements and might actually succeed!
The answer, then, could only be this combination.
Jiraiya heartily laughed at their glances, his gaze burning as he looked outside the tent.
Just then,
thunder and lightning flashed outside. A pale hand lifted the tent flap,
revealing Orochimaru, clad in a jet-black cloak. He removed his hood and gave a raspy chuckle.
"What's this, Jiraiya?"
"Aren't you surprised by my arrival?"
Meanwhile,
back in the Land of Hot Water,
when Tsukasa finished reading the scroll in his hands, his pupils contracted, his mind blazing with questions.
He thought, Why are you, Aburame Ryoma, being so reserved?
You show me this devastating information, then tell me to get some rest tonight?
You've got to be kidding!
How the hell am I supposed to sleep after learning all this?!
Tsukasa leaped to his feet, threw on his yukata, grabbed the scroll, and rushed to the sauna.
He had so many questions about this mission.
Why was he the one assigned to it?
Why was Rasa the envoy Sunagakure sent? When did Rasa become the Fourth Kazekage?
And what impact would this have on the future course of the war?
Question after question consumed Tsukasa, making him desperate for answers.
He eagerly kicked open the sauna door and barked at his brooding superior sitting in the mist,
"Aburame Ryoma, tell me everything now!"
Aburame Ryoma had clearly anticipated Tsukasa's reaction.
He sat pensively on a bench in the sauna, several towels neatly stacked in a basin at his feet.
The fog coating his sunglasses didn't prevent him from looking up at Tsukasa.
Then he said quietly,
"I knew it. Uchiha really are so impatient."
"Kid, this is the first lesson I'm teaching you as your superior."
"Want to know the answers?"
Aburame Ryoma tilted his head, adjusted his stylish sunglasses, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face.
He picked up a towel from the basin at his feet and tossed it to Tsukasa.
Then he chuckled and said,
"First, correct your manner of address. Then work hard to earn it!"
Tsukasa glanced at the white towel in his hand, then looked up at Aburame Ryoma, who was smiling mischievously before him, with small insects occasionally crawling from his collar and sleeves.
Tsukasa fell silent.
End of Chapter 115
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