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Unfortunately, by the time Orochimaru received this news, the Sunagakure army stationed outside had already begun an orderly retreat since last night, cautiously and slowly disengaging from Konoha's forces.
The Sunagakure side's food and various material reserves were not abundant after Sawara Kiri's continuous attacks.
Furthermore, trying to forcibly conceal this incident by relying on the Kazekage's authority was practically impossible; there were too many ways for Ninja to transmit information, such as summoning animals and other secret channels, unlike regular soldiers who are completely cut off from the outside world.
If the troops truly discovered what had happened in the rear, yet the front line was still forcefully ordering them to continue fighting, then a large-scale camp riot under such high pressure was almost a foregone conclusion.
At that point, the Third Kazekage would probably have to present his head.
Orochimaru thought calmly to himself, his golden snake eyes falling on the letter in his hand, quietly reading its contents, subconsciously recalling his last meeting with Sawara Kiri.
"You truly are far more outstanding than I imagined."
"Kiri-kun."
He murmured softly.
After finishing the letter, even Orochimaru's perpetually pale and cold face slowly revealed a faint smile.
The staff officer Nara Shikato beside him noticed this, raising an eyebrow in apparent surprise.
What could make Lord Orochimaru show such an expression?
As if noticing his confusion, Orochimaru casually handed him the letter and gently instructed, "Pass on the contents of this letter."
Orochimaru's tone was firm and powerful: "This war is Konoha's victory."
"?!"
Nara Shikato's face immediately showed a look of shock.
After reading the letter in his hand, his expression became even more incredulous.
Even someone completely unfamiliar with military strategy could clearly realize one thing after seeing the outcome in this letter—their war with the Land of Wind was about to end.
Nara Shikato immediately disregarded formalities and ran laughing towards the staff office outside.
In a short while, the entire staff office was filled with deafening cheers, and then, more and more places in Kikyo Castle erupted in cheers, transforming the entire dilapidated city into a sea of joy.
Orochimaru was also happy to look at his colleagues in this state.
He was merely emotionally detached, not a truly unfeeling robot.
How can a human be without emotion?
Months of facing life and death and fighting side-by-side had long established an emotional bond between him and these people. The only difference was that he would restrain his emotions when necessary.
"However..."
"It's not bad."
Orochimaru turned around, looking at the empty city outside the window, his smile flat: "Is it finally coming to an end?"
"..."
Unfortunately, the end of the battlefield does not signify the end of all struggles.
Orochimaru thought to himself, looking down at the makeshift desk he had constructed with Earth Release.
On top of the scattered documents lay a personal letter that had been opened and re-read multiple times.
It was Lord Third's fourth letter refusing his request for material support from the rear.
The contents of the letter were emotionally persuasive and logically sound, yet they repeatedly pushed back and obstructed, only sending support twice so far, one of which was only half of the requested amount.
If Sunagakure's failure was due to the Third Kazekage's ability to unite his people, allowing them to fight Konoha with a single mind, but ultimately being limited by the nation's resources and overall logistical capacity, then Konoha's obstacles were due to internal mismanagement and the instability of the successor.
In the eyes of other subordinates, Orochimaru always seemed to be at ease, with layers upon layers of strategies, as if he had considered everything.
But who knew that the supplies stored in Kikyo Castle could barely sustain the entire army for just over two more weeks of combat?
Fortunately, victory was assured.
Orochimaru thought, letting out a long sigh as if greatly relieved, his smile growing brighter: "To have this day, I owe much to Sawara Kiri and Sakumo, that master and disciple pair."
"I just wonder, how is Lord Third doing?"
He murmured to himself, his tone seemingly carrying a hint of unconscious sarcasm.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Hot Water.
This was a small country nestled between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning, a place that had always been peaceful, known only for its hot springs and tourism.
However, at this moment, the borders of the Land of Hot Water were already filled with dense camps and military forts.
Countless traps, barriers, and hidden sentries were spread throughout the southwestern forests of this small country, with the armies of the two nations confronting each other tens of kilometers apart, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder.
The roads of the Land of Hot Water, once famous for hot spring tourism, were now devoid of travelers; all routes were sealed, and citizens were constantly fleeing by sea and land, leaving the entire country in a state of panic.
But this was irrelevant to the Ninja of the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.
Jiraiya, the overall Commander of this border, was currently in the command tent, constantly reviewing the intelligence summaries coming in from various locations and quickly comparing them with the map to ensure the accuracy of all judgments—for a qualified Commander, this was an essential basic skill.
All sorts of supplies awaited allocation, tens of thousands of Ninja were organizing multiple defense lines, and several crucial supply lines were constantly under attack...
This was one of the reasons why Konoha had no spare capacity to provide aid to the Land of Wind front during that period.
As early as two months ago, the Third Raikage led the main force of Kumogakure—according to Anbu's intelligence, at least fifteen to twenty thousand Ninja—to the Land of Fire border to confront Konoha Ninja.
In fact, only a small portion of their forces was used to guard against the Earth Country.
Jiraiya didn't know why the Land of Lightning and the Earth Country, almost sworn enemies, maintained such an understanding. He only knew that a conflict, likely far more intense than the one in the Land of Wind, was on the verge of breaking out.
It should be known that Kumogakure's Ninja were not like Sunagakure's, which lacked various resources and Daimyo funding, making them a ragtag bunch.
The Land of Lightning, second only to the Land of Fire in terms of prosperity, had no significant deficiencies except for its relatively high terrain. Furthermore, due to its complex plateau topography, most of Kumogakure's Ninja possessed extraordinary Taijutsu abilities; strength and robust physiques were their characteristics, and the number of Ninja proficient in close-quarters combat even exceeded Konoha's. Moreover, their internal unity was strong, with a limited number of Kekkei Genkai families, avoiding the various messy problems of Konoha's high command.
Kumogakure was the most difficult opponent in the hearts of Konoha Ninja.
According to reports from multiple different directions, Kumogakure's front line was currently waiting for Konoha's defeat in the war against Sunagakure.
Once bad news from that front arrived, they would likely immediately launch a war in the north, forcing Konoha to be unable to send reinforcements, a true open conspiracy.
However, Jiraiya had no good solution.
During this period, the entire pressure on the Land of Lightning front line fell solely on him.
If there was any good news, it was probably that the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki of Hidden Cloud Village suddenly lost control last month, causing the Eight-Tails to break its seal, seemingly causing quite a stir in Hidden Cloud Village.
However, such a powerful Tailed Beast was reportedly suppressed by the Third Raikage alone.
"..."
"The Third Raikage?"
Jiraiya thought of this, and suddenly recalled something, lowering his head slightly: "Kato Dan, he must have died at his hands, right?"
"That guy."
Although he resented Kato Dan for stealing Tsunade, whom he had secretly admired for a long time, he had no doubts about Kato Dan's strength.
In terms of soul Ninjutsu alone, he was probably top-tier in all of Konoha.
"He truly is a monster."
Jiraiya thought to himself, clenching his fist secretly.
Although his various specializations had begun to emerge after he became an adult, and his mastery of the Five Element Ninjutsu was also the closest to Lord Third, 'closest' still implied a difference.
Not yet having learned Sage Mode, even though his raw power had already reached the threshold of Kage-level, he had no outstanding specialty compared to either Orochimaru or Tsunade.
Even in the battle where they earned the title of 'Three Sannin,' he was the most severely injured; if Tsunade hadn't been by his side, it wouldn't have been impossible for him to have been instantly killed by Hanzo.
Even now, having made considerable progress since then, he probably wouldn't gain much advantage facing the Third Raikage, would he?
"No."
Jiraiya thought, then suddenly chuckled at himself: "I should be careful not to suddenly die."
"But... Sage Mode."
After trying a few times in his youth, realizing he truly didn't have that talent and almost turning into a toad statue, Jiraiya never tried again.
But now, after realizing his strength was still insufficient, he once again became somewhat interested in that miraculous ability.
"Wait until this war is over."
"If it still doesn't work, then I'll accept Fukasaku-sama's suggestion and let them help digest the Sage Mode Chakra."
In fact, even until the year of his death, Jiraiya was never able to independently complete a true 'Sage Mode'.
This was the limitation brought by talent.
Even the slightest difference could keep one struggling their entire life.
As he was thinking this, his gaze swept over a clock on the table, and he estimated in his heart:
'It should be almost time, right?'
Almost as soon as this thought popped up, a short figure casually lifted the tent flap outside the military tent and strode in.
Seeing the other person, Jiraiya's expression immediately lit up with joy:
"Lord Third!"
The newcomer took off his Hokage hat, glanced at the messy desk and the densely packed maps on it, and then nodded with a hint of satisfaction:
"You brat haven't been slacking off."
Seeing him, Jiraiya seemed to suddenly find his backbone and laughed carelessly, "Ah ha, isn't that obvious! I've been diligently working this whole time…"
"Alright, alright."
Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand at him as if he had a headache, changing the subject: "Oh, by the way, I've brought you some good news—the danger on Orochimaru's side has basically been resolved."
"Eh?!"
Jiraiya was stunned by the news, his eyes wide.
As far as he knew, the danger Orochimaru faced on the Land of Wind front was much more severe than his own, wasn't it?
Even though Konoha's higher-ups had only ordered them to delay for as long as possible and resist Sunagakure's invasion until the rear defensive line was completed, there were no specific offensive requirements.
However, that was a troop disparity of nearly three times.
"Yes, it's truly remarkable."
Sarutobi Hiruzen still had his pipe in his mouth, but when he said this, there was surprisingly no happy expression on his face.
The previous entanglement between Orochimaru and Danzo was too deep.
Although Danzo, due to various complex reasons, could no longer continue to walk in the light, the force that followed Danzo, spread throughout the Ninja World, was not easy to deal with.
If Orochimaru were to fully control this power, the precarious balance that was barely maintained would likely quickly collapse.
He was still too young, only just thirty years old.
At this age, to have such powerful backing, and sufficient military achievements as support, and he himself possessed enough strength...
This situation made it so that even he, as their teacher, didn't know how to balance it anymore.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was not yet fifty this year, still in the late peak of a Ninja, truly in his prime.
Moreover, he still had many things he hadn't accomplished and had no intention of stepping down just yet.
Even if the person who was about to succeed him was his most favored disciple.
The complexity of human nature was fully demonstrated in this middle-aged man—just as it was in his attitude towards Danzo.
Jiraiya seemed to notice his slightly subtle expression when he delivered the news, and his brow furrowed slightly.
He had an upright and straightforward personality, just like his teacher when he was young, but precisely because of this, he felt dissatisfied with Hiruzen-sensei's current demeanor.
However, he said nothing.
They were all adults; even with Jiraiya's personality, he knew that a person's decisions were formed by many complex factors stacked together, and could never be resolved by a few words of talk-no-jutsu.
Jiraiya was not Uzumaki Naruto.
"First, tell me about your arrangements."
"Yes!"
As for the two Anbu captains who had followed Sarutobi Hiruzen all the way, they stood silently like shadows in the corner of the military tent, not making a sound from the very beginning.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, however, had a solemn expression.
There was naturally a reason why he, the backbone of the entire Village, would come to the front lines now.
According to their intelligence, after defeating the Eight-Tails a month ago and barely sealing it into a container, the Third Raikage had remained in the Village guarding the seal to prevent any future problems.
It wasn't until three days ago that this strongest Raikage suddenly left the Village and moved south.
Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally understood the pressure on Jiraiya's side, and there was truly no one in the Village who could match him—the only one who had fought him to a draw in actual combat, Hatake Sakumo, had already been dispatched by him to the Land of Wind front several months ago.
However, Sarutobi Hiruzen understood Sakumo's strength.
Although skilled in swordsmanship and Body Flicker, Sakumo's abilities had not exceeded his scope of response.
Since he himself could handle the Third Raikage with the support of a few Jonin, there was no reason why he couldn't deal with him himself.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was very confident.
After listening to Jiraiya's various arrangements, he slowly raised his head, looked at the setting sun outside the tent flap, and exhaled a puff of smoke:
"The strongest Raikage… is it?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen quietly savored this title, finding it more and more meaningful the more he thought about it.
When a person reached his age, they inevitably developed a desire to summarize and elevate their life's achievements.
Although he knew in his heart that his strength was probably far from the peak of the First Hokage and Nidaime-sama, this desire for fame was very real.
In the future, let Konoha's propaganda department write it that way too.
As for whether he deserved this title?
As long as he could defeat—no, achieve a draw with the Third Raikage in this battle, then this title would surely not be questioned.
A Ninja's achievements must be compared vertically along the axis of time, and horizontally along the axis of the Ninja World!
The strongest in horizontal comparison is also the strongest!
The Strongest Hokage.
"Heh."
Just as the old man with the goatee was thinking this, a series of urgent and extreme warning sounds suddenly rang out in the distant night sky.
In the distant sky, a red alarm signal, representing the highest level of danger, rose.
Sarutobi Hiruzen paused in his smoking, immediately threw off his Hokage robe, and changed into a tight, form-fitting, all-black battle suit.
That was the signal of a Raikage or Tailed Beast attack.
"Boom—!"
Rocks shattered, trees broke.
The inter-battle zone, filled with various traps and barriers, now looked from above as if someone had carved a clear dividing line right through the lush forest with a chisel.
Of the dozens of Konoha Ninja in the reconnaissance and alert squad, only the last three Jonin remained.
Even they had various marks on their bodies, left by who knew what, and one of them even had a broken arm, hanging limply.
The red flare earlier had been fired from one of their hands.
The three Jonin all looked solemnly at the figure before them.
It was a burly man, over two meters tall, with dark skin and a physique as massive as a giant bear.
His upper body was bare, and his right palm was surrounded by flickering, lightning-like Chakra.
Just now, he had used this seemingly inconspicuous Lightning Release Hand Blade to slaughter all thirty-odd members of the security team as if he were chopping melons and dicing vegetables.
Most of them didn't even get a clear look at the approaching figure before they died.
That incredibly high speed, and those indifferent eyes like a demon god, had already been deeply etched into their innermost hearts like a nightmare.
"Hey! Konoha bastards."
However, just as they thought they couldn't escape the next attack, the Third Raikage suddenly stopped, looked at them with indifferent eyes, and spoke:
"You should know that kid Sawara Kiri, right."
"Where is he now?"
Upon hearing this, the three Jonin were all stunned.
They had, of course, heard of Jonin Sawara's reputation; it seemed he had already made quite a name for himself in the Land of Wind.
But—
Why would a expert of the Third Raikage's stature suddenly bring up something like this?
They naturally didn't know the Third Raikage's troubles.
He was already overwhelmed with various vexing matters, and then a few days ago, he received quite an absurd piece of intelligence from Sunagakure—that little monster seemed to have grown even stronger.
As a result, he now yearned even more to strangle that guy in the present.
If he couldn't kill that guy in their generation—
Just recalling the might of the First Hokage when he was still alive sent a shiver down the Third Raikage's spine.
"He must be eliminated!"
Just as he was thinking this, his keen Chakra perception detected a massive Chakra signature rapidly approaching this direction.
The next moment, a thin, monkey-like figure suddenly swung a giant staff, crashing down from the sky.
"Bang—!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen landed in front of the Third Raikage, his expression tense.
"You dare to infiltrate here alone?"
"How arrogant…"
"Ay!"
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