The Kumogakure's army was blocked.
That's right, three days after the war began, the first battle between Konoha and Kumogakure ended.
Kumogakure, which had dispatched a full twenty thousand troops, was actually held back within the borders of the Land of Hot Water, unable to advance even a single step further.
And the forces Konoha sent numbered only just over ten people.
When the reconnaissance Ninja sent by the various villages brought this intelligence back, whether it was Onoki, the Third Kazekage, or the leaders of other great and small Ninja Villages, they were all utterly dumbfounded.
'Are you kidding me?'
'A dozen people held back twenty thousand.'
'And that with Kumogakure having a peak Kage-level Third Raikage on their side?'
'Did Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara get resurrected or something?'
"Who knows where that kid Uchiha Jin found a bunch of freaks, using never-before-seen Ninjutsu to forcefully hold back twenty thousand Kumogakure's troops in the Land of Hot Water, unable to advance a single step,"
White Zetsu also returned to Amegakure to report to the elderly Madara:
"And this is with Uchiha Jin himself not taking the field. He returned to Konoha Village right after the first battle ended, seeming very confident in those dozen or so people. The strongest among them is a guy with a fork. His techniques... how to describe them? They feel like mochi..."
Recalling Katakuri, who fought the Third Raikage evenly without disadvantage, White Zetsu actually found it difficult to describe the other's fighting style.
After all, he had never seen that kind of 'Ninjutsu' before.
"It doesn't matter. My only goal is the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Based on White Zetsu's account, the elderly Madara judged that this group had at most peak Kage-level strength.
He, the Konoha Dancing King, didn't care at all. The key was that little girl named Nohara Rin.
According to White Zetsu, although that girl was only eight years old, she had also awakened an extremely bizarre 'Kekkei Genkai'.
Moreover, it had a strong counter against the Lightning Release that Kumogakure specialized in.
Once the Kumogakure's army dared to use their signature Lightning Release, that little girl would summon a thunder cloud to devour it, then return it to them multiplied.
For Kumogakure to be unable to capture their objective for so long, Rin definitely deserved the main credit.
After all, if they didn't dare to use Lightning Release, Kumogakure was basically half-crippled.
The technique was quite interesting, but Madara didn't really care about that either.
The key was that since that little girl had become so awesome now, so it wouldn't be easy for him to kill her.
You must know that Madara was now preparing to nurture Obito as his 'agent' after death.
To achieve this, he must find a way to make him 'turn to the dark side'.
And based on the elderly Madara's long observation, the simplest method was to start with that little girl named Nohara Rin.
But now that she had become stronger, she wouldn't be so easy to manipulate.
"And that girl is quite close to that guy Jin too. If something happens to her, wouldn't that kid suspect us?"
Tobi then emerged from another wall and interjected.
This also gave Madara quite a headache.
'Damn that playboy, doesn't he let go of any woman with even a bit of looks?'
'Why didn't he inherit the virtue of self-discipline from me, his ancestor?'
After pondering for a long time, Madara narrowed his remaining left eye, revealing a long-absent, scheming smile.
"I have a way."
...
After confirming that the lineup he sent was sufficient to hold back the Kumogakure's army, Jin returned to Konoha Village.
The only benefit this war held for him was leveling up the little girl trio.
He himself wasn't very interested.
However, what surprised Jin somewhat was that shortly after returning to Konoha, an old acquaintance actively sought him out.
In Konoha's most prosperous central district, the former Sarutobi Clan's compound, now transformed into Jin's private residence.
In the huge artificial lake that had just been excavated, Shirahoshi, her peerlessly beautiful face still retaining a strong childish innocence, poked her little head out of the lake.
And on the coral rockery modeled after Fish-Man Island's Coral Hill nearby, over a dozen mermaids of considerable beauty were gathered, chatting and playing.
Choza, who had received Jin's summons, entered and secretly sighed 'wine pools and meat forests' before quickly entering the inner hall to meet with Jin.
Jin didn't waste words either, directly asking Choza what the key points of learning the Multi-Size Technique were.
Choza never expected Jin called him for this.
'Seriously, does someone with Susanoo need to learn something like the Multi-Size Technique?'
"I prefer Shirahoshi's current size, and whether it's making her smaller or me bigger, it's more convenient if I'm bigger."
Jin pointed at Shirahoshi, who was gathered with the other mermaids by the artificial lake.
Being a man, Choza guessed Jin's intention the very next second.
While inwardly marveling 'he really knows how to have fun', he hurriedly told Jin the key points of the Multi-Size Technique.
Unlike the red-eyed and white-eyed Kekkei Genkai of the Uchiha and Hyuga, the liquefaction of Kirigakure's Hozuki Clan, or Onoki's Dust Release, which require specific bloodlines, the Ino-Shika-Cho's unique Jutsus are not [Kekkei Genkai] but [Secret Techniques].
Theoretically, anyone can practice them.
But to succeed in practicing them, certain conditions must be met.
It's not something you can learn just because you want to.
For example, to learn the Nara Clan's shadow techniques, you need at least Yin Attribute Chakra.
And practicing the Akimichi Clan's Multi-Size Technique and other Jutsus requires Yang Release.
Originally, the Uchiha, opposed to the Yang-attributed Senju, were all Yin-attributed.
But after obtaining the Sage Mode from Hashirama, Jin also gained Yang Attribute.
So that wasn't a problem anymore.
And the principle of the Multi-Size Technique was strangely similar to Luffy's Gear Third.
Both involve 'expansion'.
By consuming large amounts of fat and Chakra, the effect of expanding the body is achieved.
This is also why every member of the Akimichi Clan is big and fat.
"Must have a lot of fat to use this move?"
Jin raised an eyebrow.
Although in many doujins he had read, blondes and fat pigs each occupied half the domain and Jin had occasionally thought about dyeing his hair blond before, he never had the desire to become a fat pig.
"If you don't have fat, you need to consume more Chakra. Moreover, fat can, to a certain extent, prevent muscles and internal organs from rupturing due to body expansion..."
Choza explained further.
After all, there weren't any thin people in their Akimichi Clan.
He didn't know what would happen if a thin person learned the Multi-Size Technique.
But the risks would definitely be great.
Just like Luffy's Gear Third, which theoretically works by blowing air into the body to rapidly expand a certain part.
If an ordinary person dared to play like that, their muscles would definitely rupture or even explode...
But he's a rubber man, so he can use this method recklessly.
The Akimichi Clan's Multi-Size Technique, on the other hand, uses fat to replace the function of the Gomu Gomu no Mi.
"Good, you can go back now."
After learning the hand seals and training method, Jin waved his hand, indicating the guest could leave.
He wasn't short on Chakra.
The Uchiha Clan originally had considerable Chakra Reserves, probably second only to the Senju and Uzumaki in the Ninja World.
As for internal organ rupture... it should be fine too.
After all, he had been training his physical fitness all along… preparing for when he would acquire the Saiyan Bloodline later.
Jin then walked to an open space.
Following the Chakra Flow Method Choza had just described, he adjusted the flow of Chakra within his body.
The next second, he abruptly clasped his hands together, "Multi-Size-"
"Madara-sama sent me to ask you, is the agreement between you two still valid?"
Just as Jin was about to unleash his power, a swirl-faced figure suddenly emerged from the ground behind him.
Jin kicked his head away like a soccer ball.
The headless body hurriedly climbed out of the soil, retrieved the head kicked over a hundred meters away, and pressed it back onto its neck as if using Buggy's Bara Bara no Mi. (T/N: Chop-Chop Fruit.)
"Don't be so violent~"
Tobi complained.
"I said you have to knock when coming to my house."
Jin didn't give him a pleasant look at all.
This time, it disturbed his training.
What if these freaks suddenly popped out during his exercise next time?
Wouldn't that scare the girl?
That's unacceptable.
"Sorry, sorry, I'm used to popping out from the ground or walls."
Tobi offered an insincere apology, then returned to the main topic.
"Madara-sama sent me to ask you, is that agreement you made with him back then still valid?"
During the early stages of the Second Great Ninja War, Jin and Madara had made an agreement.
They would not interfere with each other.
Jin would not interfere with Madara's Moon Eye Plan.
And Madara would not bother him.
"Have you already decided on a candidate? It's Obito, right?"
Jin asked with his back to Tobi.
"Oh? You guessed it?"
Tobi was quite surprised.
"After all, looking across the entire Uchiha Clan, he's the only one who fits the old man Madara's requirements."
Jin said calmly:
"And then? What method do you plan to use to make him 'turn evil'? Target Rin?"
If Madara still planned to use the same method as in the original work, Jin wouldn't mind storming into Amegakure early and sending him to the group chat to reunite with his brother.
"Well~ Don't worry, Madara-sama has thought of a method that satisfies both sides. You'll definitely be satisfied too. When the time comes, you just need to sit back and enjoy~"
After getting Jin's affirmative reply, Tobi waved his hand and shrank back into the ground, quickly making his escape.
Jin's expression was rather peculiar.
'Just sit back and enjoy?'
'What kind of outrageous operation is the Konoha Dancing King planning now?'
Jin took out a palm-sized white piece of paper from his pocket.
It was the Vivre Card of Rin, made back in the One Piece World.
It was still intact.
'Forget it, as long as I had this thing, I could learn about Rin's situation immediately.'
'But I wonder what kind of sneaky move that old schemer Madara has thought up.'