Chapter 72
"Fortunately, I managed to drag my half-dead body back to the camp. Most people wouldn't have that kind of endurance."
The three Sannin didn't suffer as much when they faced Hanzo, but they were a trio. Hatake Sakumo fought alone. His return, even in such a state, was remarkable.
"Oh, it seems I should congratulate him," Orochimaru said with a playful smirk. He took the glass tube handed to him by Shinki and raised an eyebrow. "A new type of poison?"
"Yeah," Shinki replied, sitting back in his chair and rubbing his temples. The exhaustion was visible in his eyes. Working all day and being summoned at night for sage training was taking its toll. He was severely sleep-deprived, and his mental state was fraying.
"It's not entirely new," Shinki continued, "It's from Senior Sakumo's wounds and is related to Hanzo's salamander poison. You should study it."
With that, Shinki's eyes closed, and he fell asleep within seconds.
Orochimaru glanced up, a curious expression crossing his face. Was the workload in the medical unit really that overwhelming? It didn't seem so.
***
"Are the village's casualties significantly higher than Konoha's?" Chiyo's voice resonated with tension as she reviewed the reports from her subordinates. Since arriving at the camp, she had taken control, needing full knowledge of the battlefield situation.
Listening to the latest updates, Chiyo's brows furrowed deeply. Nearly a thousand ninjas from Sand Village, Konoha, and Rock Village were now entrenched in the Rain Country. The casualty rate for Sand Village, however, was higher than Konoha's, something that irked her greatly.
Ambushes and head-on confrontations had taken their toll. This only underscored one point: Sand Village's ninjas were not as skilled as Konoha's.
Chiyo felt her frustration rising.
Scanning the report scroll, she sneered. "Konoha came prepared, with antidotes lined up for every situation."
Her teeth clenched. Of course Konoha's wealth made such preparations possible.
If Sand Village had such resources, they wouldn't have needed to provoke a war in the first place.
Jealousy burned in Chiyo's heart.
The five great ninja villages had their strengths, but in single combat, Konoha's shinobi had the upper hand. Sand Village's expertise lay in small-scale operations, while the Rock Village excelled in larger battlegrounds.
The Earth Corps of the Rock Village was no joke.
Despite Sand Village's reliance on poisons, Konoha's preemptive measures with antidotes had blunted their advantage. The disparity became more apparent as battles raged on.
"What's the report about our teams disappearing?" Chiyo's eyes narrowed further, a deep worry etched across her face.
"It's Rain Village," the reporting ninja spat. "Ever since tensions turned into open war, they've been targeting us. Especially Hanzo of the Salamander."
The three great ninja villages fought in a chaotic free-for-all, but Rain Village acted as a rogue element, striking at will. The worst of it fell on Sand Village, thanks to the grudge Hanzo bore against the Third Kazekage for trying to subjugate him.
Chiyo's eyes flickered with understanding. "That old poisoner. He'll pay for this."
The source of Hanzo's aggression was no mystery. The Third Kazekage's attempt to make him a subordinate was an insult Hanzo would never forget. It was surprising enough that Hanzo didn't lash out during the confrontation itself. Retaliation was inevitable.
Rain Village might claim to be fighting everyone, but their focus on Sand Village was unmistakable. Hanzo himself led the charge.
"If he wants to make Sand Village his target, he'll get a response," Chiyo vowed. Showing weakness was not an option for Sand Village.
Others might fear Hanzo, but Chiyo did not. She planned to repay him in kind.
***
At the Konoha camp, Shinki, still sleep-deprived, was summoned to a strategy meeting.
Nara Shikako, standing at the head of the room, tapped her stick against a map pinned on the board.
"Recent intelligence shows an escalation between Sand Village and Rain Village."
On the map, various circles marked the towns and villages of the Land of Rain.
"In the past few days, nearly every settlement in the Land of Rain has been attacked or looted by Sand Village forces. Only the Daimyo's mansion and Rain Village remain untouched."
Chiyo's retribution was swift and brutal. Sand Village's forces, led by her, had devastated the region. The only reasons the Daimyo's mansion and Rain Village remained unscathed were their strong fortifications and political constraints.
The Land of Rain had become a hellish landscape.
This retaliatory wave left countless dead or injured, and even those who survived faced unimaginable hardships.
With the chaos, the Land of Rain was in ruins.
The timeline of war, expected years down the line, had accelerated. The Salamander Hanzo's fury targeted Sand Village, which fought back fiercely.
Danzo Shimura, this was all your doing.
If not for Danzo's manipulative tactics—using information to entice Hanzo and push events into motion—this war might not have started so prematurely.
Without Danzo's interference, Hanzo wouldn't have approached Sand Village seeking an alliance, nor would he have faced humiliation by the Third Kazekage.
Now, the so-called "demigod" focused his wrath on Sand Village, making it clear to all.
Outwardly, Hanzo clashed with any village, be it Konoha, Rock, or Sand. Secretly, however, he unleashed the brunt of his anger on Sand Village.
A single action from Danzo had set a cascade into motion, one that none foresaw.
"Sand Village's actions are excessive. Wars should never target civilians," someone at the table voiced.
"Exactly."
"If Sand Village had a shred of decency, they wouldn't have initiated this war!"
The room filled with criticisms aimed at Sand Village.
Shinki remained silent, listening as the others vented.
He found the whole scene ironic. If they condemned Sand Village, how much better was Konoha? How righteous were the people in this room?
Shinki wasn't naïve or idealistic; he simply found the hypocrisy amusing.
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