Chapter 170
The war continued, but with Hatake Sakumo and Orochimaru on the front lines, the offensive from Suna and Iwa was significantly weakened. Konoha's forces finally had a moment to breathe.
---
Ten days later, on the border of the Land of Earth.
At the junction of Earth, Rain, and Grass Countries, a few bottomless ravines sliced through the ground like scars, marking the division between the three territories. Here, representatives from multiple factions were meeting to discuss an uneasy alliance.
One figure wore an Iwa forehead protector, another bore the Sand symbol, and a third came from a smaller, lesser-known country.
The ninja from this small nation was holding a strange grenade, crafted by Orochimaru, and turning it over in his hands as he examined it closely.
"This thing looks like our own weaponry," he muttered, "but the craftsmanship is entirely different. This one's far more refined."
"So you're saying this wasn't provided by your country?" the Iwa envoy asked.
There had been previous suspicions that Konoha's advanced weaponry was supplied by this smaller nation. But apparently, that wasn't the case.
The ninja from the small nation snorted in disdain. "Supplying Konoha with technology? Don't be absurd. We may be a small nation, but we've survived in the shadow of the great powers by guarding our unique resources closely. You think we'd just hand over our secrets?"
"Understood," said the Iwa and Suna representatives, exchanging a look. They'd half-expected this answer.
"Fine," the Iwa envoy said, waving the issue aside. "Let's get to the real business. We want your country to launch an attack on Konoha."
The small nation's ninja raised an eyebrow. "And why would we do that? We're not afraid of your reprisals, but we're also not eager to provoke Konoha without good reason. You should understand our position."
"Of course." The Iwa envoy nodded. "We're willing to pay handsomely for your cooperation. And once it's done, we're prepared to allocate certain strategic resources to you as well."
"Strategic resources?" The small nation's ninja chuckled. "You big countries must really be desperate. But don't insult us by thinking we're so naive. We don't intend to play the fool just for a few scraps."
The Iwa envoy clenched his jaw, but before he could respond, the small nation's representative continued, "If you want us to risk provoking Konoha, you'll have to increase the payment by 30% on top of the original offer."
"Thirty percent more? That's a steep increase," said the Suna representative, his face twisted in irritation.
"Steep? Do you think ninja tools just appear out of thin air?" the small nation's ninja scoffed. "Every kunai, every shuriken we use is money spent. And that's without mentioning the exploding tags, soldier pills, and chakra-restoration supplies. War is expensive."
The Iwa and Suna envoys exchanged a reluctant glance. They didn't like being strong-armed, but with their forces struggling against Konoha, they had little choice.
Grudgingly, they nodded their agreement, cementing the terms of their uneasy alliance.
---
Meanwhile, back in Konoha, many villagers were still basking in the glow of Konoha's recent victories. Everywhere, people spoke of the incredible feats of three individuals: Hatake Sakumo, Orochimaru, and Tsunade.
Two of them were dominating the battlefield, while one was healing the entire army.
"Simply incredible… no wonder Tsunade-sama…"
As she walked through the bustling streets, a young red-haired girl listened to the villagers' excited conversations with a look of amazement. Kushina had always known Tsunade was strong, but this was beyond what she'd imagined.
When Tsunade had once bragged that her boyfriend was the strongest of his generation, Kushina hadn't really believed it. After all, claiming to be the "strongest" sounded a bit far-fetched. Even after hearing about the Sannin's victory over Hanzo, she was still skeptical. After all, it was three against one.
But now? Hearing how Orochimaru was single-handedly holding back enemy forces, she couldn't help but be impressed. She'd seen the horrors of battle herself and knew how devastating trained ninjas could be. To stand against entire enemy forces was remarkable.
"Tsunade-sama is so lucky…" she murmured, a hint of admiration in her voice.
As she made her way to school, she daydreamed about finding someone just as powerful for herself someday. But her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed a certain blond-haired boy staring at her from across the room.
"Hey, you sissy!" she snapped, glaring at him. "What are you staring at? Keep looking, and I'll beat you up!"
Startled, the boy quickly turned his head, not daring to meet her gaze again.
---
That night, within the Uchiha clan compound.
Since this conflict was more limited in scale, many of Konoha's elite clans hadn't deployed all their members, and a good portion of Konoha's forces remained in the village. Consequently, the Uchiha district was still bustling with activity.
In one particular room, Uchiha Akihara sat alone, his gaze fixed on the flickering candlelight as he pondered a recent development.
"The strengthening serum from the village… it certainly helps the clan members control their Sharingan better. A good thing, no doubt."
"But is there truly a limited supply of it?"
He muttered to himself, contemplating the possibilities. "Maybe if I found the right person, I could get more information…"
"Father, what are you thinking about?"
The sudden voice broke his reverie. He looked up to see a young girl standing in the doorway—Mikoto, his daughter.
"Ah, Mikoto… It's nothing, really," he said, offering her a faint smile. "Just some clan matters."
"Is it important?" she asked curiously.
"Not very important," he replied, then paused, his expression softening. "Though… perhaps it could be."
Realizing he didn't want to burden her with clan issues, he gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. You should get some rest."
"Alright, Father," Mikoto said with a small nod before heading back to her room.
As he watched her retreating figure, Akihara's expression turned thoughtful once more.