Chapter 71

The Rock Village felt unjustly caught in the conflict. They had no intention of engaging in war but were dragged into the Rain Country's turmoil by both the Sand Village and Konoha.

Moreover, tensions between the Rock Village and Cloud Village were consistently high, with the powerful Cloud Village always poised as a potential adversary. This deterred the Rock Village from initiating any declarations of war.

While conflicts could be fought, openly declaring war was seen as reckless.

Being the first to declare war would make them the target. If victorious, they might gain; if defeated, the consequences included heavy reparations and a tarnished reputation.

Thus, none of the three major ninja villages wanted to be the first to initiate war.

As for the Rain Village? It was merely collateral damage in the power plays of the major villages, ignored and overlooked.

In truth, Konoha owed its current situation in the Land of Rain to the presence of the Cloud Village and its formidable Third Raikage.

The Land of Fire, rich and vast, was an enticing target. The Sand Village wanted to take its share, and the Rock Village was similarly tempted, given its own economic struggles. However, while the Sand Village dared to make moves, the Rock Village refrained due to the intimidating presence of the Third Raikage.

Over the years, there had been frequent skirmishes between the Third Raikage and Onoki, escalating the friction between their villages. Tit-for-tat retaliation had become routine.

This explained why the Rock Village only joined the Second Ninja World War passively and eventually retreated from the Land of Rain.

The turning point came when the Third Raikage ambushed Onoki. Pushed to his limit, Onoki finally mobilized tens of thousands of ninjas, ultimately leading to the death of the Third Raikage in the Land of Earth. This laid the foundation for the Rock Village's eventual attack on Konoha during the Third Ninja World War.

With the Third Raikage's death, his son, the Fourth Raikage, assumed power. His father's sudden death left the Fourth struggling to consolidate control over the village's forces, prompting the Cloud Village to adopt a defensive stance while he asserted his authority.

As the Cloud Village retreated from international conflicts, Onoki found relief without an ever-present threat looming over him. This coincided with the end of Konoha's war with the Sand Village. Spotting Konoha's weakened state, Onoki seized the opportunity and launched an offensive.

Had it not been for Konoha's strong foundation and the meteoric rise of the young Minato Namikaze, Konoha might have succumbed.

The Rock Village wasn't the only one to sense Konoha's vulnerability; the Cloud and Mist Villages also launched probing attacks. However, when they realized Konoha wasn't as weak as they'd hoped, they quickly retreated.

This highlighted the immense contributions of that young Minato Namikaze during the Third Ninja World War.

Yet, despite his heroics, he fell under the shadow of the Third Hokage and a group of conservative elders who stripped him of authority. Adding to his misfortunes, Uchiha Obito betrayed him. From the moment he became Hokage, his path was fraught with challenges.

He was betrayed by the Third Hokage, undermined by the council, and even backstabbed by his own students.

Kakashi inadvertently played a key role in this misfortune.

Had he not let slip key information, Uchiha Obito wouldn't have known the exact timing of Kushina's childbirth. Without that knowledge, Obito wouldn't have dared to infiltrate Konoha so easily, uncertain whether he'd face just the Fourth Hokage or the couple together.

If the young Hokage and Kushina had been untroubled, the Uchiha massacre might never have happened. The couple held no animosity toward the Uchiha clan. Their strength would have forced the manipulative council to think twice before acting.

All things considered, the downfall of Konoha's stability could be traced back to Hatake Kakashi's slip of the tongue.

"Master Shinki, a special injured soldier has arrived from the battlefield. You need to see him personally."

"Oh? What kind of special injured soldier?"

On the battlefield, identity was irrelevant—well, that was a lie. Certain individuals commanded respect regardless of circumstances.

Leaving the rest room, Shinki entered the operating room and saw the man on the table.

Speak of the devil...

"Cough, cough!!"

Hatake Sakumo lay on the table, pale and coughing. He looked terrible.

"Did you face a formidable opponent, Senior?"

Shinki moved closer to examine Sakumo's condition. Between fits of coughing, Sakumo managed to respond.

"Ahem... yes, I ran into Hanzo... the Salamander. He's formidable."

Hatake Sakumo's prowess was well-known, recognized as a leader among the new generation of Konoha's shinobi, and a senior just a bit older than Tsunade and her peers. Being the head of the Hatake clan, his special status was understandable.

Shinki carefully inspected Sakumo's wounds, noting how his face reddened under the gaze of the observing medical staff.

"Can you cover me with something?" Sakumo asked, clearly embarrassed by the attention.

"Sorry, I can't," Shinki said bluntly before addressing the onlookers. "What's the matter with all of you? Haven't you seen a man before? Or is it because he's the head of the Hatake clan?"

They stared in silence, caught between curiosity and embarrassment.

Sakumo felt as though he could sink into the floor from sheer mortification.

After clearing the room, Shinki resumed his examination.

"Multiple deep cuts and signs of poison. You're lucky, Senior. Not many can return alive after facing the 'demigod' Hanzo."

Weapons like Hanzo's sickle left particularly grievous wounds, and with the added danger of poison, Shinki's words weren't just pleasantries.

Sakumo's survival and return spoke to his exceptional skill, especially at a time when neither he nor the future Sannin had reached their peak strength.

"Your speed spared you from more severe poisoning, but this will take time. Be patient."

The treatment involved extracting the poison, cleaning the wounds, and suturing. Medical ninjutsu alone couldn't heal such extensive injuries.

When the procedures were completed, Sakumo fell into a deep sleep. Shinki left him in the care of the medical staff and returned to his rest area.

As for whether the young, talented, and charismatic head of the Hatake clan might catch the eye of a nurse—that wasn't Shinki's concern.

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Gimme power stonesssss