Chapter 105

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"Konoha is clearly looking down on us! We should just kill the messenger and start a new war with Konoha!"

While Toshiro and Pakura strolled through Sunagakure, a high-pitched voice echoed from the high-rise conference room, filled with malice and intent on killing Toshiro.

"Fuyi, your ideas are too extreme. Even if we don't want to cooperate with Konoha, there's no need to kill the Hokage's messenger!"

"Why spare him? He's from the Uchiha clan. We could learn Sharingan secrets from his body."

"Hmph! I've heard some have already attempted to kill him and failed miserably. It's embarrassing! With such incompetence, you still want to wage war against Konoha?"

"Sosushi... you!"

The conference room grew noisy with opposing voices. This was why Toshiro used Suna Ninja channels to announce his arrival, waiting three days for the message to reach the senior officials. If he had come unannounced, he might have been seen as a spy and faced multiple assassination attempts.

"Even if we don't kill him, are we really prepared to go to war with the Mist and Kumo Ninjas for some benefits? Our casualties would be substantial!"

The mention of this sparked a heated debate among the officials.

"Rasa! Are you certain you want to form an alliance with Konoha?" After a long time, an elder remembered their leader's presence and sought his opinion.

"An alliance?" Rasa responded ambiguously, lowering his eyes. His expression gave nothing away, keeping his thoughts to himself despite his leanings.

"I believe we should establish good relations with Konoha. Among the five major ninja villages, our village ranks the lowest. Instead of confronting Konoha, it's better to form an alliance!"

If you can't beat them, join them. This was a simple truth, understood by him. Rasa had his supporters, who voiced this pragmatic view.

"But what about our comrades who died at Kikyo Castle? Did they die in vain?" Elder Fuyi countered, appealing to the memory of those lost.

"But since our last defeat, the country has been impoverished. The daimyo is unwilling to support us. Without new income, our village grows weaker!"

This was true. Their last war with Konoha drained resources and left their village destitute. The expected benefits of looting the Land of Fire never materialized, leading to a dire economic situation.

Seeing the debate reach a peak, Rasa spoke up, bypassing the elders and addressing Granny Chiyo directly.

"Elder Chiyo, what do you think?"

As Rasa's words fell, silence filled the room. All eyes turned to the Chiyo siblings, who had been quietly observing.

"Sister...?" Ebizo nudged Chiyo, reminding her this was a serious meeting.

"Oh! Are we in a meeting?" Chiyo feigned sudden awareness. "The One-Tailed Jinchuuriki seems to be dying too!" She diverted the topic away from Konoha.

"Grandma Chiyo, I've already made arrangements regarding the Jinchuuriki. But on the matter of Konoha, I hope you can consider it," Rasa said tactfully, acknowledging her past grievances with Konoha.

"I'm old. I'll let you young people decide these things." Chiyo sighed, feeling out of place among the younger officials, and left the room with Ebizo following her.

With Chiyo's departure, Rasa felt relieved. Without her opposition, the alliance with Konoha seemed assured. Once Sunagakure regained its strength, they could again challenge Konoha.

Konoha, too, needed time to recover from its war wounds, which was why the Third Hokage sent Toshiro to test Sunagakure's stance.

Despite Toshiro's confidence in his abilities, this deep infiltration mission was highly stressful, requiring the utmost caution to avoid being assassinated. He had to even test his food for poison at every meal.

"Thank you for your hard work, Toshiro," said the Third Hokage as he received a scroll from Toshiro. Toshiro finally felt a wave of relief wash over him. Fortunately, luck had been on his side, and the mission was a success. Otherwise, he might have fallen victim to the old man's schemes.

After four days of waiting, Rasa summoned Toshiro and gave him a response letter for the Third Hokage. Knowing that he couldn't stay in Sunagakure for long, Toshiro left immediately, without a farewell to Pakura, and flew out of the village on a Ink bird.

"Tell me the details of your mission and what you've observed in Suna." Sarutobi Hiruzen requested, setting aside Kazekage's letter. He was more interested in the mission's intricacies and Toshiro's insights.

As Toshiro narrated his mission, describing his methods and observations, the Third Hokage took a deep drag from his pipe. He faced a dilemma regarding this talented Uchiha. If placed under Minato's command, Toshiro would surely become a key asset, outshining members of other clans. However, his thoughts and temperament caused hesitation. Unlike another Uchiha whom the Hokage favored, Toshiro had a sharp contrast in his thinking.

Three days later, in the Land of Bears...

"I didn't expect Toshiro-kun to come under my command." Orochimaru's sinister voice echoed in the central tent of the Konoha camp.

"I too didn't expect to meet you on the battlefield again, Orochimaru-senpai! And at such a critical moment, you don't seem to be in a hurry," Toshiro remarked. He was frustrated that the Third Hokage had placed him under Orochimaru's command, a dangerous and unpredictable leader.

"All tangible things will wither one day. Instead of worrying about the ephemeral, it's better..." Orochimaru trailed off, his thoughts unspoken. Still, Toshiro sensed a lingering resentment in him, likely due to feeling abandoned by the Hokage.

"Under your command, Orochimaru-senpai, I will do my utmost within my capabilities," Toshiro promised. Despite his situation, he was ready to cooperate, though he had plans to deal with anything beyond Jonin's ability. He was not afraid of Orochimaru and even welcomed a public conflict if it came to that.

Orochimaru seemed indifferent, instructing his subordinates to arrange a place for Toshiro while he himself drifted into memories.

"Toshiro-senpai!" A voice called out as Toshiro familiarized himself with the camp. Turning around, he saw Shisui, his subordinate from the grass country camp.

"Shisui! What are you doing here? I thought the clan members were recuperating in the village. Why are you on the battlefield of the Land of Water?"

"I applied to Hokage-sama to join the front line!"

"You reckless kid!" Unlike Toshiro, who had a cynical outlook, Uchiha Shisui embodied the 'Will of Fire,' a passionate and devoted young man.

"Are you here alone?"

"No, Grandpa Hideya was concerned for my safety and sent a few clansmen with me." Shisui explained.

Uchiha Hideya, a survivor from the second faction and one of the few remaining elders, had managed to escape the war thanks to Toshiro's large summoning beasts. Without this help, Hideya might have perished like many other elderly Uchiha.

"Take care of yourself, Shisui. You're still too young to lose your life at the fronlines." Toshiro advised, mindful of Shisui's young age.

After parting ways with Shisui, Toshiro toured the Bear Country camp. The Land of Water aimed to use this peninsula as a landing point and battlefield against Konoha. The local ninjas of Bear Country, much like those in Grass Country, chose to surrender and avoid conflict.

Reflecting on the legendary Hanzo of the Second Ninja World War, Toshiro admired his defiance. Hanzo declared war on multiple great nations simultaneously, and with his salamander poison and the favorable environment of the Land of Rain, he forced even the most powerful countries to respect his territory. Despite the devastation that followed, Hanzo earned his place as a feared and respected figure. This history influenced the current war tactics, with nations avoiding the Land of Rain as a battleground, unlike the Land of Grass and now the Land of Bears.

—

A dense fog enveloped the entire battlefield. Despite this, Toshiro's superhuman hearing picked up the sounds of metal clashing and occasional screams from within the thick mist.

One of the most frustrating aspects of battling Kirigakure for the Konoha ninjas was the constant presence of the Hidden Mist Jutsu. The Mist Ninjas were accustomed to this foggy environment, but for the Konoha Ninjas, it was a significant disadvantage.

"As expected of the famous Uchiha, Even in this chakra-laden fog, you handle it with ease," A charming female voice emerged from an even thicker part of the mist. The voice belonged to Terumi Mei, who praised Toshiro.

"Though you are a great beauty, Mei, I can't bear such warm hospitality!" Toshiro replied, remaining on high alert. He knew better than to underestimate the future Fifth Mizukage. Simultaneously, he activated his sensory ability, attempting to locate her within the dense fog.

"It's useless. This fog is infused with my chakra. It not only blocks your vision but also blurs your ability to sense chakra." Terumi said it with mirth. She wore a blue strapless dress, and her long brown hair framed her blue eyes as she continued, "It's such a pity that such a handsome guy will be wasted once I melt you!"

'Tsk! It seems Mei came fully prepared this time! If I'm not careful, it could be dangerous.' Toshiro thought. Despite her words, he remained unflustered, carefully observing his surroundings and staying alert for a sneak attack. This woman was no simple opponent, having risen through the ranks in the brutal Bloody Mist era.

"Boil Release: Acid Rain Jutsu," Mei unleashed her ninjutsu without giving Toshiro more time to prepare. She used the nearby water source to create a corrosive acid drizzle, covering the entire battlefield. Even a small amount of this acid rain could cause severe injury, potentially leading to amputation if not treated properly.

"As I said, if you don't change your temper, you'll never get married! I think there's no man other than me who can handle your passion!" Toshiro quipped, though he remained extremely cautious. One mistake could be fatal.

"Fire Release: Fire Wall," Toshiro performed several hand signs, clasped his hands together, and began controlling his ninjutsu meticulously. A circular wall of fire, nearly ten meters in diameter, rose around him, burning intensely and emitting fierce heat. This was just the beginning. The fire walls, under Toshiro's precise chakra control, started to spiral upward, forming a towering pillar of flame. The pillar illuminated the area with an orange glow and continued to rotate, drawing in the surrounding air, water vapor, and raindrops.

This powerful vortex gathered and incinerated the chakra-infused fog and acid rain. After evaporating all the obstructive mist and raindrops, the flame pillar transformed into a massive dragon of fire, that surged towards Mei, who had just become visible.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

"Ice Release: Ice wall!"

To counter Toshiro's formidable fire release, Mei and her allies combined their techniques. The water wall, cooled by the ice barrier, successfully blocked the fire attack. The collision of ice and fire created a thick cloud of steam, shrouding the area once more. Fortunately, this mist was not infused with chakra and would dissipate quickly.

"Wind Release: Typhoon" Toshiro activated another jutsu, dispersing the steam with strong winds and revealing the battlefield's original state.

"Kirigakure seems to really hold me in high regard, sending two bloodline ninjas to deal with me. I'm truly flattered!" Toshiro remarked as he noticed two figures appearing beside Mei, forming a triangle formation with her at the center. One had white hair and two red dots between his eyebrows, a strong build, and steady steps, indicating a master of taijutsu from the Kaguya clan. The other had shoulder-length hair, a delicate face, and a neutral appearance, clearly a member of the Yuki clan, specializing in Ice Release.

"There's nothing else I can do, since you won't accept my hot passion like other ninjas!" Terumi Mei said. "I had to summon my companions to give you a passionate kiss! I hope you won't disappoint me!" She gazed at Toshiro with her green eyes, scrutinizing him.

'This bitch is a pain in the ass to deal with!' Toshiro thought, feeling the pressure of facing such formidable opponents. He knew that no woman who made it to the top in the ninja world was easy to contend with, and Terumi Mei was no exception.

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