Chapter 117

In Ame no Kuni, the heavy rain continued to pour, shrouding the sky in darkness. Despite the gloomy weather, the vitality of the country remained unchanged.

In the Konoha camp, the Nara Clan Leader furrowed his brow, sweat dripping down his forehead. He stared intently at the map in front of him, frequently glancing down at the information in his hand.

"This doesn't feel right. There must be something wrong. Our situation is going too smoothly. Everything is going according to plan," he muttered to himself, feeling a sense of unease.

Shinōbi World was in chaos, and the Great Hidden Villages were secretly taking action. This was to be expected. Amegakure launched a counterattack but was suppressed, with even Hanzo being injured by Hatake Sakumo. The strategy had made significant progress, and even Iwagakure Village's position in Ame no Kuni had been weakened.

There were plenty of frictions at the border of Hi no Kuni, but all of these developments were within their expectations. However, there was something unexpected that had yet to happen.

The entire Shinōbi World seemed to be following Konoha's script, going smoothly according to their plans.

"It's too smooth. We have successfully trained a group of elite Shinōbi. Our Genin have almost all advanced to Chunin, and the number of our Jonin has grown exponentially, thanks to this solid foundation," Orochimaru exclaimed excitedly, sticking out his tongue.

Just a few days ago, Sarutobi Hiruzen had sent him a letter, praising him fiercely. He had informed Orochimaru that he could use half of the prisoners captured for his research. He even provided a large sum of money. Orochimaru was elated, convinced that following his teacher was the right choice. His teacher was more generous and closer to him than his own father. Danzo was just a worthless scum in comparison.

"Orochimaru-sama, everything is going so well, almost too well. I have a sense of foreboding," the Nara Clan Leader said, holding his forehead with one hand and clutching his heart with the other.

"I feel the same way. I have this unsettling feeling that something major is about to happen," Hatake Sakumo, who had been silent for a while, suddenly spoke up.

"If both of you feel that way, then there must be a flaw. Let's examine the information together," Orochimaru said after a moment of silence, speaking with a determined tone that showed his confidence in his own abilities.

"Let the Hyuga Clan send someone to monitor the base of the Rain Ninja. Find out what happened to Hanzo's injury," Orochimaru suggested, realizing that they may have overlooked something important.

Hatake Sakumo seemed to have had a similar thought. He eagerly chimed in, "Hanzo, yes, I completely forgot about Hanzo."

Upon hearing Hatake Sakumo's words, the Nara Clan Leader shivered, suddenly understanding everything.

"Quickly, Orochimaru-sama, use your spiritualization technique to investigate Amegakure. I suspect that Hanzo is no longer there," the Nara Clan Leader hoarsely shouted, his voice filled with urgency.

Orochimaru understood the implications of the Nara Clan Leader's words. Hanzo had been missing for too long. Given the situation in Amegakure, even if he had been severely injured, Hanzo should have been overseeing the frontlines.

"Quickly, inform Kato Dan and ask him to investigate," Orochimaru ordered the Shinōbi who was guarding outside.

The possibility was chilling. If their suspicions were correct, and Hanzo was not in Amegakure or the Rain Ninja camp, then it could only mean one thing—they had launched a surprise attack on Konoha.

"I hope my hunch is wrong, and Hanzo is not planning to attack Konoha. I, as a staff officer, have been negligent," the Nara Clan Leader said with a bitter smile, aware that relying on the enemy for hope was not the right approach.

Orochimaru sat silently on his seat, deep in thought.

"Sakumo-senpai, you must lead an elite Shinōbi team immediately to assist Konoha. Lord Nara, inform all the Shinōbi and instruct them to defend and block the villages of Iwagakure if they attempt any offensive moves. As for us, we will launch a full-scale attack on Amegakure with the Shinōbi in our camp," Orochimaru decided, his eyes flashing with a ruthless determination.

Seeing Orochimaru's eyes filled with killing intent, both of them felt a shiver run down their spines, realizing the seriousness of the situation.

"Understood, let's go," they both responded in unison.

"Self-deception won't solve anything. If that's the case, then we'll play a big game," Orochimaru whispered to himself, seizing the opportunity to eliminate Amegakure in one fell swoop, taking advantage of their presence.

After all, they were already there, so they might as well take the risk.

Hatake Sakumo moved swiftly, ordering an elite squad and leaving immediately. The Nara Clan Leader, as the Jonin Commander, also acted quickly, ensuring the efficient dissemination of orders among Konoha's Shinōbi, surpassing the speed of the other Hidden Villages.

Orochimaru had no intention of concealing their movements and organized the army, leading them towards Amegakure.

The Konoha Shinōbi close to the Rain Ninja immediately launched an attack upon receiving the order, gathering firsthand information.

Meanwhile, the Konoha Shinōbi close to Iwagakure set traps and prepared to ambush.

In Ame no Kuni, within the Sunagakure base, Hitoshi received a plain report.

"Rasa, guard this place. There will always be faceless enemies who seek to attack us," Hitoshi instructed Rasa, skimming through the information casually.

He then turned and walked outside, venturing into the heavy rain. Interestingly, the rain seemed to avoid him, sliding off his body as he walked.

In Ame no Kuni, within Iwagakure Village, Lao Zi glanced at the information from Konoha with a plain expression.

"Kitsuchi, Hunter, lead a part of the troops to attack Konoha's smaller units and support Amegakure's sniping operations," Lao Zi stated plainly, disregarding the fact that they were allies.

While Konoha and Iwagakure were allies in their efforts to weaken Amegakure, allies themselves didn't mind weakening one another.

Orochimaru had already taken significant action, strategically blocking Iwagakure Village in advance. This move had far-reaching implications, affecting all the influences within Ame no Kuni.

As the Konoha Shinōbi army advanced, Kato Dan returned and found Orochimaru in the midst of their march.

"Orochimaru-sama, Hanzo is not in either Amegakure or the Rain Ninja camps," Kato Dan delivered the unsettling news.

Orochimaru's heart sank.

"Cut off. You and your team must immediately return to Konoha, taking a different route. Use your spiritualization technique to inform Tsunade to divide her troops and return to Konoha for rescue operations," Orochimaru reacted swiftly.

He had a direct line of communication with Konoha, and the fact that Konoha hadn't sent him any messages could only mean one thing—Hanzo's attack had not been successful. As long as the attack had not succeeded, they could still mount a rescue operation.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama," Kato Dan replied, feeling the pressure of performing spiritualization but knowing the importance of the situation.