Chapter 136: Strategy

It must be said that for a small village like Amegakure to declare hostility against one of the great nations was audacious enough, but to take on three of them simultaneously? Hanzo of the Salamander, at this point in time, was truly a force to be reckoned with.

As soon as he entered the battlefield, Hanzo attacked indiscriminately. It didn't matter whether you were a Sand Ninja, an Iwa Ninja, or from Konoha. If you crossed his path, he would cut you down without hesitation.

If a ninja encountered Hanzo's forces and didn't flee in time, death was almost guaranteed.

There was no other way to handle it. When ordinary people are angry, someone's bound to bleed. But when someone as powerful as a "demigod" like Hanzo gets involved, entire armies are at risk.

The situation for the Sunagakure and Iwagakure forces wasn't as bad. They had already been on the losing side, so their troops weren't as deeply entrenched, meaning their encounters with Amegakure's ninjas were limited.

Konoha, on the other hand, was in a far worse position.

At this moment, nearly two-thirds of Konoha's forces were engaged deep within Amegakure's territory.

Faced with Hanzo's unpredictable and indiscriminate attacks, Konoha's forces found themselves in a tight spot.

"Damn it, this is insane!"

"Yes, the strength of a demigod is no joke!"

"He really lives up to his reputation as a demigod in the ninja world, he's incredible!"

"Now that Amegakure has entered the battlefield, what are we supposed to do?"

"The Iwa and Sand ninja are already counterattacking..."

"We have to stop him somehow!"

"But with Hanzo's power, who can even hope to stand against him?"

"..."

As Konoha's ninjas discussed the sudden appearance of Amegakure in the battle and the fearsome might of Hanzo, a heavy silence fell over the room.

Everyone knew Hanzo's reputation. His name alone was enough to instill fear.

And reputation in the ninja world was no small thing it carried weight. Hanzo's reputation had been cemented over decades, and the thought of facing him in battle caused even seasoned veterans to hesitate.

Some shinobi, those lacking a solid nerve, would likely lose their will to fight the moment they faced Hanzo in the flesh.

To stand against him? Only the strongest Kage-level shinobi might have a chance. But the village's Kage wouldn't easily go to war unless the survival of their home was directly at risk.

"I think we can handle it."

The voice broke through the uneasy murmurs, and all eyes in Konoha's command tent turned toward its source.

"Lord Jiraiya?" Nara Hakushu, the commanding officer of the Konoha forces, looked over with a glimmer of hope.

In Konoha, apart from the Hokage and Danzo, only a few truly powerful individuals remained capable of facing such overwhelming threats. Among them were Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade—the legendary Sannin. And then there was Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang of Konoha. But that was about it.

Uchiha Fugaku? Although talented, he was only sixteen, a fresh Jonin with the advantage of a three-tomoe Sharingan. But against a demigod like Hanzo, Fugaku's skills wouldn't be enough.

As for the younger Hyuga Hizashi, he was only twelve and had just reached the level of Chuunin. Throwing him into a battle with Hanzo would be nothing short of sending him to his death.

That left Konoha with limited options. Hatake Sakumo was undoubtedly strong, but even he might struggle against Hanzo's fearsome poison techniques, which were known to be incredibly lethal. Sakumo, no matter how skilled, wouldn't be able to perform at his best while constantly worrying about poison.

But Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade were different. Not only were they individually powerful, but they had fought together for years. Their teamwork was flawless, and with Tsunade's medical expertise and antidotes, they could neutralize Hanzo's poisons.

"Hey, Orochimaru, what do you think?" Jiraiya turned to his teammate, pulling on his sleeve slightly for attention.

Though the Third Hokage had entrusted the battlefield command to the three of them, Orochimaru was often considered their unofficial leader.

Orochimaru glanced at Jiraiya, his expression unreadable. "I have no objections," he said calmly.

For Orochimaru, the only thing truly concerning about Hanzo was his poison. As long as Tsunade was there to handle the toxins, Orochimaru felt no fear facing the demigod.

Still, his mind wandered for a moment. "Is this where the title "Sannin" comes from?' Orochimaru thought. "Did this legendary battle against Hanzo give us that name? Was it really just a matter of circumstance?"

"Well then, I'll leave this to the three of you," Nara Hakushu said, bowing slightly out of respect.

Orochimaru snapped back to the present and waved his hand nonchalantly. "It's no big deal. We'll take care of it."

No big deal?

The Konoha ninja around them couldn't help but react internally. "You're about to fight Hanzo the Salamander, and you call that a trivial matter?" They couldn't say it out loud, but many thought Orochimaru's confidence bordered on arrogance.

Still, no one dared voice their doubts.

Once Orochimaru gave his affirmative, Nara Hakushu unfurled a large map of the Land of Rain and placed it at the center of the tent for all to see. He then picked up a pointer and began detailing the strategy.

"I've already sent word to Hokage-sama, and reinforcements are expected to arrive tonight," Nara Hakushu began. "Now, as the Hidden Rain has joined the battle, and we're caught in a three-way conflict, our strategy needs to adjust accordingly."

"Since the Rain Village is now a factor, it's necessary to split our forces into three groups."

He pointed at the map. "I recommend that, while being cautious of Amegakure's forces, the Uchiha, Hyuga, Inuzuka, Aburame, and Hatake Sakumo's team focus their firepower on the northeast, where Konoha is engaged with the Iwa forces. If we concentrate our efforts there, we can drive the Iwa Ninja back."

"As for the Sand Ninja, my team along with the members of the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans will intercept them. When the enemy's puppet master poison is rendered ineffective by Tsunade-sama's antidote, our abilities will come into full play. I believe we can hold them off."

Nara Hakushu paused, surveying the room to make sure everyone was following before continuing. "The plan is to swiftly crush the Iwa forces. With a focused assault, we should be able to win that fight within half a day."

"Once the Iwa Ninja have been repelled, reinforcements can be sent immediately to help against the Sand Ninja, ensuring a decisive victory."

"Hmm, very reasonable," someone muttered, nodding in agreement.

"Focus on the Iwa Ninja first," another added, "since they don't have poison and their morale is low."

Orochimaru, standing to the side, watched Nara Hakushu with a hint of interest. "The Nara clan really is impressive, even among their less prominent members. He's directing this battle flawlessly."

"But of course," Nara Hakushu continued, "all of this hinges on one crucial point: the three of you must hold off Hanzo for at least half a day. If he breaks through and enters the battlefield, our entire strategy will collapse."

"Don't worry," Jiraiya said confidently. "We've got this covered."