Chapter 124: Pack It Up

The Third Kazekage wasn't a fool. He fully grasped the implications of what Chiyo was suggesting.

Every village engaged in research, be it weapons, secret medicines, or forbidden arts. Even the smaller nations participated in this arms race. Up until now, the balance of power had been relatively even. One village might have more talented ninjas, another a greater number of forbidden techniques, but they all had similar tools at their disposal. A tailed beast here, a secret technique there, each village had something to counter the other.

But now, things were shifting.

Konoha's innovations—super healing abilities and long-range weapons threatened to upset that balance entirely. If Konoha continued down this path, the other villages would find themselves increasingly outmatched, their casualties mounting while Konoha's remained minimal.

In short, if this trend continued, Konoha's military power would grow unchecked, and villages like Suna might eventually be swallowed up.

"I used to believe the Third Hokage genuinely sought peaceful coexistence between the villages," the Third Kazekage mused, his tone dark. "Now it seems they've been planning something else all along."

Chiyo, her expression neutral, replied, "That may be, but even though you are Kazekage, let me remind you: there's no need to rush into an alliance with the other villages to solve this."

Without waiting for a response, Chiyo turned and left the tent, leaving the Third Kazekage deep in thought.

He knew exactly what Chiyo meant.

Right now, Suna wasn't the only village fighting in the Land of Rain. The other nations such as the Earth Country hadn't yet experienced the full brunt of Konoha's new tactics. And why should he go out of his way to warn them? The Earth Country was still an enemy to Suna, after all.

The Third Kazekage wasn't naive. His plan was simple: withdraw his forces for now and let the Earth Country face the brunt of Konoha's new forces. If he was lucky, the two would weaken each other. If they fought to a stalemate, Suna could swoop in to claim the spoils. And even if they didn't, as long as the Earth Country suffered losses and felt the looming threat of Konoha's power, they'd likely come to the same conclusions as him.

He had no intention of warning them about Konoha's tactics. Let them figure it out the hard way.

---

Meanwhile, the Konoha forces were in high spirits. They had scored a major victory against the Sand Ninja, and many of the squads had returned to their respective camps, eager to rest and regroup. The Konoha border was vast, and each section had its own camp to return to.

"Haha, let me tell you," one of the Uchiha clan members boasted loudly, "in just these seven or eight days, I've taken out seventeen Sand Ninjas by myself. They didn't even see me coming!"

"Seventeen? You're amazing!" another ninja replied, clearly impressed.

"Wow, that's no small feat," someone else added. "Even jounin level ninjas…."

The Uchiha grinned proudly. "What can I say? My Sharingan is a three-tomoe now. I can read their movements before they even make them. Once I've predicted their next move... *boom*, one shot, and they're done."

"Tsk," another Uchiha chimed in, "is that all? Seventeen? I've taken out nineteen and haven't even mentioned it."

"Oh? You trying to say you're better than me?" the first Uchiha shot back, half-joking but with a competitive edge.

"Nineteen is more than seventeen, isn't it?" the other replied smugly.

"Uchiha Retsu, do you want to compete with me?"

"Why not? What are we betting on?"

"One thousand two hundred meters. Do you dare?"

"If I don't dare, then who does?"

The two Uchiha were gearing up for a challenge when Orochimaru entered the tent. Immediately, the atmosphere shifted. The chatter died down, and the previously loud and cocky Uchiha grew quiet, their boastful attitudes fading.

Though the Uchiha weren't particularly fond of Orochimaru, they had grown to respect him over the past several days. His strength in battle was undeniable, and more importantly, his command and tactical prowess had led them to victory after victory. No one had suffered serious injuries during the sniper missions, and the success rate of their ambushes had been extraordinary.

And then there was the matter of the weapons themselves. The sniper rifles had exceeded their expectations. None of them had anticipated that a simple-looking piece of metal, using bullets propelled by gunpowder, could achieve such range and power.

"I assume you're all proficient with disassembling and reassembling the weapons by now?" Orochimaru asked, his voice calm but authoritative.

The Uchihas nodded, sensing where this was going.

"Good. Now, disassemble your rifles, pack them into their cases, and return them to me."

Orochimaru held out his hand expectantly.

There were around thirty or forty people in the tent, eight of whom were part of Orochimaru's original team. Upon hearing his words, the Uchiha were visibly reluctant.

"Lord Orochimaru," Uchiha Retsu spoke up, clearly hesitant. "I feel like this weapon really suits me."

"I agree," another Uchiha, Akihara, chimed in. "It's safe, effective, and combined with the Sharingan, it's perfect for taking out enemies at a distance."

"So what?" Orochimaru asked, his tone neutral.

"So… I think we should continue using them in future battles," Retsu said, summoning the courage to make his case.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, his expression unreadable. "Are you refusing to return them?"

The Uchiha remained silent, their faces betraying their reluctance to part with the weapons.

"I never said these were yours to keep," Orochimaru stated firmly.

The Uchiha looked awkward, their silence confirming Orochimaru's suspicion.

"I understand that you've grown attached to them," Orochimaru said, his voice softening slightly. "But this is not a negotiation."

He paused, letting his words sink in.

"I have no intention of mass-producing these weapons or distributing them widely. Once these tools fall into the enemy's hands, they will eventually be replicated. You know as well as I do how quickly shinobi can reverse-engineer something once they get their hands on it. If that happens, we'll be the ones facing the threat of these weapons."

"But…," Retsu began, but Orochimaru cut him off.

"No buts. This is an order."