Upon receiving the orders from Konoha Village, Uchiha Kagami was initially surprised, but after careful consideration, he understood the underlying meaning. Frankly, he genuinely did not want to engage in a head-on battle with the Sand Shinobi. With such a fighting style, even if he annihilated the Sand Shinobi, he would suffer heavy losses. He had always worried that the village might issue such an order, but fortunately, the village firmly supported his idea.
However, Uchiha Kagami was secretly astonished by Fumori Masaki's ruthlessness, because according to the village's established policy, it was to slowly suffocate the entire Land of Wind. As long as the strategic goals set by the village could be perfectly achieved, the future Land of Wind would be like a half-dead beast, at the mercy of Konoha Village, the "hunter."
Thus, Uchiha Kagami summoned all the high-ranking shinobi in the Konoha camp and announced the village's latest orders to them. When they learned that in the new policy set by the village, a one-to-one casualty ratio was no longer considered a success, it had to be at least one-to-two, and a one-to-three or one-to-four casualty ratio would be recorded as a great achievement. If an even higher casualty ratio could be achieved, they would be awarded the village's Medal of Honor.
"Lord Kagami, but how are we supposed to fight with such casualty ratios?" Some people showed troubled expressions.
"Isn't the current way of fighting quite good?" Uchiha Kagami said with a smile, "Although the casualty ratio isn't that high, it at least meets the passing mark. It's just a bit slower."
"That being said, will the Sand Shinobi Village, knowing it won't be easy to take, still commit a large number of troops to this area?" another person asked.
"That depends on their own thoughts, but I also don't think they're that foolish. They should have some other moves. Does the intelligence squad have any new reports?" Uchiha Kagami looked at the head of the intelligence squad, a hint of inquiry in his eyes.
"Currently, the Sand Shinobi Village hasn't made any major moves, but their offensive is slowly decreasing. I think they might have some other plans," the head of the intelligence squad said.
"Hmm, continue to investigate. In any case, for now, we only need to maintain the current situation. As for other matters, we'll wait for news from the intelligence squad." After Uchiha Kagami issued his orders, he declared the meeting adjourned.
And just as the intelligence squad's report suggested, there were indeed other policies within the Sand Shinobi Village. Some people felt that they shouldn't continue to waste troops here, but rather open up new paths in other places. This opinion quickly gained the attention of the Third Kazekage, Ebizō. Ebizō was certainly not a hothead; he understood the immense cost of breaking through the town defended by Uchiha Kagami with the Sand Shinobi Village's forces, and it was clearly a cost the Sand Shinobi Village could not bear.
Even with the Daimyo's financial investment, the Sand Shinobi Village couldn't immediately convert it into power.
At least in terms of manpower, it was impossible. At most, they could improve their equipment, which could be considered an enhancement for Sand Shinobi who specialized in puppet jutsu. However, the loss of population was unbearable.
Therefore, when Ebizō saw the enemy's town like a fortress, unyielding after prolonged attacks, any grand ambitions he had at that moment faded, and he began to consider other directions—he had no intention of surrendering; he simply didn't want to continue depleting the Sand Shinobi Village's strength on a tough bone.
After some deliberation, Ebizō decided to abandon the route through the Land of Rivers and instead enter the Land of Fire via the Land of Rain. This was a well-thought-out decision. Firstly, unlike the Land of Rivers, the Land of Rain still maintained a shinobi village system. Even if it formed an alliance with Konoha Village, it wasn't completely controlled by Konoha Village like the Land of Rivers, and the Amegakure (Hidden Rain) Village certainly had its own ideas.
Secondly, the Land of Rain experienced perennial rainfall and a humid environment, which was unfavorable for the use of Fire Style ninjutsu. This meant that ninjutsu that could counter Wind Style would be rendered ineffective. Because of this, a large number of Fire Style users were among the troops Uchiha Kagami brought. When the battlefield shifted to the Land of Rain, these shinobi, even if they could still be deployed, would lose their significant advantage—not only Fire Style but also the sturdy fortresses that served as strongholds.
Finally, there was one more point that led Ebizō to decide to stake the outcome on the Land of Rain battlefield: according to reports from Sand Shinobi Village intelligence personnel, Fumori Masaki's second daughter was rumored to be on a mission in the Land of Rain. Ebizō personally didn't quite understand Konoha Village dispatching graduating shinobi to various places for so-called internship missions, and he had no intention of imitating it. After all, Sand Shinobi Village didn't have that many people, and just maintaining the strength of a great nation was not an easy task. But regardless, Konoha Village's system gave him a chance to possibly capture the Hokage's daughter.
At the same time, another person caught the attention of Ebizō's older sister, Chiyo: Hatake Sakumo, who was serving as the leader of a Konoha shinobi squad in the Land of Rain. She herself had no particular feelings for Hatake Sakumo, at most she disliked him for having defeated her son. And Chiyo's son, Sasori, upon learning of this, asked his mother to send him to fight in the Land of Rain.
The two highest-ranking individuals in the Sand Shinobi Village immediately agreed. Other high-ranking Sand Shinobi also felt that they should break free from the current situation, and they unanimously passed the decision to make the Land of Rain their new target. Soon, the entire Sand Shinobi Village and the samurai army of the Land of Wind began to mobilize, shifting their main forces towards the Land of Rain.
All of this, of course, could not escape the eyes of Konoha shinobi intelligence personnel. The intelligence was immediately delivered to Uchiha Kagami's desk. Uchiha Kagami wasn't particularly surprised, as he had also considered where the Sand Shinobi Village might strike if they intended to open a new front, and the decision to advance into the Land of Rain coincided with his thoughts.
"Good heavens, what a cunning bunch." Although he knew that militarily, this was a wise decision, Uchiha Kagami still intended to curse them, because both his daughter and his friend's daughter were there.
"Lord Kagami, we must also act quickly and transfer some of our forces there," Uchiha Setsuna, who had come to participate in the war, said.
Despite his lingering dissatisfaction with Uchiha Kagami, Uchiha Setsuna knew the importance of patience. All his hopes rested on Uchiha Ken, the reincarnation of Madara. Therefore, Uchiha Setsuna focused on cultivating his image in front of others to avoid suspicion. After years of effort, he finally became an important member of Uchiha Kagami's faction. Due to his formidable combat abilities, he was also brought into the war with the Land of Wind. Today's Literary Network
Years ago, Uchiha Setsuna had suffered a setback in the Land of Wind campaign and even caused the deaths of some Uchiha clan members—though in Uchiha Setsuna's heart, those people weren't particularly important; rather, he was more pleasantly surprised that he could encounter the will of Lord Madara through that experience—however, in the eyes of others, Uchiha Setsuna's participation in this battle also carried the desire to avenge his clansmen.
From this perspective, Uchiha Setsuna exemplified what a true shinobi is: as a hawk, he was able to hide his intentions so well that even Uchiha Kagami was kept in the dark.
"Hmm, this matter also needs to be reported to the village." Uchiha Kagami nodded slightly, and after giving his orders, he said to Uchiha Setsuna, "Speaking of which, your child is also there, right?"
"Yes, to be honest, I'm really a bit worried," Uchiha Setsuna couldn't help but sigh, his expression completely unguarded. He was indeed worried about Uchiha Ken's safety. That child was the reincarnation of Lord Madara. According to Zetsu, as long as that child grew to a certain extent, he would be able to awaken the power inherited from the Sage of Six Paths. Then, even the Hokage of Konoha Village would be nothing. That would be the beautiful future of the Uchiha clan ruling the entire Konoha Village.
"Me too. My daughter is also there. I wonder how she's doing now. We used to be able to exchange letters, but since the war broke out, I haven't received any news," Uchiha Kagami, as a ninja, possessed unwavering determination, but he was also a father.
"I don't think Miss Mizuki will have any problems. After all, the flames of war haven't spread to the Land of Rain yet, and the leader of Amegakure Village wouldn't be harsh towards people from our village," Uchiha Setsuna said.
"You're right," Uchiha Kagami smiled slightly and said, "With the defensive capabilities here, only a certain amount of troops is needed to defend it. Since the enemy's main force will go to the Land of Rain, we should also go there. You shouldn't have any objections, right?"
Uchiha Setsuna's strength was among the top in the clan. In Uchiha Kagami's mind, he wasn't the type who specialized in defense. Uchiha Setsuna also knew his own strengths and weaknesses, so he nodded in agreement.
After Uchiha Kagami appointed a Konoha shinobi skilled in defensive warfare as the commander here, he departed with an appropriate number of troops for the Land of Rain. Soon, the Land of Rain would become the new battlefield for both sides. This time, there would be no sufficiently sturdy fortresses for a complete defensive battle, meaning Konoha Village's tactics would have to be re-planned.
This was also the true meaning of the new orders conveyed by Konoha Village: the focus was not on defensive warfare, but on how to deplete the enemy's effective forces while preserving their own vitality. As long as these two conditions could be met, any tactic would be acceptable.
Just as the forces of the Sand Shinobi Village and Konoha Village were heading towards the Land of Rain, intelligence personnel on the border of the Land of Rain also relayed this news, placing it before Hanzō. Hanzō immediately stood up from his chair, with only one thought in his mind: "It has finally come."
Ever since the Land of Wind declared war, Hanzō had been monitoring the state of the war between the two sides. After all, the Land of Rain was very close to both countries, and one misstep could lead to being drawn into it. He wasn't afraid; he simply needed to be mentally prepared. Even if war was destined to break out, the prepared side was always better off than the unprepared.
And upon learning that the Land of Water had also declared war on the Land of Fire, Hanzō acutely realized that a new Shinobi World War was approaching. Although the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning had not yet declared war, that was only temporary. Hanzō had little confidence in the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning, because Ōnoki of Iwagakure (Hidden Stone) Village was an opportunist; their village's merchants showed their meticulousness when doing business in the Land of Rain. As for the Land of Lightning, it goes without saying that the aggressiveness of that country was well-known.
In the last Shinobi World War, Kumogakure (Hidden Cloud) Village suffered heavy losses due to internal rebellion, and fortunately, they encountered Konoha Village, which allowed them a respectable outcome. However, the actual situation was almost indistinguishable from a crushing defeat, leaving them with little confidence even against the Land of Earth. But after more than twenty years of peace, Kumogakure Village's strength had recovered, and their aggressive nature might slowly resurface.
In peacetime, the geographical location of the Land of Rain was an excellent commercial center. However, once it became wartime, it would be a battleground for two or even three sides. Hanzō did not know that, in normal history, this was indeed the battleground for the three countries of Wind, Earth, and Fire.
And the current Hanzō was very lucky, because Konoha Village would become an ally of the Land of Rain, which was also Hanzō's confidence. When the war broke out, he had discussed it with Hatake Sakumo, the representative of Konoha Village. Hatake Sakumo firmly stated that Konoha Village would contribute to protecting the Land of Rain, and innocent small countries like the Land of Rain should not be invaded by those unjust countries.
To be honest, Hanzō was truly moved and felt that among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, only Konoha Village could be truly benevolent. It was indeed a village established by the First Hokage, who single-handedly ended the Warring States period and established the shinobi village system. The actions of Konoha Village's three Hokage all emphasized that this village was founded to end the chaotic era and would never allow anyone to destroy peace.
After receiving definite intelligence, Hanzō summoned Hatake Sakumo and informed him of the matter. Hatake Sakumo's expression was very calm, as he had also anticipated that the war might spread here. His teacher, Fumori Masaki, had informed him in advance that if such a day truly came, he could be fully in charge, provided, of course, that he did not violate the rules of Konoha Village in terms of principles.
Hatake Sakumo was certainly not an ambitious warmonger. In his heart, he deeply detested unjust wars, so he greatly admired the righteous wars proposed by his teacher. If it was such a war, he could wholeheartedly commit to it without any reservations. In this matter, his stance was in perfect agreement with Hanzō's, as Hanzō's stance was to maintain the peace of the Land of Rain.
"I will immediately apply to the village to mobilize troops here, although I think the village has already started to act," Hatake Sakumo said. "This is a righteous war to maintain the peace of the shinobi world. Our village, together with Amegakure Village, will resolutely resist the invasion of the great nations."
"Thank you. This war will certainly not be fought by you alone. This is our country, and the shinobi of Amegakure Village will also fight with all their might," Hanzō nodded solemnly.