章 78: Chapter 78: Did No One Tell You? This Is the Land of Fire’s Territory
After packing up their gear, the trio left the camp that same day, heading toward the supply route.
Finally back in the Land of Fire after so long, they were able to take off their raincoats.
Thank goodness, Takuya thought, moving around in those things was a nightmare. They made them look like eerie, pitch-black shadows from a distance, creepy as hell. Takuya couldn't help but sigh at the basic level of industry in the ninja world.
Even something as simple as decent rain gear couldn't be mass-produced.
"As long as the intel from command is accurate, the Rain Village's supply convoy should arrive tomorrow. Let's set up some traps."
For Hanzo to resort to purchasing supplies from the Fire Country's Daimyo, things must be getting desperate in the Rain Village.
And this shipment wasn't just food; it was also packed with ninja tools and explosive tags.
If this shipment were destroyed, it would be a devastating blow to the Rain Village.
But it wasn't just the Rain Village—Konoha was also running low on supplies due to fighting on two fronts.
It was around this time that Nagato's parents were accidentally killed by Konoha's ninja during a raid for food supplies.
Whether that event was orchestrated by Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu remained unclear.
"What if Jiraiya hadn't taken in Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan as his disciples? What would Madara and Black Zetsu have done then?"
Would Black Zetsu have had to step in, take on another identity, and become Nagato's teacher?
He probably wouldn't have had much of a choice. After all, Nagato needed to be nurtured, his Rinnegan preserved for Madara's resurrection.
Too bad I don't have Kamui, Takuya mused. If I could hide Nagato away, Madara and Black Zetsu would be tearing their hair out in frustration.
"Hurry it up! Move faster! The people of the Rain Country are relying on this food!" Yoshida Shoichi kept urging his men to pick up the pace. He'd lost count of how many times he'd barked orders along the way.
The Rain Country's food supplies were running low, and ninja tools were being depleted rapidly. They desperately needed this shipment.
To win the war, Hanzo had no choice but to ask the Daimyo for help.
Under the guise of purchasing supplies for the people, he'd managed to smuggle in ninja tools as well.
In the early days of the war, the Rain Village had fought Konoha to a standstill. But now, they were barely hanging on.
Aside from Konoha, the Rain Village also had to fend off the ninja from the Rock and Sand Villages.
Without enough supplies, the Rain Village was on a path to defeat.
"You two, scout ahead."
"Yes, Lord Shoichi!"
Two Rain ninja disguised as farmers broke off from the convoy and scouted ahead.
As the supply convoy drew closer, Nawaki whispered, "Takuya, how did you know those two ninja would scout around the side?"
Takuya, lying on the ground, didn't even turn his head as he replied with a question of his own.
"If I sent you to scout ahead, would you start right in front of the convoy?"
"Uh…"
Nawaki hesitated for a moment, then begrudgingly admitted, "No."
"If even you wouldn't do it, what makes you think they would?"
"Remember, this is a common mistake many ninja make. If I were the captain in charge of protecting these supplies, I wouldn't feel comfortable letting my subordinates handle scouting."
Whether it was their strength or their scouting ability, unless they were exceptions, most genin and chunin couldn't compare to jonin.
These skills were part of what you needed to pass the jonin exams. If you weren't up to par, you wouldn't be promoted.
Of course, this was the standard in the five great ninja villages, but the Rain Village's standards…
Well, they couldn't exactly compare.
If they did, the Rain Village wouldn't have many jonin or chunin to begin with.
Their more lenient standards made the Rain Village's military look stronger than it really was.
But when war broke out, it became clear that, aside from Hanzo and a few of his top lieutenants, there weren't many Rain ninja who could truly hold their own.
Hanzo was the backbone of the Rain Village's resistance against Konoha, the Sand, and the Rock Villages. Without him, the Rain Village would crumble in an instant—such was the disparity in power.
As the Rain Village's supply convoy drew nearer, Takuya signaled to Nawaki.
Nawaki nodded, raising his hands to form a series of hand seals.
As the supply convoy approached…
"Earth Style: Earth Spear Technique!"
Takuya had found that many Earth Style jutsu were extremely useful—Earth Spear was great for both killing enemies and causing chaos.
"Enemy attack!"
"Ahh!!"
"Help me!!"
The ground shook as a forest of sharp rock spears shot up from below, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. The entire convoy was thrown into disarray.
Grain spilled everywhere, and hidden among it, several scrolls containing sealed items rolled out.
Several slower-reacting Rain ninja were skewered like bloody kebabs.
But these weren't the kind of kebabs anyone would want to eat.
"Where'd these brats come from?!"
Seeing the supplies scattered all over the place, Yoshida Shoichi felt like his heart was being ripped apart.
These were the supplies Lord Hanzo had struggled to procure, and now they were strewn across the ground.
Terrified horses reared and bolted, dragging carts in every direction. The scene was complete chaos.
"Didn't anyone tell you? This is the Land of Fire's territory.
You're at war with Konoha, and you're buying food from the Land of Fire? Looks like the Rain Village has money to burn. Isn't Hanzo worried he's throwing it away?"
As if Hanzo really had a choice…
The Rain Country was surrounded by the Lands of Fire, Wind, and Earth. It was at war with all three.
The Wind Country could barely sustain itself, buying large quantities of grain from the Fire Country every year. The Earth Country was just scraping by.
But with the Rock Village and Rain Village fighting tooth and nail, there was no way the Earth Daimyo would sell food to the Rain Country.
The Earth and Lightning Daimyo were known for standing by their villages—unlike the Fire and Wind Daimyo, who often made foolish decisions.
"You little brat! I'll kill you!"
Shoichi's eyes bulged with rage. It was bad enough that Takuya had ambushed them and scattered the supplies everywhere, but now he was openly mocking Hanzo, the leader of the Rain Village.
Shoichi couldn't forgive this.
Drawing his sword, Yoshida Shoichi charged at Takuya with a furious roar.
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