"I'll give it a try."
Convincing Hanzo of the Salamander might not necessarily require the Daimyo's involvement, but the village would undoubtedly need to offer sufficient benefits.
Given the Third Hokage's character, the likelihood of him agreeing to this suggestion was quite high. At this stage, the Third Hokage still retained some decisiveness. The trickier issue lay with the Elder Council.
In particular, Koharu Utatane, the most troublesome old lady.
"Senior, prepare yourself for rejection. Many things, even if Tsunade steps in, may not succeed."
Takashi gave Nara Shikashin a heads-up.
The higher the expectations, the greater the potential disappointment.
Nara Shikashin smiled as he stood up.
"I was prepared for rejection the moment I came up with this idea. Let's give it a shot. If it works, great. If it doesn't, we'll just chip away slowly."
"Take care of yourself. I've noticed you've been looking very tired lately. Training is important, but rest is equally vital."
As the head of the Nara Clan, Nara Shikashin was privy to some village secrets, so he wasn't curious about what Takashi was doing or where he had been.
"Take care, Senior."
After seeing Nara Shikashin off, Takashi took out a scroll, recorded the matter, and sent it to the village via puppet courier. The rest was up to Tsunade.
Tsunade would certainly agree with Nara Shikashin's suggestion; the difficult part was getting approval from the Hokage's office and the Elder Council.
The scroll, sent out at midnight, reached Konoha by dawn.
It was delivered smoothly to Tsunade's hands.
After reading it, Tsunade felt a headache coming on. "You really know how to give me trouble."
The proposal was good, but gaining the Third Hokage and the others' support would not be easy.
Tsunade decided to give it a try.
Fortunately, both Nara Shikashin and Takashi had already prepared themselves for rejection. If the suggestion was accepted, that would be ideal. If not, then they would just keep fighting the long, slow battle.
After all, wars didn't end that easily.
The future was still going to be chaotic for a while.
At the Hokage's office building, Tsunade walked into the Hokage's office and presented Nara Shikashin's suggestion.
The Third Hokage frowned immediately:
"Tsunade, in order to suppress Amegakure's development, we deliberately dragged them into the conflict, turning the Land of Rain into a battleground for the three Great Nations. The relationship between Amegakure and the village has already deteriorated to the breaking point."
"Convincing Hanzo of the Salamander will be extremely difficult."
"I understand," Tsunade replied. "It's difficult, but not impossible. If we can persuade Hanzo and form an alliance between Amegakure and Konoha, the battlefield dynamics in the Land of Rain would shift."
"I'll call Koharu and the others over so we can all discuss this."
After some thought, the Third Hokage decided to hold a brief meeting.
As for making a decision, they would figure that out after the discussion.
Upon receiving the notification, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado arrived, along with Akimichi Torifu.
With Tsunade also present, five people sat down in the Hokage's office to begin their discussion.
"No, I refuse!"
As expected, upon hearing Tsunade's proposal, Koharu immediately objected, "I'm not trying to target anyone here; I'm considering this from the perspective of the village's best interest. An alliance in the Land of Rain might seem beneficial to us, but don't forget, the battlefield in the Rain Country involves more than just three sides."
"If we pay a high price to ally with Amegakure, what about Iwagakure?"
"If we ally with Amegakure, won't Iwagakure feel pressured and form an alliance with Sunagakure instead?"
Koharu's points were reasonable, and the Third Hokage and Homura Mitokado nodded slightly in agreement.
Akimichi Torifu remained silent for a moment before saying, "Iwagakure's main focus is on Kumogakure, so—"
"Can you guarantee that Iwagakure and Sunagakure won't ally, Torifu?"
Koharu, not wanting to hear it, directly challenged, "If you can guarantee that Iwagakure and Sunagakure won't unite, then I will agree on behalf of the Elder Council to negotiate with Amegakure."
"…"
How the hell can I guarantee that?
Akimichi Torifu felt his temper flare.
The relationships between villages change constantly, especially during wartime. If Konoha could think of allying with Amegakure, Sunagakure and Iwagakure could also have similar ideas.
Sunagakure had already taken action, though their overtures were rejected.
Of course, Konoha wasn't aware of that piece of intel.
For Konoha to ally with Amegakure, they would have to put in the effort to convince Hanzo, but they also had to worry about Iwagakure's reaction.
If Iwagakure felt threatened and turned to ally with Sunagakure, Konoha would end up being the one at a disadvantage.
Even if they successfully allied with Amegakure, they would still be in trouble if they faced the combined forces of Sunagakure and Iwagakure.
It wasn't as though they knew about Chiyo's previous attempt to contact Iwagakure. Even if they did, the Third Hokage and the others wouldn't want to take that gamble.
In fact, it could backfire, with the Elder Council blaming Tsunade's suggestion for triggering an alliance between Iwagakure and Sunagakure against Konoha.
I knew it would go like this.
Tsunade sighed, folding her arms across her chest. She didn't feel like arguing anymore.
During war, it was risky to try and ally with one enemy. If the leadership agreed and provided enough benefits, Hanzo would likely accept, and the odds of success were high. In the worst case, they could directly get the daimyo involved to help.
But Koharu was fixated on Iwagakure.
Today's meeting was a waste of time, just a pointless endeavor.
Fortunately, Tsunade was prepared for this outcome and didn't feel too disappointed.
Once the meeting ended, Tsunade and Akimichi Torifu were the first to leave.
"Hiruzen, what do you think Tsunade is trying to do?"
Koharu Utatane complained, "She's getting increasingly involved in village affairs. The current war situation is already chaotic enough, and now they want to ally with Amegakure? If that provokes Iwagakure, our village could be in danger."
Holding control of the Pharmaceutical Division and now the entire ANBU, what's wrong with Tsunade getting involved in village matters?
It's perfectly logical.
But there's no point in arguing with an unreasonable person, so the Third Hokage just let her comment slide.
"You make a good point, which is why I also believe negotiating with Amegakure is unwise. The tide of war is constantly shifting, but right now, the situation is most favorable for us."
In the eyes of many, the current situation in the Land of Rain was advantageous to Konoha.
Iwagakure wasn't particularly interested in the war because they had a significant threat in Kumogakure looming over them, always ready to make a move. As a result, Iwagakure's primary focus was on Kumogakure.
Sunagakure was set on fighting Konoha, while Amegakure was relentlessly harassing Sunagakure.
Compared to Sunagakure, which was struggling on multiple fronts, Konoha's situation wasn't bad.
At least for now, the current circumstances favored Konoha, so the Elder Council was unwilling to take risks. Even if they could secure Amegakure's alliance, they were still worried about Iwagakure's reaction.
After leaving the Hokage building, Akimichi Torifu sighed, "I wonder if it's just age catching up to him. The old monkey no longer has the boldness he once did. The Elder Council's interference has become far too frequent."
"It's a mess of his own making. Who else is there to blame?" Tsunade scoffed.
Under normal circumstances, the Elder Council wouldn't have such significant authority. However, during the First Shinobi World War, in order to secure his position as Hokage, the Third Hokage extended significant benefits and power to the Elder Council members.
Now, trying to reclaim that power was proving to be incredibly difficult.
"Senior Shikashin, I'll let Takashi notify him. Since the suggestion wasn't approved, he should stop wasting his energy on this," Tsunade said.
With just the Elder Council objecting, Tsunade might have been able to persuade them. The real problem, however, was that the Third Hokage himself didn't want to take the risk. With both the Elder Council and the Third Hokage against it, it was nearly impossible for Tsunade to push her proposal through.
The village's response reached the frontline camp the same day.
Originally, Takashi planned to go to the command post to inform Nara Shikashin, but upon consideration, he decided to send someone to summon him instead.
"It seems Tsunade wasn't lying when she said your cooking was good," Nara Shikashin commented with a smile.
"Just happened to have the right ingredients," Takashi replied, pouring vegetables into a pot of stewed meat and placing it on the table. "Please, take a seat."
"Hahaha, then I won't be modest today."
Shikashin, though usually very busy and not a particularly picky eater, had a utilitarian approach to food: as long as it filled the stomach, it sufficed. Given the camp's basic conditions, having enough to eat was already a luxury, so he never fussed about meals.
Only Takashi had the privilege to have his own small cookout.
If Nara Shikashin wanted to have a special meal, no one would object, but he wouldn't do that.
Taking a bite, Shikashin commented, "This must be cured meat. The flavor is excellent, but it feels like something's missing."
Takashi handed him a small bottle of sake.
"Ah, that's what it was—missing a good drink!" Shikashin exclaimed.
With meat and sake, the meal turned truly enjoyable.
The two sat together, eating and chatting. Once the meal was nearly over, Shikashin finally broached the subject.
"So, the village rejected the proposal, didn't they?"
"Yes," Takashi replied, setting down his chopsticks and wiping his mouth. "The Hokage lacked a firm stance, and the Elder Council deemed it too risky. They were worried about provoking Iwagakure and causing them to ally with Sunagakure, so they strongly opposed it."
Although Shikashin had prepared himself for rejection, hearing it still left him a bit disappointed.
"Then we'll just take it slow."
Without the village's backing, even if Shikashin personally persuaded Hanzo of the Salamander, it would be meaningless. If they convinced him and then failed to deliver on promises of resources or support, it would only provoke Amegakure's ire. Instead of pursuing Sunagakure, Amegakure might then turn its hostility toward Konoha.
After seeing Shikashin off, Takashi changed his clothes and resumed his routine patrol of the medical ward.
---
"Senior Takashi."
The medical-nin and staff at the center greeted him warmly as he arrived.
"Thank you all for your hard work," Takashi replied with a smile.
He made his rounds, ensuring everything was in order, and then returned to his quarters. As soon as he got back, he collapsed into bed, finally ready to catch up on all the sleep he had lost over the past few days.
---
Elsewhere, deep within a mountainous region on the battlefield, Jiraiya lay sprawled on the ground, looking battered and beaten, even a little miserable.
"Cough, cough! Do you think we'll die here?"
Jiraiya coughed, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. He laughed bitterly, "As expected, Jingyi was right—we were still too young and reckless."
"Can you just shut up for a while?"
Sakumo Hatake wanted to roll his eyes, but he was exhausted—so much so that even moving a finger felt like a chore. Instead, he rested against a rock, trying to regain his strength.
Of the three of them, Orochimaru was in the best shape—not because he was much stronger than the other two, but because he had been quick to react.
"Cough, cough! How are we supposed to contact the camp?" Jiraiya wheezed.
Sakumo kept his eyes closed and didn't respond. Orochimaru, seated nearby, calmly pulled out a scroll, which contained a crow puppet.
The puppet hopped onto Orochimaru's arm after emerging from the scroll, looking around with curiosity.
"Stupid Orochimaru, are you seriously in the mood to mess around with a summoning beast at a time like this?"
Sakumo opened his eyes, his curiosity piqued.
The three of them were in a precarious situation—they had been ambushed by Iwagakure's forces while pursuing some Sunagakure shinobi. No one had expected Iwagakure, who hadn't shown much interest in Konoha, to deliver such a blow.
Luckily, they had been strong enough to escape from Iwagakure's encirclement.
Sakumo had suffered significant injuries, and now lacked the ability to fight. Jiraiya's condition was even worse, with wounds still bleeding profusely.
Ignoring Jiraiya's sarcastic remarks, Orochimaru looked at the puppet on his arm. "Can you communicate with your master?"
Jiraiya: "…"
Sakumo: "…"
Did Orochimaru lose his mind?
Or maybe he was injured in the head while escaping?
The crow puppet squawked twice, still looking curiously around.
"Who's calling me?"
Before Orochimaru could proceed further, the crow puppet's eyes lit up, and a sleepy voice emerged from its beak—Takashi's.
It sounded like he had just woken up, still groggy with sleep.
Takashi had indeed been napping—more accurately, he had been catching up on his sleep. But during his slumber, he suddenly heard someone calling out to him.
Thanks to the Tenseigan, the puppets Takashi crafted could serve as surveillance tools and even function like a communication device. As long as they weren't too far away, Takashi could operate them as he wished.
"…"
"What in the world?"
Jiraiya and Sakumo exchanged bewildered looks.
Was this some kind of genjutsu?
Orochimaru, meanwhile, couldn't help but smirk, his amusement barely contained.
"Takashi, it's Orochimaru. Our team was ambushed by Iwagakure's forces. Everyone else in the team was killed—it's just me, Jiraiya, and Sakumo left."
Orochimaru quickly described the current situation, which could be summed up in one word: Help!
In the camp's rest area, Takashi immediately sobered up.
"You're saying you were ambushed, and now you're surrounded by Iwagakure's Earth Release army, and all of you are in bad shape?"
"Exactly."
"Got it."
After that, the crow puppet returned to its usual state.
Jiraiya, lying on the ground, stammered, "St-stupid Orochimaru, what on earth is that thing?"
Sakumo didn't speak, but he was also itching to know more.
It was quite bizarre—a puppet capable of long-distance communication. If they had more of these, they could definitely be a nightmare for their enemies. Konoha could keep track of enemy movements at any time, effectively enabling remote command capabilities.
"It's a puppet that Takashi made—it's not a summoning beast." Orochimaru responded, then sat back against a rock to rest.
Although he appeared to be in the best shape, this was just on the surface. If it weren't for his quick reflexes, he might be in the same miserable state as Jiraiya and Sakumo.
"A puppet…"
Sakumo and Jiraiya felt as if their perception of the world had been shattered.
A puppet like this actually existed?
---
Back at the camp, Takashi quickly got dressed, grabbed his rain gear, and rushed out of the medical facility towards the command post.
"Who's there?"
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