Escape From Konoha

September is the season of scorching sun.

The Third Ninja War is in full swing.

As disaster areas where wars converge - due to their awkward geographical locations, the Country of Grass and the Country of Rain can be said to have been poisoned by the wars between great powers.

The domestic economy was declining year by year, and the daimyo and nobles only cared about protecting themselves. Even the ninja village focused on self-preservation, and there was a deep taboo about getting involved in the war between the great ninja villages.

Because anyone with a discerning eye can see how huge the gap is between the Ninja Village of a big country and the Ninja Village of a small country.

And this huge gap cannot be restored by one or a few people.

Compared to the Kingdom of Grass, the Kingdom of Rain suffers from wars more frequently and to a greater extent.

It was the break of dawn, and the new day did not usher in the sun shining down on the world. Instead, there was cold, continuous heavy rain, which washed away the blood in the air.

There were corpses, weapons, blood, and mutilated pieces of flesh everywhere.

Several huge snakes wreaked havoc on the battlefield.

"Rush over!"

Orochimaru stood on the head of a big purple snake covered in blood, surrounded by several spotted pythons. A random swing of a python of this size could cause an attack that was not weak to ninjutsu.

The strength of the Sannin is obvious.

Being able to control huge psychic beasts, coupled with their own secret ninjutsu, they are a disaster for their enemies.

Compared to the battlefield in the Kingdom of Grass, the battlefield in the Kingdom of Rain is more bloody and brutal. Sunagakure's offensive is becoming more fierce day by day, and the frequency of battles is also higher.

Sharp wind blades sprayed out one after another, and kunai with detonating talismans also aimed at the big snakes.

They all knew that only by completely defeating Orochimaru could they achieve victory, break through Konoha's defensive formations in the Land of Rain, and rush into the Land of Fire in one go to rob everything there.

Orochimaru also understands this, but as the commander-in-chief, he cannot retreat here.

Once he falls here, the consequences will be disastrous.

He is very clear about his situation in the Land of Rain, undefeated is the greatest victory.

His task is to stop the hidden sand troops in the Land of Rain, and it is not within his consideration to sacrifice anything for this.

In his eyes, it is worthwhile to treat a few people as victims, set traps, and exchange a small number of casualties for a large number of Shayin casualties.

The battle lasted until the end of noon, and Konoha's party did not feel happy when they repelled the Sand Hidden Army again.

Playing in this way is very unfavorable to Konoha.

Because of the troops deployed by the Kingdom of Rain, if it continues to be consumed like this, it will be a matter of time before Shayin breaks through the defense formation here.

However, there was no better way. Sunagakure no longer carried out a small group combat strategy, but directly used a large force to crush them and charge head-on. This was a high-pressure strategy that caused a thousand losses to oneself and eight hundred to the enemy.

No matter how ingenious the trap set by Orochimaru is, it is impossible to cause any effective losses to Sand Hidden's large army.

In fact, on the battlefield of the Land of Rain, Konoha has no way to retreat.

"Is there still no support? If this continues, we won't last long here."

At the Jonin meeting in the camp, a Junin said wearily.

Compared to the Yu Yu at Sand Gap, there are less than 3,000 Konoha ninjas in the Land of Rain.

As for the troops that Sunagakure has invested in the Rain Country, there are at least 5,000 people.

"There are still many teams performing patrol missions in the Country of Fire, but they are to prevent Sunagakure's elite team from sneaking into the Country of Fire to cause trouble, so they cannot be easily mobilized. And in the village, it is estimated that only five hundred people can be sent out at most. , to support the battlefield of the Kingdom of Rain."

Another jounin analyzed objectively.

The battlefield on the Iwagakure side cannot be ignored, and the pressure is equally great.

Moreover, there was Kumogakure's Chen Hyōtō no Kuni to the east, which also dispersed some of Konoha's forces and went to be vigilant.

When Kumogakure and Iwagakure went to war, they did not forget to create obstacles for Konoha.

Otherwise, if the Konoha ninjas who defend Kumogakure's troops are transferred to the Land of Rain, the situation will be much better.

"Five hundred people can't solve any problem at all."

"What else can we do, we can only continue to fight. If I had known this, I shouldn't have hastily negotiated peace with Sunagakure Village during the last ninja war."

One of the Jonin said something too garrulous.

Everyone's expressions also began to change.

After all, this incident made them somewhat regretful.

After all, Konoha had the upper hand when they fought Sunagakure in the last great shinobi war.

The White Fang team, which penetrated directly into the enemy's heartland and stirred up chaos, was suppressed by Konoha's large forces from the front, and they advanced simultaneously. Sunagakure could only cower and fight, and even the Third Kazekage had no way to deal with them Konoha.

However, after the Jonin meeting in the village, he did not want to make any more sacrifices, so he entered into peace talks with Sunagakure.

After that, the situation in Konoha became bad.

White Fang Hatake Sakumo committed suicide, the White Fang team fell apart, and defectors appeared in Uchiha and Hinata, further weakening Konoha's overall strength.

If the last great ninja war had hit Sunagakure until Sunagakure was exhausted, Konoha would have paid a certain price for it, but it would still be better than the current situation of neither gaining nor falling. At least Sunagakure Village does not dare to provoke Konoha anymore, thus eliminating hidden dangers here.

Just concentrate on dealing with Iwagakure and guarding against Kumogakure.

Allocating troops to the three fronts, even those with deep knowledge in Konoha, found it extremely difficult.

At this moment, a Chuunin who was responsible for delivering emergency orders broke into the tent where the meeting was taking place and said to Orochimaru: "Lord Orochimaru, Elder Danzo is here to pay his respects."

Danzo?

All the jounin who heard this name became thoughtful.

Although I don't really like dealing with this Shinobu, but if the other party can support at this time, it may play a key role in defending Sa Yin's offensive.

The Jonin meeting ended, leaving Orochimaru alone waiting for Danzo.

About a few minutes later, Danzo walked in from outside the tent, and the root jounin who followed him was guarding the outside to prevent anyone from entering.

"Danzo, if you don't help Jiraiya over there in the Land of Grass, why are you here with me? I don't have time to trade with you right now."

Orochimaru said in a hoarse voice.

"Come here to help you defeat Sunagakure. Compared with the battlefield of the Country of Drafting, the situation here in the Country of Rain is more urgent."

Danzo said.

"As far as those people you bring, combined with all the Konoha ninjas here, it is impossible to confront Sand Yin head-on. The overall combat effectiveness is too different, and we can only barely resist."

Orochimaru's face was calm, not feeling happy about Danzo's support.

He was not happy at all with the harsh challenges Konoha was facing now.

"If you don't lose, you win. This is your mission in the Land of Rain. Yun Yin's sudden intervention dispersed part of the village's troops. At this critical moment, the key to breaking the situation lies in the Land of Rain, not the Land of Grass."

"Breaking?"

Orochimaru frowned.

"According to my investigation, half of Sunagakure's grain reserves are provided by the Land of Rain as protection fees to protect the daimyo and nobles."

"I know that."

"Expand the scale of the war and completely pull the Kingdom of Rain into the water."

Danzo only said this sentence, and he believed that Orochimaru understood what he meant.

White Fang's suicide, Uchiha and Hinata's frequent accidents caused Konoha's combat power to be much weaker than the last ninja war at the beginning of the war.

Coupled with Sunagakure and Iwagakure coming prepared, the situation in Konoha will only get worse as time goes by.

"You mean..."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.

A figure appeared in my mind.

Standing on the head of a giant Sansho fish, with a high and powerful attitude, the ninja who calmly gave him the name of "Sannin" - Sansho Hanzo.

The demigod of the ninja world.

Every time he thinks of this incident, Orochimaru can feel a sense of humiliation from the bottom of his heart.

In that battle, not only was he completely defeated, but he was not even able to fight back. He was also given the title of Sannin, which was very glorious in the eyes of outsiders.

What a shameful memory.

So he has always hated this rainy country.

Including the old man with the snorkel who controls the Sansho Fish - the ninja demigod.

"That's right, just as you guessed. Dragging Hidden Rain Village into the battlefield will completely disrupt the situation in the Land of Rain, and let Hidden Rain Village and Hanzo share some of the pressure for us."

Danzo said.

Orochimaru closed his eyes and thought for a while, then opened his eyes, with a sinister smile on his lips, and his tone became hoarse: "Okay, this is indeed a good idea, but how do you get that old guy Hanzo to intervene? That old guy This guy obviously intends to be a coward in this war. Otherwise, when Sunagakure came to the Land of Rain, he would have jumped out on his own."

Therefore, from Orochimaru's point of view, this may also be a test for Hanzo by Sunagakure.

After all, in the early days of the Second Ninja War, Sunagakure Village was also beaten by Hanzo to the point where he knew nothing about the east, west, and north. Later, when they attacked Konoha, they also attacked the Fire Country from the direction of the Kawa Country, rather than passing through the Rain Country.

This shows that the senior management of Sunagakure also have their own considerations. Or maybe, at the beginning of the war, Sunagakure reached some agreement with Hanzo.

"According to my tip, Hanzo has become suspicious in recent years and has become more cautious in his actions. The mess in the Country of Rain and Hidden Rain Village has also made him physically and mentally exhausted. Compared to protecting the Country of Rain, he is probably more concerned about protecting the Country of Rain now. I want to protect my reputation as a 'demigod'."

"... Danzo, are you kidding me? If so, how can we get him to take action and take the pressure off Sunagakure for us?"

Orochimaru frowned.

He didn't bother to care about what happened to Hanzo.

But as Danzo said, Hanzo's fighting spirit declined, he only wanted to protect the honor of his 'demigod', and no longer forged ahead. How could such a person intervene in a dangerous war and share the pressure on Konoha's behalf?

"No, this is just right. If Hanzo doesn't want to take action, then we will force him to take action. Unlike Hanzo, in this time of national crisis, there are many young people from the Country of Rain who are not afraid of death and want to protect this country that is riddled with holes. Country. Use them as a springboard to force Hanzo out of Yuyin Village."

In this way, it will not only reduce the threat of Sunagakure, but also weaken the power of Amegakure, making the environment around Konoha more stable.

"Then let's do it this way, Danzo."

Orochimaru's eyes were cold.

The biggest difference between him and Jiraiya is that no matter how despicable the strategy is, as long as it can bring victory to Konoha, then he will do whatever it takes. In this, who and how many people are sacrificed is just a cold number.

Danzo nodded.

He admired Orochimaru's attitude of demanding victory by any means necessary. Jiraiya would never have agreed to this.

"Don't worry, I'm here just for this. Gen will bear this darkness!"

◎

Yuyin Village.

The land on the water surrounded by the inland sea, the towering towers are like a jungle of steel arches, exposed to the heavy rain.

In the tavern, the members of the 'Akatsuki' organization gathered crowdedly in a single room.

The content of their meeting was very simple. It was still mainly about helping the poor people of the Rain Country, and dissuading Konoha and Sunagakure from continuing the war, so that the Rain Country could recover its economy as soon as possible.

Currently, half of the people in the Kingdom of Rain are living a precarious life, and this situation will become worse and worse as time goes by. The only way is to stop the war between Sunagakure and Konoha.

But this result was not ideal, because in the past few months, Yahiko went to negotiate with the ninjas of Konoha and Sunagakure more than once, but he was turned away every time, and even the command level there was not seen. He was kicked out violently.

Even though he encountered such a bad thing, Yahiko did not feel disheartened, but he also understood that Konoha and Sunagakure did not care what happened to the Rain Country because of this war. This made Yahiko angry and helpless.

He has always believed that people can understand each other, and no matter how difficult this road is, he will continue to walk unswervingly.

But so far, Konoha and Sunagakure's refusal to talk has completely rejected his passionate will.

Why is no one willing to sit down and negotiate calmly? Yahiko couldn't understand this.

Obviously war will only bring serious trauma. Both the enemy and yourself will be injured because of the war. The feeling of losing a family member is the same.

In this case, Sunagakure and Konoha still insist on fighting, fighting each other on the battlefield, not only hurting the enemy, but also becoming painful themselves, which Yahiko cannot understand.

Seeing how everyone was in trouble, Nagato knew exactly what kind of difficulty Xiao was facing.

In the final analysis, it is still a problem of insufficient funds.

Because they want to restore the daily lives of the people, even if Sunagakure and Konoha stop the war, how to collect money is the top priority.

Xiao does not have such earning power.

None of them understand the business methods of making money.

Their income still comes from the rewards for completing tasks... If this is the case, in Nagato's opinion, it would be more profitable to go to the Kingdom of Ghosts and use the Samsara Eye to move bricks.

After the meeting, Nagato walked out of the dull room and stood on the balcony on the second floor, looking at the patter of rain outside the eaves.

"Is it Xiaonan?"

Nagato heard footsteps coming from behind and turned his head slightly.

"Yes. Nagato, what are you thinking about here alone?"

“Wondering how to get funding.”

Nagato thought about his answer.

"Sorry, it's all because of me..."

Xiaonan thought about the tens of millions of taels of debt she owed, and it was only through Nagato's help that she could barely pay it off.

It was also at that time that Xiaonan learned that Nagato had started working in the underground black market.

He hunts criminals from all over the world alone in the Land of Rain looking for business, silently supporting Akatsuki's actions behind the scenes.

Therefore, although Xiao's funds are not sufficient, the supplies purchased have not been reduced.

And only Xiaonan knows this secret.

Xiaonan is responsible for the procurement tasks and is very clear about the prices of medicines and other supplies. If another member is replaced to take over, he will soon know the financial problems.

"This has nothing to do with you. I just want to fulfill the dream we three share. This effort is nothing."

"Is there really no need to tell Yahiko and the others? Maybe they know about this and will..."

"No need. Compared with my work, he has to face more pressure. I don't want to increase his troubles."

As the leader, Yahiko is of course under a lot of pressure, and Nagato knows this very well.

Because of this, Nagato understands better that people have to face reality.

If Yahiko is the savior and dreamer in the eyes of everyone, then what he wants to be is the unknown person who silently sacrifices everything behind Yahiko, the dreamer.

Even so, it's a treat.

"I have always envied Yahiko's personality since I was a child. He is not discouraged no matter what setbacks he faces. He has the special power to infect others. He is a natural leader. In the past, he also saved me like this and became one of the people who followed him. Nameless person, these are my sincere words. No need to persuade me anymore, Konan. Yahiko will definitely change this country. I believe he has this power."

A smile appeared on Nagato's face.

Hearing what Nagato said, Xiaonan had no choice but to agree with his thoughts and nodded seriously.

Yahiko is indeed the kind of person who is overly optimistic, and because of this optimistic attitude towards life, he can hold his head high when facing any difficulties, and can selflessly dedicate everything he has to everyone around him.

Because of this, Akatsuki was established, and more and more people recognized it and became a member of Akatsuki.

Optical Society complains and hates meaningless, Akatsuki's purpose is to change this country, and this world, which has begun to distort human nature due to constant wars.

◎

The top of the tower.

The sound of rain outside could no longer be heard inside.

Isolated from all disturbances in the outside world.

The candlelight flickered in the room, and through the window paper, a figure slowly sat up straight.

He didn't come out of the room. Outside the room, there were a large number of rain hidden ninjas wearing gas masks for protection, 24 hours a day without interruption.

"Is there a problem?"

The old man's calm voice came from the room.

The Ninja Amane who was in charge of the notification knelt on one knee on the floor, surrounded by the atmosphere of silence, with a look of respect on his face, obviously feeling a heartfelt admiration for the person living in the room.

After all, this is the famous ninja, the great figure at the top of the ninja - the ninja demigod, Sansho Hanzo.

He is also the patron saint of their Rain Country.

In the Second Ninja War, the greatest hero of the Rain Country defeated the ninjas of the three major countries in succession.

Today's new generation of Amegakure ninjas can be said to have grown up hearing the heroic deeds of demigods.

For the living demigod in the legend, respect and worship will naturally radiate from the inside out.

Although after years of baptism, the energy is not as good as before, but the will to protect the country and love peace still encourages the new generation of ninjas to move forward bravely and become the spiritual pillar for young people in the country of rain to live strong and have peace in their hearts.

"Master Hanzo, currently fighting with Konoha and Sandin in our Land of Rain, according to statistics, 113 villages, 19 small towns, and two cities have suffered varying degrees of damage."

This number can be said to be a very heavy loss for the Country of Rain.

Rain Country is a small country, and its domestic economy has not been very prosperous since the Second Shinobi War.

Years of banditry, coupled with the Third Ninja War, have exacerbated the serious economic decline of the Rain Country.

Although it is the task of the daimyo and the nobles to appease the many homeless people of the Land of Rain, but the daimyo and the nobles cannot protect themselves now, so one can imagine what will happen to these homeless people.

"I understand. I will negotiate with the people of Konoha and Sunagakure and let them fight later. Try not to do it in a populated place."

Hanzo in the room was silent for a while, and then slowly said this.

The Amegakure ninja in charge of the report hesitated slightly, with a little hesitation on his face.

In fact, he prefers to see Hanzo's furious appearance after hearing the news, and with absolute strength, he wiped out the invaders in the Land of Rain.

Just like the Second Ninja War, the Rain Country can hold its head high in the international arena instead of just sending out a few letters of condemnation.

"Well, Master Hanzo..."

"Anything else?"

"In fact, many people in the village hope that Lord Hanzo will stand up and uphold justice for our Land of Rain. He will lead everyone to repel the ninjas of Konoha and Sand Hidden again. Now many people in the Land of Rain are living in precarity. life."

The communication ninja's eyes showed hope.

He very much hoped that the ninja demigod whom he adored since childhood could take on the destiny of the country, become the hero of the country again, and become the goal of young people's hard work.

Many ninjas in Yuyin Village are very dissatisfied with Konoha and Sanda in the Land of Rain, but because of orders, they cannot attack Konoha and Sanda, otherwise they will be treated as defected ninjas.

However, as the ninjas in the rain swallowed their anger, Konoha and Sandaker's behavior in the land of rain became more and more extreme, and many places responded that the ninjas of these two villages had all sorts of bad deeds of entering residential houses and stealing.

Because there is no evidence, and the battle of ninjas is too fierce, ordinary people will definitely run away desperately when encountering them. However, due to the hasty escape, many things at home cannot be taken away, so they can only be forced to stay.

When I returned again, I found that many things in my home had been looted, especially food and money, and nothing was left.

The only ninjas of Konoha and Sunagakure could do such a thing.

"About this matter, I will let the daimyo handle it. Although I sympathize with what happened to these people, as the leader of Yuyin Village, I cannot exceed my authority to intervene in such matters before the daimyo's order is issued. Sigh …”

Hanzo, who was in the room, gave such an answer in a compassionate and helpless tone after careful consideration.

The Amegakure ninja seemed to have something stuck in his throat. He couldn't say a word, and his eyes were slightly blank.

He stood out from the crowd by virtue of his unremitting efforts and struggle, and worked hard to climb to the side of people he admired. Even if he was just an insignificant communication officer, he was proud and proud of this job.

Disappointed?

Maybe it's disappointment.

More of a doubt.

He didn't understand why the ninja he admired continued to tolerate it at this time.

Or, are you really considering that the daimyo has no orders and it is inconvenient to handle this kind of thing?

The Daimyo of the Rain Country cannot protect itself at the moment. The nobles only care about their own enjoyment and do not care about the survival of the country. Hanzo-sama should have known this for a long time.

"Yes, Master Hanzo."

He sighed slightly in his heart.

He could only find various excuses in his mind for Hanzo not to interfere in this matter.

But no matter what kind of excuse it is, it is difficult to convince my heart.

Just as he was about to go out, another Amegakure ninja hurried in.

"It's not good, Master Hanzo."

He shouted anxiously, it was obvious that there was an emergency.

"Why are you so panicked? I'm not dead yet."

Hanzo's voice was cold and had great power.

"Yes, yes." Frightened by Hanzo's sudden aura, the Amegakure ninja who came in later swallowed his saliva and replied:

"Lord Hanzo, the people in the village got into a fight with the envoy of Sunagakure who came to visit!"

"Sunagakure?"

Hanzo, who had never been seen in the room, frowned slightly.

What does it mean for the Sunagakure ninja to suddenly come to visit Amegakure instead of fighting the Konoha ninja?