The battle in the valley didn't last long.
There were only two squads of Iwagakure shinobi stationed there, with the strongest being a single jōnin.
On the other hand, Hajime's group had three jōnin—and Danzo, whose strength was at the Kage level.
Not to mention, they also greatly outnumbered the Iwa-nin.
After clearing the battlefield and taking the corpses of the Iwa-nin with them, Hajime and his team returned to Amegakure. There, they found even more Iwa-nin corpses—over a dozen in total.
It was a significant achievement.
Though in terms of numbers, it still didn't surpass the Iwa-nin Hajime had personally taken out in two separate battles.
While the others remained outside, Hajime and Daichi followed Danzo into the meeting room, where they once again met Hanzo.
After a round of cordial exchanges, Danzo didn't waste any time and quickly took his leave.
As they stepped out of Amegakure, Hajime suddenly turned to glance back at the mist-shrouded village, and in his ears, he seemed to hear the footsteps of war.
He knew the future.
He knew roughly when the Second Great Ninja War would erupt.
But this was the first time he truly felt the war creeping closer.
"Alpha, what's wrong?"
Daichi noticed Hajime's movement and asked in a low voice.
Hajime turned back and said, "I see war coming toward us. I can hear its footsteps."
Daichi was stunned by his words.
Danzo, walking ahead, said flatly, "Hanzo's ambition has been unleashed after this incident. Amegakure might become the flashpoint that ignites the next Great Ninja War."
He had already decided to increase surveillance on Amegakure's activities.
Just as Hajime had said:
Konoha can tolerate the presence of a demigod at its borders—but never the rise of another 'God of Shinobi.'
...
At the border of the Land of Earth—
Corpses were delivered there by Amegakure's shinobi and quickly discovered by the Iwagakure border defense units.
"Damn it!"
"Bastards!"
"Captain, those guys haven't gone far—let's strike!"
"Yeah! We must avenge them!"
Looking at the bodies of their fallen comrades scattered on the ground, the Iwa-nin were seething with rage.
But their squad leader suppressed his fury and barked coldly, "Silence! We can't act without orders from the Third Tsuchikage!"
"This must be reported to Lord Third Tsuchikage for a decision."
"As for revenge—we must trust Lord Tsuchikage."
Hearing this, the angry outcries died down, but the hatred and fury within them only grew, simmering beneath the surface.
...
By the time the intelligence reached Iwagakure, it was already nightfall.
Onoki gritted his teeth as he read through the report.
Hanzo's actions were beyond arrogant!
But as he reviewed the list of the dead, Onoki sensed something was off.
"This incident... also involves Konoha…"
He let out a cold snort and began issuing orders.
That night, Iwagakure was in a flurry of activity.
Meanwhile, reports concerning the Land of Rain were continuously being delivered to Onoki's desk.
Even though Iwagakure's forces in the Land of Rain had suffered a major blow, they hadn't been completely wiped out. A few deeply hidden operatives remained, and there were still spies embedded within Amegakure.
By the time dawn broke—
Onoki had fully confirmed that Konoha had joined forces with Amegakure.
This revelation made him frown deeply.
The ninja world was already in turmoil. Every village was expanding its military.
And now, at such a sensitive time, Konoha had suddenly allied with Amegakure to target Iwagakure? Whatever the reason, it was not normal.
Could it be... that Konoha and Amegakure were forming a military alliance?
The Land of Rivers, the Land of Grass, the Land of Birds…
Onoki's gaze drifted toward the map of the ninja world.
Konoha had sensed Hanzo's ambitions—how could Onoki not react in turn?
Staring at the map for a long while, Onoki finally began issuing orders.
Not for retaliation.
But for an intelligence campaign focused on Amegakure and the Land of Rain.
Increase infiltration.
Increase surveillance.
Revenge… could wait.
Iwagakure could not be the one to start this war.
...
Hajime Hoshita returned to Konoha the following day.
After a good night's sleep, he immediately applied for access to the Root archives to copy the genjutsu techniques stored there.
And upon trying them out, Hajime quickly discovered something:
The hypnosis talent granted by the status [Hypnosis Master] only had outstanding effects when practicing genjutsu related to hypnosis.
For instance, with a technique like Temple of Nirvana Technique—despite being an A-rank jutsu—he had mastered it in a very short time.
However, for non-hypnotic techniques, even B-rank ones, his progress was extremely slow.
Take Bringer-of-Darkness Technique, for example.
Even so, this didn't dampen Hajime's passion for genjutsu training in the slightest.
In the blink of an eye, two days passed.
The moment for his status refresh was drawing closer.
Putting down the genjutsu scroll in his hands, Hajime thought for a moment and came to a decision—
To create his own hypnotic genjutsu!
Root had archived a good number of genjutsu techniques, but far too few were centered on hypnosis.
Over the past few days, he'd gained a lot from his research, but it still felt insufficient to fully unlock the potential of [Hypnosis Master].
Maybe if he could create an original hypnosis genjutsu akin to the Temple of Nirvana, it would work.
Once he'd made up his mind, Hajime immediately immersed himself in research.
...
At the same time—
Danzo and Hiruzen were meeting.
"Though the Iwa-nin have been more active in the Land of Rain lately, it doesn't look like they intend to start a war," Danzo reported.
He had been closely monitoring the situation in the Land of Rain over the past few days.
Hiruzen nodded, a hint of regret in his tone. "Onoki is as stubborn as stone. He's not one to act on impulse."
If Iwagakure had launched a direct assault on Amegakure, it would have played right into Konoha's hands.
Danzo agreed, "Indeed."
"But from their recent movements, it's only a matter of time before they strike at Amegakure."
"If Hanzo makes a move to expand his power, Onoki will definitely take action."
Hiruzen nodded again. "And what about Sunagakure?"
Danzo replied, "They haven't reacted much so far."
"However, if Hanzo attacks the Land of Rivers, Sunagakure definitely won't stand idly by."
"When the three great villages make their move—even if Hanzo is a demigod—he won't be able to hold them off. We must crush his ambitions as well."
Hiruzen gave a slight nod. "I'll leave Amegakure to you."
"Lady Mito doesn't have much time left. Make sure Hajime Hoshita is fully prepared!"
Danzo's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately nodded. "Understood!"
After leaving the Hokage's office and returning to the Root base, Danzo gave the order to summon Hajime right away.
"Lord Danzo!"
Hajime arrived quickly, having left a clone behind to continue his training.
Danzo stood with his hands behind his back, facing away from Hajime. "Alpha, within the next three months, you must master the Wood Release secret technique that suppresses Tailed Beasts."
Hajime's expression grew serious. "Lady Mito... is she...?"
Danzo gave a slight nod. "The time has come. The Nine-Tails must be transferred."
"Although the village has well-established sealing techniques, the Nine-Tails is the most powerful among the Tailed Beasts. To ensure nothing goes wrong, we need Wood Release to suppress it."
"Moreover, the new Jinchūriki is still very young—too young to perfectly control the Nine-Tails. That suppression will be essential."
Hearing this, Hajime straightened and responded firmly, "Understood. I will not disappoint you!"
Danzo nodded, then turned around, his gaze sharp as he looked at Hajime. "The Jinchūriki is one of the village's most vital weapons—but also the most dangerous."
"But with Wood Release, it becomes a powerful weapon under our control."
"I need you to bring that weapon under control."
Hajime lifted his head slightly. "Understood."
"I will ensure that weapon is placed firmly in your hands."
Danzo gave a satisfied nod. "Go."
Hajime bowed deeply, then vanished from sight.
Only then did a faint trace of excitement appear on Danzo's usually impassive face.
With Wood Release and the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki under his control—
After Hiruzen... who else could be more qualified to become the Fourth Hokage?
No one. No one had the right!
In that moment, the ambition long buried deep in Danzo's heart began to burn anew.
(End of Chapter)
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