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That was indeed explosive news. I wonder how the Hidden Sand Village managed to pull off such an ambush against Jiraiya and Sakumo Hatake.
Those two have been fighting since the Second Great Ninja War; they shouldn't be that careless.
Alas, in war, no one can say for sure, and no one can be an undefeated God of War. After all, Sakumo Hatake and Jiraiya are also human, not gods; they just happen to be stronger than others.
"My lord, is this news true? Didn't our front lines have an advantage?"
Shisui seemed a bit incredulous. How could Konohagakure, which held the advantage, suffer such a crushing defeat?
"Having an advantage doesn't mean you won't make mistakes. War is constantly changing, and Sakumo Hatake and Jiraiya are not invincible."
Rong Lin looked up in the direction of Konohagakure: "I wonder how you will respond next. This time, the losses are considerable. Retreating dozens of miles shows how severe the losses of the front-line troops are."
"My lord, what did you say?"
Shisui listened to Rong Lin muttering to himself, his head filled with question marks.
Shaking his head, Rong Lin offered no explanation.
Shisui could only pile his questions in his heart, sighing: "Lord Sakumo Hatake and Lord Jiraiya will probably be punished. If only you hadn't been transferred, my lord, I could have certainly shown those Hidden Sand Ninja a good lesson."
Shisui couldn't help but feel indignant for Rong Lin. Why were capable people transferred away from the battlefield, and now look, a great loss has been incurred.
"Say less of such things in the future!"
Rong Lin glared at Shisui. What was this brash child babbling about!!!
Some things he could say, but Shisui couldn't, at least not yet. If he wanted to say such things, he would have to wait until he had the capital to do so.
Faced with Rong Lin's glare, Shisui lowered his head in a wronged manner.
"My lord."
The ninja patrolling outside saw Rong Lin and Shisui, jumped down from the trees, and respectfully saluted. Rong Lin nodded and asked, "Besides the front line, has anything major happened in the village recently?"
"The village has been fine, no major incidents have occurred. Please rest assured, my lord."
"I see. You may go back to your duties."
For the rest of the journey, Rong Lin and Shisui quickened their pace and soon returned to the village:
"I'll go to the Hokage Building to submit the mission. You go to the hospital and get thoroughly treated. Remember not to leave any lingering illnesses. I'll cover the expenses."
Rong Lin wouldn't allow Shisui to end up like Itachi, suffering from illnesses at a young age that became untreatable later on. Many geniuses fell victim to disease in their later years because they neglected their health in their youth.
"My lord, I will pay attention."
To Shisui, Rong Lin's words were like an imperial decree; he dared not disobey. Besides, Shisui also didn't want to suffer from any lingering illnesses.
Because he had been away for these three months, many of his injuries did not receive immediate treatment. His body would more or less hide some hidden wounds. If not dealt with early, laying hidden dangers, it would cause great damage to his body in the future.
After parting ways with Shisui, Rong Lin arrived at the Hokage Office.
In the Hokage Office, the Third Hokage looked much older. Since the war broke out, he was the person under the most pressure in Konohagakure, carrying a heavy burden. The war had continued until now, and Konohagakure's various losses were also significant.
Personnel casualties, material consumption—all these heavy burdens rested on the Third Hokage's shoulders.
"Hokage-sama."
Although he seemed to have been traveling and enjoying himself all the way, secretly, Rong Lin had also collected quite a bit of intelligence.
Even if he came back after playing for a few months, the Third Hokage wouldn't say anything; the mission would still be completed. But Rong Lin didn't want to leave any room for criticism.
Opening the scroll and looking at it, a relieved smile appeared on the Third Hokage's increasingly aged face: "You've worked hard."
"It's my duty, my lord," Rong Lin replied.
Looking at Rong Lin, who showed no emotional fluctuations, he sighed and said, "You heard the news, didn't you?"
"Mm."
Rong Lin knew the Third Hokage was referring to Konohagakure's recent defeat.
"The Hidden Sand Village set a trap, using some people as bait. Sakumo Hatake and Jiraiya chose to take the risk and fell into the enemy's trap. The front-line ninja suffered heavy losses, and the villagers also had some complaints, believing that Jiraiya and Sakumo Hatake should not have rushed in so rashly."
The Third Hokage stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the general outline of Konohagakure. His words were filled with sorrow; he was the most distressed by what had happened.
Various war reports would be selectively made public, and some more important ones would naturally be hidden. However, some unhideable news could only be announced, such as this defeat.
When the news was announced, the entire village was in shock. Didn't they still have the advantage before?
Why would they suddenly suffer a crushing defeat?
Although victory and defeat are common in war, this huge contrast made it difficult for the villagers to accept. Thus, Jiraiya and Sakumo Hatake faced various complaints and accusations.
Fortunately, both were on the front lines. If they were in the village, it would likely cause quite a commotion.
"War has its victories and defeats. If it weren't to end the war as soon as possible, they wouldn't have rushed in recklessly and fallen into the enemy's trap."
Rong Lin said this not to clear Jiraiya and Sakumo Hatake's names. In such a 230 situation, anyone would choose to take the risk and rush in. The only difference is that some people can rise up and fight back in a disadvantaged situation, while others cannot.
"But the villagers won't think that way." The Third Hokage turned to look at Rong Lin, his eyes complex:
"Are you still blaming me for transferring you back? Perhaps if you were there, the losses wouldn't have been so heavy."
The role Rong Lin could play in the war was not as simple as one plus one equals two. Even if Jiraiya and Sakumo Hatake's strength was not inferior to Rong Lin's, their impact on the battlefield would not be as significant as his.
"No."
Rong Lin shook his head; he had never blamed the Third Hokage.
As Hokage, he had too many things to consider. Sometimes, even if he knew something was inappropriate, he had no choice but to do it. Rong Lin merely directed his resentment at the Hyuga Clan and the Shimura Clan.
Of course, none of the smaller, dependent clans could expect to escape. There would be plenty of time to deal with them later. Did they really think they could act recklessly by relying on the Hyuga and Shimura?
They were too naive. Once a conflict erupted, they would be the first to suffer.
"The Hokage-sama naturally has his own ideas."
"Sigh~ It's good that you think that way. Is the Land of Earth truly preparing?"
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