Compared to the grand mobilization of Iwagakure, the atmosphere within the Hidden Sand Village was surprisingly subdued. Their commanders were Ebizō and Rasa, old allies familiar with one another.
Most of the ninja under their command had fought in the Land of Water theater. Many had never battled the Hidden Sand Village before, but they knew the two commanders well through repeated engagements.
In fact, it was Chiyo who first spread the reputation of Uchiha Hayashi. During the Second Great Ninja War, Sakumo Hatake had fought Ebizō and Rasa alone and killed Chiyo's son Iwakura and his wife. Later, those two, alongside Orochimaru and Jiraiya, had confronted the Third Kazekage and captured him, taking him back to their village.
The psychological impact of these past battles was immense, so it was no surprise that many looked down on the Hidden Sand Village.
"The only concern is whether Iwagakure will join the Sand Village and combine forces to ambush us in the Land of Rain," someone asked, voice filled with doubt.
"Rest assured," Uchiha Hayashi replied with a composed voice, "if Rasa and Ebizō dare to ambush us, I will join Hanzō and personally lead the Rain ninja in a counterattack."
Why Hayashi had not killed Hanzō was simple: first, to allow him time to stabilize the Land of Rain, and second, to draw him into the larger conflict. The agreement between the two parties was clear. Konoha would confine its operations within the Land of Earth, and Konoha would abide by that. In turn, Hanzō agreed to ensure the safety of Konoha's supply lines. If the Hidden Sand Village attempted to sabotage those convoys, he was responsible for stopping them.
Moreover, Hanzō bore a seal that compelled his obedience despite his reluctance. Of course, to secure his cooperation, the Third Hokage had promised Hanzō certain benefits — after all, no one works without compensation.
Only the Third Hokage and Hanzō knew the exact terms of the agreement, but it was rooted in confidence in their personal strength. Uchiha Hayashi believed that with himself and Hanzō, they could block the Hidden Sand forces led by Rasa and Ebizō. Should they fail, the Third Hokage would personally join the fight.
The Third Hokage was far from weak. In a single sentence, he could be described as the shared disciple of both the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. He possessed mastery over all known ninjutsu within Konoha except bloodline limits and forbidden jutsu, a level of skill that surpassed mere replication.
Even Orochimaru once said, "If he were ten years younger, he could defeat me instantly." Whether he was jesting or speaking truth, the Third Hokage was still in the prime of his strength — a formidable shinobi with overwhelming taijutsu and powerful ranged techniques.
If Uchiha Hayashi, the Third Hokage, and Hanzō fought together, they would unquestionably be able to hold off the Hidden Sand forces.
Only Hayashi, Sakumo Hatake, Shikumo, and the Third Hokage fully understood this strategy. The lower ranks did not know. From their perspective, seeing Uchiha Hayashi so composed in the face of potential danger ignited their confidence and stirred their spirits.
"As expected of Lord Hayashi!" they said.
While Konoha's camp buzzed with laughter and a sense of assured victory, the situation at the Hidden Sand encampment was far grimmer.
Rasa sat in his command tent, worry etched into his features as he exhaled deeply. He had not wanted to lead this force, but with the Third Kazekage's limited high‑level ninja available, he had no choice but to comply.
The number of soldiers was not insignificant and appeared formidable at first glance, but most were newly graduated genin meant to be cannon fodder, with only a few veteran fighters among them.
Was this mockery aimed at him? Looking down on Rasa and on Konohas Lightning Flash and the White Fang? The thought was bitter in his chest.
In his youth, Rasa had unexpectedly awakened Magnet Release and became the personal disciple of the Third Kazekage. He should have risen to lead the village in the future. He was talented, wealthy, and capable, and life should have been smooth. But after meeting Uchiha Hayashi during the Second Great Ninja War, everything changed.
First, his right arm was severed and he barely escaped. During the Chūnin Exams he was publicly defeated, thrown into a trash bin. In the Third Great Ninja War, as a commander, his left arm was cut off. Even the girl who had quietly loved him was kidnapped, her fate unknown.
Uchiha Hayashi had become a living nightmare in Rasa's life.
If he could go back in time, Rasa thought, he would slap his younger self and tell him never to provoke that name.
But there was no going back. Now he had to face his deepest fear again.
Before departing, the Third Kazekage had instructed him: if the enemy remained confined to the Land of Rain and did not seek to open a second front in the Land of Wind, then do not provoke Konoha.
The meaning was simple: avoid conflict if possible. The Hidden Sand was already stretched thin. A significant number of sand ninja had been pulled back to defend against Hayashi's possible invasion, weakening their front lines. Meanwhile, Orochimaru and Tsunade led a brutal offensive against Wind forces, turning the Land of Wind battles into a slaughterhouse. Both sides suffered heavy casualties.
If Uchiha Hayashi and Sakumo Hatake were to lead their troops into the Land of Wind now, the pressure on the Hidden Sand Village would multiply. While combining with Iwagakure to block them in Rain seemed a decent strategy, sacrificing valuable ninja to multiple fronts risked ruin. More importantly, their supply lines were already fragile. After Hanzō's attacks, the Hidden Sand could not afford long marches into the Land of Rain while under assault by Orochimaru.
The Third Kazekage's instruction was clear: preserve strength, do not provoke Uchiha Hayashi or Sakumo Hatake, and let them move into the Land of Earth.
Just as Rasa sank into his troubled thoughts, the tent flap lifted. A young boy with red hair entered with an easy stride. Seeing him, Rasa's face brightened.
"Sasori, you're here," Rasa said, relief touching his tone.
The Hidden Sand's forces were stretched thin, and a genius like Sasori had been sent to the front long ago. But the situation was so dire that Chiyo had allowed her cherished grandson to join the front lines alongside Ebizō.
"Yes, Big Brother Rasa, what are you doing?" Sasori asked with an unusually gentle smile, his eyes gleaming with respect. Such admiration warmed Rasa's heart.
He reached out and ruffled Sasori's hair, smiling. "I'm thinking about how to deal with the Konoha forces."
Sasori's smile briefly froze under the gesture, but he recovered quickly. "Have you thought of a strategy yet?"
Rasa shook his head. "No."
"Maybe we could use poison? I have developed some very potent toxins, and right now there's no known antidote," Sasori suggested earnestly.
Rasa laughed, a booming tone that filled the tent. "You young man, even if you had poison that strong, it wouldn't matter. There's a medic on their side named Yakushi Nono, Tsunade's disciple. Her medical skills are excellent."
Unlike his teacher, the Third Kazekage, Rasa genuinely liked Sasori, partly because Chiyo was the boy's grandmother. Rasa aspired to be the Fourth Kazekage someday, and fostering a good relationship with Sasori now was strategic as well as affectionate.
He was slightly puzzled, however. "They say Chiyo's grandson is extremely introverted. Is that a rumor, or is my affinity unusually strong?"
Sasori's gentle smile remained. "Big Brother Rasa," he said softly.
"Yes?" Rasa replied.
"Let's test out some ninjutsu," Sasori suggested with a quiet eagerness. "I still want to see how Magnet Release actually performs in battle."
Rasa considered for a moment and then nodded. "Alright, let's go. This time I will demonstrate the Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Method. This technique has only been mastered by myself and the Third Kazekage."
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