Chapter 256: Danzo, you don't understand politics! Danzo: Anyway, I don't agree!
Orochimaru! Senior Tsunade and her group!
They ultimately chose to leave!
They couldn't change Jiraiya's mind!
In the end, they could only choose to respect his decision!
Watching their retreating figures!
After a long silence, Jiraiya slowly withdrew his gaze and looked at the two figures in front of him!
"Tetsuya, kid! I really didn't expect you to choose to stay!"
That's right! Not only Jiraiya stayed, but also Fujiwara Tetsuya and Uchiha Mikoto!
"Senior Jiraiya! What's so surprising about that!"
"In any case, Senior Orochimaru and Senior Tsunade already understand Hanzō's intentions!"
"And judging by the attitude they've displayed so far!"
"For the foreseeable future, at least until the peace talks are finalized, there won't be any large-scale battles between Konoha and Hidden Rain Village!"
"Even if we return to the camp, we'll either be cooped up there or just performing reconnaissance missions!"
"Rather than that, why not take this opportunity to relax a bit!"
"Mikoto and I haven't had time to appreciate the scenery of the Land of Rain since we entered it!"
"Right now, it's like a vacation for us!"
"...You brat! Are you using me as an excuse, then!"
"Alright, Yahiko! Nagato! Konan! It's time for us to leave here!"
"Before the war ends, we still need to avoid Hidden Rain Village Ninja as much as possible!"
...Konoha!
After Orochimaru and Tsunade returned to the border camp, they immediately sent the relevant intelligence back to Konoha!
Compared to the vague intelligence received a few days ago, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, Homura Mitokado, Danzo, and others learned more details!
"Hiruzen! Based on the intelligence Orochimaru sent back!"
"Hanzō and Hidden Rain Village might indeed be unable to hold on!"
"What should we do now? Should we continue fighting, or try to make contact with Hanzō first?"
Although the decapitation operation resulted in the loss of three hundred elite Shinobi Clan members, which made Hiruzen Sarutobi and Utatane Koharu feel a slight pang of pain, the intelligence about a ceasefire undoubtedly excited everyone!
Once the war in the Land of Rain ends, Konoha will be able to draw out more forces to suppress Sunagakure's offensive and reverse the current disadvantage caused by insufficient troops!
"Fight!"
Scanning everyone's expressions, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep puff and slowly exhaled several smoke rings, clearly deliberating on how to respond to the unfolding situation!
"If we can't deal with Hanzō, even if we kill all the Ninja in Hidden Rain Village, it will be meaningless!"
"With Hanzō's prestige in the Land of Rain, it's only a matter of time before he cultivates a group of usable individuals!"
"Moreover, after the decapitation operation, Hanzō's personality dictates that he will be more vigilant!"
"Killing Hanzō will be no easier than killing Chiyo and Ebizo on the Land of Rivers battlefield!"
"Hiruzen! I absolutely disagree with peace talks!"
"How can we explain this to the families of the fallen Ninja?"
"If you don't have the confidence, then leave Hanzō's matter to Root to handle!"
"Within half a month at most, Root will definitely give you a satisfactory answer!"
As the name of the Sannin spread, Danzo gradually felt the threat posed by Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade!
If he continued to keep a low profile, he feared he would fall further and further behind in the race for the next Hokage!
After seeing through Hiruzen Sarutobi's calculations, Danzo stood up abruptly, ignoring the surprised glances of the others!
Facing Danzo's aggressive gaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi merely sighed lightly and turned his attention to Utatane Koharu!
And Utatane Koharu, as if receiving some signal, quickly stood up and faced Danzo across the room!
"Danzo! You don't understand the current situation of the Village!"
"Whether it's personnel replenishment, finances, or Ninja supplies, we are facing immense pressure!"
"Even if we cut back on support for the front lines and hold on for another half a month!"
"But have you considered the risk of failure!"
"Once Root's assassination attempt on Hanzō fails, the Village and Hidden Rain Village are bound to reignite an even larger war!"
"Tell me! If it really comes to that, who should we send to the Land of Rain battlefield!"
"Is it Root, or the Shimura Clan!"
Perhaps the pressure Konoha was facing pushed Utatane Koharu to the brink of eruption!
In any case, Utatane Koharu's words at that moment made everyone in the room, including Hiruzen Sarutobi, the mastermind, feel a chill down their spines!
Danzo, as the person involved, saw his face darken visibly the moment Utatane Koharu's words fell!
"Those matters are for you to consider and resolve!"
"No need to ask me!"
"In short, I don't agree to let Hidden Rain Village off so easily!"
"Even if there are peace talks, Hidden Rain Village must pay a large amount of compensation!"
"At the very least, it must compensate for the losses of this war!"
"Danzo! It seems you've paid too little attention to the intelligence from the Land of Rain!"
Facing Danzo, who was still arguing, Hiruzen Sarutobi helplessly put down his pipe!
If it weren't in front of so many people, he would have really liked to point his finger and ask his good friend, why did Hanzō actively provoke a war with the Land of Fire and Konoha?
Was his brain rusty? Or was it a whim?
Wasn't it because the environment in the Land of Rain was too harsh, and too many people couldn't survive?
If Hanzō or the Land of Rain really had a large sum of money, they could have solved the food problem through trade!
Why would they resort to war?
Furthermore, why did Hanzō accept the challenge from Orochimaru and his group?
Wasn't it to gain more bargaining chips, to seize the opportunity of Sunagakure's invasion of the Land of Fire to acquire higher stakes and more benefits?
Moreover, as a person in power, one must transcend limited perspectives and view problems from a politician's standpoint!
In his opinion, if war could be avoided, anything that could be solved with money or other benefits was not a problem!
Konoha was currently deeply mired in the quagmire of war, indeed lacking both money and people!
However, once such matters were elevated to the level between nations, they could completely involve the Daimyo and the Land of Fire's official government!
They didn't have money, but the Land of Fire Daimyo did!
As long as the timing was right and the conditions were right, Hiruzen Sarutobi was absolutely confident that Konoha could satisfy Hanzō's appetite without having to pay a single penny out of its own pocket, thereby ending the war between Konoha and Hidden Rain Village!
Because the Land of Rain was different from its resource-rich and economically developed neighbors; it had no interests worth coveting by the Land of Fire's high-ranking officials!
If the matters of the Land of Rain could be resolved with the smallest cost, under the premise of facing Sunagakure's invasion pressure, that would be something all high-ranking officials of the Land of Fire, including the Land of Fire Daimyo, would eagerly anticipate!