Land of Grass.
The villages surrounding Grass Village.
"I've long heard of the famous Rock Fist Kitsuchi, and today I finally get to meet you in person." The Leader of the Grass Village complimented upon seeing Kitsuchi.
On the surface, he appears to be the leader of the Ninja Village, while Kitsuchi is merely the son of the leader of The Hidden Rock Village, placing him higher in rank.
But in reality, this is not the case. He is just the leader of an ordinary Ninja Village, while Kitsuchi is the son of a leader of one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, a renowned figure in the Ninja World. Their statuses are actually equivalent.
Kitsuchi nodded slightly in response, not wasting time on pleasantries and directly got to the point.
"Now that Konoha Ninjas are rampaging in the Land of Grass, you must have accumulated a lot of anger already. We, the Hidden Rock, have prepared a perfect battle plan to defeat Konoha."
"As long as the plan proceeds smoothly, not only will the Grass Ninjas avoid being detected by Konoha for participating in the war, but we, the Hidden Rock, can also defeat Konoha, rescuing the Land of Grass from this dire situation."
The Land of Grass is bordered by the Land of Fire. To dispel the concerns of Grass Village, the Hidden Rock Ninjas will help disguise the Grass Ninjas as Hidden Rock Ninjas, leveraging only the power of Grass Ninja without requiring them to stand with the Hidden Rock against Konoha.
The Leader of the Grass Village showed a thoughtful expression.
It must be said that the Hidden Rock's plan sounds promising, and it benefits both the Grass Ninja and the Hidden Rock.
In terms of the Grass Ninja's interests, if the plan succeeds, the ongoing war on the Land of Grass territory will disappear, and the Land of Grass would not offend the giant that is Konoha.
From the Hidden Rock's perspective, successfully defeating Konoha Ninja Squad would bring them renown throughout the Ninja World, weaken the warring country's strength, and potentially push the war into the Land of Fire itself.
This appears to be a seemingly win-win plan.
But will it really be that perfect?
The Leader of the Grass Village considered the conversation thoroughly and realized there was something crucial Kitsuchi hadn't mentioned, which was how they would ensure a victory over Konoha's ninja squad.
Winning the war is the premise for a win-win situation. If they lost, the Grass Ninjas risk significant exposure.
However, Konoha's ninja squad is not weak; in fact, it's very strong. The leader of the Konoha ninja squad in the Land of Grass is Sannin Jiraiya, a renowned figure since the Second Ninja World War, and the squad includes many experienced senior Jonin.
"Those Konoha Ninjas are truly hateful. We Grass Ninjas will fully support your village in defeating the Konoha Ninjas!" The Leader of the Grass Village agreed to cooperate with a face full of indignation.
The Hidden Rock has its plot; their plan has pitfalls, but he also has his own schemes.
If he was merely teaming up with the Hidden Rock to attack Konoha just because Konoha was waging war in the Land of Grass, he wouldn't be the leader.
To speak frankly, it was the Hidden Rock's declaration of war on Konoha that led to the war between Konoha and the Hidden Rock in the Land of Grass.
Kitsuchi showed a satisfied smile.
Perhaps this war is truly the chance for the Hidden Rock to dominate the Ninja World and become the leading Ninja Village, as all aspects of the plan are progressing smoothly.
Kitsuchi left two Hidden Rock Jonin to act as contact persons, then set out for his journey back to The Hidden Rock Village.
His mission was complete, and now the other Hidden Rock Ninjas would do their work. He needed to return to The Hidden Rock Village and report the details to Onoki.
"Lord Yokokawa Tsutomu, I feel that the Hidden Rock's plan isn't as perfect as it seems. We should be cautious." Once back at Grass Village, Impermanence spoke up upon noticing that there were no Hidden Rock Ninjas nearby.
Yokokawa Tsutomu nodded, "You're not wrong to feel that way. These Great Ninja Villages have never seen us Small Ninja Villages as anything important. When they say 'cooperation,' they're just seeking a decent weapon on site."
"But danger also represents opportunity. The Land of Grass has been dormant for so long; it's about time we had our turn."
Yokokawa Tsutomu led Impermanence and a group of trusted subordinates to a secluded forest area in Grass Village.
Following Yokokawa Tsutomu's hand signs, a hole suddenly appeared.
Without hesitation, Yokokawa Tsutomu jumped down first, and Impermanence and the others quickly followed.
"Leader!"
The Grass Ninjas guarding the underground research base quickly greeted Yokokawa Tsutomu.
Yokokawa Tsutomu nodded in response, then looked at the center of the research base, where a strange-looking gigantic box stood.
Each side of the huge box bore a human face, with different expressions in every direction. Some faces were full of anger, while others were filled with sorrow.
Yokokawa Tsutomu stepped forward and touched the massive box.
Nobody knew what material this box was made of; even when Yokokawa Tsutomu and his confidants used their full power to cast Ninjutsu, they couldn't cause a single crack.
"Though it's merely a box that can absorb Chakra, it is said in legends to have the ability to fulfill any wish."
Yokokawa Tsutomu patted the box, as solid as ever, and turned to smile at his confidants.
"After all, this is the Box of Bliss, created by the legendary Six Paths Sage, said to create the Ninja World." Impermanence had no doubt about the box's ability to grant wishes.
Although the Land of Grass is currently in decline, it once experienced glory in history, even if only briefly.
According to the information from their discovered ruins, the Land of Grass suddenly gained power in ancient times due to opening the wish-granting Box of Bliss. However, for some reason, it rapidly declined again.
"But it seems the Six Paths Sage himself couldn't grant all wishes." Yokokawa Tsutomu didn't believe the Box of Bliss could fulfill any wish as the legends claimed.
If it could indeed grant any wish at will, then why would the Six Paths Sage disappear, or why did the Ninja Sect split and disintegrate?