Inside the mysterious and hidden base of the Akatsuki Organization in Amegakure, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.
The members had gathered here again as usual, but unlike before, the familiar figure of Orochimaru was absent.
Pain, sitting in the seat of honor, slowly scanned everyone present with his deep eyes.
He frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "Orochimaru... still hasn't returned yet?" However, facing Pain's inquiry, everyone remained silent; no one could give a definitive answer.
Seeing this, Pain sighed lightly and continued, "Currently, the entire Ninja World has fallen into a chaotic situation of war. Just now, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki of Iwagakure approached us again, proposing to hire the Akatsuki Organization."
In fact, this was not the first time Iwagakure had extended an olive branch to the Akatsuki.
In previous wars, Ōnoki had hired the Akatsuki Organization, using their formidable power to allow the Iwa shinobi to gain an advantage on the fierce battlefield.
Since the Akatsuki Organization had not yet officially launched their grand plan to capture the Tailed Beasts, their primary goal at the moment was merely to earn sufficient funds and recruit more powerful teammates.
Therefore, when Konoha dispatched personnel to seek them out previously, they did not refuse.
However, Pain harbored immense resentment toward Konoha Village.
The reason was that Danzo was the mastermind behind Yahiko's death years ago.
Because of this, he hated Danzo to the core, and he had already planned internally to immediately use Shinra Tensei for revenge the moment he met Danzo.
And indeed, this is exactly what he did later when confronting Konoha Village.
The original plan was to capture Naruto, but before Naruto even appeared, he impatiently and forcefully released a Super Shinra Tensei, instantly wiping everyone out.
Unfortunately, before they could inquire about the remuneration and specific details of this mission, the other party suddenly lost contact without warning.
"Tsuchikage?" Deidara, who was only twelve years old, couldn't help but shrink his head back in terror. Even if he were killed, he absolutely wouldn't take on such an extremely dangerous mission!
At the same time, Kakuzu slightly narrowed his eyes, revealing a look of interest, as if he had smelled the tempting scent of money. He asked, "Leader, how much reward did the Iwa shinobi offer this time?"
After a long and intense discussion, everyone finally reached a consensus, deciding to dispatch Kakuzu and Biwa Jūzō together to execute the mission and, incidentally, gather the latest intelligence regarding Orochimaru.
After the others had departed, Konan, who remained by Pain's side, looked somewhat serious.
She frowned slightly and said worriedly to Pain, "Pain, that mysterious Uchiha Madara hasn't shown up for quite some time."
Meanwhile, in the distant Daimyo's Estate in the Land of Fire,
"You just said that even Hiruzen Sarutobi has gone to the front lines?" Feng Ye sat on a chair, looking with interest at the report delivered by the Daimyo before him.
"That's right, My Lord. The Iwa shinobi's defense line has now completely collapsed, and the situation is extremely critical. Left with no choice, Hiruzen Sarutobi had to personally take the field, hoping to turn the tide and stabilize the current battle situation." After speaking, the Daimyo still looked vacant-eyed.
After several days of thorough investigation, Feng Ye already had a clear understanding of the battlefront situation across the entire battlefield.
At present, both the Cloud shinobi and Iwa shinobi battle lines were showing signs of continuous defeat, and the situation was not optimistic.
However, unexpectedly, the Sand shinobi forces, which were initially thought to be the most hastily prepared, underwent a dramatic change after Tsunade arrived.
Coupled with the concerted efforts of many powerful Jonin, such as Kakashi and Might Guy, and the ample and efficient logistical support provided from the rear, they actually managed to successfully fend off the Sand shinobi's fierce assault.
"Doesn't that mean Konoha is currently defenseless?" Feng Ye's eyes lit up. Even the Third Hokage personally went to the front; Konoha must have used all its trump cards.
Konoha still has some good items, such as the scroll of seals. Even if he doesn't need it, he could give it to the Uchiha. As long as it's not kept in Konoha.
Feng Ye was happy to do anything that would weaken Konoha. Once Konoha was reduced to a small Village ripe for the taking, he wanted to see if anyone would still covet the Hokage position that Hiruzen Sarutobi had guarded his entire life.
Smoke filled the air and flames raged on the Iwa shinobi front line; the entire battlefield was a mess.
The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi stood there, covered in dust and blood, his hair disheveled. His formerly neat Hokage Robe was now torn and dirty, and he looked utterly battered and miserable.
His weathered face was currently distorted by rage, and fierce anger burned in his eyes.
He cursed inwardly, "These damned Iwa shinobi are simply a bunch of deranged lunatics! They actually resorted to using the power of the Tailed Beasts without restraint!"
Because of this, he, as the leader of Konoha Village, had no choice but to rush personally to this bloody and cruel battlefield.
However, how easy was it to stop a Jinchuriki wielding world-destroying power? This was undoubtedly an incredibly difficult task for the aging Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Hiashi, are there any signs that the Iwa shinobi are preparing to attack again?" Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing at the edge of the position, frowned tightly and turned to loudly question Hiashi, who was beside him observing the enemy situation with his Byakugan activated.
Hiashi quickly withdrew his gaze after hearing the question, raising a hand to wipe away the cold sweat constantly seeping from his forehead. His expression was solemn and slightly pessimistic as he replied, "For now, they seem to have ceased their attack, Hokage-sama. But..."
He paused slightly here and said no more, feeling that their chances of winning this war were probably slim.
Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent, but his gloomy face, which looked as though water could drip from it, already said everything.
He knew deeply that the current situation was extremely unfavorable for Konoha—the Uchiha Clan's betrayal had plunged the Village into internal chaos; the death of Danzo Shimura and the destruction of the Root organization further drastically reduced Konoha's fighting strength.
Thinking of this, a trace of regret welled up in Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart. If he hadn't been so hasty in acting against the Uchiha back then, perhaps the situation wouldn't have deteriorated to this point.
After witnessing Uchiha Kaede's terrifying Susanoo, the Third Hokage couldn't help but think: if the Uchiha were still fighting on their side, who would dare to invade?
"No matter what, we must hold them back and drag them to the negotiating table! Their logistics cannot possibly be this good!"
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