Jiraiya wanted to organize the defeated Konoha soldiers, using his and Orochimaru's power to cover the safe retreat of more Konoha ninjas.
"We are already doing the most important thing, Jiraiya."
Orochimaru said indifferently.
"Being able to hold back these three from Sunagakure is already the limit of what we can do. If we turn back and get caught up in it again, it will lead them back. With their lethality, even more people will die, and even you and I will be caught in it.
Putting aside everything else, let's talk about your Sage Mode. Even with those two, how long can you use it for?"
Orochimaru looked at the two toad sages on Jiraiya's shoulders who were helping to gather natural energy.
Although he hadn't learned the Sage Mode of Ryuchi Cave and hadn't developed the cursed seal, Orochimaru now had a certain understanding of Sage Mode.
After all, the contractors of Ryuchi Cave couldn't possibly not know about Sage Mode. As a direct descendant of the Third Hokage, it was impossible not to know that this was a powerful force once mastered by the First Hokage.
Jiraiya clenched his fists unwillingly, then helplessly let out a breath.
"Then what are we going to do next..."
"Live, then escape, gather the remaining soldiers, retreat, and use our home-field advantage to fight guerrillas and delay Sunagakure as much as possible."
Orochimaru suppressed his emotions very well, and in the shortest possible time, he chose the path that best suited the current situation.
"After shaking off the pursuit, immediately ask the teacher for help. With our current strength alone, it is absolutely impossible to stop Sunagakure, let alone win.
Shimizu pursued Rasa and Pakura for a long time, even catching up at one point and injuring Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
But unfortunately, he still let these two guys escape and failed to take their lives.
In terms of strength, Shimizu is indeed a bit stronger than the current Kage-level peak figures in the ninja world. In most cases, he can even suppress two Kage-level masters alone.
However, he still hasn't reached the essential difference from these Kage-level powerhouses like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, and can only be considered to have taken one foot out.
Rasa and Pakura's strength is considered to be on the weaker side among Kage-level masters, while Jiraiya can temporarily exert near Kage-level peak strength in Sage Mode, and Orochimaru is also resourceful, strange, and good at escaping.
If these two are determined to leave, it's not that they can't be stopped, but if they really fight desperately, Shimizu will definitely be fine, but Rasa and Pakura may really be dragged down as scapegoats.
Let's see if there will be a chance to set up an ambush next time and scheme against these two.
Moreover, even if pursuing these two has no results, the long pursuit can at least prevent them from gathering the defeated soldiers and organizing the retreat of Konoha ninjas, allowing Sunagakure ninjas to eliminate more of Konoha's living forces.
...
...
Konoha Village, Hokage Office, smoke rising, clouds swirling.
The Third Hokage smoked his pipe, with a piece of intelligence placed in front of him.
This is a battle report from the Kirigakure front line.
In front of him, Danzo leaned on his cane, and Homura Mitokado with a worried face looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi together.
"The Fourth Mizukage... has actually become a Jinchuriki who can perfectly control the power of the tailed beast... No wonder En retreated so quickly. He really can't stop that young Yagura."
Homura Mitokado recalled the information she had just read and couldn't help sighing.
Danzo couldn't help but sneer at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"The defense line of the Land of Water can no longer be defended, Hiruzen. I said long ago that the front line in the direction of the Land of Water should be handed over to me. That way, it wouldn't have been defeated like this. Now, Kirigakure may soon threaten the mainland."
Danzo's strength is stronger than Homura Mitokado. He felt that if it were him, even if he couldn't win, he wouldn't have lost like this.
"Danzo, you don't understand what I mean."
The Third Hokage shook his head helplessly.
"Now the Third Kazekage and Hanzo, who is allied with Sunagakure, have not yet moved. The village must dispatch enough power to defend against them. You are stronger, leaving you behind is to defend against them."
"Then what should we do now? The attitude of the Land of Lightning is unclear. Even if Iwagakure, as an ally, agrees to contain them, they will definitely put more of their power on dealing with Sunagakure. We must also leave enough power to guard against them, but there are not many reserve forces left."
Homura Mitokado sighed.
"In the past few years, the Ninja School..."
"No, Danzo."
The Third Hokage interrupted:
"How long has the war been going on now? If we let the senior ninjas of the Ninja School graduate early so soon, other villages will definitely think that Konoha is just a paper tiger, just a facade that looks intimidating, but in reality, it will become an exhausted force after not fighting for long."
"Then the only forces that can be transferred are those ninja clans, especially those large ninja clans."
Homura Mitokado reminded.
"The Sarutobi clan can provide two hundred elites and ten Jonin."
Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a while, then continued:
"The few of us have to set an example so that those ninja clans will willingly use their resources. The combined forces of the Shimura, Mitokado, and Utatane clans cannot be less than the Sarutobi clan."
That's more than twenty Jonin and four hundred elites.
Elites are not cannon fodder.
To be called elites, they cannot be the kind of low-level Genin who have just graduated and only know the Three Body Technique. At least they must know a few mainstream ninjutsu that they can use, and have a certain amount of mission execution experience. Generally, those with this strength are either Chunin or elites among Genin.
"I, Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans, I will personally persuade them. As for the remaining Hyuga, Aburame, Inuzuka, and other families, I will trouble you, Danzo, to visit them."
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio and the Sarutobi clan are allies who have witnessed each other for generations. Their relationship is as solid as iron and has been built up over at least two or three hundred years, a friendship accumulated over a dozen generations, and is the direct force of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage.
If he goes to persuade them, the three clans will still have some reservations, but they will definitely give the Third Hokage some face and get serious.
As for the remaining ninja clans, he can only let Danzo loose.
If you don't have the kind of ironclad friendship like Hiruzen and Ino-Shika-Cho to do this, then it's a job that offends people.
Hiruzen Sarutobi is the Third Hokage and will continue to rule Konoha in the future, so he cannot antagonize these ninja clans.
Then it is only appropriate to hand this matter over to Danzo, and he really has the ability to squeeze enough power out of these ninja clans.
As a Hokage who has been in power for many years, Hiruzen Sarutobi knows very well how much power Konoha still has to dig.
This wave of mobilization should be able to dig out a considerable portion of the power reserves of the major ninja clans, estimated to be sixty or seventy Jonin and thousands of elites.
"I understand."
Danzo nodded slightly.
"By the way, you don't need to go to the Uchiha. It's not yet time to let them out."
"I don't need you to teach me that. Since Lord Second Hokage passed away, no one understands the dangers of the Uchiha clan better than I do. However, I think we still need to go to the Uchiha," Danzo said.
"Hmm?"
"They don't have to send people, but they must contribute money, ninja tools, and food. In short, the Uchiha can't contribute nothing at all. They are also a part of the village."
Now he's treating the Uchiha as a part of Konoha again.
"Yes, you're right."
Hiruzen slowly nodded, acknowledging Danzo's words. Then, he put down his pipe and began to refill it with fresh tobacco.
Just then, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.
"Come in. Didn't I say that we're in a high-level meeting and shouldn't be disturbed?"
"I apologize, Lord Third Hokage, but the Intelligence Division has urgent information."
An Anbu member opened the door and addressed the Third Hokage.
Even through the mask, Hiruzen could still sense a kind of panic emanating from him.
"Speak."
The Third Hokage picked up his pipe again.
"On the western front, the Sand Village used various new types of ninja tools unexpectedly, resulting in a great defeat for Konoha. Lord Jiraiya and Lord Orochimaru were both injured. Of the six thousand five hundred Konoha ninjas, more than half were killed or wounded, leaving only two thousand remaining troops, retreating behind the border line to continue delaying the Sand Village's advance."
The Anbu ninja lowered his head, his voice slightly trembling.
"Clatter."
The pipe, freshly filled with high-quality tobacco, fell from the Third Hokage's hand.
"What did you say?!"
Danzo took a step forward and grabbed the Anbu's collar, lifting him up.
"Repeat what you just said!"
"Lord Danzo... everything I just said is true. The western front suffered a great defeat, with heavy losses. Even Lord Orochimaru and Lord Jiraiya were injured and fled."
The Anbu ninja said weakly.
"Alright, Danzo, put him down."
The Third Hokage stopped Danzo's actions.
"Hiruzen, look at the people you chose! Orochimaru and Jiraiya, what exactly have they done! Six thousand five hundred people! Not six thousand five hundred pigs! The only difference between them and pigs is that they only held out for one more day, and then two thousand of them fled!"
Danzo spat at the Third Hokage as he spoke.
"But besides Orochimaru and Jiraiya, who else can we use?"
The Third Hokage quickly regained his composure and questioned Danzo. Then, he looked at the Anbu member.
"Lord Third Hokage, thank you."
"Don't be so quick to thank me. Where's the battle report? Read it!"
"Yes!"
The Third Hokage sat back in his seat, appearing quite steady and calm.
He might not be as good as the previous two Hokage, but the fact that he could sit in this position for so many years meant that Hiruzen Sarutobi was not useless.
After all, he was once known as a ninja hero, the Third Hokage who had intimidated the ninja world for many years.
At this moment, as Hokage, he couldn't be the one to panic the most. Even if Konoha was about to be destroyed, he couldn't panic.
If he panicked, Konoha would be finished.
Soon, seeing the Third Hokage's calm appearance, Danzo and Koharu Utatane also calmed down, sat down, and began to listen to the battle report.
"Long-range artillery that can bombard a wide area for a long time, unmanned flying puppets that can monitor and scout, a large number of new-style puppets, special ninja tools that can release ice-style ninjutsu, and new types of poison gas combined with genjutsu..."
The Third Hokage relit his pipe, his face thoughtful.
He suddenly realized that the Sand Village now seemed to be much more advanced than Konoha.
And in the past, this advantage had always belonged to Konoha.
The Ninja Academy was first established by Konoha, and the Anbu was also the first to be created by Konoha. Even the medical ninjas were first cultivated by Konoha.
All along, other ninja villages could only imitate and catch up.
But today, the situation had reversed.
"Hmph, Hiruzen, you probably know why the Sand Village has changed so much now. It was right for me to send someone to assassinate that Kazekage candidate back then, but you actually punished me at the time. If it weren't for him, the Sand Village wouldn't have developed into what it is today..."
"You were only half right back then."
Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted Danzo's nagging again.
"The half you got wrong was that you failed to kill him."
Danzo's expression froze, and then he stopped talking.
"Talking about the past is useless now. Both fronts are in urgent need of help, and the village must mobilize all its forces to respond. For the eastern front, I will have Minato go to assist Yame. With his help, Yame can at least hold on.
As for the western front, I have decided to lead the troops myself."
"Hiruzen, you are the Hokage, you cannot move lightly," Koharu Utatane advised.
"If I could, I wouldn't want to move either, because once I, the Hokage, move, it means that it has reached a moment that concerns the survival of the village."
The Third Hokage slowly shook his head.
As Hokage, once he loses, it would be a great blow to Konoha's morale.
Of course, the Hokage's appearance on the battlefield would also greatly boost morale.
Among the previous two Hokage, the First Hokage was invincible and no one could win against him. The Second Hokage did lose a lot when he was young, unable to defeat Madara Uchiha, and had victories and defeats with Izuna Uchiha, but after becoming Hokage, he never lost except for the battle before his death when he took the initiative to cover the retreat.
So he, Hiruzen Sarutobi, could not lose either.
But unfortunately, the situation had now reached a point where he had to move.
"You have all heard the battle report. While Pakura and Rasa are strong, they are not impossible to deal with, but Chiyo's disciple is unbelievably strong, even Orochimaru and Jiraiya are no match for him. Then, among the remaining people in the village, the only one stronger than them is me."
At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes revealed the power of a Hokage, his gaze like a torch.
As he said, at this time in Konoha, there really was no ninja stronger than Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He was still a few years away from declining from his peak.
At this time, his chakra reserves, stamina, explosive power, and reaction speed had not noticeably declined compared to his peak, and each was excellent.
As for other aspects, there was no need to say more.
When the Third Hokage died at the age of sixty-nine in the original timeline, except for the three stats of Power, Speed, and Precision, which had fallen to 6 due to old age, none of the other stats of Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Wisdom, and Hand Seals were not 10.
This 10 represents the limit that a regular ninja can reach without special circumstances such as forbidden techniques, bloodlines, or sealing tailed beasts.
And Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had not yet declined from his peak, was a true octagon warrior, a well-deserved peak Kage-level powerhouse.
Even against the Third Raikage, the Third Tsuchikage, or Hanzo at his peak, he was not inferior in the slightest.
