“Team Leader Qifeng, the camp is not far ahead.”
Shizune said, gazing at the outline of the Konoha camp in the distance.
Qifeng nodded silently and looked back at the direction of the distant Mist Forest, wondering what the situation was like inside.
He also wondered what the outcome would be for Zazhi and his team.
But whether for the mission or the actual situation, him and Shizune staying behind would not only fail to provide any help but would also be a burden to them.
This was the wisest course of action.
Suddenly, Qifeng's heart stirred.
He had received the signal from his puppet.
“Have the pursuing ninjas been taken care of?” he wondered inwardly.
Patting Shizune on the shoulder, he said, “Let's go. We need to tell Lady Tsunade this information as soon as possible.”
Even though they could see the outline of the camp, it was still quite a distance.
The intelligence about the Sand and Rain ninjas' alliance would only be useful if it was reported quickly.
Shizune nodded.
The two of them once again hurried towards the Konoha camp.
But as they approached, Qifeng's expression gradually became grave.
“Wait,” he said, stopping Shizune.
“What's wrong?” Shizune looked at him strangely.
Qifeng frowned, gazing into the distance, his brow furrowing even more tightly. “Something's not right.”
“Hmm?”
Qifeng slowly crouched down, watching the ripples gently spreading in a small puddle of water on the damp ground.
“I'm afraid…” Qifeng stood up and said in a deep voice, “I'm afraid our intelligence is no longer important.”
Hearing this, Shizune covered her mouth, her eyes widening.
She understood what Qifeng meant.
Konoha was already engaged in a direct confrontation with the Sand and Rain ninjas.
In fact, Qifeng had previously suspected why the Sand and Rain ninjas' alliance had started with outposts like the Mist Forest outpost, instead of launching a direct attack while Konoha was unaware.
Even if the Mist Forest outpost was important, it was not as significant as severely damaging Konoha.
It was like picking up sesame seeds and losing the watermelon, unable to distinguish between what was important.
In a surprise attack, Konoha would definitely suffer a great loss, and might even have to abandon its base in the Land of Rain.
It wasn't as if the Sand ninjas didn't have enough wise individuals. Ebizo, Chiyo's younger brother, had always been acting as the commander-in-chief of the Sand Ninja army. With his abilities, he couldn't possibly be unaware of the importance of this.
So, why was Pakura, who had a significant influence on the Sand ninjas' strength, sent to the Mist Forest outpost?
There was only one answer.
The battle for the position of Kazekage!
Without a doubt, although Pakura's strength was formidable, her straightforward personality and fiery methods were not the most suitable Kazekage candidate in the eyes of the Sand Village elders.
And Rasa, who was tactful and, as a disciple of the Third Kazekage, easier to control, was undoubtedly the best choice.
However, Pakura had a great influence among the Sand ninjas, so they had to allocate this guaranteed victory to Rasa through internal maneuvering, giving him a greater advantage in the competition for the Kazekage position.
Although the current Sand Village had lost its Kage, it was still united under the leadership of the elders, but for the long-term development of the Sand Village, a Kazekage was still necessary.
And a Kazekage needed to be chosen as soon as possible.
The Sand Village elders had placed their bets on Rasa.
Thus, sidelining Pakura and having Rasa lead the Sand ninjas and Rain ninjas in a surprise attack on Konoha made sense.
“The Sand ninjas are truly laughable with their constant internal strife,” Qifeng couldn't help but mock inwardly.
Even after this war ended, the internal struggles within the Sand Village would not cease.
Rasa was not as harmless and easy to control as he appeared on the surface. As his position gradually stabilized, he used his child Gaara as the jinchuriki of Shukaku to consolidate his position as Kazekage, gradually excluding the elders from the highest power center of the Sand Village. These were some of Rasa's most well-known actions.
But at the moment, the Sand Village, united against outsiders, was still one of Konoha's most troublesome enemies.
Perhaps even the most troublesome.
After joining forces with the Rain Village, the Sand ninjas' threat had further expanded.
“Then what do we do? Is Lady Tsunade in danger?”
Shizune's words interrupted Qifeng's thoughts, anxiety filling her face.
She was like a headless fly, helpless but anxious.
Qifeng patted her head reassuringly. “Don't worry. Even if the Sand and Rain ninjas try their best to attack, you don't have to worry about Lady Tsunade's safety.”
With medical ninjutsu that was unparalleled in the ninja world, the Creation Rebirth technique combined with the Strength of a Hundred Seal, it could be said that as long as her chakra wasn't exhausted, Tsunade was immortal.
Moreover, she was currently at her peak.
“Really?” Shizune seemed to have grabbed onto a lifeline, hoping that his words were true.
“Don't worry.”
Rather than worrying about Tsunade's safety, it was better to worry about how much damage Konoha would suffer.
In the original story, the Third Shinobi World War didn't last long, only three short years, but the complete signing of the peace treaty was delayed for a long time.
In the end, Hiashi Hyuga's life was sacrificed to barely appease the Cloud ninjas and completely end the war that swept across the entire ninja world.
Thinking too far ahead.
But in these three years, the last to be ended by Konoha was the Sand Village.
Before, he didn't understand the situation, so he wasn't clear. He simply believed, like most people, that Minato Namikaze had routed the Iwa Ninja army in the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, instantly killing fifty Iwa Jonin and scaring the Iwa ninjas. In addition, Danzo's secret operations had turned the Iwa Village against the Cloud ninjas, leading them to attack the Cloud ninjas from behind, so they started with the Iwa ninjas and Cloud ninjas first.
But now it seemed that the combined strength of the Cloud ninjas and Iwa ninjas was clearly stronger than that of the Sand Village, and the threat was greater.
