Chapter 144: The Rinnegan!!

"Damn it!" Hanzo looked at the intelligence report from below. Konoha, Suna, and Iwa had ignored his warnings and continued to increase troops within the Land of Rain's borders. He was furious inside. "What exactly do they want to do?"

Did they see the Land of Rain in a period of war and plan to join forces to divide the Land of Rain?

Just like how the four great villages joined forces to divide the Land of Whirlpools back then?

But...

When attacking the Land of Whirlpools, it was only Kiri that went. Now for the Land of Rain, three great villages are attacking together?

What the hell?

They think too highly of him, the Demigod of the Shinobi World!

Although he was confident he could take on any single Kage from the five great villages, if three Kages joined forces...

He would be in danger.

Moreover, the Land of Rain's overall national power was still too weak.

But if he did nothing about the three great villages truly joining forces to divide the Land of Rain, how could he, the Demigod of the Shinobi World, continue to operate? How could he lead his men after this?

"Send someone to ask the Hokage, Tsuchikage, and Kazekage..." Hanzo frowned and said sternly. "Ask them exactly what they want to do in the Land of Rain?"

To gather so many troops in the Land of Rain for no reason without even consulting him, the leader of Amegakure!

Did they really think his title of Demigod of the Shinobi World was just for show?

If they fought, he would see what ability they had to invade the Land of Rain!

As long as the Land of Rain didn't suddenly change its weather, he, Hanzo of the Salamander, would be the Shinobi God within the Land of Rain!

Suddenly...

"Lord Hanzo, two strangely dressed individuals have entered the Land of Rain." An Amegakure ninja walked in and knelt on one knee, reporting respectfully. "They match the descriptions of the mysterious individuals reported by Iwagakure and Kumogakure."

"What did you say?" Hanzo was stunned when he heard the report. "What are they doing here?"

"The Land of Rain doesn't have any legendary tools!"

...

"The Land of Rain is still the same as always!" Kakuzu looked at the people around him—men, women, old, and young—all appearing starved, malnourished, and dressed in rags. He sighed. "This is the common sight in the shinobi world!"

The peaceful and prosperous scene of the Land of Whirlpools was something he had never seen in all his years.

Rule by law—this was the governing philosophy of the Land of Whirlpools.

It restrained not only ordinary citizens but also all shinobi. To govern a country in this way was something that had never appeared in the shinobi world for so many years. After all, in this world, the power of shinobi was paramount. Any attempt to lower their status would inevitably lead to unrest in that country.

Only a country like this, always ruled by a single clan, could hope to make such changes!

"The Land of Whirlpools is still better!" Kakuzu said with emotion.

"That can't be helped." Uzumaki Jun shook his head. "Due to prolonged war in the Land of Rain, adult men and even underage boys have been taken away to participate in battles. So this country..."

"Is quite pitiful."

Why did Nagato want to establish the Akatsuki back then?

Wasn't it to quell the internal strife in the Land of Rain and bring some peace to the country?

But who would have thought...

He died too early!

However, even though Nagato was deceived by Madara and Zetsu, didn't he manage the Land of Rain quite well after killing Hanzo?

He was even worshipped as a god by the people of the Land of Rain, and Konan was called an angel...

"The people of other villages don't live so miserably." Uzumaki Jun averted his gaze from the refugees with their vacant, tragic eyes. As a young man from the 21st century, even though he had lived in the shinobi world for so long, seeing this scene still made him uncomfortable.

It wasn't that he was being overly compassionate, but...

A sense of pity had always remained in his heart.

But right now, he couldn't do anything to change it. He could only ignore it.

Sigh.

He sighed inwardly. Even if the Land of Whirlpools accepted refugees, it couldn't take in all the citizens of the Land of Rain.

The path to a harmonious society was long and arduous!

"Can't bear it?" Kakuzu seemed to see through Uzumaki Jun's thoughts and sneered. "Those in power don't need compassion. Even if they have it..."

"It should only be for the sake of the Land of Whirlpools."

Kakuzu pointed at the refugees below. "Perhaps the people you pity now will become our enemies in the future."

War was always cruel!

"I know." Uzumaki Jun sighed helplessly. Wasn't he just lamenting that he still had compassion despite everything?

After being a shinobi for so many years, he had killed plenty of people!

He was just reflecting on how he hadn't lost himself despite being a transmigrator with a system, and how he hadn't looked down on the native inhabitants. He...

Had always been striving for a harmonious society!

"Let's go." Kakuzu, wearing a frog mask, said coldly. "I don't know what business there is to discuss in this poor place."

"Big deals should be made with the five great villages."

"This is just to build our reputation first." Uzumaki Jun shrugged, pushing aside his unrelated thoughts. "Working with the five great villages is too dangerous. The slightest mistake could expose us."

Even though he knew the Flying Thunder God Technique, there was no guarantee something unexpected wouldn't happen.

It was better to take things step by step. Once the Infinite Gauntlet gained fame, they could freely sell it to the five great villages.

Besides, business was only one aspect of this trip. The other part was the real focus, which was...

"They're here!"

Suddenly, Uzumaki Jun's tone turned icy. "A big client has arrived!"

...

"Urgent intelligence from the front lines." Hiruzen Sarutobi held a smoking pipe in his right hand and looked at the council members present. He frowned. "Traces of a mysterious organization have appeared in the Land of Rain."

"And this time, it doesn't seem to be the same two individuals as before."

Hiruzen had the shinobi beside him distribute the intelligence to those below. "I called you here to ask what preparations Konoha should make next?"

He had an uneasy feeling about this.

"War is already unavoidable." Koharu Utatane glanced at the intelligence report. "Right now, no unexpected incidents can be allowed. Everything must prioritize preparations for war!"

This battle, shifting the battlefield to the Land of Rain, was her arrangement. After all...

No one wanted their own country to become a battlefield. The Land of Rain was just right, bordering three great villages. This way, they could keep their losses to a minimum. At the same time, due to internal strife, the Land of Rain's national power was much weaker than before, posing no threat to Konoha.

"Hah." Hiruzen smiled bitterly and shook his head. "That might not be possible. The ones who appeared this time aren't the same two as before."

"One has toad-like pupils, and the other..."

"Possesses the legendary Rinnegan of the shinobi world!"

This was why he had called an emergency meeting. Otherwise, who would care about the Land of Rain's fate?

At most...

After the Land of Rain was destroyed, they would mourn it and take in some of its refugees.

"The Rinnegan!!!"

Everyone present stared at Hiruzen in shock. "You... you're not joking, are you?"

Hiruzen shook his head, took a puff of his pipe, and said, "It hasn't been confirmed yet. It just matches the descriptions in ancient texts."

Hearing this, the council members inwardly sighed in relief. Maybe it was just a resemblance?

After all, it was only a legend!

"Should I investigate?" Danzo touched the bandages covering his right eye and asked with a frown. "The Rinnegan is also an important matter for Konoha."

The Rinnegan!

The mere thought made his heart burn. If he could obtain it...

He would become the next Shinobi God—no, even surpass the Shinobi God. After all, even Lord Hashirama didn't have the Rinnegan!

However...

Hiruzen gave Danzo a deep look, propped his chin on his hands, and pondered for a moment. "It's not the right time yet. We still don't know their true objectives. Acting rashly might lead to unexpected consequences."

Or perhaps, did the Land of Rain possess a legendary tool? And what exactly were these mysterious people collecting the legendary tools for?

All of this needed to be clarified!

And then there was the Uchiha clan...

"Keep an eye on the Uchiha's movements during this time." Hiruzen frowned at Danzo. "We must find out exactly who that mysterious individual with the Mangekyō is."

The Uchiha, the Sharingan, the Mangekyō!

He sighed inwardly...

Danzo had been getting rather close to the Uchiha lately!