Chapter 98: [98] : Kirigakure Joins the War
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Nawaki left the battlefield, but the stalemate between Konoha and the Suna-Ame forces continued.
Konoha had the upper hand, but only because of Shin.
Without him, they would be losing.
So, the situation remained tense. Konoha didn't dare attack, and neither did Suna and Ame.
Meanwhile, at the Konoha-Iwa front, the situation had stabilized after Danzō's arrival.
But then, another disaster struck: Kirigakure, the Hidden Village in the Land of Water, declared war on Konoha.
Hiruzen almost tore his hair out when he heard the news. Konoha was already facing three villages: two Great Villages and Amegakure.
Now Kiri was joining? Konoha couldn't handle this.
While Hiruzen was panicking, the Third Kazekage, the Third Tsuchikage, and Hanzō were ecstatic.
Hanzō even went to the Kazekage to ask if he had invited Kiri to join the war.
The Kazekage's answer was vague, neither confirming nor denying.
Shin was surprised when he heard the news. In the original story, Kiri hadn't participated in the Second Shinobi World War.
Was this another butterfly effect caused by him?
He was right. Kiri's involvement was directly related to him.
He had infiltrated Kirigakure, rampaged with his Susanoo, killed hundreds of their Shinobi, stolen their Forbidden Scroll, and even made off with a large sum of money.
Although Kiri had identified the "Culprit," they couldn't capture "Uchiha Ryota." This caused unrest within the village.
The Third Mizukage was desperate. He decided to divert attention by declaring war on Konoha.
He claimed it was to force Konoha to hand over Ryota, but his true motive was to shift the focus away from his failure to protect the Forbidden Scroll.
If he didn't do something, his position as Mizukage would be in jeopardy.
And with Konoha facing multiple enemies, it was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
As expected, after he declared war on Konoha, no one cared about the stolen Forbidden Scroll anymore.
The Mizukage personally led a force of four thousand Kiri Shinobi to attack the Land of Fire. Hiruzen was forced to send reinforcements to defend against them.
He sent Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, the two elders. They weren't as senile as Danzō yet and were still capable fighters.
With their leadership, the Konoha forces managed to hold back Kiri's attack for now.
"This is putting a lot of pressure on Konoha. And Kumogakure hasn't even made a move yet."
They had to be wary of Kumo. They were ambitious. If Konoha showed any signs of weakness, the Third Raikage would definitely seize the opportunity to attack.
He might not just take a bite; he might try to swallow the entire Land of Fire whole.
Shin sighed. He had hoped to obtain the Divine Replication Card without lifting a finger, but it seemed that wasn't going to happen.
"No matter what, Konoha has to win."
His mission was to ensure Konoha's victory. The reward was a Divine Replication Card. If he failed, he wouldn't get the card.
He couldn't be complacent anymore. Konoha might actually lose.
"Kumo hasn't attacked yet. I wonder if they'll do the same as in the original story and attack Iwa."
In the original story, during the First Shinobi World War, Iwa had been attacked by Kumo while fighting Konoha, forcing them to abandon their fight against Konoha to deal with Kumo.
But the current war was different. There was no telling what would happen. Perhaps Kumo would attack Konoha instead. After all, Konoha was surrounded by enemies; Kumo might seize the opportunity to strike.
"What are you thinking about?"
Kushina nudged Shin, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Shin, are you worried about Konoha?" Mikoto asked.
"Yeah, things are looking grim. Looks like it's time for me, the savior, Uzumaki Shin, to step in."
Shin said with a smile.
Despite the unexpected turn of events, he wasn't worried. With his current strength, he could take on all four Hidden Villages at once.
"You're not a savior; you're a demon lord."
Kushina thought of Shin's Perfect Susanoo. That black monstrosity was the embodiment of destruction.
Thwack!
"That's for being a smart aleck." Shin flicked Kushina's forehead.
"Shin, you meanie!"
Kushina glared at him, tears welling up in her eyes. That flick had hurt.
"Kushina, learn your lesson. Remember to say nice things from now on," Mikoto said with a smile.
"Mikoto, are you laughing at me?"
Mikoto tried to suppress her laughter, but she couldn't help but smile.
She admitted it; she was laughing at Kushina.
"Mikoto, I'll get you back for this!" Kushina threatened.
"Sorry, Kushina, you'll never get the chance."
"Hmph, we'll see about that."
"Here, have an apple. It's rare to find fruit on the battlefield." Shin handed Kushina a large apple.
"You think you can appease me with a measly apple?"
Kushina took the apple anyway. Fruit was indeed a rare treat on the battlefield.
Shin had used Yomotsu Hirasaka to buy these apples from the Land of Rivers.
"Hey, where are you going?" Kushina asked as Shin left the tent.
"I'm going to the medical tent to practice Medical Ninjutsu. Want to come?" Shin asked Kushina and Mikoto.
"Sure, why not? I want to learn Medical Ninjutsu too," Kushina agreed, following Shin.
Mikoto also followed.
"Kushina, why do you suddenly want to learn Medical Ninjutsu?" Shin asked curiously.
"It's always good to have more skills. And if Mikoto gets injured, I can heal her." Kushina glanced at Mikoto.
Mikoto rolled her eyes. So Kushina was hoping she'd get injured?
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