"Let's move."
Danzo glanced at Jiraiya and the group of ANBU members behind him, his voice cold and indifferent.
Even though Jiraiya had a large group of shinobi with him, Danzo still had many ways to separate Jiraiya from them. It wouldn't stop him from eliminating him.
Danzo and his Root shinobi set off, but the ANBU didn't move—standing still as if they hadn't heard a word Danzo said.
"Let's go."
Jiraiya's tone was calm as he gave the order. Only then did the ANBU begin to move.
The ANBU answered to Jiraiya and the Hokage, not Danzo.
Their destination was a fortified town with an iron mine—a strategic resource for crafting ninja tools and critical to the Rain Country.
Capturing it would come at a heavy cost for Konoha, but it had to be taken. With control of the iron mine, Konoha could sustain itself through war using the captured resources.
Large-scale wars were a battle of each village's economy and resources. Supplies dwindled quickly, and compensation had to be paid to the families of fallen shinobi—both draining financial reserves.
But with control of the Rain Country's iron mine, Konoha could ease its financial burden by using the enemy's resources.
During wartime, resource-rich towns like these were prime targets for enemy forces. Konoha's mission was clear: take the town.
Naturally, such an important location would be well-defended.
With Jiraiya leading the ANBU and Danzo leading the Root, capturing the town wouldn't be easy. Especially when both men were at odds—there was a high chance of betrayal once the battle began.
Both of them knew it.
Jiraiya planned to deal with Danzo before the town assault even started. He had no intention of letting Danzo stab him in the back during the fight.
And Jiraiya knew Danzo was thinking the same thing.
They both understood that only one of them would return to the village after this mission. One of them had to die here.
Danzo and Jiraiya pressed forward at full speed until they crossed into Rain Country's territory. Only then did they slow down.
Moving too quickly in enemy territory increased the risk of running into traps.
The Fire Country had already begun its invasion of the Rain Country, and both the Wind and Earth Countries had followed suit, sending large numbers of shinobi.
Rain Country couldn't hope to defend all its borders. Instead, they abandoned the outer regions and concentrated their forces on defending key towns for a prolonged war.
That didn't mean the borders were left unguarded. The Rain shinobi had littered the area with traps—deadly ones. A single misstep could cost a life.
Among Danzo's Root shinobi were members of the Hyuga Clan.
The Byakugan's heightened perception made most traps easy to spot and disarm in advance.
Thanks to this, they avoided several traps and destroyed them before moving on.
After two days of travel through Rain Country, they arrived at one of Konoha's forward operating bases.
The base housed over 200 Konoha shinobi, most of whom were Chunin. Only a few were Jonin.
The base wasn't far from the town they were planning to attack.
Jiraiya and Danzo had come to reinforce the troops stationed there for the upcoming assault.
As soon as they arrived, three Konoha Jonin stepped out to greet them.
"Elder Danzo. Lord Jiraiya."
They bowed respectfully before leading the two commanders into a small wooden cabin.
Danzo immediately claimed the head seat, while Jiraiya casually took an open spot.
"How are the town's defenses?" Danzo asked one of the Jonin.
"The Rain forces have stationed 500 shinobi in the town. There are 11 Jonin and 2 elite Jonin. We don't know if there are additional hidden forces."
"The town has been sealed off—no one's allowed in or out—so we can't get more detailed intelligence."
Danzo nodded, considering the report.
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed slightly.
The defenses are stronger than I expected.
With no elite Jonin among Konoha's forces here, they were at a clear disadvantage. Worse, they couldn't infiltrate the town for deeper reconnaissance.
Jiraiya suspected hidden forces—perhaps even more elite Jonin—were stationed there. After all, no commander would reveal their true numbers.
Underselling their strength could lead to the enemy underestimating them and bringing fewer troops—leaving them vulnerable to an ambush.
Given the town's importance, it was likely there were hidden reinforcements.
"When will the rest of the reinforcements arrive?" Danzo pressed.
"We'll be joined by members of the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Akimichi Clans tomorrow," one Jonin replied.
The Konoha shinobi already present—including the three Jonin—were all non-clan ninjas.
"When we left, Lord Hokage had already ordered us to take the town as quickly as possible," Danzo said. "Both the Wind and Earth Countries have also sent forces into Rain Country. They won't overlook this resource-rich location. We need to take it before they arrive and secure it for Konoha."
Danzo's tone darkened.
"If we don't move quickly, the Wind and Earth shinobi will show up to claim their share of the spoils."
Iron was a critical wartime resource—vital for crafting ninja tools.
"Jiraiya," Danzo said, "your training at Mount Myoboku has made you the strongest among us. Rest for now. Then scout the town's defenses personally."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Read more than +100 chapters and support me on Patreon
Patreon(.)com/Jixo