https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-724-The-Mist-Village-Reinforcements-Join-the-Battle-/12943600/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-726-Leaked-Intelligence-and-the-Arrival-of-the-Mist-Shinobi-/12943602/
Chapter 725: The White Serpent Sage's Opportunistic Strike!
Chapter 725: The White Serpent Sage's Opportunistic Strike!
In a cave several dozen kilometers away from the Central Allied Camp.
"If the Dragon Ground Hole doesn't take action, can we assume that you don't wish to participate in this fire suppression plan?"
Jiraiya asked the woman before him, with her long green hair, a golden crown, and black and red eye shadow.
Tianxin Shenji!
She was the representative of the Dragon Ground Hole.
One of the Three Maidens, Tianxin Shenji.
"This plan is very likely to fail. Why should we, the Dragon Ground Hole, take the risk?"
Tianxin Shenji's tone was icy, like the hiss of a snake.
Indeed, the situation seemed dire for the Skyguard Tower.
But there were too many internal problems within the Allied Forces.
Especially with victory seemingly within reach, several Daimyo had their own hidden agendas for the distribution of the Skyguard Tower's 'inheritance'.
It could be said that if there wasn't a way to win quickly, the final winner might be anyone.
"This is an opportunity to eliminate the Skyguard Tower!"
"If we miss this chance, the Dragon Ground Hole might end up like Mystic Mountain!"
"And if the Dragon Ground Hole takes action, I can represent the Allied Forces in promising that the Skyguard Tower's sacred site, the 'Sacred Valley of Spring', will be allocated to you!"
...
Jiraiya had laid out his biggest bargaining chip.
Sacred Valley of Spring!
Originally, this sacred site was intended to be occupied by the Hidden Leaf Village.
They were even willing to give up a lot of benefits for it.
For example, the fertile land that had been cultivated, even if it had been washed over by black oil, could still be restored in a few years, and its value was evident. There were also ports, manufacturing technologies, and more.
But the value of the sacred site was something that not many ninjas understood in the past. It was only when the Toads had a request of the Hidden Leaf that they revealed some inside information.
Therefore, the Hidden Leaf's upper echelon had decisively chosen the sacred site.
Now, they were willing to give up this most precious thing in exchange for the Dragon Ground Hole's participation, even if they could get compensation from other aspects. This showed how desperate they were.
After witnessing the strength of the Skyguard Tower, the Hidden Leaf couldn't afford to wait any longer.
If they couldn't take down the Skyguard Tower this time, and if Dohei were to recover from his injuries and develop for a few more years, then the Five Great Ninja Villages would have to deal with them.
So they must 'finish the job in one go' and strive to crush the Skyguard Tower in one fell swoop.
As for the Hidden Leaf itself, they actually had some backup.
Mystic Mountain! If they helped to reclaim this sacred site, the Toad Clan would have to allocate some power to the Hidden Leaf.
A favor is a favor, but the terms must be clear! Even if Jiraiya had a close relationship with the Toad Clan, the benefits had to be calculated clearly.
Without the Great Toad Sage, the Toad Clan's combat strength was indeed powerful, but its value would be greatly discounted.
So, in exchange for their participation in the war, giving them Mystic Mountain, even if Jiraiya agreed, there would still be dissatisfaction among the other villagers, hence the additional conditions.
For example, Toad Oil, training quotas, and the like were definitely necessary.
These supplementary clauses were originally not taken seriously.
After all, there was the temptation of the complete sacred site, the Sacred Valley of Spring, in front of them.
But now that the Sacred Valley of Spring was being used as a bargaining chip, Mystic Mountain had to be taken seriously.
The Dragon Ground Hole had the backing of the White Serpent Sage, and even if their combat strength might not be stronger than the Toad Clan's, they could still be allocated the entire Sacred Valley of Spring.
Tsk tsk!
The Toad Clan was truly miserable.
After nearly the entire clan had fought to the death, their spoils of war were still discounted, and compared to the Dragon Ground Hole, their enemy, it was a complete tragedy.
But who could blame them for jumping in as pawns? They were directly knocked down from the clouds by Dohei.
This was the price they paid for meddling in the ninja world!
Anyway, from the moment they stood in front of Dohei, the Toad Clan's decline was sealed.
Now, the Dragon Ground Hole also seemed to be following in their footsteps.
The White Serpent Sage didn't possess prophetic abilities like the Great Toad Sage; otherwise, she would never have agreed to participate.
Because Dohei was 'baiting and entrapping'.
If the Dragon Ground Hole didn't break the agreement, Dohei truly wouldn't have taken action against them.
But once they failed to abide by the agreement, they would naturally have to bear the consequences.
Tianxin Shenji didn't respond, as she was apparently communicating with the White Serpent Sage using a secret technique.
"The Mist Village has already taken action, and we're also trying to get the Sand Village involved. If we miss this chance, the Dragon Ground Hole will lose the opportunity to acquire a new sacred site and eliminate the threat!"
Jiraiya added.
In negotiations, Nara Shikaku was more adept than Jiraiya, but unfortunately, the snakes only communicated with the strong, and no matter how clever one was, they couldn't exert their intelligence. It wouldn't be surprising if one wasn't careful and was swallowed by the snakes.
Did he really think the snakes were a benevolent race?
Heart Maiden Tian didn't answer but silently communicated through her jutsu, and Jiraiya didn't rush her either.
Because he understood that only the White Serpent Sage could make the decision.
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long.
"In three days, the army from Dragon Ground Hole will arrive, and we three Maidens will also join the battle!"
Heart Maiden Tian conveyed the White Serpent Sage's will.
"That's great!"
Jiraiya left the cave.
He had experienced the snakes' cunning firsthand.
Given the distance between Dragon Ground Hole and here, it was unlikely for them to arrive in three days, let alone half a month.
But they specifically said three days, proving that they had been prepared to intervene, just waiting to secure the greatest benefit before taking action.
Cunning!
Even though Jiraiya knew this, he had no choice but to accept it.
Currently, they desperately needed their help, and it wasn't like they were asking for his assistance. Paying a price was inevitable.
The benefits were not the most crucial factor; the key was to eliminate the Skyguard Tower, a constant threat.
Compared to the Stone and Cloud Shinobi villages, the Hidden Leaf Village was more anxious about the Skyguard Tower.
Because they were the closest to it! If the Skyguard Tower grew stronger, the Hidden Leaf Village would be the most affected.
Previously, other forces secretly supported the Skyguard Tower, hoping to bring misfortune to the Hidden Leaf Village.
They had thought the Skyguard Tower was a mere hunter, capable of tearing off some flesh from the colossal Hidden Leaf Village.
But they hadn't anticipated that the Skyguard Tower was a lion, with the potential to swallow the entire Hidden Leaf Village.
This realization made these forces hostile.
They were willing to let the Skyguard Tower weaken the Hidden Leaf Village but not consume it entirely.
If the Hidden Leaf Village fell, the next to suffer would be them. After understanding this, they put aside their mutual grudges and temporarily cooperated.
They didn't want to face a younger and stronger enemy.
Therefore, in the plan to extinguish the threat, the Stone and Cloud Shinobi villages were willing to lend their full strength, not just because of the nobles and daimyo.
After returning to the camp, Jiraiya gathered over ten powerful shinobi directly under the Hokage, including Asuma Monkey-Fly, Kakashi, Nara Shikaku, Might Guy, and Tenzou.
Tsunade was not present!
The previous meeting between the other party and Tang Ping had left Jiraiya with a doubt.
If it were in the past, he would have immediately clarified the situation.
But now, he not only represented himself but also the Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, so he had to be cautious.
"The reinforcements from Dragon Ground Hole will arrive in three days, and we must use this opportunity to crush the Skyguard Tower!"
Jiraiya first stated their objective.
The Central Allied Camp was led by the Hidden Leaf Village, and as long as Chokushi Maru, the daimyo, didn't cause trouble, the Hidden Leaf Village could decide everything.
As for the small shinobi villages, ninja strongholds, guardian shinobi, and temples... they had no say.
Sorry, they genuinely had no voice in the matter.
"Is that so!"
Asuma's expression was invigorated.
Regardless, the Skyguard Tower was the mortal enemy of the Monkey-Fly clan, and with the other party driving away their ally, Danzo, the situation could be described as a deep-rooted grudge.
The others also felt more at ease... finally seeing a glimmer of hope for victory.
"Dragon Ground Hole... if they hide first and then launch a surprise attack from underground during the decisive battle, they can definitely destroy the Skyguard Tower's defenses, and we can also concentrate forces from other areas to break through..."
Nara Shikaku muttered to himself.
He knew how powerful Dragon Ground Hole was.
Just looking at the Toad Clan was enough to understand that their strength was even greater.
At the same time, he was well aware of the Dragon Ground Hole snakes' extremely useful special ability.
If utilized well, it could definitely create a first-strike advantage.
His eyes were filled with confidence.
Kakashi, who had been silent all along, glanced at him.
(End of Chapter)
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