Naruto: Starting with Infinite Chakra-Chapter 224: Pressing Forward

Now that Jiraiya had grown so powerful, they had no choice but to eliminate him. Allowing him to continue developing was out of the question—another Hashirama Senju was the last thing they wanted to see.

They were all well aware of just how terrifying Hashirama had been. The records within their villages described his power in such detail that every time they read them, a chill ran down their spines. It was enough to instill deep fear. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Hashirama's strength was beyond human comprehension—he was a man akin to a god. If he had ever harbored the ambition to unify the shinobi world, nothing could have stopped him.

But Hashirama was kind-hearted and lacked such aspirations.

Jiraiya, however, was different. His ambition burned bright—he sought to unify the shinobi world and, more importantly, he had the strength to do so. If left unchecked, it was only a matter of time before the Land of Fire swallowed them all.

Given the circumstances, their only option was to go all in and eliminate this threat before it could fully manifest. Killing Jiraiya was just the first step—they also intended to launch a full-scale invasion of the Land of Fire, wiping it out completely. Once that was done, they would turn their sights on the Land of Wind.

The Land of Wind no longer had any powerful figures to defend it. To the three great nations, it was nothing more than prey, waiting to be carved up.

"In that case, let's head to the Land of Wind and direct their forces," the Raikage stated with a nod, voicing no objections.

The Wind Country envoy had already returned after delivering their message, so the three Kage, accompanied by elite troops from their respective nations, set off for the Land of Wind.

Upon their arrival, Rasa led a large force of Sunagakure shinobi to greet them with great ceremony. Seeing the sheer number of elite forces backing them, Rasa finally felt a weight lift from his shoulders. No matter how strong Jiraiya was, he would not be able to destroy the Land of Wind now—unless both he and Hiruzen Sarutobi moved together to take down the three Kage and their jinchūriki.

To ensure their victory, Ōnoki had brought along another of Iwagakure's jinchūriki—the Steam Ninja Han, the jinchūriki of the Five-Tails. Meanwhile, Kumogakure had dispatched Yugito Nii, the jinchūriki of the Two-Tails. As for the Third Mizukage, he himself was a jinchūriki, housing the Three-Tails within him.

In total, the reinforcement force consisted of five Kage-level combatants, a testament to just how much they feared Jiraiya.

Rasa respectfully welcomed the Tsuchikage and his forces into the village, while the Sunagakure shinobi cheered, believing that their nation was now safe from destruction. After all, with such formidable reinforcements, Jiraiya had no chance of defeating them.

...

"Rasa, while it's true that with this level of support, the Land of Fire won't be able to invade us, have you considered how much we'll have to concede once we defeat them?" Chiyo said, her face filled with worry after settling the Tsuchikage and his forces in.

"Their forces are extensive, and it's clear they aim to push all the way into the Land of Fire. But if we engage in a direct battle, our shinobi will take heavy losses. Our nation's strength will be severely weakened."

"That is a concern," Rasa admitted, his brows furrowing. He wasn't blind—he understood the Tsuchikage's true intent.

"We don't have any other choice. We have to use one enemy to fight another. Once the war ends, we'll figure out a way to break free from their grasp."

"Besides, I'm close to reaching Kage-level strength. If we can reclaim Shukaku during the war, I'll have the power to resist the other three nations." Rasa clenched his fists. If he could reach the level of a Kage, he would have a chance to shift the tide in their favor.

After the Land of Fire was defeated, if the three nations turned against him, he could at least take one Kage down with him. That alone would be enough to disrupt their unity. Unlike Jiraiya, he wouldn't pose a threat to the balance of power among the great nations. As a result, the Kage might be willing to tolerate his survival.

"If you can achieve Kage-level strength, then we do have a way forward," Chiyo agreed with a nod. In truth, she was also close to reaching that level. However, as a puppeteer, she needed to craft an exceptional puppet to fully break through.

Such work required peace, time, and rare materials—luxuries she simply didn't have in the current state of war.

...

The day after their arrival in the Land of Wind, the Tsuchikage immediately ordered Chiyo and the high-ranking Sunagakure officials to assemble every available shinobi—including freshly graduated academy students—into the army.

In total, the Land of Wind had over twelve thousand shinobi at its disposal.

"The Land of Fire's ambitions are clear—they intend to swallow us whole. Since that's the case, we should strike first and take the battle beyond our borders. What do you think?" the Raikage asked Rasa.

In Sunagakure's war council chamber, the highest-ranking officials of the village gathered alongside the leaders of the other great nations. The Land of Fire was still consolidating its forces, showing no immediate intent to attack.

After careful discussion, the Raikage and his allies decided to go on the offensive.

After all, they were using Sunagakure's soldiers—no matter how many died, it wouldn't affect their own forces.

Rasa and Chiyo frowned at the decision. If they launched an offensive, their losses would be devastating. If they waited for the Land of Fire to attack, they could use Sunagakure's defensive structures to narrow the gap in power.

But if they took the fight beyond their borders, all those defensive advantages would be rendered useless.

They knew exactly what the other Kage were thinking—they wanted the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire to bleed each other dry. The more devastating the battle, the better for them.

"Raikage-sama, the Land of Fire is incredibly strong. If we take the offensive, the battle will be much more difficult. If we wait for them to attack, we can use the fortifications we've spent so much time building to our advantage. It will be much easier to repel them," Chiyo argued immediately.

"With us here, you don't need to rely on those defenses," the Mizukage said sharply.

"Or do you doubt our ability? Are you saying that even with our combined strength, we still can't handle the Land of Fire? Do you not trust us, or do you simply lack confidence in your own forces?" The Raikage's gaze turned cold as he spoke.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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