After so many days of delay, the fact that Mifune had not yet clashed with Hanzo was actually within Kaito's expectations.
Going to war wasn't like a brawl at the village entrance. It wasn't enough to just gather enough people; you also had to prepare weapons, provisions, and other supplies. Not to mention, the Land of Iron was on a long-distance expedition, fighting across two countries. The logistics naturally had to be well-arranged.
The same was true for the great nations. If they wanted to start a war that would sweep the entire ninja world, their preparation time would be even longer. Therefore, there wouldn't be any large-scale deployments in the short term, only a few elite units would be sent out.
The Land of Rain knew this, which was why they dared to brazenly attack the Land of Grass, seizing the initiative.
"Now it just depends on whether Hanzo is smart enough not to get bogged down in the Land of Grass."
If the Land of Rain were to withdraw, the Second Great Ninja War might be temporarily averted.
Kaito briefly analyzed the situation over there but didn't delve too deeply. He was more concerned about whether Mifune could survive this ordeal. Mifune was a bit old-fashioned, but his righteousness was beyond question, and he had treated Kaito impeccably, taking great care of him. Kaito certainly didn't want such a good person to die in vain.
"Whatever. I'll just enjoy the hot spring for now." He rested his head on the round stones at the edge of the spring and closed his eyes.
In the Land of Grass, a country whose name, as one might guess, was defined by its vast plains and abundant grasslands.
Mifune led eight hundred elite samurai, stationed on one such plain, their white tents scattered like stars.
"Report! News from the front! The Village Hidden in the Rain has occupied Nikko Castle, twenty li away. There are approximately three hundred ninja inside."
"Three hundred?" Mifune, seated at the head, stroked his goatee. "What about the leader of the Village Hidden in the Rain? Is he in Nikko Castle as well?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Do you have any specific intelligence on him? Such as what kind of ninjutsu he excels at?"
"That... we have not yet been able to ascertain."
"Hm?" Mifune couldn't help but frown.
"It's understandable that such classified information can't be obtained in a short time. The key point is, if the leader of the Village Hidden in the Rain is also there, then this must be their main force. As long as we defeat them, it will be equivalent to defeating the Land of Rain," an adjutant said excitedly.
"To be safe, should we contact the ninja of the Land of Grass to attack together?"
"The Land of Grass? They've already been scattered. How would they have the courage to attack with us?"
"It's only three hundred ninja from the Village Hidden in the Rain. We can easily take care of them!"
The faces of many samurai showed confident expressions.
"Having confidence is a good thing, but we must not underestimate the enemy. They are the ones who brought the Land of Grass to its knees. We must treat them with caution," Mifune said earnestly.
"Yes, sir," many replied perfunctorily, clearly not taking his words to heart.
"..." Mifune sighed internally and said in a deep voice, "We samurai value etiquette. Tomorrow, we will first negotiate with the leader of the Village Hidden in the Rain. If we cannot reach an agreement, then we will persuade them with force!"
"Yes, sir!"
Meanwhile, in the castle town of Nikko, the higher-ups of the Village Hidden in the Rain were also in discussion.
"Lord Hanzo, the Land of Iron has come with great momentum. I'm afraid you will have to take action this time."
"It's no matter. Compared to the Land of Iron, I am more concerned with the responses of the Lands of Fire, Earth, and Wind." Hanzo waved his hand casually and looked at his most capable subordinate. "Shinda, what do you think?"
Shinda was a young man with a large birthmark on his face. He wasn't particularly strong, but he had a sharp mind and often devised strategies for Hanzo. He was already prepared. He took a step forward and said, "The great nations have always been slow to act. If they want to engage in a full-scale war with us, they have a lot of work to do. First, they must persuade the Daimyo and gain their support. Second, they have to haggle over the war funds they request; without sufficient funds, they have no confidence. Third, is to finally mobilize the ninja of their villages and deploy their tactics. This is very different from our Land of Rain, where the Daimyo exists in name only."
"Mm. Continue."
"Therefore, in such a short period of time, we do not need to worry about the great nations interfering." Shinda looked up, glanced at Hanzo, and said, "The key question is, after defeating the samurai of the Land of Iron, what choice does Lord Hanzo intend to make?"
"Will you occupy the Land of Grass, or will you return to the Land of Rain with the spoils of war?"
Hanzo asked, "What if I say I want to occupy the Land of Grass?"
"Then, my lord, you must be prepared to face the three great nations simultaneously," Shinda said in a low voice. "The five great nations have long since divided the ninja world among themselves. They will not want to see another great nation rise."
"Do you think the current Land of Rain cannot withstand the attacks of three great nations?"
"That is indeed highly unlikely. Even though you, my lord, are incredibly powerful, the foundation of our Land of Rain is still far too lacking."
"..." Hanzo was silent for a long time. He stood up and said slowly, "Shinda, do you know what my ideal is?"
"I... do not."
"I want peace. Isn't that laughable?"
"Not at all! That is a very noble ideal!"
"Heh, is it?" Hanzo chuckled softly. "I know this goal is not so easily achieved. Peace has never been obtained through begging. Only by re-dividing the ninja world into great nations of equal strength will war not break out so easily. And the first step I must take is to develop the Land of Rain into a nation that can stand on equal footing with the five great nations."
"My lord..."
These words made everyone's blood boil with excitement, making them wish they could go to war with the five great nations immediately.
"But I know that right now, there is a gap between us and the five great nations. Therefore, now is not a good time to go to war with them. After we defeat the Land of Iron, we will return to the Land of Rain," Hanzo said seriously. "But one day, the Land of Rain must have a final reckoning with the five great nations!"
"We are willing to help you overthrow the five great nations, my lord!"
The next day, the two leaders met outside the city with a tacit understanding, each with only two guards.
"Mifune, of the Land of Iron."
"Hanzo, of the Land of Rain."
After exchanging names, Mifune got straight to the point. "Your country has invaded the Land of Grass, causing the people to be displaced and suffer heavy casualties. Do you have no remorse for such an unjust war? I advise you to retreat to the Land of Rain immediately and return the grain our Land of Iron purchased from the Land of Grass."
"Hahaha," Hanzo sneered. "You come out to condemn us now, but may I ask, where was your Land of Iron when the Great Ninja War broke out over a decade ago? Oh, I remember now. You were hiding in your own nests, not daring to come out. Hmph. Don't talk to me about justice. It's nothing more than you seeing my Land of Rain as an easy target."
Mifune frowned. Faced with this response, he could not refute it, because it was the truth.
"In that case, let us speak with our strength. If your Land of Rain is defeated, you must return our grain."
"Good. That is as it should be."
The two sides returned to their own camps, and the great battle immediately began. Eight hundred samurai marched forward with imposing momentum, but their opponent was only one man.
Hanzo, holding a scythe-like weapon, stood alone before them. "Sometimes, numbers do not guarantee victory."
In this battle, the Land of Iron suffered a great defeat. Less than half of their forces made it back alive.
From that day forth, the name Hanzo of the Salamander resounded throughout the ninja world.