"As for the Tailed Beasts, don't you, Hidden Stone Village, also have a Tailed Beast? There's no need to be so anxious." Lin asked with some doubt. "Heh heh, to tell you the truth, our Hidden Stone Village indeed once had a Four-Tails Jinchuriki,
but he defected a few years ago and has never been retrieved. Moreover, he can't fully control the Tailed Beast's power, so it's impossible to send him onto the battlefield." Onoki said with a wry smile.
"Heh heh, don't worry. Given the Raikage's personality, Hidden Cloud Village is unlikely to deploy a Tailed Beast at the very beginning. If a Tailed Beast appears, I'll deal with it. You should trust me on this point." Lin chuckled.
Hearing Lin's words, Onoki took a deep look at Lin and said with a smile, "As the rumors say, you, like Uchiha Madara, possess the powerful Sharingan that can manipulate Tailed Beasts. You are truly a terrifying junior."
Lin chuckled and said, "So you're saying you agree?" "Hmph, this indeed has huge benefits for both of us. I agree, but I hope you don't go back on your word," Onoki snorted coldly.
"Don't worry, you won't be disappointed." Lin said with a playful smile. "So, an agreement has been reached like this?" On the other side, many Mist Ninjas stared blankly at Onoki and Lin. A war, such a big matter, was settled so simply. It left them somewhat at a loss.
"No, it should be said that they immediately hit it off. The Third Tsuchikage probably already had ideas and methods to deal with Hidden Cloud Village, but he probably hasn't been successful. Hidden Cloud Village's military power has developed extremely rapidly these past few years. As the great nation closest to the Land of Lightning, the Land of Earth couldn't help but feel anxious." Ao said solemnly.
"If the Land of Lightning starts a war, besides those small countries, the first to suffer will be the Land of Earth. Now, the Land of Lightning's strength already surpasses the Land of Earth. This includes Konoha, whose strength has been greatly reduced, and Konoha's resentment is understandable."
"So let's leave it at that. Of course, I still need to return to Hidden Stone Village and discuss this matter with the Elder Council. Of course, after the discussion, we will also send envoys to Sakura Ninja Village to negotiate with you, or you can come to our Hidden Stone Village as well. We can then discuss the specific battle plan." Onoki said.
"I understand. Then let's leave it at that. However, I need to remind you two points, Tsuchikage. First, don't let Hidden Cloud Village detect our intentions. Also, speed is crucial. Since we're going to catch them off guard, we can't let them react.
Hidden Cloud has just retreated, and the Raikage probably won't think that the two sides who were just enemies will immediately join forces to attack them, right?" A strange smile appeared on Lin's face.
"I understand. I hope you don't go back on your word." The Tsuchikage showed a meaningful smile, then turned and left. Many Stone Ninjas also followed the Tsuchikage in retreat.
"Lin, are you alright?" At this moment, Ao ran over from behind and hugged Lin's body, asking worriedly. "Don't worry, it's nothing serious." Lin smiled. Although he wasn't severely injured, his arms indeed suffered some injuries.
He wasn't very clear about the Raikage's ability before. He crossed his arms and took a heavy punch from the Raikage, then used Rasengan. Even now, his arm muscles are still twitching, and the pain is unbearable.
"Thank you, Ao. Our Land of Sakura owes your Land of Water a favor. If there's ever a place where you can use us in the future, please don't hesitate." Lin looked at Ao on the other side, and said with a grateful smile.
"Heh heh, it's nothing. A few years ago, Hidden Mist Village owed you a huge favor. Today's help is nothing." Ao said with a smile.
"Are you leaving right away? Come to our village to rest for a while. Let me do my best as a host." Lin said with a smile. "No, thank you for your kindness, but something so big happened today that I need to report to Lord Mizukage immediately.
But don't worry, I didn't hear anything about your conversation today." Ao chuckled. "Thank you very much." Lin also nodded kindly. He didn't mention his intricate connection with the Land of Water and Hidden Mist Village. Today, Hidden Mist Village came to help at such a great risk, which already made Lin feel incredibly grateful...
"Let's go. Collect the bodies of our companions and return to the village. At least, we need to find a quiet place to properly bury them. They sacrificed themselves for the village." Lin's voice was a bit low as he spoke, looking at the many Sakura Ninja corpses on the ground. A hint of sorrow flashed in his eyes.
"Yes, Sakura Kage-sama." The Sakura Ninjas' high spirits, which had been buoyed by resolving the crisis, gradually subsided. Although they won, they also paid a considerable price, and the departure of their fallen comrades made them feel sad.
"Let's go." Lantian Gan also let out a low sigh. He smiled wryly and shook his head, feeling very sad. Although he had been mentally prepared before, his heart was still difficult to release when it truly came.
On a cliff on a high mountain in the distance, towering trees surrounded the area. Lush green leaves enveloped everything, making it extremely secluded. At this moment, a person stood quietly on this cliff, dressed in a black robe with red clouds. He was of medium build, but his face wore a strange orange ripple mask. The mask only had one round eyehole, and a faint red light flickered from the eyehole.
"What a wonderful battle. I never expected Uchiha Lin to be the leader of Sakura Ninja Village. It seems my previous guess about some kind of connection between him and Sakura Ninja Village was correct. But I didn't expect him to be the leader. Heh heh." The masked man's low, hoarse voice slowly resounded, echoing through the valley.
"Indeed, he even repelled the combined attack of Cloud and Stone. Truly extraordinary. Thanks to them, I watched a good show." A sneering voice rang out. The ground next to him rippled. A person wearing a black robe with red clouds rose from the ground. His face was half black, half white, an Yin-Yang face. He was none other than the Akatsuki member whom Lin had seen before, Zetsu.
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