It was they who proposed the strategy of avoiding Konoha's full force and evading direct confrontation with them.
That strategy was guerrilla tunnel warfare.
They quickly established an extensive underground tunnel network, its exits scattered throughout the entire forest. Numerous concealed observation posts were established to track Konoha's movements.
Many ninjas considered digging tunnels as nothing more than a lowly C-rank mission, yet they performed it remarkably well. Just three days after the official formation of the alliance, they had dug an astonishing number of tunnels. From then on, they began patrolling these tunnels, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Konoha never gave up trying to break through the enemy lines. Had they known all along that they were running across the patrol lines of the Allied Shinobi Forces, they wouldn't have looked so confused when counterattacks came.
Even so, Konoha remained a formidable opponent. They were highly adaptable, battle-hardened veterans, and with the Cloud ninja unit steadily closing in from another front, if the tide couldn't be turned soon, the balance of war would quickly tip back in Konoha's favor.
Just at this moment, a mysterious arms dealer arrived as if summoned from the heavens—or descended from hell—bearing an offer too tempting to refuse.
Shimogakure, the tranquil village nestled in the valley, unscathed by war since its outbreak, would now become the stage for this transaction.
Every morning, Konoha and Kumogakure ninjas rose to fight for their respective causes, for their beliefs, determined to flatten every village daring to resist, and eliminate any ninja daring to defy them.
The Village Headman of Shimogakure decided to meet this "merchant of death" outside the village outskirts, at the bridge beyond the moat. At least on the northeastern battlefield, he had become an unexpected yet frequent visitor.
"You're certainly fearless," said the Village Headman to the weapons merchant. "With war raging, you dare come alone to my village. Don't you fear being captured and forced into our service?"
This peculiar man wore a mask split between pale purple and white, marked with wavy patterns, revealing only his eyes. He was clad in a dark-colored combat robe, wore a sash around his waist, gloves on his hands, and carried a massive katana on his back.
His bizarre attire strangely suited the deadly wares he peddled.
"Oh, I'm not worried about being captured—believe me. And… I don't think it wise to kill the goose that lays the golden egg here within this alliance. So let's get straight to serious matters. Ironically, your village might be the safest place in wartime."
His words made sense. If any village, driven by greed, captured him to produce weapons for themselves or sell him off for a high price, internal strife would inevitably break out. In the end, this was just business.
"I'd like to order another two hundred and fifty White Zetsus, to be delivered North."
"This time it's for handling the Cloud ninja unit? So many?" Tobi—better known as Madara—feigned surprise. "Well then, I hope you were satisfied with the last batch."
"Very much so."
The Village Headman of Shimogakure said, "The White Zetsu Corps completely disrupted the Kumogakure ninja unit's deployment, allowing us to successfully ambush their advance team. This time, we'll show them what true despair feels like."
"75 million ryō," Tobi stated his price. "Or do you really think an army this perfect should come at a discount?"
This price wasn't particularly high, especially considering the White Zetsu Corps' formidable combat strength. They had no choice but to pay, because the White Zetsu had effectively halted the Kumogakure ninja unit's advancement from the North.
"Do you have any further instructions on how to use them?" the Village Headman asked while handing over a scroll with the payment inside.
"I'm not interested in that," Tobi replied dismissively, as if pulling the scroll from nowhere. "I'm not here to fight your war. Do whatever you want with them—I won't care even if you drive them off a cliff." After all... he had plenty of other White Zetsu left. Fifty of them were nothing significant.
Ultimately, selling the White Zetsu Corps was just an experiment—one that also happened to make money. When the time was right, he'd take them back to achieve his true objective.
"They'll arrive within two hours," Tobi said before turning to leave, leaving the Village Headman standing there alone, watching him disappear into the distant forest. "But then again, you already know how quickly my White Zetsu can move."
The Village Headman of Shimogakure certainly understood. Of course he understood the White Zetsu's reliability—otherwise the alliance wouldn't have invested such a huge sum purchasing them.
He wanted to ask Tobi more questions, but when he turned around, he found that the other man had already vanished.
What an odd yet dangerous fellow. To possess such immense strength, yet sell them off to the highest bidder at a time like this. But Tobi seemed indifferent to wealth and didn't care about the White Zetsu Corps' survival—in his eyes, they were merely expendable assets.
Better not dwell on it too much. Treat those White Zetsu as cannon fodder with perfect camouflage abilities. Right now, there's still a war to fight.
Regardless of Tobi's origins, he'd never appeared in the ninja world before... so, in the grand scheme of things, how much of a threat could he actually pose?
*******
Shortly after meeting with Jiraiya, Naruto gathered his senior commanders for a meeting to explain his plan. A new battle plan was about to unfold.
Jiraiya moved quickly—he'd already assembled his subordinates and begun discussing countermeasures.
Sometimes you might overlook Jiraiya's true strength because of his eccentricities, like his fondness for writing terrible poetry or his near-obsessive attraction to women.
But ultimately, these were just harmless personal quirks. After all, who doesn't have their quirks? Some people enjoy conducting human experiments, others become obsessed with power—it's all perfectly normal.
Anyway, Naruto had missions of his own to complete.
He must escort Yugito back to Kumogakure at all costs.
The sun had already risen. They still had time to rest before the next assault, giving them a chance to recover from the exhaustion of battling those white plant-men.
Resting a while sounded good, and he was relieved to have finally found his way to the barracks.
The looks people gave him made it painfully clear—he reeked of sweat and blood and desperately needed a shower and some real rest.
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