However, Konoha is different. Hanzou used alliance as a threat, demanding Konoha provide supplies to Hidden Rain.
Upon hearing Hanzou's request, Konoha readily provided free aid to Hidden Rain, because Konoha hoped to ally with Hidden Rain to quickly end the battles in the Land of Rain, withdraw from there, and then support the Konoha Squad in the Land of Grass.
Yet, Hidden Sand's actions have directly thwarted Orochimaru's strategy for a swift victory, aiming to prolong the time.
After all, Konoha cannot provide free aid to Hidden Rain for a long time. Even if it's paid aid, honestly, Orochimaru doesn't believe Hidden Rain can produce enough funds to purchase supplies from Konoha.
Providing supplies to Hidden Rain in the short term is feasible, but not in the long term. When the time comes, Hidden Rain, lacking supplies, will inevitably lose combat power, not only failing to provide combat support to Konoha but also possibly becoming a burden to Konoha.
Even though he saw through Hidden Sand's cunning strategy, Orochimaru had no good ideas.
Hidden Sand is like a turtle in its shell, just waiting for the alliance between Konoha and Hidden Rain to break apart.
Recently, attacks on supply points have become increasingly frequent. Hidden Sand wishes to further deplete Konoha's reserve supplies, increasing Konoha's material burden, accelerating the ambiguous period of Konoha and Hidden Rain's alliance to extinction.
"What do you plan to do?"
Danzo sat opposite Orochimaru, asking what Orochimaru intended to do.
"The only way is to have the Daimyo increase supply to Konoha, especially food."
"The harvest has been poor these past few years, and even the citizens of the Land of Fire don't have much food to eat. Moreover, Ninjas eat military rations, which are much more refined and expensive than ordinary food. Konoha can be self-sufficient, but if used to aid Hidden Rain, it would have to reduce its own supply. Furthermore, this aid can last at most three months."
Danzo analyzed and said.
"Three months is too rushed; it's simply not enough."
Orochimaru said hoarsely.
Hidden Sand's avoidance of battle is precisely what he's most afraid of.
Soon, Orochimaru thought for a while and said to Danzo:
"If that's the case, then have the village purchase grain from surrounding countries. Coarse grains are acceptable; as long as it's edible, buy it with money and give these rough foods for Hidden Rain to use."
Although he knows that this is a huge challenge for Konoha's finances, frequently requesting funds from the Daimyo, the Daimyo's side might have some objections, Orochimaru currently has no better way to handle this matter.
Konoha now can't do without Hidden Rain's help in the battlefield of the Land of Rain.
Once they lose Hidden Rain as an ally, Hidden Sand will immediately mount a massive invasion, sweeping into the Land of Fire.
Hearing Orochimaru's proposal, Danzo knew this was the best solution for now, so he nodded.
"Alright, I know. I'll contact Hiruzen immediately."
Just as he was about to walk out of the tent, Orochimaru's voice sounded again from behind him:
"By the way, send more Hyuga Clan ninjas to the village; I need their Byakugan assistance. Things have reached this point; might as well let the cat out of the bag, it's too late to conceal those ugly matters."
◎
Far away in the Land of Demons, Hakushi temporarily set aside his concerns for the Ninja Realm and is conducting important research in his laboratory.
In a huge glass container filled with green liquid, there was a fire-red object resembling a biological heart, quietly sleeping inside, bathing in the rich natural energy within the nurturing container.
"Hakushi-sama's Clone Creation Jutsu is really special."
C slumped on Hakushi's shoulder, looking at the fire-red flesh that exuded substantial life force in the glass container, making a voice of awe.
In this container, what is being nurtured is a new clone of Hakushi.
"It's nothing, just because I'm deeply aware of my lack of ninja talent, I'm forced to take an alternative path, increasing my means against enemies."
Hakushi humbly smiled.
"Is this time producing a Fire Clone? I can feel a scorching energy in this heart."
"Yes."
"But it seems like there's only a heart in the container. Is it a clone that can move without a body?" C asked curiously.
"This is because the Fire Clone's body is somewhat special. For now, I can only produce its 'core,' impart it with a soul and life, and I'm not in a rush to equip it with a body."
C didn't understand these things, but could still sense the extraordinariness of this heart.
This yet-to-be-born Fire Clone, like its other clones, will certainly have its own unique Jutsu System.
"By the way, C, let me ask you a question."
"What?"
"If I used the Chakra of nine Tailed Beasts, merging them together, could it cultivate part of the Ten-tailed's power?"
Hakushi remembered something interesting and asked with great interest.
In his hand appeared several white claw fragments.
Precious experiments sent back by Ayane from the Land of Earth—the Two-tailed's claw.
Currently, he has collected Chakra from three Tailed Beasts.
Namely the One-tailed, Two-tailed, and the strongest Nine-tailed.
Thus, Hakushi conceived a bold idea, wondering if collecting part of the Chakra from nine Tailed Beasts could cultivate a Ten-tailed.
Facing Hakushi's highly abstract question, C was also stunned for a moment, replying sluggishly: "I'm not sure, but the Chakra from nine Tailed Beasts is only part of the Ten-tailed. Simply using the Chakra of nine Tailed Beasts shouldn't make it possible to simulate the Ten-tailed's power."
"I see."
Hakushi nodded, indeed, this idea was somewhat fanciful.
However, even so, the Chakra from nine Tailed Beasts is worth collecting. Such good material will be very helpful for his clone research.
Moreover, it shares significant connections with Sharingan and Byakugan. Perhaps using these Tailed Beasts' energy could allow Sharingan and Byakugan to complete their evolution.
But for now, it remains in the theoretical hypothesis stage, unable to be applied in practice; there are too many uncertainties.
The research on Tailed Beasts has also been progressing slowly.
The slow progress of Tailed Beast research stems from here—
Next to the Fire Clone's heart, there are two other giant glass containers.
In one container rests a sand-yellow tail, human-sized.
In another container is a similarly sized orange-red tail, bubbling with orange-red Chakra bubbles like warts.
These are the tails of the One-tailed and Nine-tailed respectively.
Transforming from the initial Chakra masses into these forms took over a year.
Moreover, the further the cultivation goes, the greater the difficulty.
Hakushi conservatively estimates that at the current growth rate, it will take at least two hundred years to replicate a complete One-tailed and Nine-tailed.