It's not that the Hidden Mist Squad's strength is lacking, it's just that Konoha is too strong.
The Third Mizukage shook his head; now wasn't the time to think about that.
"Should we agree to Onoki's invitation?" The Third Mizukage began to weigh the pros and cons.
Onoki hasn't directly suggested forming an alliance to deal with Konoha or assassinate Mokgetsu, he just invited the Hidden Mist to send a representative to a meeting in the Land of Earth.
The Third Mizukage thinks they can send a reliable Jonin to probe Onoki's intentions.
Anyway, peace talks aren't a matter that can be resolved in one or two days; as long as the Hidden Mist makes no major moves, Yagura's side should be safe.
…
Land of Wind, The Hidden Sand Village.
Onoki also sent a ninja to The Hidden Sand Village.
"This old man isn't trying to trick me into jumping in, is he?" Rasa read the Scroll and instinctively thought the information was false.
Habu Mokgetsu is recognized as the strongest young ninja of Konoha in the Ninja World, but the intelligence is overly exaggerated.
Moreover, if Habu Mokgetsu had mastered such strong Wood Release, why hadn't he used it on the battlefield before?
Wood Release is very powerful, not only versatile for attack and defense but also capable of suppressing Jinchuriki.
However, Rasa pondered and believed Onoki wasn't that foolish.
After all, Onoki is not asking him to directly dispatch troops against Konoha, merely inviting him to attend a meeting. It's unlikely he would use such obviously fake information to deceive him.
Reflecting on the recent peculiar situation in the Ninja World, Rasa's expression turned serious.
"Has Habu Mokgetsu been hiding, biding his time, recently cultivating Wood Release successfully, hence revealing his strength now?"
Upon careful consideration, Rasa realized the information wasn't entirely implausible, just greatly surpassing ordinary expectations.
Suddenly a second Wood Release ninja appeared, showcasing potential to become the second Senju Hashirama.
If not for the credibility of the messenger from Hidden Rock, a well-regarded entity in the Ninja World, Rasa might suspect someone masquerading as Hidden Rock trying to stir trouble.
"What is special about this Wood Release? Are those who possess it destined to become as strong as Senju Hashirama?" Rasa couldn't help but wonder.
Logically, it shouldn't be so.
A ninja's strength is comprehensive, generally involving proficiency in ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, Chakra amount, and physical attributes.
One shouldn't become overwhelmingly powerful just by mastering a certain Kekkei Genkai or Secret Technique.
Yet, Senju Hashirama was powerful, and the second Wood Release ninja, Habu Mokgetsu, was powerful too.
The first can be attributed to coincidence, but what about the second?
Rasa summoned his trusted aide for a discussion.
They think attending the meeting is feasible, but making a move against Konoha ultimately depends on the situation at that time.
After all, if Konoha truly produces a second God of Ninjas, it may not significantly impact The Hidden Sand.
Because currently, The Hidden Sand is relatively weak among the Five Great Ninja Villages; even without Konoha's obstruction ahead, Hidden Sand still faces Hidden Rock and Hidden Cloud.
"How is Pakura's investigation going?" Rasa remembered and asked.
Regarding Pakura, the ninja who almost affected his position as Kazekage, Rasa hadn't forgotten.
"There isn't any incriminating evidence to justify imprisoning Pakura." A Hidden Sand Jonin shook his head.
"But I've noticed Pakura seems very interested in the Ninja Sect of the Land of Rain, having attended both of Sosuke's lectures."
"As a Hero of Hidden Sand, she should be mission-focused, but instead, she's attending lectures by the ninja forces of the Land of Rain. If the village chooses the most studious ninja, I'd definitely vote for Pakura."
Upon hearing his subordinate's ridicule of Pakura for being unprofessional, Rasa couldn't help but smile.
"Since she enjoys interacting with other forces, let's send her to the Hidden Rock Village," thought Rasa aloud.
He saw this as a good opportunity to critique; if the Hidden Rock situation doesn't work out, they can claim Pakura's ineffectiveness.
If the Hidden Rock situation shows promise, they can find another reason to reassign Pakura midway.
…
Land of Rain, Ninja Sect.
Kitsuchi led a team of Hidden Rock into Six Paths City.
"There seem to be more people, and more ninjas."
Upon entering Six Paths City, Kitsuchi noticed it seemed a bit more prosperous.
The flames of war burning in the Ninja World hadn't hindered Six Paths City's development; it even somewhat boosted its prosperity.
Kitsuchi didn't mind this, as Hidden Rock valued the Ninja Sect and particularly Sosuke, not Six Paths City or ordinary Ninja Sect ninjas.
Thanks to cooperative ties, Kitsuchi smoothly reached Sosuke's office.
"Sosuke, Hidden Rock needs a favor from the Ninja Sect," Kitsuchi candidly stated.
Mokgetsu nodded, signaling Kitsuchi to continue speaking.
"We recently need to cooperate with Hidden Cloud and would appreciate you conveying some of our intentions to them."
Due to the direct war relationship between Hidden Rock and Hidden Cloud, with numerous battles since the war began, Onoki feared approaching Hidden Cloud directly might backfire, hence seeking Ninja Sect as a mediator.
Although Ninja Sect cooperates with Hidden Rock, overall, Ninja Sect in public perception remains a neutral force.
The first major reason is Sosuke's unrestricted lectures.
Sosuke's generous sharing of various advanced knowledge with ninja forces from different villages inherently marks them as neutral and friendly.
Then there's the previously held Youth Martial Arts Tournament.
Many ninjas from both large and small ninja villages participated in the tournament under Ninja Sect's management, with no violent incidents, treating all competitors fairly.
Sosuke has fame and strength, and Ninja Sect is a recognized neutral force, making them an ideal mediator in today's Ninja World.
"I need to know some specific details before I can make a judgment." Mokgetsu said, sipping tea.
He can't assist blindly; otherwise, he'd end up being sold while helping count the money.
"The main content involves some intelligence on Habu Mokgetsu and Konoha's ambitions," Kitsuchi explained.
Anticipating this, Onoki instructed Kitsuchi to disclose the intelligence directly.
When requesting Ninja Sect's assistance, they couldn't leave them in the dark.
Moreover, Onoki believed Sosuke had no reason to refuse.
Sosuke had taken out Shimura Danzo, naturally opposing Konoha; they should seize any opportunity to trample on Konoha.
It's not deep cooperation; Hidden Rock won't station Ninja Squads in the Land of Rain, causing no harm to Ninja Sect.
Conversely, if Konoha produced a second God of Ninjas, would Ninja Sect have good days ahead?
If not, after the war, Ninja Sect would most likely face repercussions.
"Sorry, I refuse." Mokgetsu replied with a slight smile.
What kind of international joke is this, asking this Shadow Clone to help others against the original body?
He's not interested in playing undercover games.
"However, seeing this intelligence, it's possible the main body might have already dealt with Uchiha Madara; otherwise, there wouldn't be such a big disturbance," thought the Mokgetsu Shadow Clone.
He split off as a Shadow Clone before Mokgetsu dealt with Uchiha Madara, so he lacks the main body's memories from this period.
"In that case, Ninja Sect's concerns are lessened; they can be more open."
Kitsuchi froze; this was not what he had predicted before coming. How could Sosuke reject so firmly?
"Ninja Sect has no intention of involving in the Five Great Ninja Villages' games, whether against Konoha or any other Great Ninja Village," Mokgetsu explained.
With this, Mokgetsu completely blocked the path, leaving Kitsuchi and his advisors speechless.
"Sosuke is overly naive," Kitsuchi mentally criticized.
Though he's often deemed straightforward, compared to Sosuke, he seemed more realistic.
Is it possible not to participate just by choice, especially in the Ninja World, hoping to avoid the influence of the Five Great Ninja Villages?
Yet, Sosuke's attitude was firm, leaving Kitsuchi and his team with no option.
Eventually, Hidden Rock bit the bullet and sent envoys to make peace with Hidden Cloud while sharing Mokgetsu's intelligence with them.
Cloud, intensely engaged in conflict with Konoha, didn't wish to complicate matters with Hidden Rock, making the process remarkably smooth.
Eventually, Hidden Cloud agreed to partake in the meeting held by Hidden Rock in the Land of Earth.
As the agreed date arrived, various ninja villages promptly dispatched ninjas to the Land of Earth.