For the time being, let us not mention how Tsunade, after sending Minato Namikaze and Shizune away, maintained a state of extreme tension and battled wits with the air for several days straight, only to receive news from Konoha's intelligence personnel that Rei Kaguya had already left long ago, causing her to break down in impotent rage.
Konoha's higher-ups were truly shocked by the news Minato Namikaze brought back.
Regarding the strength Kirigakure had shown on the frontal battlefield, Konoha's higher-ups were actually not too worried.
Although Kirigakure's offensive looked fierce on the surface, and their cruel practice of taking no prisoners on the battlefield also made the frontline personnel feel fear, it was very easy to discover from the number of corpses both sides recovered from the battlefield that Kirigakure's casualties far exceeded Konoha's.
With that, Konoha's higher-ups immediately felt reassured.
Kirigakure's population and number of shinobi were already among the lowest of the Five Great Nations. Even after Konoha had fought successive battles against Iwagakure and Kumogakure, the number of shinobi they currently had still far exceeded Kirigakure's.
Under circumstances where there was already a gap in numbers between the two sides, the disadvantaged side also had a higher casualty ratio. If Kirigakure had not suddenly produced a Rei Kaguya who could fight Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, Konoha's higher-ups would not even know just how stupid a mistake they would have to make in order to lose this war.
It could be said that in the eyes of Konoha's higher-ups, Rei Kaguya was currently the only person who could possibly bring a variable to the outcome of the war between Konoha and Kirigakure.
And now, this dangerous man had actually abandoned his responsibility of supporting Kirigakure's frontal battlefield and run alone into the core region of the Land of Fire…
Decapitation tactics.
It had to be for the sake of executing decapitation tactics!
And so, under the order of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Anbu shinobi came out in full force and began searching the Land of Fire with all their might for a target whose movements resembled Rei Kaguya's.
As the only person who could sense Rei Kaguya's whereabouts, Minato Namikaze also ignored Haruto Yamanaka's attempts to stop him and forcefully dragged his sick body into the search team. He continuously sensed the Flying Thunder God formula on Rei Kaguya's body, preventing him from silently infiltrating Konoha's main village.
But what left Konoha's shinobi somewhat confused was that there was no sign whatsoever in Rei Kaguya's movement trajectory that he intended to approach Konoha's main village. Instead, he was traveling north the whole way, heading toward the northern border of the Land of Fire…
"Hmhmhm. I see. So that is what this movement trajectory means…"
"Orochimaru, I don't remember sharing the intelligence I obtained from Hiruzen with you just so I could listen to these boring riddles."
Danzo Shimura irritably tapped the ground with his cane, looking displeasedly at Orochimaru, who seemed to have understood something all on his own.
"Hehe, don't be so impatient, Danzo… I only figured out what he intends to do after looking at his recent route over the past few days."
Orochimaru clapped his hands, drew a red circle on the map provided by Root, narrowed his long eyes into a cold and terrifying slit, and laughed darkly.
"The Land of Rice Fields. Rei Kaguya's final destination will most likely be this region of the Land of Rice Fields."
"Why are you so certain, Orochimaru?"
"That is a little personal secret of mine. But if you are willing to send Root's experts and hunt down our lovely Kirigakure friend together with me, I could consider sharing that secret with you as well… What do you think, Danzo?"
A mysterious smile appeared on Orochimaru's face, and he threw the question back to Danzo Shimura, who had fallen into a disadvantage in terms of intelligence.
After thinking for a moment, Danzo Shimura struck the ground heavily with his cane and accepted Orochimaru's invitation in an icy tone.
"Fine. I will have Root's finest shinobi fight with you. But after the target is successfully captured, I need all of your research materials. From the data on your previous human experiments to all future research on Rei Kaguya's body cells… I want everything. Do you understand, Orochimaru?"
"What an impressive appetite, Danzo… Very well. I agree to your terms. But I have one demand. You must also come with me to participate in this hunt. If you agree, I can first hand over part of the human experiment data you do not have as a deposit."
Orochimaru was not surprised by Danzo Shimura's lion-like demand.
He was also very clear that with only himself, it would be very difficult to capture Rei Kaguya, who had defeated Minato Namikaze, alive.
Since he needed to borrow Root's people as cannon fodder, he naturally had to make appropriate concessions to Root's leader, Danzo.
"…In that case, this old man will accompany you on this trip, Orochimaru."
At this moment, Danzo Shimura was not yet the pathological schemer who would later remain unmoving in Root's underground base even when the village faced destruction.
He still possessed vigorous ambition and drive, constantly moving through various countries and stirring up the entire shinobi world.
It was precisely because his body was still in its prime that even after knowing the truth behind Kushina Uzumaki's defeat, Danzo Shimura still possessed ample confidence. He believed he had the ability to defeat Rei Kaguya, who was still only a brat.
"Hehe. Then, happy cooperation, Danzo."
Orochimaru smiled darkly and extended his pale, cold hand.
It clasped Danzo Shimura's aged yet equally temperatureless hand with force.
…
Five days later.
At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice Fields, Rei Kaguya stood before the waterfall of the Valley of the End. Looking up at the massive statues of Madara Uchiha and the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, that stood here, he pressed his palms together and silently paid his respects to these two predecessors who had pacified the chaos of the Warring States Period.
Although one of them had died and then come back to life, been deceived in circles by a laughable lie, schemed countless times in his life only to end up making wedding clothes for someone else…
And the other could not rest even after death. Not only were his cells repeatedly taken out and used as a cheat device, but the will he had passed down was also gradually deviating from its original direction due to the incompetence of his successors…
Even so, they were still pioneers who had completely changed the structure of the shinobi world and brought it into a new era.
They were worthy of Rei Kaguya, a junior who also intended to bring reform and unification to the entire shinobi world, maintaining the necessary respect for them.
After admiring this sacred place that had served many times as the final battlefield for the protagonists of different eras, Rei Kaguya leaped down from Hashirama's statue and prepared to continue toward the Land of Rice Fields.
Several minutes later, a few extremely inconspicuous insects landed in the hand of a masked man several kilometers away and began relaying the scenes they had just seen.
"Looks like Orochimaru was right. That Rei Kaguya is indeed moving with some location in the Land of Rice Fields as his destination…"
"Notify Lord Danzo. The target's traces have been discovered. We can begin gathering manpower and prepare for the coming hunt."
A large net spread across the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice Fields began to slowly tighten.
And the prey that had already fallen into the net still knew nothing of it…
The result of this hunt was already decided.
Thock.
Looking at the large snake he had casually nailed to a tree trunk with one Ten-Finger Drilling Bullet, the corners of Rei Kaguya's mouth slowly curled into a playful smile.
"Hehe. Looks like tonight's extra meal will be quite plentiful…"