Birth of a ninja clan in Konoha

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"What?! You got nothing! Not only did you fail to retrieve any members of the Uzumaki clan, you didn't even manage to steal the fūinjutsu? Then why did you return?!"

The Kazekage glared at his own shinobi before him, his anger causing his liver to ache.

Seeing the Kazekage trembling with rage and on the verge of ordering his punishment, the spy hurriedly explained, "Kazekage-sama! Please hear my explanation! Didn't you instruct us to cooperate with Kirigakure's attack previously? So, when Kirigakure's assault faltered, we, the spies lying in wait within Uzushiogakure, targeted the Uzushiogakure shinobi's barrier troops. Little did we know that upon discovering this, the other Uzushiogakure shinobi disregarded the Kirigakure forces and rushed directly towards us, leaving us utterly helpless."

His explanation only served to fuel the Kazekage's fury.

"Are you a pig? No, you are not a pig. I suspect you are a spy planted by Kirigakure within our Sunagakure ranks! I merely instructed you to seize the opportunity to cooperate with Kirigakure, not to be blindly subservient to them without regard for anything else! They reap the benefits, but what do we gain? We expended considerable energy and manpower beforehand, not for you to simply assist Kirigakure! Guards! Seize him and have the interrogation unit thoroughly question him to ascertain if he is a spy dispatched by Kirigakure!"

"Kazekage-sama, have mercy! Grant me another chance!"

The Kazekage ignored his pleas and waved his hand impatiently, signaling his men to silence him and take him away.

"What course of action should we take now? Judging by the movements of Kumogakure and Iwagakure, they must have gained significantly this time. If we still fail to resolve our jinchūriki problem, I fear our Land of Wind will only fall further behind the other major powers in the future!"

The Kazekage paced back and forth within the large tent, his agitation evident as he addressed Ebizō, who remained unhurried.

"Do not fret, Kazekage-sama. While Bunpuku is aged, he can still endure for a while. Besides, we still have an ally in this. They also deployed spies within Uzushiogakure. They will not return empty-handed as we have!"

"Ah! How could I have forgotten Hanzō? They still require our assistance to resist Konoha. They would not dare to refuse us."

The more the Kazekage considered it, the more convinced he became that it was worth pursuing. Thus, he directly abandoned the Amegakure troops, placing Ebizō in temporary command. 

He departed to personally seek out Hanzō, intending to claim the benefits that Amegakure had acquired in Uzushiogakure.

He believed that given their alliance, his nation's current dominant position, and his personal visit, Hanzō would not refuse his request.

However, events did not unfold as he anticipated.

"Kazekage, I am truly sorry. We in Amegakure obtained nothing from Uzushiogakure, truly! Our Amegakure is weak, and we did not deploy many spies in Uzushiogakure beforehand. They all perished when Kirigakure attacked, and none have returned."

The Kazekage looked at the Hanzō before him, wishing he could crush his snout with a single stomp. You, Hanzō, with your thick eyebrows and large eyes, have learned to utter such blatant falsehoods! Everyone knows you accompanied the Mizukage to Uzushiogakure previously. Would you have gone without the allure of substantial gains?

In reality, the Kazekage's suspicions were not unfounded. With the destruction of Uzushiogakure, Amegakure stood to gain the most, aside from Konoha and Kirigakure. 

Not only did they acquire ninjutsu related to sensory perception and long-distance communication, but Zetsu also seized the opportunity to provide Hanzō with the Genryū Kyū Fūjin for future machinations.

After all, according to his plan, establishing the Akatsuki's headquarters in Amegakure was ideal. On one hand, Amegakure was not weak, and on the other, it wasn't as conspicuous as the other major powers, making it easier for him to remain hidden behind the scenes.

However, Hanzō had long recognized the true nature of these major powers. He had no intention of relinquishing what he had obtained to the Land of Wind, so he feigned ignorance.

Having been manipulated multiple times, he understood that alliances were superficial, and only tangible benefits and personal strength held true value.

Ultimately, the meeting between the two leaders concluded unhappily, and the already fragile alliance between their nations became even more precarious. Seeing the Kazekage return empty-handed, Ebizō began to reconsider the Land of Rain.

Yuta's ascendance indicated that Konoha would likely be the victor of this war. In that case, it would be prudent to seize the opportunity to secure some advantages for the Land of Wind.

Thus, a significant number of Sunagakure spies began to infiltrate Amegakure, and Hanzō also withdrew a substantial number of troops from the front lines, initiating a purge of Sunagakure spies within Amegakure.

After some initial probing by both sides, it became clear that neither trusted their supposed allies any longer, leading them to contemplate launching preemptive strikes before the other could react.

"Kazekage-sama, the front-line troops have been attacked by Amegakure shinobi, and the losses are substantial!" Just as the Kazekage and Ebizō were still discussing how to surprise Amegakure, news of Hanzō's sudden assault arrived, catching Sunagakure completely off guard.

"So swift! Indeed, Hanzō has experience in betraying allies, that villain!"

The Kazekage had not anticipated Hanzō's rapid action and was momentarily bewildered.

"Kazekage-sama! Do not panic. We must first stabilize the army's morale," Ebizō urged the distraught Kazekage, sighing inwardly.

He couldn't fathom the series of unfortunate events. First, their plans in Uzushiogakure had failed, resulting in Sunagakure's empty-handed return. 

Now, they had severed ties with Amegakure and faced Konoha's impending attack. Consequently, the Kazekage's temper had worsened recently, and his demeanor was no longer as composed as before.

"Oh! Forget it! Let us devise a way to minimize our losses!" Ebizō was also at a loss. Who would have foreseen Hanzō's swift retaliation?

Thus, under Ebizō's suggestion, the Kazekage could only order the troops to retreat to the border near the Land of Wind to alleviate logistical pressures, thereby freeing up some manpower to resist Amegakure's forces.

As Amegakure and Sunagakure completely severed their alliance, the situation in the Land of Rain transformed from a united front against Konohagakure to a three-way melee. 

Essentially, any shinobi not belonging to their own faction became an immediate enemy, leading to a sharp increase in casualties for all three sides.

Finally, under Orochimaru's suggestion, Konoha temporarily withdrew its defense line, partly to consolidate its forces and reduce losses and partly to allow Amegakure and Sunagakure to exhaust each other first.

With Konoha's strategic retreat, Amegakure and Sunagakure were left to their own devices. However, under Ebizō's insistence, the Land of Wind adopted a defensive posture, leaving Amegakure unable to make significant headway for the time being.

Hanzō surveyed the fragmented Land of Rain and was momentarily at a loss. The Land of Earth occupied a small portion of the north, the Land of Wind loitered in the southwest, and the southeast was also claimed by the Land of Fire. 

As for the east, Kusagakure had been destroyed. Otherwise, based on their past behavior, they might have sought a powerful patron and exploited their influence to profit in the Land of Rain.

Looking at the current situation, Hanzō nearly vomited blood. Had his dream of establishing a great power been shattered so easily?!

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