Hanzo's escape from serious injury and the spread of the news across the ninja world took about four days!
It shouldn't have been known to the outside world so quickly!
However, Konoha's undercover forces in the Land of Whirlpools took the initiative to expose this matter! In fact, this news might not even be true because no one saw Hanzo escape seriously injured. Other than Hanzo himself, everyone else present belonged to Haruto Saito!
Nevertheless, spies from various factions in the ninja world spread the news, believing that it was better to assume it was true than to ignore it!
The attack on Amegakure at night served as the best evidence of Hanzo's severe injury and escape!
Hanzo personally went to the Land of Whirlpools to hunt down Haruto Saito! But instead of succeeding, he was beaten! Not only was he chased away in disgrace, but he also lost his strongest subordinate, the Anbu captain, Juzo!
Amegakure's resource warehouse was destroyed, further deepening Hanzo's losses in this operation—it was truly adding insult to injury!
The "Demi-God" had become a joke!
Hanzo's decades of fearsome reputation were now crumbling because of this incident—one could say it was completely ruined!
This was the shock that Haruto Saito brought to the ninja world!
However, the discussion about Haruto Saito was not extensive!
After all, once it was mentioned, the conversation quickly moved on!
Amegakure was the real focal point!
The core battlefield of the Second Great Ninja War was in the Land of Rain, and the upheaval in Amegakure had almost completely changed the war situation there! Amegakure, which was already financially struggling to fund the war, now faced the question of whether it could even maintain its frontlines in the upcoming battles!
Meanwhile, Konoha would undoubtedly take the opportunity to kick them while they were down!
The elite forces of Konoha's Second Army Corps, led personally by the commander, launched a night raid on Amegakure! Although they suffered some losses that night, compared to Amegakure's losses, theirs were negligible!
—
Land of Whirlpools, Furuta Village!
It was the eighth day since Hanzo's escape from his severe injuries.
Noon!
The village was bustling with construction. Tens of thousands of ordinary people were busy working according to the planned development. Except for Konoha, no one knew that the real owner of this village was Haruto Saito!
Furuta Village remained inconspicuous!
Haruto Saito's planned settlement was so grand that even though he was willing to spend generously, it would take at least half a year for Furuta Village to take shape!
To the north of Furuta Village, in the small forest outside the main gate—
"Come visit me, okay?"
"Miss me, okay?"
"Mwah! Love you all!"
Haruto Saito waved as he bid farewell to Tsunade and the others!
They were finally returning to Konoha. Originally, they had planned to leave a few days earlier, but after the battle with Hanzo, due to the injuries of Tatsuno Hattori and the need for Jiraiya and Orochimaru to recover, they delayed their departure for eight days.
"Brat, why don't you come back yourself?" Tsunade's voice carried on the wind as she walked away.
"Half a month later!" Haruto Saito replied.
He should be returning to Konoha now since he had already been out on this mission for a month! However, with Hattori Tatsuno still injured and Juzo still in a "brain-dead" state, he had to stay a while longer!
—
That afternoon.
Inside the palace at Furuta Village, in a grand study—
"A forest stretches 1,400 kilometers from south to north. A Konoha eight-man team starts from the northernmost end, led by an elite jonin, with two jonin and five chunin. They travel 130 kilometers per day. A Kirigakure nine-man team starts from the southernmost end, led by an elite jonin, with three jonin and five chunin. They travel 150 kilometers per day. So, how many days will it take for them to meet?"
Seated at his desk, Haruto Saito posed a complex question.
Juzo, wearing his mask, remained silent for a moment before responding, "Five days!"
"Then…" Haruto Saito continued, "If they engage in battle, who will win?"
"Konoha!" Juzo answered immediately.
"Why?" Haruto Saito smiled.
"Because the 1,400-kilometer-long forest exists only within the Land of Fire!" Juzo answered fluently. "Therefore, even though the Kirigakure team has one more jonin and appears stronger, the Konoha team has sufficient time and opportunity to call for reinforcements in five days…"
"Hmm! Good! Next question…"
Haruto Saito was testing Juzo!
He didn't need to test Tatsuno Hattori because Hattori was once the Water Shadow's assistant. After regaining his abilities, his intelligence was sufficient to quickly grasp the knowledge required of a leader without Haruto Saito testing him!
But Juzo was different!
This guy was a killing machine! He had been trained for assassination since childhood! Although he was Amegakure's Anbu Captain, Amegakure's power structure was unique. Even if Juzo had some leadership abilities, they were only average!
So, Haruto Saito needed to test him!
Fortunately, Juzo had been studying well these days!
Perhaps because he was now Haruto Saito's puppet, whenever Haruto Saito ordered him to study more, he would do so without slacking off! In fact, Haruto Saito hoped he would slack off, because that would mean he had regained independent thought—understanding which commands were "unimportant" enough to ignore!
—
*Knock knock!*
"Report!" A deep voice came from outside the door.
"Come in!" Haruto Saito looked up.
A Konoha Anbu ninja entered quickly, approached Haruto Saito, and handed him a scroll: "Captain, intelligence from Konoha regarding the Land of Rain!"
As the head of the assassination unit and the captain of Konoha's Anbu First Squad, Haruto Saito was referred to as "Captain."
"Hmm?" Haruto Saito frowned as he took the scroll. What did the Land of Rain have to do with him?
Upon opening the scroll and scanning the contents, he suddenly understood.
Hanzo had returned to the Land of Rain three days ago!
That same day, he spread the news across the entire ninja world!
Haruto Saito possessed a reanimation puppet ability similar to Edo Tensei! The slain Hattori Tatsuno had been turned into a corpse puppet! So had Juzo!
The secret was out!
Haruto Saito had anticipated this!
The night Hanzo escaped, Haruto Saito knew Hanzo would spread this news across the ninja world! Though it seemed to increase Haruto Saito's prestige, it actually labeled him as an even greater threat!
The "Haruto Saito Threat Theory" was born!
Since the news had already reached him in the Land of Whirlpools, it must have spread throughout the ninja world by now!
"Did the Hokage have any orders?" Haruto Saito looked up.
"The Hokage hopes you will return to Konoha as soon as possible for a detailed report!" the Anbu ninja replied.
"Understood, you may go!" Haruto Saito nodded.
The Anbu ninja left.
Haruto Saito then looked at Juzo, who was still seated motionlessly across from him. "Next question!"
—
Ten days later!
Hattori Tatsuno was nearly fully recovered. Once his injuries healed completely, Haruto Saito would return to Konoha!
That afternoon, Haruto Saito received an urgent intelligence report from the Konoha unit stationed in the Land of Water. Two copies had been sent—one directly to Konoha and the other to the Land of Whirlpools, reaching Haruto Saito's hands!
The report was simple!
But it was enough to shake the entire ninja world!
*Kirigakure's forces were invading the Land of Whirlpools!*