In the wilderness of the Land of Iron.
Madara Uchiha leisurely admired the ever-changing, comical expressions on Rinjin's face.
Suddenly, both of them froze at the same time, their expressions shifting instantly.
Madara's brows furrowed deeply, while Rinjin broke into a wide grin.
"Heh heh~ It worked!"
At the Mountain Graveyard, Rinjin's numerous clones had just ganged up on and defeated the wooden clone left behind by Madara Uchiha, seizing a large number of White Zetsu clones.
Although the original White Zetsu wasn't among them, this operation was undoubtedly a significant win.
The two exchanged glances, and Rinjin's lips curled into a sly grin. Though his eyes were tightly shut, he still managed to raise his eyebrows playfully.
"Old man, no need to see me off. I'm out!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Rinjin formed a one-handed seal and disappeared in a flash, just before Universal Pull (Banshō Ten'in) could activate.
Staring at the now-empty surroundings, Madara slowly clenched his fists.
He wanted to curse aloud, but considering his status, he held back.
In Konoha, at 66 Mingcha Street, Rinjin looked at the neatly packed White Zetsu clones before him, a smile spreading across his lips like that of a farmer celebrating a bountiful harvest.
"Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"
Though his operation had been intercepted, with the Flying Thunder God Technique (Hiraishin no Jutsu), he could retreat to any hidden corner without fear of being found.
However, for now, he had no suitable place to store these White Zetsu clones.
Thinking of this, Rinjin couldn't help but feel a pang of envy for Obito's Kamui Sharingan.
Still, he had no intention of gouging out someone else's eyes. Instead, he eagerly anticipated the day Obito awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan.
If that happened, his newly developed Flying Thunder God Technique would finally have a chance to shine.
It had been nearly three years since Rinjin infiltrated Kirigakure. In that time, he had risen from being a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen to the head of the Intelligence Division.
Kirigakure's Intelligence Division wasn't just responsible for gathering and summarizing external intelligence; it also had a significant research role, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
Coupled with the assistance of the second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki, who had a knack for research, as well as Rinjin's deep understanding of the Flying Thunder God Technique, the conditions were ripe for innovation.
With advanced equipment, a knowledgeable mentor, and his own extensive experience, Rinjin successfully upgraded the Flying Thunder God Technique.
By studying and comparing sealing techniques, summoning techniques, the Flying Thunder God Technique, and the Heavenly Transfer Technique (Tensō no Jutsu), the new Flying Thunder God 2.0 was born.
Compared to the previous version, there wasn't much of a difference—except for one major upgrade.
The old Flying Thunder God Technique couldn't locate or travel to other-dimensional spaces like the Shikkotsu Forest.
But now, Rinjin could travel to places like the Shikkotsu Forest or Mount Myōboku without needing summoning techniques, as long as a Flying Thunder God mark was placed there.
It was a true realization of "Mundo goes where he pleases."
The only limitation was that these special Flying Thunder God marks required his blood.
For most people, a small cut on the finger would suffice, but for Rinjin, it was a bit more complicated...
This was why he eagerly awaited Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan awakening.
Once Obito awakened his eyes, Rinjin could provoke him into pulling him into the Kamui dimension.
By then, whose dimension it truly was would be up for debate.
A storage space? Well, isn't it just borrowing from each other? Does it really matter whose it is?
Using sealing techniques, Rinjin stored a large number of White Zetsu clones into scrolls for future use.
Happy times always seemed to pass quickly. In the blink of an eye, two days had gone by, and it was time for Team Eleven to assemble.
Early in the morning, at 66 Mingcha Street, three boys carrying large bags stood in front of Rinjin's door.
"Rinjin-sensei! Open the door!"
"Come on, Sensei!"
"Sensei, stop sleeping! My back hurts from carrying all this stuff!"
Their loud knocking drew curious glances from passersby.
After a moment, Rinjin opened the door while yawning. His eyes lit up at the sight of the boys' gear.
"Well, well~ These little brats are quite prepared! They know we're going on a long journey?"
What Rinjin didn't know was that Nara Shikazuru had already spilled all his secrets to the boys.
It wasn't surprising, though. In the ninja world, where children as young as seven or eight were sent to war, these nine-year-olds were already privy to many things.
Moreover, as the sons of current clan leaders and future heads of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, there wasn't much that could be hidden from them.
Seeing how well-prepared they were, Rinjin didn't delay further. He casually threw on a black long-sleeve shirt and led them towards the Hokage's office.
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the middle-aged Third Hokage, was holding a brief meeting with the village's top officials.
As tensions escalated, not just the higher-ups but even the common villagers could feel the looming threat of war.
The high-ranking officials were holding frequent meetings—three small ones a day, five large ones every two days. Every scrap of intelligence led to another round of discussions.
It wasn't that Hiruzen was overreacting. While his political and military acumen was exceptional, even the sharpest mind had its limits.
This was why gathering collective wisdom through meetings was indispensable.
At the moment, the officials were fiercely debating how to prepare for potential conflicts.
Although Sunagakure and Iwagakure hadn't shown clear signs of aggression, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Decisions on troop deployment, logistics, reconnaissance, and battlefield selection needed to be made in advance to prevent being caught off guard.
This was especially crucial for a village like Konoha with its complex power structure.
In contrast, Kumogakure's Third Raikage could simply lounge on a couch and declare:
"I want to go to war with Konoha. Any objections?"
As the Konoha higher-ups argued over the best defensive strategies, an Anbu operative appeared beside Hiruzen Sarutobi in a flash, whispering something in his ear before vanishing again.
Seeing Hiruzen's silence, the grim-faced Danzo Shimura pressed, "Hiruzen, we must deploy forces to the border of the Land of Rain! I volunteer to oversee the frontlines!"
Hiruzen furrowed his brows, remaining silent for a long time before finally speaking.
"Rinjin will be here soon. Ask him yourself."
Hearing this, Danzo and Homura Mitokado, who supported deploying troops to the Land of Rain, exchanged uneasy glances and fell silent.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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