Black Naruto: Shadow Moon

After returning to Konoha, Uchiha Kagezuki, Orochimaru and Tsunade immediately went to the Hokage Building to report the situation on the battlefield in the Land of Rain to the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The three of them walked into the Hokage's office and saw Sarutobi Hiruzen sitting at the desk, waiting for them with a serious expression.

Uchiha Kagezuki spoke first: "Hokage-sama, we have an important report on the battle situation in the Rain Country battlefield."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, signaling them to continue.

Tsunade went on to say, "After several months of fighting, we have figured out the situation in the Rain Country. Salamander Hanzo's strength is far beyond our expectations. He is not only good at poison techniques, physical techniques and sword techniques, but also masters powerful water and fire ninjutsu. Under his command, the Rain Ninjas are extremely powerful. Even if Konoha, Sand Village, and Rock Village join forces, it will be difficult for them to win in a short period of time."

Orochimaru added: "We have tried to carry out decapitation operations many times, intending to eliminate Hanzo directly and end this battle, but he is experienced in combat and his response methods are extremely flexible, so we have failed every time. His poison mist is hard to defend against, and he is almost completely immune to our human wave tactics. If we continue to force the attack, Konoha will have to face huge casualties."

Uchiha Kagezuki took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Orochimaru is right. We have to admit that Hanzo of the Salamander is indeed worthy of the title of 'Ninja Demigod'. If we insist on attacking, the losses will be very heavy. Not only will Konoha's ninjas be sacrificed, but the resources of the entire village will also be seriously consumed. By then, Konoha will fall into a greater crisis."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was silent for a moment, tapping his fingers on the table, obviously weighing the pros and cons.

He knew that Kagezuki, Orochimaru, and Tsunade's judgments were based on their own experiences on the battlefield, not rash conclusions.

"I have understood your opinions," Sarutobi Hiruzen finally spoke, "I will seriously consider your report. Next, I will convene a meeting of Konoha's top leaders to discuss whether to continue this war."

Uchiha Kagezuki, Orochimaru and Tsunade nodded at the same time to show that they understood, then took their leave and left the Hokage's office.

Yingyue walked out of the Hokage Building and felt the sunlight outside shining on his body, but it could not dispel the heaviness in his heart.

"We have seen the end of this war," Uchiha Kagezuki said to the two, "If Konoha continues to insist on attacking the Rain Country, it will only lead to unnecessary sacrifices."

Tsunade nodded, a trace of fatigue flashing in her eyes: "Yes, we can only hope that Hokage-sama can make a wise decision."

Orochimaru had a deep look in his eyes, as if he was thinking about something, but he didn't say much.

The three of them walked in silence on the streets of Konoha Village, each with their own thoughts.

The cruelty and reality on the battlefield made them realize more clearly that this war was not just about victory or defeat, but also about the lives of countless ninjas and ordinary people.

The final decision will affect the future of the entire Konoha Village and even the entire ninja world.

Sarutobi Hiruzen convened a high-level meeting of Konoha. The atmosphere in the meeting room was solemn. Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane and En Mito Kado were all present.

They flipped through the battlefield report of Rain Country brought back by Shadow Moon, Orochimaru, and Tsunade, with complicated expressions on their faces.

As the leader of the five major ninja villages, Konoha should have been unstoppable when fighting against a small country like the Rain Country, but unexpectedly, its offensive was blocked by Hanzo's Rain Village.

After a moment's silence, Danzo Shimura took the lead in breaking the deadlock.

His voice was low and firm: "The war must not stop." He glanced around coldly and continued, "Other ninja villages have not stopped attacking. If Konoha retreats first, our prestige will be gone. We have consumed so many resources and manpower, but we have gained nothing. How can we explain to the village? What will the daimyo think of us? Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. Hiruzen, you can't be soft-hearted."

Utatane Koharu nodded in agreement, "Danzo is right. If Konoha withdraws first, the Sand Village and the Iwagakure Village may take advantage of the situation to seize the resources and territory of the Rain Country, which will cause Konoha to lose its advantage in the ninja world. We have already consumed so many resources, and retreating again will only make the daimyo question Konoha's leadership ability, and the village's mission commissions may also be greatly reduced."

Mitomon En frowned and thought, he slowly said: "However, if we continue to fight, the sacrifices and losses of the village cannot be ignored. Our ninjas are already exhausted on the battlefield of Rain Country, and a large-scale attack will only result in more casualties. This war must be handled with caution."

Sarutobi Hiruzen fell into deep thought. Faced with the opinions of Danzo, Koharu and Kadoya, he felt torn.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was not a person who was good at making decisive decisions. He knew that continuing the war would come at a huge cost, but he was also worried that Konoha's position in the ninja world would be shaken.

"We can't retreat rashly." Sarutobi Hiruzen finally said, "But we can't let the village suffer any greater losses. We can adopt a war of attrition strategy, no longer aiming to attack, but try to preserve Konoha's strength and weaken the strength of other ninja villages."

The corners of Danzo's mouth slightly raised, obviously satisfied with the decision: "This is a wise decision. As long as we can consume the enemy's strength, the victory of the war will eventually belong to Konoha."

Utane Koharu and Mitokado En also nodded in agreement, and a consensus was reached in the meeting room.

After the high-level meeting, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the Konoha Village outside the window, but his heart was still full of worries.

A war of attrition might allow Konoha to avoid large-scale casualties, but he knew that such a war would drag on for a long time and sacrifices would be inevitable.

He was not completely sure whether the final victory really "belonged to Konoha" as Danzo said.

With the decision of the meeting, the fate of Konoha Village was pushed into an even more unknown direction.

After returning to Konoha, Uchiha Kagezuki, Tsunade and Orochimaru all took the time to recuperate and improve themselves.

After Tsunade returned to Konoha Village, she immediately devoted herself to the work of Konoha Hospital.

She knew that the next war would still be long, and medical ninjutsu would become a life-and-death skill for the ninjas on the front line.

As the leader of the medical ninjas, Tsunade is not only responsible for instructing the new generation of medical ninjas, but also for developing more effective antidotes to deal with the deadly toxin of Hanzo the Salamander.

During her guidance at the hospital, Tsunade discovered some newcomers with great potential, and she carefully guided them and passed on her medical experience.

At the same time, she did not relax her practice.

Through a lot of clinical practice and battlefield experience, Tsunade's medical ninjutsu has been significantly improved in a short period of time.

She began to delve into more complex forbidden medical techniques and tried to improve the control and application of her supernatural powers, striving to better protect her teammates in future battles.