Chapter 168 160: Bickering

Before Orochimaru could even speak, Danzo continued, "This battle has clearly highlighted the shortcomings in communication between our two teams. My original intention was for you to hold back the main Kumogakure force, and then I would seize the opportunity to break into the battlefield from the other side, cutting off their formation. That would have been enough to deal Kumogakure a crushing defeat."

"If you could have shown a little weakness in this battle and held them off for just a little longer, until my reinforcements arrived, we could have gathered all of Konoha's combat power in the Land of Hot Springs to inflict heavy casualties on Kumogakure."

"Unfortunately, because of the communication issues, we failed to achieve the expected results."

There was a tone of regret in Danzo's voice.

But Orochimaru merely sneered inwardly.

When Danzo appeared depended entirely on when they were about to be unable to hold on. He would only emerge then, reap the benefits, and seize the greatest war merit to gain fame.

For Danzo, who coveted the position of Hokage, whether he wanted to topple the Third Hokage or inherit the position himself, he had to obtain military exploits worthy of the Hokage title.

Because he had done so many dirty deeds, he needed undeniable, absolute achievements to suppress those he had offended.

Danzo had his own schemes, and Orochimaru was not willing to sacrifice himself for others, becoming a tool for Danzo to gain benefits.

Two teams, two leaders, each with their own schemes—the hearts were not united. If this entanglement continued without consolidating their strength, even with their reinforcements, it would be difficult to defeat Kumogakure.

He had to seize command of this force.

This same thought flashed through the minds of both Orochimaru and Danzo simultaneously.

But they both knew that neither side was the type to easily willingly submit to the other. Unless the Third Hokage could come to the front line himself, he would be the only one capable of suppressing both of them.

"The communication problem is actually easy to solve. Before I set off, I received instructions from the Third Hokage to take full responsibility for all strategic arrangements within the Land of Hot Springs."

"As long as some of the people I brought are assigned to appropriate positions, it will be enough to ensure that orders are transmitted smoothly throughout the army, and such situations will naturally not happen again."

Orochimaru said to Danzo with a smile on his face.

His stunning performance in the Land of Rain had already gained the recognition of the Third Hokage, the other two high-ranking officials, and a large number of Konoha Ninja. His judgment of the situation during the war and his tactics, which were so exquisite that they could be called absolutely rational and reasonable, were definitely first-class in the Ninja World.

It was precisely because of this that the Third Hokage granted his beloved disciple extremely high wartime authority, hoping that he would play a greater role in this war, while also, inevitably, with a bit of deliberate intent.

When he was in the Land of Hot Springs, he could suppress Danzo. Now that he was gone, he needed someone with ability, skill, and a foundation to keep Danzo in check.

This focus on balance was the Third Hokage's inherent method for maintaining stability in all aspects.

To him, internal friction was always better than a situation where the tail became too big to wag, making it uncontrollable.

The Third Hokage was not very good at managing people. In the original timeline, after his comeback, he led Konoha to a point where many strong people had either died or left, leaving them to rely on an up-and-coming Kakashi to save face. However, he was always extremely sensitive when it came to political power struggles.

He had always known what Danzo's little schemes were. From beginning to end, he both gave Danzo weight and used him, while simultaneously suppressing him. He was like a dog with a collar around its neck; no matter how fierce it was, as long as the rope was pulled, it could only bite in the direction of the rope and could not bite its master.

But Danzo was certainly not willing to accept this.

"Your people are new here and are not familiar enough with the situation in the Land of Hot Springs. It is better to let my people lead for now."

"After all, I have been here for a year and a half and am the person who understands this place best. I was also designated as the commander-in-chief of the Kumogakure front by the Third Hokage before he left. It would be best for the people you brought to follow my lead so that they can be used more effectively."

Danzo turned his head back, his expression cold and stern.

He could not possibly concede to Orochimaru, a junior.

If he couldn't even defeat Hiruzen Sarutobi's disciple, what else could he use to compete with Hiruzen Sarutobi?

"Regardless, we are both doing this for Konoha. You and I must work together in the Land of Hot Springs to have enough strength to defeat Kumogakure."

"I can send my trusted aides to serve under you and provide more support in other areas."

"You can also send people to me, for example, your disciple Uchiha Gen. He is also Uchiha Kagami's nephew, which makes him my junior. This relationship can serve as a bond between us."

"Let him come under my command. I fought alongside Uchiha Kagami for many years and know best how to make the most of an Uchiha like him—"

"Danzo! Gen is my disciple; he doesn't need you to tell him what to do."

Orochimaru's gaze suddenly turned cold and sinister, like a poisonous snake coiled up, ready to strike.

Trying to plant a spy in my camp and steal my people?

"You don't need to have such a strong reaction, Orochimaru."

"I have always been measured in my actions. If you are unwilling, there are many other ways we can cooperate."

After seeing Orochimaru's reaction, Danzo was silent for two seconds before replying.

"I know what you want most. I will not fight you for what should be yours, and I will not refuse to cooperate when necessary. In the end, we must fight this war with all our might to win."

"But I hope you won't do anything unnecessary. Otherwise, we will just have to rely on our own abilities."

"I know what I'm doing. Next, let's talk about our subsequent arrangements on the battlefield in the Land of Hot Springs. Our two teams have merged, and there is still much to be done."

Orochimaru took a deep look at Danzo and finally nodded slowly.

"Tell me all the intelligence you have about the Land of Hot Springs. After this battle, I have made some assessments, but I still need you to supplement them before I can make better strategic deployments."

Uchiha Gen did not know that the conversation between Orochimaru and Danzo had fallen into an awkward situation because of him.

He was currently leading the Medical Ninja from the Medical Department to treat the Ninjas who had been injured in this battle.

Although this battle did not last long, the intensity was very high.

Konoha paid a relatively small price, but there were still people injured, including some who were seriously wounded.

After stabilizing the condition of the wounded, these people were actually the best teaching materials.

These Medical Ninja needed to grow up as quickly as possible. When the war escalated further and the number of wounded increased, high-level Medical Ninja would certainly not have time to teach them.