Chapter 155:
In the previous war, even though Konoha had fought against both the Sand and Stone Villages, the truth was that Suna and Iwa had been far from united. There was mutual animosity between them, and they clashed almost as much with each other as they did with Konoha. Because of this, Konoha had been able to drive back both villages without incurring heavy losses.
But now, if they truly managed to ally and launched a joint assault on Konoha, things might not go so smoothly. Both Suna and Iwa were great powers in their own right. Though they didn't quite measure up to Konoha's strength, they weren't far behind. If they combined their forces, even Konoha would have to be cautious.
Of course, a true alliance between Suna and Iwa was unlikely. The hatred between their two nations wasn't something that could be resolved overnight. If they did choose to attack together, they'd have to take steps to prevent their forces from mixing, probably by coordinating separate attack routes. Otherwise, they might end up fighting each other as much as Konoha.
But all of this was of little concern to Orochimaru. War no longer frightened him.
Konoha Training Grounds
A young boy with short brown hair was engaged in a fierce sparring match with a man with long black hair. They exchanged blows with their kunai, the clashing metal ringing out sharply as they moved back and forth across the training area. To an observer, the match looked thrilling and evenly matched.
However, upon closer inspection, it was clear that while the boy was fighting with everything he had, the man was merely toying with him, effortlessly blocking every attack.
Ding! Boom!
The man saw an opening and landed a swift kick to the boy's stomach, sending him flying backward.