No matter what kind of army it is, it requires a rge amount of equipment and all equipment costs money.

  The same goes for Orochimaru's clone army.

  Even though Orochimaru has his own arsenal and the means to produce equipment, it still demands a massive financial investment. His hidden vilge doesn't accept missions, so selling potions alone isn't enough to cover the expenses.

  Thus, long ago, following Orochimaru's instructions, Chana began working with merchants to generate funds. She started selling basic necessities like bread and milk. With Orochimaru's advancements in lifestyle technology, the products he manufactured were far superior to others on the market, resulting in excellent sales. Orochimaru didn't need to oversee this himself, Chana managed it all on his behalf.

  Thanks to these efforts, Orochimaru was never short on money.

  However, Nono's base didn't have an arsenal, nor could it connect to the Sound Ninja Vilge. This meant the clones stationed there had no equipment. So, where did the gear used for infiltrating the Land of Earth come from?

  The answer was simple, the equipment was taken directly from the Iwa ninjas themselves.

  From the very beginning, Orochimaru had pnned to adopt an old strategy: war sustains war.

  No equipment? Kill the Iwa ninjas and take theirs. No ninja tools? Eliminate the enemy and confiscate theirs.

  With Orochimaru's current abilities, equipping a team of thirty was an easy task, even if he couldn't manage rger numbers.

  In the forests of the Land of Grass, Orochimaru stood among sixteen surviving clones now disguised in Iwa ninja uniforms. Reflecting on the past half month, he sighed at the harsh realities of war.

  Despite supporting and overseeing three teams personally using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he had still lost fourteen clones. Fortunately, they left no corpses behind. With no bodies to recover, the enemy wouldn't be able to analyze the clones or determine their origins.

  "Your next mission is to split into two teams and infiltrate the Land of Fire," Orochimaru instructed, his gaze sharp. "Do not use the Sharingan. You're only allowed to use Earth Release techniques."

  "Yes, sir!" the clones responded in unison, ready to carry out his orders.

  A few days ter, Konoha received urgent reports of two "Iwa ninja" teams infiltrating the Land of Fire. The vilge reacted swiftly, dispatching several elite teams to intercept and eliminate them. At the same time, Konoha increased surveilnce on the actual Iwa ninja forces, suspecting their involvement.

  Unbeknownst to them, Konoha would never locate the supposed Iwa ninja teams. Orochimaru had anticipated their reaction and ensured there was no opportunity for pursuit. Before Konoha could respond, the remaining clones had already been recalled to Orochimaru's boratory, teleported back instantly using the Flying Thunder God Technique. No matter how skilled Konoha's trackers were, they couldn't follow his trail.

  Meanwhile, at the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth, two Konoha scouts were stationed. One of them, a light-skinned young man with bulging veins around his white eyes, carefully observed their surroundings. His Byakugan pierced through the obstacles before him, capturing every movement in the distance.

  "This doesn't look good," he said grimly.

  "What's wrong?" his companion asked. The other young man, wearing dark sungsses, inspected a small swarm of insects crawling across his fingertips. His expression turned equally serious as he responded, "It's not good at all. Iwa ninja have significantly increased their guard presence. They're definitely preparing to unch an attack on us."

  "Let's report this to the Third Hokage immediately,"

  "Agreed. Let's move."

  While Konoha couldn't find Orochimaru's clone teams, the scouts' discovery of Iwa ninja reinforcements caused arm. When the Third Hokage was informed, his concern deepened.

  With the vilge already strained by conflicts with the Cloud and Sand ninja, the prospect of an impending csh with the Iwa ninja was overwhelming.

  Konoha began preparing for the worst. All avaible ninja were mobilized, including many genin who were hastily promoted to chunin and dispatched to the frontlines to bolster defenses. The tension at the border intensified as both sides rapidly escated their troop deployments, bringing the two vilges closer and closer to war.

  Meanwhile, Orochimaru observed the growing conflict from the shadows, a satisfied smile pying on his lips.

  "All that's left is to add a little more fuel to the fire," he murmured.

  That very night, Orochimaru donned an old Konoha uniform and assassinated an Iwa ninja scout. It was the perfect provocation, subtle yet impactful enough to tip the bance.

  This calcuted move became the final spark, igniting an all-out war between Konoha and the Iwa ninja.

  ---

  In Konoha's Hokage office, the Third Hokage stood before a rge window, puffing on his pipe. His face was clouded with worry.

  "Three vilges… Three vilges…" he muttered to himself.

  This scenario was all too familiar. Years ago, Konoha had faced a simir crisis when three great ninja vilges temporarily allied to counter Orochimaru's overwhelming power. But that alliance had quickly crumbled after Orochimaru defected from the vilge, and the inherent conflicts between the vilges resurfaced.

  Now, however, the situation was different. The Third Hokage struggled to understand what had triggered this sudden aggression from the three vilges.

  Konoha's military strength was undoubtedly the strongest, and it had only grown over the years. Yet even so, taking on three great ninja vilges simultaneously was an impossible task.

  "If only Orochimaru were here," he thought, only to stop himself mid-sentence. His expression darkened, and he sighed deeply, knowing such thoughts were futile.

  ---

  At the border of the Land of Fire, in a dense forest, Orochimaru walked slowly, a faint smirk on his lips. He knew the war between Konoha and the Iwa ninja had been orchestrated by his own hand. This chaos would leave Konoha overwhelmed, giving him the opportunity to exploit the situation for his own gain.

  Orochimaru had no affection for the vilge that had betrayed him. There were only two or three people in Konoha he cared about, and the fate of everyone else was meaningless to him. If the vilge that had exiled him now found itself in turmoil, why should he feel any pity?

  Pulling his bck cloak tighter around himself, Orochimaru turned his attention toward the Suna ninja military base. Before executing his next pns, he had to confirm Tsunade's safety.

  After all, Tsunade was his wife, the only woman he had ever truly cared for. Despite the years of separation, Orochimaru found himself missing her.

  Thanks to Nawaki's earlier information, Orochimaru already knew Tsunade's location, allowing him to pinpoint her position on the battlefield with ease.

  ---

  A few days ter, standing atop a mountain, Orochimaru raised a monocur telescope to his eye, surveying the distant Konoha camp nestled within the valley below. A faint smile curved his lips.

  "This must be it," he said to himself.

  Lowering the telescope, Orochimaru extended his hand, releasing a reconnaissance fly into the air. The tiny insect buzzed forward, darting toward the Konoha camp under his control.

  "Let's pinpoint Tsunade's location first," Orochimaru murmured, watching as the fly disappeared into the horizon.

  ***

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