Kusagakure's Western Surveilnce Zone.

  "Charge!!!"

  "Damn it, how dare you, Iwagakure?!"

  "Earth Release: Rock Dwelling Colpse!"

  "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

  pared to Konoha's preference for rapid assaults using Fire Release ninjutsu, Iwagakure's bat style is undoubtedly much more bloody and brutal.

  Evehey could easily elimiheir oppos, the Iwagakure ninjas preferred to lure enemies into pre-set traps, then alter the geological structure to bury them alive.

  Letting the enemy die slowly in the despair of suffocation.

  Despite his age, ōnoki is a diligent Tsuchikage who likes to haters personally. Braving the risk of the vilge's homend possibly being attacked and the potential backsh of public opinion after the war, he still chose to e to the front lines himself.

  Although he didn't take the initiative to fight along the way, he still stepped in to assist when his ninjas faced danger.

  He purely treated the Kusagakure ninjas as experience fodder for training.

  Allowing the new geion of Iwagakure ninjas to gain more bat experien the battlefield.

  ōnoki is not oblivious to what's happening in the world, but pared to the series of new policies retly issued by the Raikage and the Hokage, he still trusts his own tried-and-true methods.

  All those fshy strategies are not as effective as Iwagakure's trainihods.

  "Hmph! That Minato Namikaze even proposed to me, saying 'First e, first served' in Kusagakure, and that whoever strikes first gets the primary right to distribute the spoils."

  "There's o py these voluted tricks with that youngster. What we grab is ours. Does he want to ride on Iwagakure's head ahe alliance leader?"

  ōnoki straightened his old back, sn disdainfully.

  Responding to all ges with stancy—that's his Ninja Way!

  Of course, there was something ōnoki held bad didn't say: "Do you think Konoha is still the same with Madara Uchiha around?"

  If Madara Uchiha still existed, perhaps he would really choose to endure and respect Konoha as the leader of the alliance.

  But now... Konoha and Iwagakure are just between Madara and Hashirama!

  "Advance! Advance! Advance!"

  Kitsuchi led at the forefront, appearing like a heavy wall of despair to the weak Kusagakure. It might take twelve golden Kusagakure ninjas wielding the power of the Zodiac to break through him.

  Iwagakure's moderroops advanced methodically.

  "It's been so long, and Kusagakure's western side hasn't received reinforts. It seems Konoha's ninjas have succeeded."

  "We o speed up too. Don't let the real treasures fall into Konoha's hands."

  "Yes, Father!"

  Upon hearing this, Kitsuchi immediately ordered, "Stop serving chakra! Finish them in one push!"

  ōnoki chose to act ter and seize trol.

  He clearly khat with Kusagakure's small fry, they couldn't possibly stop Konoha's Blitz unit.

  But any bit of attrition is something.

  Assault operations e a lot of energy! Even killing a hundred pigs would tire a person out, let alone ninjas who throw shuriken, wield kunai, use explosive tags, and occasionally unleash one or two C-level ninjutsu.

  ōnoki's gaze was deep...

  Judging from Konoha's assault performahey probably didn't know that Kumogakure had dispatched the Two-Tails Jinchūriki to Kusagakure.

  In terms of intelligence work, Konoha still cks the experience of Iwagakure, which has been battling Kumogakure for decades.

  ōnoki could already envision the se: exhausted Konoha ninjas finally breaking into Kusagakure's interior, only to be greeted by a fully-powered Two-Tails Matatabi.

  Will they win?

  Even if they do, would Konoha's Blitz unit still have the strength to fight?

  He, ōnoki, chose to personally lead the army precisely for this opportunity!

  The ōnoki who desighe battle where "20,000 Iwagakure ninjas exhausted the Third Raikage to death" is undoubtedly a ing ninja.

  His appetite isn't just for half of Kusagakure or the Two-Tails Jinchūriki... He also wants to e Konoha's elite forces!

  What he wants is to boil the frog slowly, tinuously depleting Konoha's vital forces!

  As for whether this would break the "Konoha-Iwagakure Non-Aggression Pact" aroy the hard-wile peace betweewo vilges?

  First, if they kill everyone, no one would know what Iwagakure did. Even if they find out, Konoha would probably swallow their ao minimize losses, refusing to speak up for the dead.

  Even if the fragile peace is broken, so what? It would just revert to the inal state betweewo vilges.

  Iwagakure, has never feared war!

  'Except for Madara Uchiha...'

  "Let me see if Konoha, who first took Kusagakure, still has the strength to fight."

  "Tsuchikage-sama, ahead is Kusagakure Vilge."

  After eliminating the st Kusagakure ninja who resisted stubbornly, Iwagakure's Blitz unit finally advao the gates of Kusagakure.

  ōnoki flipped off the basket on Kitsuchi's back, cpped his hands, and blew his nose.

  That lingering smell of explosive tag smoke was still caught by ōnoki even from a distance.

  Not just the smell of explosive tags, but also the dry st after Fire Release burning... and the chakra that permeated the air after a battle between strong oppos.

  The ers of ōnoki's old mouth lifted slightly: "It seems... Konoha had a fierce battle with Kusagakure~ They must have had a hard time."

  "Heh heh~ Tsuchikage-sama, should we go in now?"

  "Of course. There's no more sounds of battle in Kusagakure Vilge, so the Konoha ninjas must be tired now. It's the perfect time to enter!"

  "Pass on my order: Iwagakure ninjas, ehe vilge!"

  Hearing this, Akatsuchi at the forefront lowered his ter of gravity. Like a massive armored tank, he stomped forward toward the gates.

  The walls of Kusagakure Vilge crumbled like paper.

  The two forces dug special military operations against Kusagakure had thus verged!

  Upoering the vilge, ōnoki's crafty eyes began sing around, searg for Konoha's leader and the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.

  His gaze fixed on Fugaku Uchiha in the distand the unscious blonde woman lying on the ground. From the woman, ōnoki sehe chakra of a Tailed Beast.

  "This is remarkable~ The Uchiha emblem? He seems to be... the Uchiha head, Fugaku Uchiha. I didn't expect him to lead Konoha's Blitz squad; I thought it would be Orochimaru."

  "It seems that in the decades since Madara Uchiha's death, the Uchiha has produced many talents. Even the head defeat a Jinchūriki."

  ōnoki smirked maliciously. He inally o weigh the pros and s of attag Konoha's ninjas.

  But after seeing Fugaku Uchiha's performahe nightmare in ōnoki's heart was awakened. He once again recalled the fear of being dominated by Madara Uchiha.

  An outstanding Uchiha ninja like Fugaku... ot be allowed to live!

  He must seize this opportunity to eliminate him.

  With the mi of stabbing his ally in the back, ōnoki put his hands behind his back, leading Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi toward Fugaku Uchiha.

  "Yo, Konoha ninja."

  "You are..."

  Fugaku Uchiha looked somewhat weak. He pulled himself together and looked at the old man before him: "Third Tsuchikage... Lord ōnoki."

  "I didn't expect you to personally lead Iwagakure's Blitz unit."

  "Obviously, I came personally to ehe smooth execution of the special military operation against Kusagakure."

  "How is the battle situation, young man from the Uchiha ?"

  "Kumogakure's military base has been pletely destroyed. We've nearly annihited the Kumogakure garrison and captured their ander, Kōsuke Eguchi, alive. Kusagakure had twelve elders; among them, seven were pro-Kumogakure and opposed Konoha. I've killed them all."

  Fugaku Uchiha looked around, sighing almost imperceptibly.

  Despite trying his best to restrain his power, the damage to Kusagakure's infrastructure was still somewhat excessive.

  These... will all be Konoha's assets iure!

  The internal politics of the Land of Grass are corrupt, and the fas within Kusagakure are intricate and plicated. Ninjas aligned with different major vilges even see each other as enemies.

  Those who survived have shown friendly attitudes toward Konoha. They're even willing to offer everything in the vilge that Konoha desires to thank Fugaku Uchiha for sing the "impurities" from the vilge.

  Ninjas, ninja tools, cash... even parts of the vilge's nd and taxatihts.

  They fell from being Kumogakure's "parent" to Konoha's "dog," but for the Kusagakure ninjas who achieved faal victory, this was no big deal!

  Faal victory is the real victory! The vilge's victory is the victory of other fas!

  If they weren't worried about turning against Kumogakure too mud possibly incurring their rese iure—risking beiroyed by Kumogakure when Konoha loses power—Kusagakure would have sidered inviting Konoha to station troops for prote.

  You know, Kumogakure was really good to them! They almnized Kumogakure as their parent.

  If we sider the various ninja vilges as part of a plex family tree, Konoha and Kumogakure were inally peers, while Kusagakure was a geion younger—a "son."

  But Kumogakure, for strategic reasons, chose to "reverse the order," reizing Kusagakure as a parent.

  inally, the "loving father and filial soionship was instantly broken by Konoha's intervention. Kusagakure kicked away their adopted child and turnize Konoha as parent.

  So what impressiohis leave in the ninja world? Kumogakure became Konoha's grandchild?

  Uo retaliate against the powerful Konoha, it's uain what attitude Kumogakure will have toward Kusagakure iure. They might seek revenge against Kusagakure tain face.

  Kusagakure's ninjas aren't skilled in ninjutsu, but they're highly adept at seekiernal prote. During the Third Ninja War, they surreo Iwagakure; after the war, they allied with Kumogakure; now they've turo Konoha.

  In Fugaku Uchiha's view, this result is very suitable for Konoha's is. With Kusagakure's high-level statements, as long as they offer Iwagakure some bes, Konoha's special military a be sidered a plete success.

  It also avoids the possibility of Konoha beialiated against by Kusagakure ter.

  Within the Land of Grass, Kusagakure isn't the only ninja force; there's also "Hōzuki Castle."

  Perhaps eliminating Kusagakure's pro-Kumogakure fa wouldn't prompt them to act, but if the entire Kusagakure Vilge were destroyed, Hōzuki Castle, under public pressure, would certainly seek tain face from Konoha.

  Although even together they wouldn't be a match for Konoha, it's like dealing with fleas or cockroaches—the fewer troubles, the better.

  'However, this brings up a problem... The Iwagakure guys probably won't holy abide by the alliareaty.'

  Fugaku Uchiha remained vigint.

  Carrying out the order from Advisojo to "shock the ninja world," his mind was stantly w at high speed.

  "Oh~ I see. Then you have indeed achieved outstandis."

  ōnoki smiled insincerely as he looked at the unscious blonde woman lying on the ground: "Leaving other captives aside for now. This woman on the ground is the Two-Tails Jinchūriki from Kumogakure, right? I didn't expect that you, Fugaku-dono, could defeat her."

  Iwagakure's map is small; ōnoki finally revealed his dagger: "In that case, how about handing her over to us in Iwagakure?"

  "It's not that we're unkind; Fugaku-dono also knows the temperament of those brutes from Kumogakure. Knowing that their Jinchūriki has fallen into another vilge's hands, they will definitely not let it go."

  "Konoha doesn't want to suffer Kumogakure's revenge, right? But we Iwagakure have the Will and Experienced in dealing with those brutes from Kumogakure."

  "I help Konoha resolve the crisis of Kumogakure's retaliation."

  Old bastard!

  Fugaku Uchiha narrowed his eyes. He wants to take the Jinchūriki from Konoha without anything?

  pared to the value of a Tailed Beast Jinchūriki, what's the revenge from Kumogakure?

  Fugaku Uchiha possesses the Mangekyō Sharingan!

  Retly, he also learned from scrolls the "Ninja Art: Tailed Beast trol" and "Genjutsu Specialized Against Jinchūriki." Although he might not be highly skilled in using them and they might not work on Tailed Beasts of Eight-Tails and above, trolling the Two-Tails is more than suffit.

  No matter how fierce Kumogakure's revenge is, it pare to a tactiuke that could explode in the vilge at any time?

  Fugaku Uchiha exhaled slowly and said, "We Konoha have the ability to bear this risk, so we won't trouble you, Lord Third Tsuchikage."

  "Heh heh, young man from the Uchiha ... You're quite bold. But what if I say that we Iwagakure are determio take the Two-Tails Jinchūriki?"

  As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere seemed to freeze.

  The Iwagakure ninjas behind ōnoki gradually surrouhem, and the Konoha Blitz unit ninjas who were clearing the battlefield noticed this, their faces ging dramatically. They pulled out their kunai and gathered behind Fugaku Uchiha.

  "I told you these Iwa bumpkins 't be trusted!"

  Someone among the Konoha ninjas cursed uheir breath, instantly igniting the p between the ninjas of the two vilges. They gred at each other, ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

  The "Konoha-Iwagakure Non-Aggression Pact" is revered when ve, but when not... it's not even as good as the "Truth Neer" used by Kumogakure's Anbu as toilet paper!

  The ninja world doesn't believe in tears, nor in peace treaties.

  There's no meism in the ninja world where you raise a fio the Sage of Six Paths and swear, with your ninja way colpsing if you break the oath! The binding force of a treaty is limited to the self-awareness of vilge leaders.

  <><><>

  Among the ruins of Kusagakure Vilge after the war, a middle-aged painter named Kishimoto poked his head out from a house. Seeing the two tense groups not far ahead, he eagerly took out his drawing board.

  With a few strokes, he captured the tense se before him on paper. Kishimoto turned his pen and pressed it against his , p how to title this explosive se.

  Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he wrote dowle of the painting—"The Konoha-Iwagakure Tailed Beast Crisis"

  After thinking for a moment, Kishimoto added a suffix at the end, [·I], turning it into "The Konoha-Iwagakure Tailed Beast Crisis·I"

  The history of the ninja world is like this, repeating endlessly. The major vilges never learn their lessons. Perhaps... iure, more major wars will break out because of Tailed Beasts.

  The middle-aged painter Kishimoto retreated into his house, preparing to travel the ninja world with his drawing board soon, to witness and paint more stories about Tailed Beasts.

  <><><>

  The ret battle betweeailed Beast and the giant deeply shocked civilians like him.

  Fugaku Uchiha and ōnoki stared each other dowher willing to cede on the issue of the Tailed Beast.

  This was a pletely ued boon, far more valuable than a trivial Kusagakure Vilge. Sihey had taken the great risk of attag Kusagakure, they needed mains to at for it within their vilge.

  Fugaku Uchiha was the first to speak, saying solemnly:

  "Lord ōnoki, I respect you as the Third Tsuchikage. As the Third Tsuchikage, you represent the entire will of Iwagakure Vilge..."

  "Are you sure you want to tear up the 'Konoha-Iwagakure Non-Aggression Pact' and pletely destroy the retionship between our two vilges?"

  "Are you sure you want to start a war with us here? To officially escate this special military operation against Kusagakure into a war... into the Fourth Ninja World War?"

  Because the two vilges had already jointly offended Kumogakure, internal strife now would mean that among the five great ninja vilges, if the top three go to war, the bottom two wouldn't be spared.

  Only two years have passed sihe end of the Third Ninja World War, and the ninja world is once again on the brink of war.

  To be extreme, perhaps the one who least wants a war to break out at this moment is Kumogakure. If the great elder were still alive... they might grit their teeth and hand ito Nii to mediate and resolve this "Konoha-Iwagakure Tailed Beast Crisis."

  "Hmph... Young man from the Uchiha , you're still too young." ōnoki pletely dropped his fa?ade: "The ninja world has its owing rules, and among them is aernal w..."

  ōnoki raised a finger: "No one will pay a higher price for those who have already died."

  "That is to say, if I kill all of you Konoha Blitz unit members here, do you think Konoha will start a war with us Iwagakure over you, who are already dead?"

  "Even if I kill you and present your head to Konoha's Fourth Hokage, g that it was done by the Two-Tails Jinchūriki."

  "Do you think he will order revenge against Kumogakure, or us Iwagakure, or swallow his anger?"

  ōnoki's words, den with malice, swept over the Konoha ninjas present.

  Objectively speaking, standing before them was Iwagakure's Tsuchikage, the lo-serving leader in ninja history and the strosuchikage in Iwagakure's history. Saying such words was enough to chill the Konoha ninjas.

  If this were during the time of the Third Hokage, perhaps many Konoha ninjas would waver because of this.

  But... trary to ōnoki's expectations, not only did the Konoha ninjas not show any signs of fear due to his verbal attack, but their desire for battle became even stronger.

  What ōnoki didn't know was that whether the vilge would avehem wasn't a multiple-choice question but a single-choice question with only oion: Yes.

  Moreover, acc to Gojo Kaigetsu's policies, it was mentiohat ninjas who died iernal military operations would have their names engraved on the Konoha Hero Mo and their families would receive generous pensation.

  For lower-level ninjas, why do they work in this line? Love and peace? Pursuit of the ninja way? Loyalty to the vilge?

  Maybe some of that, but mainly, it's about a middle-aged man's st dignity—earning money for his family with hard work and blood!

  'Damn it, it shouldn't be like this... Did Hiruzen Sarutobi's Will of Fire not get passed down?'

  'Or is it that this group of Konoha troops led by Fugaku Uchiha aren't loyal or hoo the Will of Fire?'

  ōnoki couldn't uand the rea of the Konoha ninjas, but... it didn't matter.

  Killing one is killing; killing a hundred is also killing. His Dust Release wouldn't e more chakra just because he had to kill more people.

  People might get tired killing a hundred pigs, but he, ōnoki, wouldn't!

  'Line up, stand in a straight line, Konoha ninjas...' Secretly, ōnoki prepared to quietly form seals.

  "So this is your answer..." Fugaku Uchiha said coldly, "Old man, times have ged!

  "I'm curious, what will Iwagakure bee without you?"

  "What did you say?"

  "I said... Susanoo!"

  Fugaku Uchiha shouted fiercely, the tomoe in his eyes eg again. In ōnoki's shocked and fearful gaze, the Mangekyō Sharingan appeared.

  'This—this 't be?! This is Madara Uchiha's...'

  For a moment, the Mangekyō Sharingan in Fugaku's eyes seemed distorted due to excessive use of ocur power. Blood slowly flowed from the ers of his eyes down his cheeks, leaving two horrifying bloodstains!

  Under Fugaku's full activation, the silver-white Susanoo proje appeared once again in the real world.

  "Haah—!"

  His Susanoo let out a roar. Bones, flesh, tendons, tengu armor, Yata Mirror, Totsuka Bde...

  ōnoki looked on in disbelief, staring bnkly at the silver-white Susanoo before him, lost in memories of his long life.

  That year, he was thirteen.

  In the early days of the vilge's founding, the Sed Tsuchikage, Mū, led his young disciple ōnoki to Konoha for diplomacy, hoping to establish a peace treaty with the symbol of peace, the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju.

  That was the only time Iwagakure actively sought peace.

  However, the two of them didn't eveo meet Hashirama Senju.

  They entered Madara Uchiha, who blocked them at the door. The peace treaty between Iwagakure and Konoha was rejected by Madara, who crushed Mū and ōnoki with absolute dominance, shattering ōnoki's Ninja Way.

  That night, what blocked the master and disciple was a giant named Susanoo, just like the one before him.

  To this day, even though Madara Uchiha has been dead for tless years, that deep blue Susanoo remains an indelible nightmare in ōnoki's heart.

  People in the ninja world always end up being the person they hated most in their youth. Today, one of ōnoki's greatest desires is to use Madara Uchiha's stao deal with Konoha's ninjas and the Uchiha desdants, fiercely trampling any so-called peace treaties underfoot...

  But now, standing before him isn't someone he easily handle.

  Although the appearance differs from Madara Uchiha's deep blue Susanoo, it still reminded ōnoki of the fear of being dominated by the giant.

  Susanoo... is simply invincible...

  ōnoki was afraid.

  His hands, which were about to form seals, quietly dropped. The arrogan his old face vanished, and he felt his thighs trembling.

  A nightmare is a nightmare, often uth or weakness, but lies in the knot in one's heart that ot be untied. Losing one's fighting spirit is equivalent to being infinitely debuffed for a ninja.

  "Tsuchikage-sama, what should we do?"

  "Should we fight? Here? Right now?!"

  Kitsuchi swallowed, feeling shocked by the Susanoo before him, but he didn't retreat. He turo sult his father.

  He and the Iwagakure ninjas behind him were ready to hear ōnoki shout "Fight!" at any moment.

  Only then did ōnoki e back to his senses.

  Times have ged; he is no lohe thirteen-year-old boy but the Tsuchikage bearing the weight of Iwagakure Vilge! To bee enemies with Fugaku Uchiha, who has activated Susanoo? No... Even if they won in the end, it would be a Pyrrhic victory for Iwagakure.

  Such a victory isn't what ōnoki wants!

  For the sake of the young geion of Iwagakure ninjas behind him—and absolutely not because of the fear of being dominated by Madara Uchiha—ōnoki chose to promise.

  ōnoki forced himself to move, squeezing out an ugly smile on his wrinkled old face: "Heh, young man from the Uchiha , I think you misuood me..."

  "What I meant was that if I attack you, the Fourth Hokage will definitely seek revenge against us Iwagakure. This is very bad for our two vilges that have established a peace treaty."

  "Our Iwagakure Vilge's itment to the 'Konoha-Iwagakure Non-Aggression Pact' is as solid as stone, which reflects our Ninja Ways..."

  "Not to mentiowo-Tails—even if you add the Eight-Tails to make ten tails, it 't shake the stone in the hearts of our Iwagakure ninjas!"

  ōnoki rambled on with inprehensible words, but the meaning was uood by both sides present.

  Iwagakure: The Tsuchikage is magnanimous!

  Konoha: The Tsuchikage chied out!

  Ninjas from both sides gave the opposing camp a "you're lucky" look, then tacitly rexed their hands that were preparing to form seals and put their ninja tools bato their pouches.

  Fugaku Uchiha was also momentarily stunned. He had been ready for a desperate fight.

  He didn't expeoki, who had a reputation in the ninja world for being as stubborn as a stone in a trio back down like this?

  This is really...

  Fugaku Uchiha breathed a sigh of relief, but recalling the task given by Advisojo to "shock the ninja world" that hadn't been fulfilled yet, he put on a stern face again.

  He had already used up his chakra and ocur power; he couldn't have used them in vain.

  Thinking this, Fugaku Uchiha maniputed Susanoo, sshing heavily toward the distant gate of Kusagakure Vilge.

  Boom—

  A deep ravine appeared on the ground.

  Fugaku Uchiha said coldly, "Our Konoha's desire for peace is as extreme as this ravine."

  After speaking, the two divine ons in Susanoo's hands disappeared, followed by the tengu armor, flesh, tendons... The massive apparition dissipated from the real world.

  The Iwagakure ninjas who hadn't witnessed Susanoo's power couldn't help but goward Kusagakure's gate. Those who saw it gasped, clig their tongues.

  Such a massive fissure... It's almost like a small yon. Although several Earth Release ninjas from Iwagakure could create such terrain, this was just a casual ssh from him...

  Terrifying.

  A desire for peace? Extreme? It looks more like he's saying the chasm between Konoha and Iwagakure is as irreparable as this fissure.

  The Kusagakure elders, who could only hide in the distand watch, heard the versatioween Fugaku and ōnoki and pined inwardly.

  So you both want to establish a peace treaty, so what's with all the corpses in our Kusagakure and the small yon at our vilge gate?

  Are small ninja vilges not worthy of an awareness of peace?

  Angry, trembling, cold!

  "It seems we've both made the right decision."

  "Naturally... , let's start ing up the battlefield acc to the i distributioails mentioned in the 'Konoha-Iwagakure Non-Aggression Pact.'"

  ōnoki sighed.

  Having not achieved the greatest war gains, the task of colleg spoils became uing.

  As if entering a sage-like state, he led the Iwagakure ninjas to another er of Kusagakure Vilge, handing the main stage back to Konoha.

  <><><><>

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