Chapter 164: The Genius Tatsuma

Some news cannot be suppressed, such as the heroic feat of Tatsuma and others this time.

Heavily striking the elite forces of the Sand Ninjas, causing thousands of Sand Ninjas to lose their combat effectiveness simultaneously, forcing Chiyo and Ebizo to withdraw their troops directly back to the Land of Wind regardless of the village's opinion.

Inside the office of the Tsuchikage in the Hidden Rock Village.

Onoki looked at the battle report in his hand, his face extremely solemn, his large nose and chest rising and falling together, big and small.

"I underestimated Sarutobi Hiruzen's three disciples, as well as Konoha's White Fang and Dragon. They are truly remarkable."

Onoki, who has always been dismissive in his speech, surprisingly sounded somewhat admiring.

"Clang~"

Beside him, Kitsuchi, who was retrieving documents from a tall cabinet, accidentally bumped into a nearby low cabinet, and the ornaments on the low cabinet instantly crashed to the ground.

Seeing the clumsy appearance of his own son, Onoki sighed and looked back at the report. Unconsciously, a hint of envy appeared in his eyes.

That boy named Sakamoto Tatsuma, he's even younger than his son, only ten years old, yet he's capable of scheming to trap thousands of Sand Ninjas. Such talent, such ability, and he's from Konoha of all places.

After retrieving the documents and picking up the ornaments from the ground, Kitsuchi placed the documents on his father's desk and said somewhat indifferently, "It's not that remarkable, is it? They only heavily injured over a thousand Sand Ninjas, and the ones actually killed are just over a hundred.

Even if they were injured, even if thousands of Ninja died, Hidden Sand Village could quickly adjust, no matter how impoverished, right?"

Onoki glanced at his son with disappointment and said, "If they had truly killed over a thousand Ninja, Hidden Sand Village could indeed adjust quickly. But by sparing their lives, that's what's truly brilliant!"

"Ah?"

Kitsuchi found it somewhat difficult to understand; after all, isn't death more serious than injury? Onoki remembered that Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to have a habit of smoking, and suddenly he felt like having a smoke himself.

Compared to the young people of Konoha, Kitsuchi was still too mediocre. Onoki sighed and said:

"For a thousand severely injured Sand Ninjas, do you know how many medical Ninja it takes to care for them? And the formula for the antidote, even if Konoha dares to provide it, Hidden Sand Village wouldn't dare to use it directly, it must be verified.

This would require a considerable amount of time, energy, and funds. At the same time, controlling the degree of poisoning in these wounded is also a huge expense.

Even if Hidden Sand Village successfully develops an antidote, after dragging it out for so long, even if they are cured, how much combat effectiveness can they regain?

If their combat effectiveness does not recover well, or they are unable to continue as Ninja, Hidden Sand Village still has to support them until they grow old."

"Do you think Konoha left the lives of over a thousand Ninja to Hidden Sand Village? No, they sent over a thousand burdens to Hidden Sand Village!

Moreover, Hidden Sand Village still has to expend resources to treat them. If they abandon these over a thousand Sand Ninjas, then who will dare to become Ninja for Hidden Sand Village in the future? Who will dare to sacrifice themselves for Hidden Sand Village on the battlefield?"

Onoki finished in one breath, took several deep breaths in succession, and looked at his son, who was beginning to understand with widened eyes, saying, "Do you think it ends here? Konoha's schemes are not just that.

Konoha heavily injured over a thousand Sand Ninjas, but do you believe that Hidden Sand Village not only dares not to confront Konoha, but also has to thank them?!

From now on, Hidden Sand Village is probably going to be overshadowed by Konoha, and Konoha's restraint also allows them to gain a lot of reputation and recognition.

After the war ends, those original small country nobles and even royal families who used to rely on Hidden Sand Village's support will no longer belong to Hidden Sand Village but will instead turn to Konoha."

"And after suffering such a big defeat, if Hidden Sand Village can't achieve a major victory over Konoha in a short time, plundering a large amount of land and other resources, how long do you think their Daimyo can endure?"

Seeing Kitsuchi dumbfounded, Onoki sighed and said:

"War is not a private feud, war is not just a matter of life and death for two individuals on the battlefield, or even the survival or defeat of the two armies on the battlefield, but the clash between two nations. Military strength is just one aspect of it.

Do you think why that guy and I, A, didn't fully engage in the war? Because to join the war, one must be willing to sacrifice all accumulated assets, risking the future of an entire village or country.

Both the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning lack sufficient confidence, not ours, but the confidence of this country."

"Did the Third Hokage really think of all this?"

Kitsuchi still found it somewhat unbelievable. Even though these things sounded reasonable when spoken by his father, could they really have been foreseen before the outbreak of war?

"Hmph! Do you believe that rumors will spread in the next period of time that this battle was fought by Konoha for its ally on the brink of destruction?

And without surprise, those deceased descendants of the Senju clan will also be adorned with titles like 'Unforgotten Alliances' and 'Fought to the Death in Honor of Pacts.'

These rumors won't spread through official channels but will disseminate from person to person, from low to high, from point to surface, in countless discussions among the populace.

Calling this Sarutobi Hiruzen a genius wouldn't be an exaggeration."

Upon hearing Onoki's words, Kitsuchi involuntarily nodded, because he had already heard some praises for Konoha and the Senju clan these past few days. Kitsuchi, realizing something, anxiously asked:

"If Konoha were to publicly reveal the truth about the Land of Whirlpools, then what about us?"

"Where do you think this battle report came from?"

"The Land of Wind."

"That's right. Konoha is waiting for our offer, and this battle report is willingly and even eagerly disseminated by Hidden Sand Village."

"Ah? Why?"

"Because if only his village buys the news, then it's his village at a loss. But if the other three villages also buy the news, then Hidden Sand Village won't be at a loss; instead, it's Konoha who earns all the profit alone."

Upon hearing this, Kitsuchi nodded and asked again in puzzlement, "But aren't there already rumors that the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed by a siege of four nations? Is it still useful to buy the news at this point?"

"What would you call the people in the four villages killed by White Fang?"

Upon hearing his father's test, Kitsuchi frowned, but still insisted, "They are the heroes of the villages!"

"Wrong! They are criminals. It was they who caused the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools, not their villages. We, Hidden Rock Village, have never been involved in the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools. It was the fault of those criminals."

Looking at his father's emotionless face, Kitsuchi showed an expression of disbelief. After a while, he finally said, "Dad, I'm really not suitable to be Tsuchikage. Maybe you shouldn't train me anymore."

"Sigh~"

Seeing the expression on his son's face, Onoki sighed deeply. When he was young, wasn't he also someone like Kitsuchi, who saw things in black and white? But where is there a world of only black and white?

"So, are we just going to honestly pay Konoha for the cost of buying the news?"

Seeing his father's melancholic appearance, Kitsuchi quickly changed the subject. Onoki touched his weathered nose and said, "Don't you think that Sakamoto Tatsuma is being wronged in Konoha? After all, since the beginning of the war until now, this kid has done more than just this one thing. But Konoha keeps denying it, even intentionally controlling the information. As I grow older, my heart becomes softer. I can't bear to see young people being wronged."

"Dad, are you suggesting bringing Sakamoto Tatsuma to our Iwagakure?"

Kitsuchi suddenly leaned forward, looking very interested. He knew his father admired Sakamoto Tatsuma. If he could become a member of Hidden Rock Village, maybe he wouldn't have to be groomed as Tsuchikage anymore!

Smack!

Onoki leaped up and gave Kitsuchi a smack, saying, "Would I dare to use someone like that, whom Konoha dares to give?"

"Ah? What do you mean by that?"

"Konoha suppresses such extraordinary geniuses. Can't we help spread the word for them? I want him to become the future god of the ninja world! Then we'll just wait and see if he can hold on to the future."

"."

Watching his father's demeanor, Kitsuchi held back for a long time but couldn't keep it in. He bluntly said, "Dad, your heart is truly dirty."

"You ungrateful child! Watch my Earth Release! Rock Fist!"

Hearing his son's assessment, Onoki's face turned as red as ripe strawberries from anger. He raised his fist, earth and rock gathering on it, just as he was about to swing it towards Kitsuchi.

Click~

"Ah!!! My back!"

...

Konoha.

After being summoned back to the village following a major defeat, Shimura Danzo, who had spent several days reflecting, arrived at the Hokage's office today holding a battle report.

Smack!

Danzo slammed the battle report onto Sarutobi Hiruzen's desk and exclaimed loudly, "Sarutobi! Send Tatsuma to my Root!"

"Hmm~"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, lighting his pipe and taking a deep puff, glanced up at Danzo and then calmly said, "No."

"Sarutobi! This boy possesses the same talent and potential as sensei, as well as the same courage and darkness. In my Root, he can undoubtedly grow into a Ninja as outstanding as sensei, or even surpass him!

Causing a pitfall that trapped thousands of Sand Ninjas, forcing them to withdraw from the battlefield, this is something that others have struggled to achieve for an entire year. Under your command, he cannot truly grow!"

Danzo persisted, but Sarutobi Hiruzen took another puff of his pipe and continued nonchalantly, "The talent and potential you admire in this boy have been unearthed under my training policy."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's words weren't particularly angering, but his tone made Danzo's blood boil, his face turning purplish-black as he angrily exclaimed, "Sarutobi! You're too weak, you'll hinder his growth!"

"Danzo, I am the Hokage."

"You, Sarutobi, will regret this!"

With a wave of his hand, Danzo turned to leave the Hokage's office, intending to slam the disagreeable door shut. But just as his hand reached the door, ready to forcefully close it, Sarutobi spoke up, "Danzo."

Hearing his old friend's call, Danzo halted. Though not slamming the door left him somewhat dissatisfied, he still looked at Sarutobi, waiting for his next words.

Sarutobi Hiruzen leisurely took another puff of his cigarette amidst the swirling smoke and said, "Danzo, you won't be attending this meeting, and you'll temporarily cease your activities. I'll have Sakumo take over the data and personnel of your Root during this war and continue the operations."

"Impossible!"

"If you continue to show yourself or be active, even I won't be able to suppress some voices in the village. You're betraying Sensei's Senju Clan."

Upon hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, Danzo couldn't help but tighten his grip on the door handle, cracks appearing around it. Gritting his teeth, Danzo remained silent for a while before finally saying, "I understand."

With that said, Danzo turned and left. He didn't bother slamming the door shut as he had intended. Watching his retreating figure, Sarutobi Hiruzen remarked, "Get through this period. After the war ends, the Root will still be yours."

"Hmph!"

---- 

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