Chapter 372: Onoki's Stand—No Alliance Needed

Fighting against Kirigakure might only weaken Konoha temporarily. But adding Sunagakure to the mix changes everything. Even if Konoha wins, it would be a pyrrhic victory. If Iwagakure suddenly attacks during this chaos, Konoha wouldn't be able to withstand it.

"They probably want to drag us into the conflict, diverting more of Konoha's focus and forces. Those two villages are up to no good, and I... ouch!"

Kitsuchi yelped, clutching his head and squatting down. Even squatting, he was almost the same height as Onoki, who was sitting in his chair.

"You idiot, you're driving me nuts! If you had an ounce of ambition, I'd have retired long ago!" Onoki scolded, clearly annoyed.

"Forget it. I've long known I couldn't count on you. I don't know when these old bones of mine will finally get some rest."

Onoki's persistence for decades wasn't just out of dedication—he simply had no choice. He hadn't found a suitable successor. Kitsuchi, his son, once held high hopes, but he turned out to be unreliable—his strength was decent, but his head wasn't sharp.

This left Onoki stuck, still searching for someone suitable.

"Hehe," Kitsuchi chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head.

He knew his limitations. Fighting? No problem—he could go all out. But becoming the Tsuchikage? That was beyond him. He'd rather spend more time at home with his adorable daughter than deal with the burden of leadership.

"What are you smiling about?!" Onoki rolled his eyes, feeling exasperated with his son.

Sighing, Onoki returned to the topic at hand.

"You're right; Kirigakure and Sunagakure are indeed scheming, but don't you think this is a great opportunity for us?"

Iwagakure's military strength ranked third among the Five Great Shinobi Nations, only behind Kumogakure and Konoha. But in other aspects, Iwagakure lagged behind.

"Should we respond to Sunagakure?" Kitsuchi asked.

"No need."

Snorting disdainfully, Onoki said, "They're not worth it. Let them fight, and when the time is right, we'll step in."

Even if they were to attack Konoha or the Land of Fire, Iwagakure would never ally with Sunagakure or Kirigakure. Onoki didn't think much of the Third Kazekage's limited resources, especially in a weakened Sunagakure just a few years after the Second Great Ninja War. As for Kirigakure, with their erratic Mizukage, they were a mess already—an unreliable ally that could easily backstab you.

It was better to act alone. You fight your war, and we fight ours.

"Kitsuchi."

"Father." Kitsuchi bowed respectfully, looking at Onoki.

Jumping down from his chair, Onoki walked with his hands behind his back, saying, "I need to stay in the Land of Earth to guard against Kumogakure and the Third Raikage. The war with Konoha will have to rely on you."

Compared to others, Onoki trusted his son more. Sure, Kitsuchi wasn't the brightest when it came to politics, and he disliked troublesome matters, but on the battlefield, he was an excellent soldier—worthy of this important responsibility.

"Kitsuchi will not disappoint you, Father."

"You idiot, how many times have I told you—call me Lord Tsuchikage here!! You fool!!!"

"Yes, yes."

Deep within the dense forest, tens of miles from the Land of Fire's border, Takuya, Sakumo Hatake, and Nara Shikashige sat together. Looking at the two who seemed utterly uninterested, Takuya's face carried a smile, but inside, he was grumbling. These two old guys really knew how to pass the buck!

Takuya felt tired. He wanted to return to Konoha and tell Tsunade that he was done!

"Sir, the enemy hasn't forcibly invaded the Land of Fire. Instead, they've occupied the border outposts and set up camp. Our forces have already clashed with their patrol squads, and we've found numerous traps they've laid around," a scout reported.

Three commanders, and none of them seemed inclined to speak up. Sarutobi Shiji, watching them silently sitting there, had a headache. What was the Hokage thinking, putting these three together?

One was a former village hero, who after becoming disillusioned by certain high-ranking actions, wanted to retire. He had finally returned, but only to serve quietly as a squad leader.

Another was an Senior, but after being brought back from retirement, he completely refused to take charge of anything—afraid of getting himself or his clan caught up in power struggles.

The last was a kid clinging to Konoha's princess's coattails, yet his strength was terrifying.

What kind of heavenly combination was this?

"Well, what do you think?" Sakumo asked Takuya. Nara Shikashige smiled faintly, showing no intention of speaking first.

Takuya sighed internally, complaining about the two of them.

"The surrounding villages weren't attacked or looted?" Takuya asked, puzzled.

That didn't seem like something Sunagakure would do. During the last war, Sunagakure's ninjas wreaked havoc across the Land of Fire, causing massive destruction. Sunagakure was poor and liked plundering resources. When they went wild, not even the Daimyo's palace in the Land of Rivers was safe.

"No, they weren't," Sarutobi Shiji replied, shaking his head seriously.

He couldn't understand what Sunagakure was planning either. Could they want an honorable fight without dirty tricks? That didn't fit the Third Kazekage's character. It felt strange, and something was off.

"During the last war, Sunagakure attacked while Konoha wasn't prepared, storming into the Land of Fire and destroying many villages, stealing a lot of resources," Sakumo said.

The stark contrast made him wonder if something was wrong with the Third Kazekage.

Nara Shikashige listened quietly. From the moment the Third Hokage called him back, knowing he couldn't refuse, he decided to stay low and say little. With the power struggle between Tsunade and Orochimaru as potential Hokage candidates, Nara wouldn't involve himself or his clan in it.

It was better to leave the stage to the younger generation—an old man like him had no place meddling.

Taking out a map, Takuya compared the distances between their forces and Sunagakure's defenses, then asked, "Senior, what do you think Sunagakure's goal is? Is this just a smokescreen, or is the Third Kazekage genuinely avoiding targeting villages?"

Did they make some sort of compromise?

Takuya started recalling major events involving Sunagakure after the war ended.

First, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind was furious because Sunagakure targeted the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers, looting resources. This drew condemnation from other Daimyo worldwide. Humiliated, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind refused to fund Sunagakure for a time.

Fortunately, the fury subsided, and the Daimyo realized he still needed Sunagakure to maintain his power. Eventually, he approached the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to help Sunagakure purchase supplies under his name. Having just ended the war, Konoha needed resources too. Besides, the Fire Daimyo despised the Third Kazekage—if he had any sense, he wouldn't easily sell supplies to Sunagakure.

Surely, some deal was made.

"It's likely not just a smokescreen."

——————PowerStone Deal_____________

I will give you another 5 hours to collect 700 power stones for 3 chapters, as you are very close to reaching the goal.

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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 400+ at Patreon com/ Emik01. 

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