Chapter 196

Even if all four major ninja villages ganged up on Konoha, didn't they eventually retreat for various reasons? 

Konoha has grown weak; that giant-like entity has collapsed, and for the entire shinobi world, that is a good thing.

Even if, regrettably, the ones to shake Konoha's beliefs aren't us but those idiots from the Hidden Cloud Village, the joy in Ōnoki's heart can't be concealed.

This time, he does somewhat want to emulate those guys from the Hidden Cloud.

To force the currently precarious Konoha into compromise, thereby diverting the troubles and predicaments he himself is facing, and even gain some benefits from the Land of Grass.

But Konoha's strong response has made Ōnoki slightly worried.

Simply put, in this response, Konoha has explicitly stated that they neither accept nor recognize the allegations from the Hidden Stone. Don't expect them to hand over Uchiha Kaito.

As for whatever the Hidden Stone really wants to do, then Konoha will definitely see it through to the end!

"What on earth gives Konoha the audacity to do this? They just lost so many of their Anbu, and they've also conducted a large-scale purge of three clans. 

Even with their so-called reforms, they've been weak for so many years; this isn't something that can be resolved by Jiraiya's few words."

Ōnoki really can't figure this out, but since he can't, he might as well not overthink it! 

For him, this action is imperative; he must push forward with this operation no matter what.

Otherwise, he has no way to divert attention within his own village, to suppress those voices, and he also doesn't have the time and space to solve some troubles.

"Moreover, this operation is really to avenge Kitsuchi!"

Ōnoki clenched the document in his hands, his face turning sinister, yet tinged with a trace of sorrow.

Kitsuchi's body has already been thoroughly examined; according to the report, Kitsuchis death happened in an instant, he had almost no chance to resist.

He was killed in the course of an attack, instantly controlled by the enemy and pierced through the heart with a lightning jutsu.

This news truly pained Ōnoki, and also further confirmed to him that the one who took action must be an Uchiha.

Although Kitsuchi may be intellectually akin to burning books and burying scholars, his combat prowess was more than formidable.

Anyone who encountered him would find him a headache, and there are very few who could take him out in an instant, even if he was caught off guard, his reaction speed wouldn't be slow.

The only explanation then is that Kitsuchi, in the instant he was about to strike that guy, was controlled by an illusion jutsu and then killed in a counterattack!

"In the entire ninja world, the only person capable of such a feat—powerful enough to instantly control Kitsuchi—is someone with the Uchiha's Sharingan."

How powerful the Sharingan could be—perhaps the current shinobi world is somewhat unfamiliar with it, even the Mangekyō Sharingan is largely a mystery to them.

But Ōnoki, he has witnessed Uchiha Madara! 

He knows too well just how terrifying the Sharingan can be, just how horrifying its illusionary techniques are. 

He's even clearer that, if you're not careful, making eye contact with a pair of potent Mangekyō could lead to catastrophic results.

And in the present shinobi world, Uchiha Kaito is a master of using the Sharingan. 

According to intel from Hidden Stone spies in Konoha, this guy's eyes are not just in some ordinary tomoe state, but in a sinister Mangekyō state.

That means Uchiha Kaito possesses power that surpasses the average Mangekyō. He may even be walking down the same path as Uchiha Madara! 

"If you don't die, I dare not imagine what the world will become.

Especially now when there is no one like Hashirama Senju around. 

Given time and space to grow, the ninja world will sooner or later become your plaything.

Be it for this ninja world, for my village, or for my son, this battle must be fought!"

Ōnoki takes a deep breath, then decisively lifts his head, shouting, "Summon someone!"

"Tsuchikage-sama." In an instant, an Anbu wearing a mask appears before Ōnoki, kneeling and speaking softly.

"Spread the word that Konoha has refused to hand over the culprit and is prepared for war."

Ōnoki says this emotionlessly, but after saying it, he pauses slightly as if pondering something. 

However, he soon recovers, continuing in a quiet tone.

"Inform all the reserve units to prepare for deployment. But before leaving, I need the entire Hidden Stone Village to know something."

"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama, we will complete the mission." The Anbu replies softly, making his commitment without even asking what the mission is.

"I want the entire Hidden Stone Village to recall the scene from years ago when we were forced to surrender. I want all of Hidden Stone to feel both shame and hatred," Ōnoki stands as he speaks, his gaze firmly fixed on the Anbu in front of him, his voice deep and resonant. 

"However, in the midst of such shame, they must also know that Minato Namikaze is dead. The time for revenge has come. 

What we've lost, we must reclaim with our own hands. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" 

The Anbu bows his head even lower, responding in a voice tinged with gravity.

"Tsuchikage-sama!"

As he watches the Anbu leave, Ōnoki finally lets out a small sigh.

The commencement of war is not just a test of combat and financial might, but a clash of wills. 

Only those whose spirits are high and whose hearts are filled with conviction can dominate the battlefield. 

And while there are many forms of conviction, hatred is the simplest, most direct, and most effective at stirring everyone's emotions. 

But let us not mistake—war is never merely a manifestation of hatred. For the true essence of war is not in service to mere gain. 

As the only living third-generation Kage in the world of shinobi, Ōnoki understands this fully. 

Yet he also knows well the cruel reality that war inevitably brings death. 

This holds true not only in conflicts between two large ninja villages but also in the low-intensity warfare involving smaller nations and their ninja villages. Losses are inevitable.

In such low-intensity conflicts, Ōnoki has always preferred to hire mercenary shinobi to carry out tasks, thus reducing Hidden Stone's own losses.

And he certainly won't miss this war with Konoha, especially given his longstanding ties with the Akatsuki organization—which includes Uchiha Itachi!

Uchiha Itachi joining the Akatsuki is no secret. 

This intelligence was disseminated throughout the shinobi world through Hiruzen Sarutobi shortly after Itachi defected from Konoha. 

Almost everyone knows that the Uchiha clan has produced such a brutally extreme traitor, and that he has joined an organization with the strange name of 'Akatsuki.'

Ōnoki is no exception, especially after deciding to wage war against Konoha and avenge Kitsuchi; he's fully prepared for the battle ahead.

"Uchiha Kaito, you may well owe me thanks," Ōnoki murmurs to himself. In an instant, he uses a body-flicker technique to vanish from his office.

His chakra surges wildly in the sky as he dashes toward the village outskirts. 

He'd contacted the Akatsuki last night for a meeting. Even though he wasn't certain at that point that war with Konoha would erupt, it never hurts to be prepared.

If war does break out, they can be deployed immediately; if not, they can still disrupt Konoha's stronghold in the Land of Grass.

Deep down, Ōnoki knows that Kitsuchi's incident likely involved the Akatsuki as well. 

After all, according to intelligence, there were individuals wearing the black robes with red clouds involved in that breakout.

But they were a minority that time, so Ōnoki isn't entirely sure.

What Ōnoki doesn't realize is that many of the Akatsuki members' clothes were damaged during that battle. 

For instance, Kisame's merger with Samehada caused his robe to tear apart. Or how Orochimaru changed his clothing after using his snake-substitution technique. 

Sasori was unscathed, but he used a multitude of puppets to combat Kaito and the large-scale Stone ninjas that appeared later.

These puppets hid him so well that no one could get close or even see him.

The only one who was clearly visible was Uchiha Itachi, which made Ōnoki realize that the Akatsuki must've been present during Kitsuchi's incident. 

But none of that matters now. What Ōnoki doesn't know is that the person who exposed the Akatsuki was Uchiha Itachi himself. 

What he does know, however, is that Uchiha Kaito will not let Uchiha Itachi go. 

So why not bring Itachi to the battlefield to face Kaito head-on?

Employing the Akatsuki as mercenary shinobi in the war would undoubtedly alleviate the Hidden Stone's casualties. 

Plus, every single member of the Akatsuki is formidable, deploying them against Konoha will surely catch them off guard!

And Uchiha Itachi is also an Uchiha, capable of killing his own son, and furthermore, he is the prey of Uchiha Kaito.

Once he takes the stage, Uchiha Kaito will inevitably come. The Akatsuki won't allow Kaito to kill one of their own; bloodshed is sure to follow. And all the Hidden Stone troops need to do is to seize the right moment; even if it's Ōnoki himself making a personal appearance, he can surely kill both of them. 

"This way, I will have avenged Kitsuchi," Ōnoki silently mutters to himself. By now, he has arrived at a valley just outside the Hidden Stone Village, where someone is already waiting. 

The man is dressed in the Akatsuki's iconic black robe with red clouds. His long hair obscures his eyes, and his chilling aura feels as if it belongs to the dead. 

Ōnoki frowns; he genuinely dislikes interacting with these people—something about them just feels off. 

However, his choices are limited, given their undeniable strength.

"You're early," Ōnoki says as he lands, eyeing the man in front of him. "It's my first time seeing you come early."

"It's not that I'm early; you're late," the man retorts coldly, devoid of any sign of life in his voice. "Enough chit-chat, what's the mission?"

"The stakes are high this time, riskier than any mission you've taken before," Ōnoki replies cautiously, scanning his surroundings before speaking indifferently. 

"I assume someone like you has heard the rumors. Relations with Konoha have been tense lately, and they responded today. Barring any surprises, we'll be at war with Konoha, and it will happen in the Land of Grass."

"A war with Konoha?" 

Upon hearing this, the man's aura changes slightly, though it returns to its icy state in an instant.

"I know, but you big nations are really something—every time a war breaks out, it happens in a smaller country. Konoha is not to be trifled with, they have Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Uchihas like Shisui, Fugaku, and Kaito!"

"I didn't come here to listen to all that. I'm only here to ask, are you up for the task or not?" 

Ōnoki furrows his brows; he's fully aware that Konoha houses many dangerous individuals, none of whom are easily dealt with.

If he were the one to face these individuals, he would be in over his head for sure!

Just because he couldn't handle them doesn't mean he'd be happy if the cannon fodder he had arranged couldn't deal with them either.

"The price will be ten times what I've offered you before, and it will rise further with every significant target you eliminate. I don't have much time, and I don't want to waste it on meaningless matters. I'll ask you one last time: Do you dare accept this mission?"

"Don't try to provoke me with such a low-grade strategy; it's useless."

The man dismissively shakes his head, his expression as icy as ever.

"We accept the mission. After all, we've never been ones to shy away from money."

"Good, you can prepare to depart for the Land of Grass."

Having received the answer he desired, Ōnoki immediately takes out a scroll and tosses it at the man.

"This is your advance, also ten times the previous amount. I expect you not to disappoint me."

With those words, Ōnoki once again takes flight, his figure swiftly vanishing into the sky.

The man left behind stands silently in place. After a considerable pause, he turns around, tilting his head to look at the sky.

His hair slips away from his eyes, revealing pupils tinged with light purple and marked as if by annual rings. 

His gaze seems to extend infinitely, as if from his eyes alone, he could see all the way to the distant Konoha. The aura around him is so chilling that even the crows perched on dead branches couldn't bear it. 

After a long while, he coldly huffs, turning quietly to walk in another direction.

Yet, the corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly, and his icy voice quietly echoed around him.

"Konoha, huh? Truly intriguing. Jiraiya-sensei, it's been quite a while. 

I wonder if this time, our paths will cross."

"Ōnoki has not responded to us, but their actions have already spoken volumes."

Inside the Hokage's office in Konoha, the Land of Fire, Jiraiya looks gravely at Kaito and the others.

"Their reserve troops have already begun mobilizing, and the forces in the Land of Grass are inching closer to our defensive lines. It seems war is inevitable this time."

"Indeed, it appears so."

Nara Shikaku nods, seemingly composed about the situation.

"But that might not be so bad; everyone has steeled themselves at least. What we need to do now is immediately establish new supply lines, and also move the bulk of our forces into the Land of Grass. Most importantly, we must select an experienced commander so we can keep the scale of the war limited."

If war is unavoidable, then acceptance is the only course—though that doesn't mean they'll let the conflict spiral out of control. Iwagakure may be reckless, but Konoha can't afford to be.

The most rational approach, then, would be to limit the scale of the war to localized skirmishes. To achieve this, they need a commander with ample military and strategic experience to ensure the smooth execution of their plans.

"I have a recommendation."

Kaito, who sits at the back, hasn't spoken up until now. He knows all too well that when it comes to discussing war, his experience is negligible compared to those in the room.

Each person here has been a formidable presence on the battlefield; to them, Kaito's war experiences are practically child's play.

However, he now has some constructive ideas.

"Everyone here is a veteran of war, and while I might be speaking out of turn, I've thought of someone particularly suitable for the task. That person is our Minister Tsunade."

"Tsunade?"

Kaito's suggestion takes Jiraiya and the others aback for a moment, but upon reflection, they begin to feel that it might indeed be a viable option.

In Konoha right now, the individuals with the most command experience are naturally Jiraiya and Tsunade, followed by people like Nara Shikaku and Hyūga Hiashi.

Perhaps the wisest among them is Nara Shikaku, but Konoha is in the midst of reform and can ill afford to do without him.

Similarly, Jiraiya, as the Hokage, isn't ideally suited for heading back into battle. Given these considerations, Tsunade seems to be emerging as the best choice!

"I have no objections; I can take on this mission."

Tsunade is also present and initially raises an eyebrow at Kaito. Whatever Kaito suggests demands contemplation, to discern whether there's a catch somewhere. 

Upon reflection, however, Tsunade confirms she is indeed the most suitable for the role—but her involvement will come at a price.

"However, if I am to command, there must be sufficiently powerful combat support. Kaito, head of your clan, what say you?"

"Agreed. This time, I can go. Not just me; Shisui will accompany me, and I will lead ten Uchiha Jonin into battle as well."

Kaito's thoughts whirl at high speed, and he quickly makes up his mind.

"However, the ten Uchiha Jonin can be under your command, but Shisui and I will form a separate squad. We will report our actions to you, but as for what we do, don't interfere. Is that acceptable?"

"No problem. Unless there's a large-scale battle, you all can act freely. Any other conditions?"

"Yes. I would like Nara Yaneko to join our small squad. She was once my teammate, and I trust her abilities in information analysis and strategic planning."

//

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