Konoha Notes

Chapter 92 The Coward's Game

Konoha is incompetent; even that old geezer Onoki has become useless.

With a large number of Konoha's troops still tied down on the eastern front, Iwagakure was directly expelled from the Land of Grass. When the Fourth Raikage, A, heard this news, his knuckles turned white, and he could barely suppress the surging rage in his chest.

Despite all the commotion Ohnoki made, it all fizzled out, and he failed to achieve any substantial results.

The first thing Mitokado Homura did upon arriving in Kumogakure was, of course, to have a verbal battle with the Fourth Raikage.

On the surface, both sides firmly deny that they bear any responsibility in this incident.

At the negotiating table, Mitomon Homura made no mention of Danzo's investigation findings regarding "potential problems within Konoha."

The discussion between the two sides was strictly limited to the scope of "the unknown forces that attacked the Cloud Hidden Messenger".

The conclusion is quite simple: it's possible that Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and even Kirigakure have all sent people.

Both sides even tacitly pointed the finger at Iwagakure—they had both the motive and the capability, and their subsequent reaction was unusually fast.

But causing trouble for Onoki was useless; he didn't have what the Raikage wanted, only Konoha had it.

Therefore, the Raikage could only continue along the original line of thought and continue to hold Konoha accountable.

In the most intense exchange, the Raikage's fist, crackling with electricity, nearly struck Mitokado Homura on the head. The Konoha advisor, however, simply rolled up his sleeve, revealing a sealing technique on his arm.

"Killing me here would at most cost a few elite Cloud Village soldiers, and perhaps even Raikage himself, to be buried with me," he said calmly. "If you feel that price is not appropriate, please return to your seat, and we can discuss it further."

The negotiations remained deadlocked until news arrived that the Iwagakure front was rapidly collapsing.

The Raikage has lost his most important card.

"Whether it's the ownership of the border outposts of the Land of Hot Water or the division of mission shares with the Land of Forest, the terms you've proposed are absolutely unacceptable to Konoha." Mitokado Homura had clearly also learned of the results on the western front, and his tone became even more composed. "Our final opinion remains unchanged: based on the preliminary consensus reached earlier, Konoha can promise to offer the most favorable prices for subsequent trade in food and necessary supplies with the Land of Lightning."

"In addition, some of the mission quotas of the Land of Hot Water can also be transferred to you."

Bang!
The heavy negotiating table shattered under the Raikage's powerful punch. He abruptly stood up, his massive figure looming over the motionless Konoha advisor, his Lightning Release chakra crackling involuntarily on his body.

"Enough! I've had enough of this roundabout nonsense!" His roar shook the room. "What you just mentioned, fine. But there's only one condition—"

He leaned down, his eyes flashing like lightning, staring intently at Mitokado Yan's eyes behind his glasses.

"Hand over the murderer who killed Akai. A life for a life."

"If even this cannot be done, then let's go to war! I think Onoki would be happy to march south again."

Mitokado Yan was silent for a moment, then raised his hand and gently pushed up his glasses.
-
Within Konoha Village, the air didn't truly lighten for long despite the great victory on the western front. The pent-up resentment, mixed with pain and exhaustion, which had nowhere to go, pressed heavily on the Hyuga clan like water finding a crack after the brief celebration.

As Shuji walked down the street, he noticed a significant increase in the amount of talk about Hinata around him. What started as scattered whispers quickly grew into an undeniable chorus.

"Have you heard? Kumogakure is sticking to their guns and demanding an explanation from Hyuga."

"Why didn't they just use a uniform? Why go to such lengths?"

So many people died because of them.

"Rolling my eyes... Hmph, no matter how far I can see, I can't see how much trouble I'll cause the village."

The villagers who initially didn't have much of an opinion about Hyuga gradually changed their attitudes under the continued low pressure and some intentional or unintentional guidance.

Especially after rumors of "severely punishing the murderer" and "a life for a life" in the Cloud Village's peace terms leaked out and spread rapidly within the village, this sentiment found a clear target. Shuji walked through these whispers, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. He firmly believed that the Cloud Village lacked a genuine resolve to wage war, and that the Raikage's actions were ultimately aimed at exerting pressure and gaining tangible benefits.

Moreover, the logic quietly circulating in the village right now—that Hyuga's life is worth it to bring peace to the many ninjas on the Konoha front and to force Kumogakure to compromise—doesn't this logic also hold true when applied to Kumogakure? Would the Raikage really risk the fate of the nation for the sake of a fallen subordinate?
In that case, the Fourth Raikage should have fought Onoki to the death long ago, after all, the Third Raikage, who was trapped and killed by Iwagakure, was his father.

As he stepped onto the stairs of the Hokage Building, Shuji paused briefly outside his office door.

A familiar yet slightly unfamiliar face appeared—Sarutobi Asuma, his jawline now clean-shaven, his signature beard nowhere to be seen. He walked out of the office with an angry expression, not even noticing Shuji standing not far away.

Watching him disappear around the corner of the corridor, Shuji turned to the slightly ajar door of the Hokage's office. Silence reigned inside, as if an unpleasant conversation had just taken place.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Please come in."

"Hokage-sama."

"Shuji, please have a seat." The Third Hokage looked tired, but still managed a smile. "Is there something you need?"

"Regarding some recent comments within the village, I believe it is necessary to report to the Hokage," Shuuji said.

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his gaze back to the documents in front of him.

"Oh, what kind of statement is it?"

"Regarding the matter of Kumogakure," Shuji didn't directly mention Hyuga, "my personal assessment is that they have no intention of starting a war."

"Since recovering from that serious injury, you have indeed become more perceptive, Shuji," the Third Hokage said gently. "Especially in recent incidents, you have handled them very well."

"The future of the village still depends on you, Shuji."

Shuji remained silent and did not respond.

The Third Generation looked at the boy and slowly said, "We know what you're talking about."

"But we can't ignore the Raikage's feelings, nor can we gamble on whether Kumogakure truly has the courage to go all in."

"The conditions they've proposed, except for the last one, are actually more restrained than we expected. This might be the fastest way to end the war."

"The Hyuga clan... also expressed their willingness to take responsibility for the greater good."

“I understand what you’re saying. If the Raikage really makes the decision to start a war, even if it’s only for half a month, or even less, how many comrades will die on the front lines? Those sacrifices that could have been avoided…”

“The concerns we have are shared by Yunyin as well,” Xiu Si said calmly.

"But! Ultimately, we cannot rely on the Raikage to always remain rational for peace. You, who have served on the border for three years, should know the way the Cloud Village ninja operate better than anyone else, Shuji." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was deep and slow.

"Let's leave this matter here, Shuji. I, the Hokage, will bear all the resentment and blame."

Shuji said no more, stood up, gave a slight bow, and left the Hokage's office.

He was, after all, just an ordinary Jonin, and that was all he could do.

In the end, the one with more concerns took the lead in turning the steering wheel in this cowardly game initiated by the Raikage.

Shuji looked at the Hokage Rock and suddenly thought: If it were Tsunade, would she choose to turn this steering wheel first?

(End of this chapter)