I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 469 When your boss says you need to understand my difficulties, the subtext is that I won't help you.

"Tap tap tap~"

Inside the Iwagakure prison, hurried footsteps echoed. Under the protection of a squad of ninjas, Onoki shuffled along his short legs toward the depths of the prison until he arrived at a cell.

"oops!"

Onoki yelled, grabbing the arms of the two men inside, and said, "Who is it?! Who has placed my Iwagakure's heroes in such a filthy place?!"

The cell was extremely rudimentary. Apart from two beds, a chamber pot that was hung directly on the wall, and a few books on a niche carved into the wall, the two "prisoners" in the cell were chained with chains inscribed with various sealing techniques.

The chain was only long enough for them to walk from the bed to the chamber pot. At this moment, their hands were being held by Onoki, and they showed no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.

"Han! Lao Zi! You've been wronged! I will definitely find the culprit who caused you such humiliation and clear your name!"

Onoki's tone was extremely agitated, a stark contrast to the two men who remained as calm as still water. Old Murasaki smirked and said, "Old man, who are you going to frame this time?"

Onoki's old face twitched a few times. He turned around and instructed, "You may all step back. I need to have a good talk with the two of them to clear up the misunderstanding."

"Yes, Lord Tsuchikage!"

The ninjas who were already guarding the area, as well as those who escorted Onoki, all turned and left upon hearing Onoki's instructions, leaving Onoki and his group with ample privacy.

As soon as they left, Onoki's excitement quickly subsided. He loosened his grip, brushed off the dirt, and said, "I heard that the tailed beast power within you is beginning to revive?"

"Splash~"

Han tugged at the chains and said, "Thanks to you, it has only now recovered."

"Han, you're not a child anymore. You can't look at things as naively as you did when you were a kid."

Onoki looked at the man who was much taller than him even while sitting on the ground and said, "Your situation is something the village has never encountered before. The village doesn't know what the tailed beasts inside you have become, so it's impossible for you to move around freely."

And yet, only the two of you survived. The families and friends of those ninjas also put immense pressure on the village. Those ninjas who died for the village couldn't bear the guilt of defeat.

Furthermore, the village paid a far greater price to bring you back; so much so that everyone is somewhat dissatisfied.

"So, our existence is a mistake?"

Old Purple raised his head and looked at Onoki with a sarcastic gaze. This was the reason why he was willing to stay in the Land of Rain in the first place, because he knew that he and Han could not receive preferential treatment from Iwagakure.

They never expected to be treated this way. First, in Sunagakure and Iwagakure, they suffered inhuman treatment for several months, with different ninjas conducting experiments on them and trying to turn them against their own people every day.

Old Purple had no idea how much blood he had taken, nor how many punches he had endured for refusing to betray Iwagakure. And when he finally returned to the village, he was met not with medical treatment, but with interrogation.

For seven whole days and seven nights, the interrogation department of Iwagakure used every means at their disposal to try to get him to confess that he had betrayed Iwagakure. How ridiculous!

Unfortunately, the interrogation ninjas did not "succeed," but after finally getting past the interrogation department, he was sent directly to the prison.

Why search for the entrance to the underworld in Limbo? Isn't this world itself hell?

He tugged at the collar and chain around his neck and said, "Even dogs don't wear things like this, do they?"

As he tugged, the steel spikes embedded in the inner wall of the collar left bloody streaks on his neck, intertwining with his previous scars.

"You must understand the difficulties of the village, and you must also understand the difficulties of this old man."

Onoki said earnestly, "Because of the two of you, the ninja world has no choice but to start the Third Shinobi World War. This is the only way I can save your lives."

Upon hearing the first half of Onoki's statement, both Roshi and Han dismissed it with disdain. However, upon hearing the second half, their expressions turned serious. The Third Shinobi World War? It started because of them?

This sounds incredibly unbelievable.

Onoki nodded seriously and said, "Sunagakure announced Konoha's crimes, and Kumogakure followed suit, repeating the old story of the Eight-Tails and using you two as evidence that Konoha harmed the tailed beasts of other ninja villages."

Our Hidden Stone Village cannot remain uninvolved. Although many people in the village are still extremely dissatisfied with the two of you, it is undeniable that you have indeed been persecuted by Konoha.

Thousands of our compatriots also perished in your battle against Konoha's Sakamoto Tatsuma. Now, the village has a unified voice against the outside world: we must attack Konoha.

However, I've been holding it in, not wanting the ninja world to be engulfed in war again. The pressure on me is almost unbearable, it's even broken my back. Sigh~ And yet, not only do you not understand, you even complain that I've mistreated you.”

As Onoki spoke, he shook his head sadly, but out of the corner of his eye he was observing the two people's reactions. However, it seemed that his attempt to gain sympathy had no effect, as the two were still immersed in the shock brought about by the impending war.

Seeing that the two seemed more interested in the war, Onoki asked indirectly, "However, there is another reason why Kumogakure and Sunagakure are holding back, and that is Konoha's methods against the Tailed Beasts."

Regarding the Eight-Tails incident, the Hidden Cloud Village recently provided a detailed account, suggesting that Konoha added an extra layer of seal on top of the original seal on the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, preventing the Tailed Beast's power from leaking out and instead causing continuous damage to the Jinchuriki's body.

Were the Four-Tails and Five-Tails also defeated using this method? However, the village did not find any other traces of sealing on you. If you know any details, please tell me.

"This will also allow me to communicate with other ninja villages and discuss how to better guard against and even counter Konoha during wartime."

Onokihara thought that after he made the suggestion, the two would either agree or resist as a price for the village's imprisonment, but in fact, the two looked constipated.

Or perhaps it's not a matter of whether they know about it or not, or whether they want to talk about it, but rather a kind of unspeakable secret that they want to tell but can't bring themselves to say it.

Onoki frowned as well. This wasn't the first time the village had asked the two of them this question. Onoki had even observed it before, but from the other side of the mirror in the interrogation room, out of their sight.

The two didn't have this expression back then. They didn't know what Tatsuma had done. Today, after learning that the power of the tailed beasts within them had been restored, Onoki thought that the tailed beasts might know, so he took the opportunity to come and ask them.

But now it seems that the Tailed Beasts should know, but neither Rōshi nor Han knows how to relay it.

What exactly did Sakamoto Tatsuma do to make it so difficult for the two of them to even come up with a solution?

After a long while, Old Purple finally said, "Wood Release."

"Wood Release?!"

Onoki froze, then incredulously reached out to grab Old Purple's tattered collar, but he had only taken half a step before his hand was outstretched.

"Click~"

His body froze completely, and cold sweat poured from his forehead, whether from pain or from being shocked by what Lao Zi had said, he didn't know.

"How is that possible?"

Onoki withdrew his hand, clutching his aching lower back. His eyes seemed unfocused as he murmured, "How could it be Wood Release? Impossible."

His thoughts were instantly pulled back to decades ago, before the establishment of the ninja village. It was during that time that he witnessed one of only two powers that could make him tremble.

But that power shouldn't exist anymore! Hashirama Senju is dead, and his descendants did not inherit this talent.

Why is it that Sakamoto Tatsuma is the only one who can master Wood Release?! He's not Senju Tobirama.

Despite having considered many possibilities, Onoki's mind was still in a whirl. Wood Release was unlike any other power; it was the most unique bloodline limit, a power that even Onoki, who had mastered the theoretically more difficult Dust Release bloodline limit, still had to look up to.

"Konoha, the Land of Fire. Why do geniuses always seem to appear there?"

Onoki snapped out of his daze, but his eyes were still somewhat unfocused. He didn't even wipe the sweat from his strawberry-shaped nose. He asked anxiously, "Are you sure? It's Wood Release?!"

Old Purple nodded and said, "Indeed, with the help of the Tailed Beasts, I saw the scene at that time, a power that left people powerless."

Upon hearing Rōshi confirm again, Ōnoki said blankly, "Wood Release? Then what use are you two?"

Old Purple and Han's faces instantly darkened. Although what Onoki said was true in a sense, they had actually known about it earlier and had been trying to process it for several days, but they still couldn't regain their confidence.

They shared the senses of the tailed beasts and experienced the pain of being devoured by the wooden beasts. They even had a feeling that if they encountered Tatsuma again, they would become a dish.

Onoki shook his head and asked, "What technique did he use? Was it the same one that Hashirama Senju used to hunt the tailed beasts?"

Han shook his head and said with a heavy heart, "Tatsuma ate the tailed beast."

"Eat it. Like the Gold and Silver Brothers of Kumogakure?"

"No, the Gold and Silver Brothers are at most parasites, while Sakamoto Tatsuma is a glutton. He treats the tailed beasts as food, eating them bite by bite."

Old Purple's tone became urgent, and his fists clenched involuntarily as he said, "Like primitive savages, they devoured the tailed beasts alive. I don't know how to fight back."

"I've never heard of such a thing before. Tailed beasts are clearly not made of flesh and blood, so how can this be?"

Even Onoki couldn't imagine that scene. Han sighed and said, "If the Third Shinobi World War has to be fought, then the Tailed Beasts must not be allowed to appear in front of Sakamoto Tatsuma. By the way..."

Based on my speculation, after Sakamoto Tatsuma ate the Tailed Beasts, he gained their power. He has already obtained the Four-Tails' Magma Release and the Five-Tails' Steam Release, and even...

Their skill far surpasses that of a Jinchūriki like myself.

Onoki's pupils seemed to tremble. After regaining his senses, he said, "This news must be communicated to the other ninja villages. Sakamoto Tatsuma must not continue to live. Only when he dies can the ninja world develop as usual!"

"Surround them! We must besiege Konoha! No matter the cost, Sakamoto Tatsuma must die. Even if we hand over victory to Konoha, it doesn't matter. As long as Sakamoto Tatsuma is dead, everything can be taken back!"

(End of this chapter)