Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

"...Cough cough...Hiss! No way? Danzo is Konoha's chief advisor, how could he be as stupid as you say..."

Before the handsome Scorpion's father even arrived, his pretentious cough preceded his arrival. Upon walking in and seeing his son's face even more swollen than yesterday, he gasped as if a knife had been plunged into his lungs. He composed himself and suppressed the urge to kill his older brother, saying...

His son's bloodline had reverted to its ancestral form, inheriting all the genes of his mother, the former "flower of the ninja world," and coupled with his extraordinary talent, this was the pride of his life. Now, however, his son had been beaten so badly by his older brother that he almost wouldn't have recognized him if it weren't for the red hair on his head.

"That's because you haven't had enough contact with him. Danzo isn't exactly stupid, he's just not suited for winning games. He becomes inept when he's ahead, but if the game starts badly, he's absolutely invincible! If his record in Konoha were in Sunagakure, Chiyo would have been dealt with by the Ten Ninja Thieves long ago. But look at him, he's been Konoha's chief advisor for so many years without falling from grace. Every time he's in a desperate situation, he unleashes a powerful surge, and Hiruzen Sarutobi falls for that..."

Looking at the handsome Sasori's father, who exuded an air of superiority and insisted on coughing twice before speaking as if he'd die if he didn't, Masato wondered if giving him a ramen noodle hairstyle might activate his hidden attribute and make him infallible...

"If that's the case... you've been 'teaching' Scorpion for half a year now. Take a break. Go to the battlefield tomorrow; it'll put some pressure on Konoha..."

At this moment, Chiyo spoke up, deliberately emphasizing the word "educate". If it weren't for the fact that her precious grandson had indeed changed a bit in the past six months, she would have wanted to kick this brat out of the house. Every day, seeing her precious grandson's swollen face, Chiyo's heart ached. Now, taking this opportunity, she could send this brat away so that her precious grandson could recuperate for a while.

Although this brat might get carried away and kill his own men on the battlefield, those cannon fodder wouldn't be as valuable as her precious grandson's pretty face...

"...You're spoiling your child, you're just being overly indulgent. I'm only thinking of your precious grandson, I..."

"My lords, news has arrived from the front lines: the Five-Tails of Iwagakure has launched a rampage, and Iwagakure's high-ranking official, Tsuchiki, is seriously injured. Iwagakure has withdrawn from the battle!"

Before Shindou could finish speaking, a member of the Anbu suddenly appeared and reported to everyone present.

"What?! The Five-Tails rampage? I didn't do it... Pshaw! Konoha did it?? (⊙_⊙)?"

Shindou stared blankly at his ANBU underling, then shouted in disbelief. Chiyo, Ebizo, and Sasori's father also looked incredulous.

The battle between Iwagakure and Konoha is fierce, with both sides still evenly matched. Although the longer it drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for Iwagakure, given their insufficient supply of reinforcements, the current situation should allow it to continue for another year or two without any problem. If the Raikage can decisively defeat the 30,000-strong Konoha army within that time, the battle will be won.

But then the Five-Tails went berserk?!

This is ridiculous!

Shinto's first thought was between himself and Konoha. He didn't have a habit of sleepwalking, and even if he did, Sunagakure was quite far from Iwagakure; unless he took a rocket, one night wouldn't be enough...

If it wasn't him, then it was Konoha, because this tactic is just too damn familiar. Back then, wasn't Shamonten tricked by Tobirama Senju? Who would have thought Hiruzen Sarutobi would need to inherit this tactic and use it on Iwa ninja...

As expected, the old schemers are all from the same lineage! Hiruzen Sarutobi is just better at hiding his true intentions.

"I don't know. The news just came from the front lines, and it hasn't been confirmed yet..."

The underling from the secret service shook his head and said.

"...That's impossible. Anyone from Konoha who could infiltrate Iwagakure and release the Five-Tails at this time would be on the battlefield. If it wasn't Konoha, then who could it be? Could it be Kirigakure?"

Masato frowned and muttered to himself.

During wartime, the defenses of each village were absolutely impenetrable, and tailed beasts, being an X-factor, were always a primary target for prevention. For example, Chiyo, to prevent unforeseen events like those during World War I, set up no fewer than ten supposedly incredibly powerful barriers at the Seven-Tails' sealing site and Bunpuku, with the area within a one-kilometer radius heavily guarded. It was only because he had been in the village for the past six months that those guys had a chance to go home and see their wives and children after get off work…

To infiltrate an enemy village, locate the Tailed Beast, and then release it, one needs at least a Quasi-Kage level. Elite Jonin would be turned into a swarm of hordes before they even found the Tailed Beast.

Those in Konoha who were capable of doing so were mostly on the battlefield. Jiraiya disappeared after Hanzo of the Salamander left the scene. He wasn't with Sakumo Hatake, nor did he fight the Four-Tails Jinchuriki with Orochimaru. Presumably, he had already encountered his destiny with the future idol group and was now staying in the Land of Rain.

If it wasn't Konoha who did it, the most likely party to do so at this point would be Kirigakure. The 50-year-long feud between these two clans could be made into a long-running drama. Considering Hozuki Gengetsu's style of leading a raid on their base during the First Shinobi World War, it seems quite in line with Kirigakure's style...

"Hmph! Idiot, it couldn't have been Kirigakure who did it. First of all, it wouldn't benefit Kirigakure at all. Although Iwagakure and Kirigakure have a deep grudge, Kirigakure hasn't made a move even now that the war has been going on. Besides, if they really wanted to take revenge on Iwagakure, Kirigakure would have done it long ago. They wouldn't have had to wait until now."

With his swollen face, Handsome Scorpion gave the bastard middle-aged man a disdainful look before forcefully analyzing the situation.

Wow! Scorpion is so handsome.....!

Even with his face swollen from being slapped, the earnest boy still exuded a unique charm, while Karin's mother, Uzumaki Riho, looked like a lovesick fool.

“…”

Masato glanced at the red-haired girl speechlessly. Her infatuation was just too damn over the top. Even after beating up Sasori to this state, he really couldn't see what was so handsome about the current Cancer...

"Never mind who did it, sister. Iwagakure has left the scene. What do we do now? Should we continue to waste time with Konoha?"

Ebizo rubbed his forehead, looking exasperated, and asked Chiyo helplessly. This news caught him off guard. He had been hoping that Masato would go there and make a name for himself, and then find a way to reap some benefits. But Onoki had suddenly disappeared.

"...No rush. Let's wait and see how things go on in Cloud Village."

After pondering for a while, Chiyo said, "The Five-Tails' rampage and retreat can be considered a combined effort, but if Sunagakure sees Iwagakure retreating and immediately follows suit, wouldn't they have no shame? They need to find a legitimate excuse to leave..."

'.

289. Ohnoki tricked people.

Amidst the intense atmosphere of the Ninja World War, the Five-Tails' rampage swept through Iwagakure, and news spread throughout the ninja world that the Iwa ninja had withdrawn from the battlefield to focus on reconstruction. Everyone was stunned. When Hanzo of the Salamander left the battlefield, everyone thought it was the end, but little did they know it was just the beginning. The battles between the three great ninja villages and Konoha were incredibly fierce. Whether it was the eight battles fought by Sunagakure in half a year, the five-way battles by Iwagakure, or the relentless suppression by Kumogakure, the four great ninja villages displayed the prowess of major ninja villages.

However, just when everyone's attention was focused on Konoha's support force of over 20,000 men led by Konoha's chief advisor Danzo and they all rushed to the black market to place bets, Iwagakure suddenly pulled this stunt, which made those who had bet on Kumogakure slap their thighs, point to the heavens, and curse the entire Onoki family of women!

They bet on Kumogakure because, given that two of the three sides were evenly matched, and even if Konoha provided more support on the Kumogakure battlefield, they still believed that the Raikage would win, as there was no suitable leader on the other two sides and the other two sides were also unable to spare resources.

It wasn't that they looked down on Danzo, the "half-baked Konoha"; it was just that war was something he was truly incapable of handling. The first time, his old face was covered in shoe prints by Hanzo of the Salamander, which was already quite embarrassing. His strength was completely mismatched with his status. After that, he was humiliated by a group of unknown Sunagakure members. All these events made them realize that the "half-baked Konoha" was truly incompetent. Even when the leaders of the Hyuga and Aburame clans joined forces to defend against the Raikage, they were both severely injured by the Raikage. Could this incompetent Danzo possibly do it?

But now that Iwagakure has withdrawn, the situation is different. Konoha is fully capable of sending people to Kumogakure to hold off the Raikage. As long as the Raikage is held off and prevented from giving those James-like players in Kumogakure a buff, a team with over 30,000 players against a team with over 10,000 players... can be carried to victory with their eyes closed!

"boom!"

"Damn it! Why did the Five-Tails have to go berserk at this time? Who did this?!" (-"-Angry)

On the battlefield of Kumogakure, after receiving news of Onoki's withdrawal, the Raikage was furious. He was no longer the radiant, high-spirited figure he had been when he was overwhelming Konoha. Even after learning that Konoha's 20,000 reinforcements had arrived, he remained calm and collected. Everyone in the ninja world knew that Danzo was a fraud. War wasn't about killing heads. Even if you added another 20,000 to Danzo's ranks, he wouldn't be worried. After all, a weak commander like Danzo wouldn't be much of a hero.

As long as Onoki and Sunagawa hold the other two lines, he can carry the two of them!

But now that Onoki has left the battlefield after the Five-Tails' rampage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was originally on the Iwagakure battlefield, is coming to reinforce the defense. Hiruzen Sarutobi isn't some weakling like Danzo; with his 10,000-plus subordinates facing over 30,000 Konoha troops, without his buffs, this war will be truly difficult...

The Raikage was furious! Which bastard dared to be so unethical? Was it Kirigakure? Konoha? Or... Shiki?

"Sigh... Raikage-sama, the situation is already set in stone, and getting angry won't change anything. In my opinion, we should retreat! Konoha's reinforcements are about to arrive, and if Hiruzen Sarutobi comes, this battle will be much more difficult!"

The man with the big head in burlap sighed and said.

It doesn't matter who did it now. With the Iwa ninja out of the fray, one of the three fronts has collapsed, giving Konoha a chance to breathe. Their two fronts alone pose no real threat to Konoha; it's better for them to go home than struggle here...

"...No! Sunagakure hasn't retreated, and neither can we. Otherwise, how will the ninja world view Kumogakure?! Regardless of whether Onoki retreats or not, let's fight first! (▼he▼me)"

Despite his fiery temper and resemblance to a larger version of James, the Raikage is actually quite shrewd. After hearing the strategist's words, he immediately calmed down. He admitted that Sack's words were correct; retreating now was indeed the most advantageous situation for the village. However, this also involved a matter of face.

Now that the Cloud Village has gained momentum and is advancing rapidly, if Onoki leaves the scene and he doesn't leave either, wouldn't he become that short, red-nosed idiot Onoki's lackey?

He'll still be able to survive in the ninja world then.

Whether it's for the sake of the village's dignity or for their own face, they can't back down now!

This is the difference between the boss and the underling. As the head guard of Kumogakure, Shiroshisen and Azaburo always consider the interests of the village. As the head of the village, Raikage not only has to consider interests, but also face. As the representative of the village, his face is the face of the village and the dignity of the village. At this time, he cannot back down no matter what.

Moreover, they have been quietly developing their strength for more than 20 years since the coup, and finally made a name for themselves in this war. It would be such a pity to leave the stage like this. The Sand Village is still around, isn't it?

.....

Meanwhile, on the main road leading back to Iwagakure from the border of the Land of Earth, a group of Iwa ninja walked slowly and in unison. Judging from their expressions, they showed no signs of the crystal being damaged. Instead, they looked puzzled. Their home had clearly been robbed, so why was their Tsuchikage traveling so leisurely? Looking around, the Tsuchikage in the center seemed completely unconcerned, even humming a tune with a relaxed and carefree expression. His braid wasn't sticking up, and his nose wasn't black; he didn't look like someone whose home had been robbed at all. This left the group of Iwa ninja bewildered.

Is this still their benevolent and compassionate Tsuchikage? (⊙_⊙)?

"Mmm...mmm..."

Onoki hummed a little tune as he floated to the front, in the center position, with what he considered to be an irresistible smile on his face, causing the four-tailed jinchūriki next to him to clench his buttocks in horror.

Ohnoki has gone too far!

These past few days have been the most carefree time for Onoki! After so many years! He can finally have a proper chance to scheme against Kumogakure and Sunagakure!

Back then, that bastard Second Raikage took advantage of their leaderless state to steal two towers from them. He wasn't unwilling to avenge this, it was just that the time hadn't come yet. Now that the time has come, he naturally wants to settle the score.

When he first received the news that Konoha had sent Danzo and more than 20,000 people to the Cloud Village battlefield, he didn't have any other thoughts at first. He just felt that Danzo was just sending more than 20,000 people to be killed by the Raikage. He didn't mean anything else. He just looked down on Danzo, the chief advisor. This chief advisor of Konoha was indeed good at playing tricks and schemes. After all, he was a disciple of Tobirama Senju and had inherited some things.

But Danzo is really no good at fighting. Given the Raikage's current condition, if Danzo went there, he would just get beaten to a pulp.

a.

290. Onoki went back to study feng shui.

To defend against the Raikage, at least the strength of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Sakumo Hatake would be needed. However, with Hiruzen and Sakumo Hatake already occupied with the Sand Village, they're stretched thin. But… thinking of this, Onoki suddenly had a brilliant idea. A crazy thought flashed through his mind: what if they withdrew from one of the battlefields at this moment, allowing Hiruzen or Sakumo Hatake to reinforce that area? Ten thousand vs. thirty thousand… frankly, unless the Raikage could summon Hashirama Senju… knowing the Raikage as well, someone as proud as him would never withdraw so easily. If either Hiruzen or Sakumo Hatake went to reinforce, Kumogakure would be utterly defeated if the conflict between Kumogakure and Konoha escalated…

Once the idea appeared, it was unstoppable. It kept popping into Onoki's mind, and in the end, even Onoki himself couldn't control himself. The Kazekage of Sunagakure was so hot-blooded, having fought Konoha eight times in half a year. It was definitely impossible to make them back down. Besides, the Kazekage wasn't his subordinate, and he couldn't order him around.

So we have to find a solution from their side. Is it easy for them to withdraw? He could just give an order. But if he withdraws without a reason, he'll definitely be criticized. So we need a plausible excuse, like he died... ugh! Or like some major event happened in the village that forced them to withdraw, like when that bastard Hozuki Gengetsu stole their home. But Kirigakure is still silent, and he wouldn't be stupid enough to contact the Mizukage to steal his home. That won't work. So, only one last option remains: stage another Five-Tails' brain-damaged village incident, then spread the news. This excuse would be enough to justify their withdrawal...

After having a plan, Onoki was quite hesitant at first. After all, it was a bit dishonest to do this. They were the ones who started the war against Konoha. Now, suddenly withdrawing would feel like betraying his teammates. Having experienced a profound realization, he was quite conflicted inside.

But when he thought back to the time when the Second Raikage took advantage of his election campaign to lead his men to steal the tower in their Land of Earth, and that bastard Shiki unleashed the Five-Tails' speed at their village to defeat the Four-Tails' Jinchuriki, Onoki gritted his teeth and kicked his leg.

It's done!

So he immediately sent his underlings to inform the Civil Engineering Department, instructing him to take the sealing team to retrieve the Five-Tails and let it run wild in the village. However, it couldn't run too wildly; it had to be kept within a certain range before being sealed away. If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way!

Ōnoki could practically picture the Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Sand Village being utterly defeated by the Hidden Leaf Village, and he was incredibly excited!

If he could keep his composure from going too far, he would have loved to throw a huge banquet and celebrate with everyone as soon as he got back to the village! ヾ(^Д^*)/

"Lord Tsuchikage, isn't what we're doing a bit inappropriate...?"

The four-tailed jinchūriki beside Onoki looked at his boss's hurried movements and said with mixed feelings.

In this war, he won several MVP awards. As the Four-Tails Jinchuriki's right-hand man, young Yukari was naturally aware of Onoki's plans. However, he was still young and dared to charge ahead. He didn't like Onoki's underhanded tactics, especially since their village was the initiator of this war. Although the leader did this to avenge the defeat in the previous war, he was still very uncomfortable.

"Zi, there's no good or bad in the ninja world, only interests. Back then, during the First Shinobi World War, the Second Raikage took advantage of our Iwagakure being leaderless and led his men to plunder two of our towns. Go ask them if they felt it was wrong. When Shiki infiltrated our Iwagakure and released the Five-Tails to capture you, did he feel it was wrong? The ninja world isn't just about us fighting Konoha; there's constant open and covert struggle between our villages..."

Onoki looked at the young man beside him and said, "This kid is quite good at fighting, but unfortunately he's too straightforward and his mind is too narrow. Thinking about how Hiruzen Sarutobi's three disciples have already distinguished themselves and made a name for themselves, while he doesn't even have a single disciple. His own son is not bad, but he's not a super genius after all, and his potential is limited. The banner of the village's younger generation is actually being carried by a Jinchuriki. It's a real tragedy!"

Hmm... I'll have the civil engineering department investigate whether the burial site of my grandfather is inauspicious...

.....

"Orochimaru, go to the battlefield over at Kumogakure."

Onoki has left the scene, before Danzo's main force even arrived at the Cloud Village battlefield. The reason is unknown, but Hiruzen Sarutobi is now walking with a swagger, having smoked three packs of opium pipes without coughing. He's now finished his fourth pack, filling the camp with a mystical atmosphere. The Konoha underlings are packing up to go home, but Hiruzen Sarutobi keeps his beloved disciple behind, giving him a knowing look.

This war made him realize it was time for him to step down and pass the throne to a more capable leader. He had served as Hokage for more than twenty years, longer than the combined tenure of his two teachers, the First and Second Hokage. And it wasn't just wishful thinking; his achievements far surpassed those of the First and Second Hokage. Retiring at the peak of his career was the best choice. If his historical standing left his teachers far behind, he would be approaching fifty... and if his teachers were unhappy with his departure, he might end up getting beaten up by both of them.

Although he's known as the "Strongest Hokage in History," wasn't that just some boast he made while drunk? Who knew it would turn out like this...? He'd be better off acting like a little monkey in front of the First Hokage...

Moreover, Konoha is now full of talented people, and his beloved disciple has already emerged as a candidate for Hokage. What they lack now is reputation. Reputation is a complicated thing; sometimes it is useless, but sometimes it is very important.

When he first rose to power, he almost lost the position to Danzo because of a lack of prestige. Even though Mito-sama supported him, he still had to endure almost ten years in the Hokage position before finally succeeding. Therefore, he knows how important prestige is for becoming Hokage. Although his beloved disciple now has a certain level of prestige, enough to secure the position in other villages, it's still not enough in Konoha. After all, powerful clans like the Uchiha and Hyuga aren't easy to conquer, especially since Orochimaru is a commoner. And frankly, Orochimaru's demeanor is somewhat cold and aloof, so despite his handsome appearance, he doesn't have high popularity among the common people, a far cry from his sunny, boyish charm, Minato!

291. Danzo's appearance was incredibly cool.

So Hiruzen Sarutobi's plan was to ensure victory in the war while allowing his beloved disciple to grind as much as possible, while he himself built up his reputation in the village. This two-pronged approach, ideally clearing out Kumogakure and then Sunagakure, would allow his disciple to reach the pinnacle of his power before he stepped down. Everything would be perfect...

"...Understood, teacher."