Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Although he had basically forgotten most of the Water Release techniques he learned from the Second Hokage, the knowledge he had acquired over the years was still there. Given the current defensive strength of the various villages in the ninja world, Kirigakure had not even entered the battlefield, so their defenses were the strongest. The Raikage couldn't possibly go there to steal the towers, and Shiki of Sunagakure was guarding the crystal at home, so he couldn't go there either. That left only them and Iwagakure, but that seemed impossible too. Onoki of Iwagakure had already left the battlefield, and he wasn't dead yet. It was unrealistic to imagine taking advantage of Iwagakure's leaderless state to steal two towers like in the first war.

As for Konoha, unless the Raikage can fly, Mitokado Homura will make sure the Raikage never returns...

But for some reason, even though it seemed impossible, his sixth sense told him that the Raikage had gone to the Land of Earth to steal the tower again!

(Thanks to the readers for their monthly votes. I've been quite busy during the day lately, and I simply can't keep up with typing at night. I'm trying to finish at least three chapters a night by typing until 2 AM.)

314. Ebizo: This kid is a bit greedy!

"...That's unlikely, Onoki and the Cloud Ninja are both in the Land of Earth..."

Hearing his friend's guess, Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head firmly. The Raikage might be crazy, but that big-headed guy from the Azabu clan isn't. Going to the Land of Earth to raid their base at this time would be asking for trouble. He immediately ruled out Kirigakure and Iwagakure. He guessed the Raikage's target was likely them and Sunagakure. Relatively speaking, Sunagakure's defenses were weaker, so it should be their first choice...

"But are we really going to let the Cloud Ninja continue bombing the border?"

Mitokado Homura was speechless. The number of explosive tags that the Cloud Ninja had used was just too much. He estimated that the Cloud Ninja had used up all their stockpiles over the years, and they had been using them for more than a month without showing any signs of stopping. Seeing a business opportunity just being destroyed like this, Mitokado Homura felt like he was going to explode.

"Let them be. This is the best outcome. By the time the Raikage appears, the war will probably be over!"

Looking out the window, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. Since the outbreak of the war, he had wanted it to end as soon as possible, more than anyone else. Too many people had sacrificed their lives on the battlefield!

Suddenly... Hiruzen Sarutobi doesn't want to retire anymore. If he retires, it will be difficult for him to catch up with the two people ahead of him in terms of historical status.

Hmm... my beloved student is still not mature enough and needs a few more years of training...

.......

"What the hell is that brat up to now? He's been gone for so long..."

In the Kazekage's office in Sunagakure, with Sunagawa at the front lines, this place had become Ebizo's private territory. Ebizo was feeling melancholy, lost, and anxious; the bandage on his forehead was even bulging from his grip.

On the battlefield of Kumogakure, the Raikage hasn't shown his face for over a month. Anyone with a brain can guess what the Raikage's purpose is, which makes Ebizo very worried. None of the people in their village who could stop the Raikage are here. The village is either old or weak. If the Raikage comes to their Land of Wind to steal something at this time, he might actually be able to steal the crystal.

My sister is getting old. Even though the lifespan of a puppeteer is longer than that of most ninjas, as long as they keep their fingers dexterous, they can still create new worlds even at the age of eighty. But a berserker like the Raikage, who can both tank and deal damage, is simply the bane of puppeteers. Even if he and my sister team up, they can't stop the Raikage. Sunagawa is on the front lines organizing his underlings to fight against Konoha as usual, so he can't come back at will.

Shinto has been in the Land of Earth stealing towers for over a month now. According to the original plan, stealing a wave of towers and then flying back shouldn't take too long at all; two or three weeks at most would be enough.

But they haven't returned yet, not even a single word. I wonder if they've been ambushed. But even if they have, at least some rumors should have spread. And if Shinto and Kai are the top performer and the prince, respectively, if they've really been ambushed by Onoki, given Onoki's personality, he'd love for the whole world to know about it.

But we haven't heard any news from Iwagakure yet, which means they shouldn't have been ambushed by Onoki. But damn it, so much time has passed and these guys still haven't returned. Ebizo is getting anxious. He sleeps with one eye open and one eye closed at night, afraid that the Raikage will come and catch them off guard.

"Lord Kaizo, our people in Iwagakure have sent word that we haven't heard from Lord Shinto yet, but we did receive news of the Raikage. He has appeared in the Land of Earth with his men, and Onoki has already gone there with his men."

Just as Ebizo was feeling lost and melancholy, the news brought by his underlings in the Dark Guard was like drinking a bottle of Wanglaoji herbal tea on a hot day, calming his heart which was about to explode with anxiety.

"Hmm? (⊙_⊙)...I understand, I've been informed of news from Shindou and Jie. Also...check if there's an explosive tag arsenal in Kumogakure..."

Steady!

Hearing what the ANBU underling said, Ebizo breathed a sigh of relief and said to the underling with a relaxed feeling. He had been worried that the Raikage would come to steal their crystal, but now that he knew the Raikage was in the Land of Earth, although he thought to himself that it was really a coincidence that they had the same idea, he was relieved.

The current situation is that the Raikage, like them, led a group to the Land of Earth to steal the tower, but it seems that they made a bigger commotion and were noticed by Onoki, who is now confronting the Raikage.

Shinto and his group seemed to have escaped detection and were planning to continue their advance behind enemy lines while Onoki and the Raikage were locked in combat...

This kid's a bit greedy! ヾ(^?^)?

Ebizo couldn't help but wipe the liquid from the corner of his mouth...

The current battle situation is clear. After the Iwa ninja left the field, it is obviously unrealistic for them to rely on Kumogakure and Konoha to withstand the lightning alone. At this time, everyone is thinking about taking advantage of the situation when the war is about to end. That's what they are thinking. Although the Raikage is straightforward and doesn't have many ulterior motives, he has a big head like Azabu, one of only two men in the ninja world with an intelligence of 99. It's not surprising that he has this idea.

However, he was amazed by the Raikage's audacity. On the battlefield, the Cloud Ninja were throwing away explosive tags like they were free. So far, the number of explosive tags they had used far exceeded the total number of explosive tags used by the entire Sand Village. Moreover, the current situation was that before the Raikage returned, the Cloud Ninja showed no sign of stopping. This was simply too outrageous.

......

"What?! You mean that bastard Shiki kidnapped the Daimyo and is demanding a ransom from me? Raikage... Shiki... those two bastards, I'll never forgive you!!!! (╬￣皿￣)=○"

In the Land of Earth, Onoki, unaware that the Raikage had secretly slipped away and was still organizing his underlings to conduct a thorough search of the mountains, received the "good news" brought by the young Yukari. Instantly, his anger surged by 100,000 points, and he felt like he was about to explode. With a roar of resentment, his voice echoed through the mountains, startling the young Yukari who had personally come to deliver the "good news," making her legs go weak.

Meanwhile, the Iwa ninja underlings around them were even more apprehensive, searching for the Cloud ninja's whereabouts without daring to be careless. Because their Tsuchikage's nose had turned black again—this was the prelude to firing cannons...

I've figured it out!

After connecting everything together, Onoki finally understood. He had been wondering why the Raikage was so confident in his small team. In recent years, Kumogakure hadn't heard of any outstanding talents. The only one they could boast about was Tsuchikage, the Lava Release ninja. But Tsuchikage was currently playing with explosions on the battlefield. Wasn't the Raikage worried that he would send Young Murasaki to wipe out his small team?

However, if it's the Sand Village led by Shiki, then there's no need to worry. While young Yukari has developed quite well over the years, even the strongest warriors have different levels of power. The Four-Tails inside him was even beaten by Shiki, let alone just a Jinchuriki...

315. That handsome guy from the Golden Lion isn't here.

He figured it out: the Raikage and Shiki were teaming up to ambush him! One was playing support, the other was the offensive core—damn, they never coordinated this well when they attacked Konoha!

And that bastard Shiki is so shameless! He actually went and attacked their daimyo! Even Tobirama Senju wasn't that shameless! (▼ヘ▼#)

At this moment, Onoki was on the verge of having a burst blood vessel, but when he thought of the scene where Hiruzen Sarutobi celebrated with a banquet when he was admitted to the ICU after having a burst blood vessel, he forced himself to hold it back.

"Lord Tsuchikage, what should we do now...?"

Young Yukari looked at Onoki, whose blood vessels were about to burst, and asked cautiously, afraid of being blasted to death by her boss's sudden outburst, but she couldn't not ask.

"What do you mean, 'what to do'?! Of course, we'll ransom them! Tell Civil Engineering to prepare the ransom, everyone come with me! (-"-Angry)"

Onoki shouted irritably at his underlings who were still searching for the Cloud Ninja.

What's the point of caring about the Cloud Ninja now? Even their Daimyo has been kidnapped. If word gets out, Iwagakure will lose all face.

Although the daimyo is just a mascot, he is still the legitimate ruler of the Land of Earth and the person in charge next year. He really can't be left unattended. Although the daimyo has no military power, he is the spiritual symbol of the ordinary people and absolutely cannot be harmed. Moreover, this generation's daimyo may have some problems. He has had hundreds of women but only had one daughter. If he dies now, the succession of the daimyo will be a headache. The key is that this little princess is not even three years old. He doesn't even know if she is his child. Anyway, it's impossible for him to find a son-in-law to become the daimyo.

If no mascot comes to the rescue, the Land of Earth will be in chaos. After a war and being ravaged by those two bastards, the Raikage and Shiki, the Land of Earth can't withstand this kind of turmoil.

After speaking, Onoki took the lead and flew north towards the Land of Earth. He naturally knew what kind of ransom Shiki wanted. Money was definitely not what they cared about; the Land of Wind had so much gold dust that it couldn't possibly run out. They had never lacked money since ancient times. What Sunagakure lacked was resources, and all kinds of resources—strategic resources, living resources, everything. Shiki definitely wanted resources. Strategic materials were naturally out of the question; even Iwagakure didn't have much of those. Otherwise, he could be equipped to the teeth like the ninjas of Konoha.

However, as for living resources, there are still plenty, like flour and gutter oil. Moreover, he believes that the Golden Lion wouldn't dare to push him too far. The war is about to end, and if they push him too far, they might as well fight to the death. You want to kidnap our daimyo? Fine! I'll kidnap your daimyo tomorrow! (▼へ▼メ)

........

"Golden Lion, you get out here right now!! (-"-Angry)"

Above the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Earth, Onoki looked down at the empty mansion and felt his heart bleed. The elite Jonin he had assigned to the Daimyo were completely useless, and even the guard Jonin hadn't been eliminated. Although he had been mentally prepared, his heart was still bleeding. Those were the talents he had carefully selected. He had thought of them as guard ninjas to give the Daimyo some experience, but now they had all perished.

Onoki, leading a group of underlings, braved the wind and waves, a journey that would normally take at least a month, but he managed to break the ninja world marathon record.

A dense swarm of Iwa ninja stood menacingly at the entrance to the Daimyo's residence. With a single command from their leader, thousands of Earth Release techniques would bury the residence and its inhabitants, obliterating any threat like Golden Lion or Red Nose...

"........"

The entire Daming Prefecture was quiet and there was no reaction.

Five minutes later...

"Golden Lion, you bastard, come out here!"

"..."

It's still quiet...

Ten minutes later...

"You bastard, Golden Lion! Didn't you want the ransom? Now that I'm here, are you going to cower like a coward? (╬◣д◢)"

Half an hour later...

“Golden Lion@#￥%……”

Two hours later...

"Damn it! Get out here!!! (╬￣皿￣)=○"

After spraying bullets in the air for over two hours, Onoki was going crazy. A white light was flashing in his hand. If he wasn't worried about the daimyo's life or death, he would have used a map-wide attack to blow up the entire daimyo's prefecture.

"...Big brother, are you sure you don't want to go out...?"

Inside the house, listening to Onoki rant outside for over two hours, Sasori's father looked speechlessly at Masato, who was clenching his fists and trying to appear calm.

"At this time, you absolutely cannot reveal your identity. Remember, we are Konoha ninjas now, and I am Hatake Sakumo's cousin... Otherwise, if Onoki goes after our Land of Wind's daimyo, you'll be his bodyguard?"

"I'm furious," Shinto said irritably. He'd been berated by that bastard Onoki for two hours, and he was seething inside. Although everyone tacitly agreed, he absolutely couldn't admit he was the Golden Lion right now, or Onoki would go after their Land of Wind's daimyo. He didn't have time to be the daimyo's bodyguard 24/7...

"..."

Handsome Scorpion's dad looked up at the sky...

.......

"This... has extraordinary talent, a dark complexion, and looks rather impatient! Sir, you must be the Tsuchikage, known as the Bald Eagle of Iwagakure? Let me introduce myself, I am Hatake Kabuto, the cousin of the White Fang of Konoha. That handsome Golden Lion isn't here, are you sure you haven't made a mistake? (⊙_⊙)?"

Sensing that Onoki's anger had reached its peak, Masato, wearing the same face as Sakumo Hatake, his "cousin," came out of the house and, mimicking the Hatake clan's ancestral poker face, said coolly to Onoki.

“I'll f*** your grandpa….(▼へ▼メ)”

Looking at that shameless guy with his white hair, pretending to be cool and calling himself handsome, I really want to blast this shameless bastard to death. You think I won't recognize you just because you dyed your hair white? With that stinky mouth of yours, I'd recognize you even if you were ashes.

And you call him Hatake Usopp? I've never heard of the Hatake clan having any members other than Sakumo Hatake and his son. Do you think I'm illiterate?

The history of labor-management ninjas is just one point short of a perfect score! (▼he▼メ)

"Hiss...! Huff...! I've brought the ransom. Release our daimyo immediately. (-"-Angry))"

Onoki took a deep breath to calm his urge to fire, too lazy to waste words with him. He couldn't keep arguing with this bastard; it would go on forever. That bastard was just so despicable.

316. Onoki was disgusted.

"Lord Tsuchikage, you've gotten too used to being a leader, haven't you? Didn't you see the ninja headband on my forehead? I'm a Konoha ninja, not your Iwa ninja underlings. This isn't how you do business. Besides, there are so many people surrounding you; I was a little scared. You asked me to release the person without even asking the price—isn't that forced buying and selling? No wonder our Hokage said you're incompetent and domineering. I didn't believe it before, but now I finally do..."

Shinto pointed to the Konoha ninja headband on his forehead and said in a serious tone.

To be honest, he didn't really know what grudge Hiruzen Sarutobi and Onoki had. Maybe their fates clashed, and since they were both short, they were enemies in the same trade... Even though Iwagakure and Kirigakure were sworn enemies, Onoki just liked to tease Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Hiruzen Sarutobi liked to tease Onoki in return.

He had never heard of any feud between the two. Could it be that when Onoki was young, he was attacked by Hiruzen Sarutobi's fire poker, which could grow larger and thicker and was known as the "Number One Pole in the World"?

"...Tell me, how much do you want to release the Great Name?"

After taking a deep breath, Onoki squeezed out each word through his teeth, his attention immediately drawn to Hiruzen Sarutobi. That bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi dared to say he was incompetent! If he had the guts, he'd drop that stick and fight him one-on-one... (▼he▼メ)

Achoo! Achoo....."

"Damn it! Next time you sneeze, turn away! (▼he▼メ)"

Meanwhile, in Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi was talking to two friends when he suddenly sneezed several times, spraying their faces. Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu's expressions darkened, and the tea in front of them suddenly lost its flavor...

.......

"After this investigation, to be honest, your Land of Earth is really inferior to our Konoha in terms of both handicrafts and living environment. Now that you've asked me this, I don't know how to answer. How about this, what do you think this guy's two hundred-plus pounds of flesh is worth? Just give me a price. After all, he is the head of the Land of Earth. It wouldn't be right for me to offer too little, wouldn't that be slapping your Land of Earth in the face? For the sake of friendly relations between our two countries, you name your price first, and I will not haggle... How about that?"