I am the new Hokage of Konoha.

Surrounded by a crowd, the shortest of them all, yet possessing an impression as imposing and resolute as a mountain, remarked:

"That kid Senju Unting suddenly launched a sneak attack, which was really unexpected!"

"Thanks to your foresight, Tsuchikage, we not only avoided losses but also wiped out a group of reckless Konoha ninja. This is undoubtedly a good omen for the upcoming battles!"

Below him, a high-ranking Iwa ninja offered a compliment.

Others joined in the praise.

They all came from the heart.

This is because Onoki, who has been the pillar of Iwagakure for decades, has never disappointed the Iwagakure ninja.

Especially the fact that Onoki became the commander-in-chief of the Five Nations Alliance at the Four Kage Summit not only greatly enhanced the reputation of Iwa ninja, who had always been in the middle of the Five Nations, but also made him almost deified among the Iwa ninja.

Even though he had only gained a small advantage over Konoha, the Iwa ninja showered praise upon this most successful Tsuchikage in history.

Others might be misled by such praise, but after more than seventy years of trials and tribulations, Onoki, who has seen through everything, remains exceptionally calm inside and out.

Not only that, after hearing the flattery from those around him, he snorted coldly and said without any mercy:

"A good omen? Do you really think so?"

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Seeing this, Onoki shook his head and said, "If the Iwa ninja had occupied the Land of Grass, that would indeed be a good omen. But now the flames of war have reached our doorstep, what good is that! What's the use of killing a few enemies? We've been on the defensive from the very beginning of this battle. Senju Kumo-tei is ruthless! Clearly, the longer this drags on, the more advantageous it would be for Konoha, but as soon as he noticed something was wrong with us, he immediately overturned the table without the slightest hesitation. This has completely disrupted our plans."

Upon hearing what Onoki said, the Iwa ninja, who had previously been quite pleased with their performance, suddenly became serious.

That's not all. Onoki continued, "We Iwa ninja are relatively fortunate. We received intelligence from our allies that all of Kirigakure's ships were destroyed, and Sunagakure suffered heavy losses in logistics and supplies. Most importantly, the Konoha army, led by the Fourth Hokage Senju Kumo-tei, launched a surprise attack on Kumogakure, and we still don't know the outcome. All of this has put the Five Nations Alliance in a very bad position, having been caught off guard by Konoha's timing!"

At this time, Onoki was unaware that the Cloud Ninja had shot themselves in the foot, making the Cloud Court's surprise attack incredibly successful. In the end, the Cloud Ninja was completely wiped out, and the remaining Cloud Ninja forces were also turned into his own.

If he knew, he'd probably be stamping his feet in frustration right now.

Even so, when Onoki explained the current situation, the others looked even more serious, and there was no longer any ease on their faces.

Just then, Onoki's son, the experienced commander of the Iwa ninja, Yotsuchi, took a deep breath and said:

"Although Konoha gained a significant advantage by exploiting the time difference, we can see that the Kirigakure and Sand Villages still have considerable manpower and will recover soon. As for the Cloud Village... even the Fourth Hokage wouldn't be able to completely eliminate them in a short time. Konoha is strong, but it can't possibly surpass the combined strength of the five nations. Just like now, even though Konoha has achieved many victories, the number of Konoha ninjas standing in our way is still five thousand fewer than ours."

"The advantage is ultimately on our side."

Hearing Huang Tu's explanation, many people in the room breathed a sigh of relief. Their emotions had been fluctuating wildly, and they had thought their situation was extremely precarious.

Seeing this, Onoki nodded slightly to the yellow earth and then spoke:

"Huang Tu is right. In terms of military strength, although Konoha's military power is the strongest in the ninja world, it is definitely at a disadvantage against the combined forces of almost the entire ninja world. As for the Fourth Hokage, Senju Kumo-tei, our 'ally' Uchiha Obito has already informed Uchiha Madara of the start of the war, and the latter will soon be entangled with him. So, although Konoha has achieved some results by striking first, it won't be long before the advantage shifts to our side. But!"

At this point, Onoki's tone suddenly rose, and he looked around at everyone with an extremely serious expression, saying:

"War is never just about the numbers on paper. Neither you nor I ever imagined that Konoha would achieve such results with its multifaceted strength. Who could have predicted what new tricks the enemy would come up with next?"

"Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary trouble, if we have the advantage, we must act swiftly and decisively, and never deliberately drag our feet or not go all out."

The main reason why coalitions with seemingly superior strength on paper rarely achieve victory is that the various parties forming the coalition have many ulterior motives.

I feel unbalanced because I suffered more losses than others, and I fear that someone in the coalition is deliberately using the enemy to weaken us.

There was much suspicion among the various parties within the alliance, which often led to a situation where allies remained unmoved in times of trouble, while the enemy would retreat swiftly when attacked, ultimately resulting in a chaotic defeat in the war.

Ohnoki's immediate priority is to avoid this situation.

Especially after discovering that the five nations had agreed to a joint attack, but now the Mist Ninja, Sand Ninja, and Cloud Ninja, who were unaware of the situation, had suddenly fallen silent for a period of time.

Facing 15,000 Konoha ninjas and Iwa ninjas on their own, they were naturally unwilling to pay a heavy price to fight them.

In the end, the Hidden Mist Ninja and Sand Ninja fought tooth and nail against Konoha's main forces, while the Hidden Mist Ninja and Sand Ninja got a huge advantage. It was such a bad deal for them.

There must be many Iwa ninja who think this way right now.

Onoki and Hikari had just been working together to dissuade them from this idea.

Although he has always been known as "two-faced" by outsiders, he has always done things that harm others for his own benefit.

Even the Fourth Raikage, A, was worried before his death that if the Five Nations Alliance won, it would be that old bastard Onoki who would betray the Cloud Ninja.

But this time, Onoki is going to do something that benefits others at his own expense.

This is not because he suddenly developed an international spirit of dedication.

Rather, he was well aware that only when the Iwa ninja made a sacrifice that disregarded their own interests and put the public interest first would the other four countries put their last bit of wariness at ease and allow them to truly unleash their full strength.

Only by truly uniting the forces of the five-nation alliance can they have a real chance to defeat Konoha, Senju Kumo-tei, and... Uchiha Madara!

Therefore, even if it means making huge sacrifices, the Iwa ninja are willing to do so.

In any case, the Iwa ninja don't have the ambitions of Konoha. After defeating them, the ninja world would be satisfied with a situation where the five great nations stand side by side.

Therefore, in the time to come, the 20,000 Iwa ninja cannot afford to waste a moment and must go all out.

Let Konoha, the four kingdoms, and the entire ninja world see the determination that Iwa ninja has made for this war.

"With the advantage of 5,000 more ninjas, Konoha's 15,000 Iwa ninjas must be defeated as quickly as possible. If they are defeated, Konoha will have no chance of turning the tide. Therefore, I order 20,000 Iwa ninjas to immediately set off, their target Konoha's army. Remember! All-out attack!"

Having said all that needed to be said, Onoki surveyed the crowd with a serious and earnest gaze, and then...

"If anyone is deliberately delaying, preserving their strength, or being afraid of death, then don't blame my Dust Escape for being indiscriminate!"

"Yes!"

Everyone present immediately answered in unison.

Even if some people had objections, given Onoki's current unyielding and unassailable attitude, they could only sigh deeply and follow orders.

"Then let's proceed according to plan!" Onoki nodded in satisfaction.

"As ordered!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Tu led a large group of people out of the camp and commanded 20,000 Yan ninja to set off.

Meanwhile, the others inside the tent were not idle either. As Ōnoki issued his other orders, they also began to take action.

“Send a team to gather intelligence on the Cloud Ninja; we haven’t heard from them for a long time.”

"Tell the Sand Village envoy that the Iwa Village will replenish their missing logistical supplies. Let them focus all their efforts on breaking through Konoha's defenses in the Land of Rivers."

"As for Kirigakure... even if we send our own ships there, they'll most likely be destroyed by the Konoha air force. The key is those flying ninja tools. Pass on my orders to transfer all of Iwagakure's flying ninja tool technology to Kirigakure. Also, allocate additional funds to help Kirigakure accelerate the construction of their air force."

Knowing that the real predicament of the Mist Ninja lies not in the ships, but in the lack of air power, Onoki, with no way to effectively combat the situation, could only do so much.

As the commander-in-chief of the five-nation coalition, it can be said that everything he is doing right now is absolutely conscientious and responsible.

Finally, with his stubby fingers pointing forcefully to the location of the Land of Iron on the huge map hanging behind him, Onoki said with a fierce glint in his eyes, "The number of Konoha ninjas has been reduced due to the many entanglements. In the name of the commander-in-chief of the Five Nations Alliance, inform Mifune that it is time to send out the samurai army to break through the defenses. I want him to turn the heart of the Land of Fire upside down."

"Yes!"

With a series of orders issued and under Onoki's manipulation, the most intense battle of the Fourth Shinobi World War is about to begin.

Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, Lightning, Iron, Wave, Grass, River, Hot Water, and Frost—these nations, which occupy the vast majority of the ninja world, have either actively or passively participated in this war, which can be described as the largest in scale.

But this is just the beginning, and it is very likely that it will have a wider impact later.

Among them, a country that should have participated much earlier but had remained silent suddenly caught Onoki's attention.

The Rain Country, situated between fire, earth, and wind, is geographically very important, yet it has yet to express any stance on the matter.

Onoki frowned and added, "Why hasn't Hanzo replied yet? Send someone to urge him again!"

Chapter 253 Jiraiya of Amegakure

Thanks to the inaction of Madara and Obito, who are considered "best allies of the year," Onoki, who is unaware that Hanzo, whom he mentioned, is dead, is very dissatisfied with the lack of response from the Amegakure ninja, whose situation has changed drastically.

I know you've closed your country off from the world, but now that you're caught in the middle of a major war, do you still think you can stay safe by continuing to cower in your shell?

Have we forgotten what happened in the Second Shinobi World War?

"Everyone says that Hanzo has been depressed these past few years, and now it seems that it's true!"

Onoki shook his head.

Even so, those who need to be urged still need to be urged.

Unlike other small countries, Amegakure, with Hanzo as its leader, is quite powerful.

Although it fought against three opponents during World War II, it suffered heavy losses.

However, Konoha, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure also suffered heavy losses, with countless people dying at Hanzo's hands (just like the battle that gave birth to the name of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, where all the Konoha members except for Tsunade and the other two died in battle).

The title "demigod" was truly well-deserved back then.

Although Hanzo is now quite old and weak, with the Rain Ninja forces that have been rebuilt and developed over the years, in the current contest between Konoha and the Five Nations Alliance, which is almost evenly matched, Ōnoki would not want to choose to invade without notice like during World War II and push the Rain Ninja to Konoha's side unless absolutely necessary.

"Tell Hanzo again that if Konoha defeats Amegakure, they will be expelled from the party, but the Five Nations Alliance will not. If he's not completely out of his mind, he'll know what choice to make. Tell him to stop dragging his feet; the Five Nations' patience is limited!"

Ohnoki gave the final instructions.

After his subordinates went out to deliver the message, the tall, burly man Huang Tu walked in and said, "Lord Tsuchikage, all the Iwa ninja have assembled."

"Then let's set off!" Onoki slammed his hands on the table, his voice firm. "I've been waiting for this battle for a long time!"

......

soon.

The news that the Iwa ninja army was advancing swiftly towards the Land of Grass without pause had naturally reached Konoha.

Although surprised by the Iwa ninja's reckless and immediate action, the Konoha leadership, headed by Minato, prepared and quickly responded.

Orders were sent out from the Leaf Village headquarters in the Land of Grass to all parts of the country.

Fifteen thousand Konoha ninja also quickly set off.

"Shisui's plan against the Mist Ninja was very successful, so he informed the village that there was no need to send another 2,000 reinforcements."

Inside the main tent, Minato, whose preparations were nearly complete, looked at the other battlefield information transmitted from the village and smiled faintly.

“We are under a lot of pressure here, so we can notify the village to send the two thousand people they have freed up to us. Kenichi, go and ask the village for permission right away.”

"Yes!" The ninja named Kenichi Yamanaka, the leader of the military communications squad, immediately nodded.

At this moment, Akimichi Choza added to Minato, "There's one more thing. Since the main force of the Iwa ninja has been mobilized, can we also send out the Amegakure ninja who are hiding in the shadows?"

Before setting off, Yun Ting had informed Minato and other key personnel in charge of the Iwa ninja that the Rain Ninja had defected to Konoha.

“Amegakure…” After hearing Choza’s words, Minato pondered for a moment and then shook his head, saying, “Just tell Jiraiya-sensei, who is staying in Amegakure, all the details about us and Iwagakure. Compared to you and me, Jiraiya-sensei, who has more experience in battle, will judge the best time to strike.”