I was broadcast live while taking the Chunin Exam!

Konoha's strength was due to the hard work of the first two Hokage, but the Third Hokage clearly didn't learn anything from them.

The First Hokage was invincible in the ninja world because of his bloodline limit, which is something that can't be learned.

Chapter 789 The Essence of War

"If you think about it carefully, Konoha's strength really doesn't have much to do with the Third Hokage. Hiruzen Sarutobi doesn't seem to have any notable achievements." Kitahara Kaede shook his head as he said this.

Although he didn't think Hiruzen Sarutobi was some heinous villain, it was certain that he was ambitious but incompetent.

The achievements of World War I and World War II were due to the sacrifices of Tobirama Senju, Mito Uzumaki, and Sakumo Hatake; the Third Hokage was merely resting on the laurels.

As for the Third Shinobi World War, the Third Hokage never even went to the front lines...

Hiruzen Sarutobi's strength is completely unproven by any outstanding achievements.

Orochimaru was probably well aware of this, otherwise he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to have his teacher die in battle in the name of Hokage.

"Indeed, Hiruzen Sarutobi's methods surpass his strength; that's an indisputable fact," Onoki sighed.

Among the disciples of the Second Hokage, Uchiha Kagami was the best candidate for Hokage, but unfortunately he was an Uchiha.

Although the Second Hokage had no objection to his disciple, the name Uchiha was enough to offend him.

During the Second Hokage's reign, the Uchiha clan suffered constant suppression. If Uchiha Kagami were to become Hokage, that suppression would inevitably escalate.

At that time, Tobirama Senju no longer had the opportunity to deal with this matter.

“In fact, I always felt that Tobirama Senju chose Hiruzen Sarutobi as Hokage only as a transitional step,” Kitahara Kaede said.

"Young Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed a ninja hero, full of spirit and with considerable strength. He was the best candidate to maintain the status quo as Hokage. But who could have imagined that this old man would remain in office for so many years?" Onoki was also surprised when he said this.

"You seem to have forgotten that you've been in power longer than Hiruzen Sarutobi," Kitahara Kaede said, slightly teasing Onoki.

Onoki just rolled his eyes at Kitahara Kaede.

"How can I be the same as Hiruzen Sarutobi? I'm the one who pioneered the Iwagakure region, while he's just guarding Konoha's legacy," Onoki couldn't help but defend himself.

"Indeed, comparing you to Hiruzen Sarutobi is somewhat insulting. This is the difference between a Kage who grows up in adversity and a Kage who has a smooth life," Kitahara Kaede couldn't help but sigh.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did have the resolve to sacrifice himself for Konoha, but even Danzo had that, so there's nothing to brag about.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's biggest mistake was occupying a position despite lacking the necessary skills!

"The history of the ninja world, in the end, is nothing more than a struggle for resources, which is unavoidable," Onoki sighed.

The war in the ninja world depletes the population, and then there will be a period of relative peace.

Even if the ninja world had far more abundant resources than it does now, war would still be inevitable.

Population growth is not a simple addition, but an exponential growth.

In a world consisting only of ninjas, war is inevitable.

“Actually, Nagato and his group’s pursuit of peace was the right approach. At that time, no method was more suitable for the ninja world than theirs,” Onoki said slowly.

Everyone can probably see this, but the reason they don't accept this peace is also very simple.

That is, none of them are willing to relinquish their dominant position.

This is the crux of the contradiction.

"We don't need to worry about that now. The universe is infinite, and resources won't be a problem for a long time." Kitahara Kaede looked up at the sky.

The strength of the Otsutsuki clan did not lie in their superior talent or bloodline compared to ordinary people, but rather in their near-limitless resources.

Within the known universe, the Otsutsuki clan are the overlords!

A single fruit from a divine tree can create a being at the Six Paths level; with a little more growth, that being can step into the realm of order!

Such conditions could make anyone a strong person.

“As long as resources are not unlimited, war is inevitable. I never thought that we would one day become plunderers.” Onoki sighed.

If the ninja world is to develop, it will inevitably expand outwards. Plundering resources is unavoidable.

"What? Do you still think it's best for the ninja world to remain in this isolated corner?" Kitahara Kaede mocked.

He knew that Onoki was just talking; when it came to fighting for the interests of the ninja world, this old guy was more excited than anyone else!

Harmonious coexistence between civilizations? That's just a phase! War remains the dominant theme!

"How could that be? I'll at least secure enough resources for Iwagakure to last for ten thousand years!" Onoki's voice rose slightly.

"That's just how the world is. What's a hero to one is an enemy to another. There's no such thing as justice or injustice; it's all about survival and a better life," Kitahara Kaede said.

"Which village do you plan to start intimidating first?" Onoki asked.

"Let's start with Konoha. Konoha has the strongest remaining strength, and the deterrent effect of moving Konoha Village will be the best," Kitahara Kaede said with a sigh.

"I will not allow the buildings of Konoha to be damaged. As long as no one comes to stop me, it is very easy to do so," Onoki said.

"You actually have a layer of rock protecting you, right? Like Gaara's Sand Armor?" Kitahara Kaede asked.

"Yes, I have a large pile of rocks glued to my surface. Although the defense is good, it also consumes a lot of energy." Onoki didn't hide anything.

"Your path forward might be the influence of space on mass. If you can freely enlarge and shrink mass, you might be on the verge of becoming a master," Kitahara Kaede said, sharing his thoughts.

He never liked being in a superior position.

While he wouldn't easily relinquish his position as the strongest, he would absolutely not choose to kill anyone who threatened his status in order to maintain it.

That was such a stupid thing to do!

Having achieved the status of a Dominator, Kitahara Kaede understands that the longer one remains at the Dominator level, the stronger one becomes.

Talent? Time can wear it all down!

Kitahara Kaede's talent is among the best in the world, but even now he lacks the confidence to defeat an old monster who has been at the Dominator level for countless years.

Although the rulers each have different understandings.

However, almost all Overlords can accelerate time, which is practically an essential skill for them.

The power of time still holds a very important position at the level of domination.

"Quality?" Ohnoki said thoughtfully.

Mass amplification can lead to the formation of black holes, which is certainly a promising path!

Chapter 790 The Person Who Will Take Action

The gravity of a black hole is so strong that even light cannot escape, and getting close to a black hole will cause distortion.

Once the ability to control quality is fully mastered, controlling time will no longer be a problem.

“Of course, if you have any ideas, I can tell you, but the path of the ruler can only be walked by oneself,” Kitahara Kaede said.

If he were to pass on his understanding of quality to Onoki, then Onoki would only be able to grow by relying on Kitahara Kaede's growth.

This is the master level, a level that can only be mastered by oneself.

You can communicate and discuss, but you cannot imitate!

“It seems that at your level, this method of learning can no longer make you stronger,” Onoki realized.

Learning is merely mastering what already exists; true mastery requires creation!

Kitahara Kaede could say what direction the future might take, but he couldn't tell others how to proceed down that path...

"If I reach a higher level, perhaps you can become stronger through learning," Kitahara Kaede said noncommittally.

"Alright, I'd better go back to sleep. I've been hunted for over a decade and haven't had a proper rest. I'm an old man!" Onoki said casually, then turned and left.

He has put aside all his previous doubts and worries.

Will the people of the ninja world be angry after they learn the truth? Perhaps, but by then they certainly won't be in the mood to be angry anymore.

Having witnessed the vastness of the universe, they naturally wouldn't dwell on the issues of a single village or region.

Even if there were such idiots, they absolutely could not have survived until that time.

"Kakashi, you and A, come out here. You've been listening for so long, aren't you going to come out and talk?" As soon as Kitahara Kaede finished speaking, Kakashi and A stood beside him.

"It's truly amazing that you were able to persuade that stubborn old man, Onoki." Kakashi's words came from the bottom of his heart.

Although he and Onoki were comrades-in-arms, their relationship wasn't actually that good.

Onoki does like to bring up his status to some extent.

He was the Tsuchikage, and moreover, an elder, so naturally he would look down on Kakashi, this young man.

“He’s just a bit old-fashioned in his mindset. Once he adapts, he might be a completely different person.” Ai continued, “After listening to what you all said, I realized what the Third Hokage was like. Maybe I could have been a little more ruthless when I was plotting the Byakugan.”

“Indeed, you missed the Sharingan back then. If you just repeat the same trick and then ask for the Uchiha clan leader's corpse, Konoha will inevitably be thrown into turmoil,” Kitahara Kaede said lazily.

Since the Hyuga have already made sacrifices, if the Cloud Ninja demand the Sharingan again, Konoha will be in a dilemma.

Agree? Could the Uchiha clan really agree to hand over their clan leader? Not to mention that Fugaku Uchiha possessed the Mangekyou Sharingan at the time.

But if Konoha doesn't hand over the Uchiha's corpse, or even intends to start a war directly, then the sacrifice of the Hyuga clan will have been in vain.

What will the Hyuga clan think if they accept this? Doesn't it mean they're being looked down upon?

If the Cloud Ninja does this, Hiruzen Sarutobi will definitely be unable to cope.

Whether to fight or not, his prestige will decline, and it could even cause turmoil within Konoha.

"The Third Hokage was indeed a bit weak," Kakashi said, shaking his head.

He wouldn't try to whitewash Hiruzen Sarutobi with nonsense like "his original intentions were good," because that's just bullshit.

Does having good intentions justify hurting others? Hiruzen Sarutobi's biggest problem is that he's old and his strength isn't keeping up!

If he had the strength of the First Hokage, would any other ninja village dare to challenge him?

Using methods isn't necessarily wrong, but being skilled in methods without sufficient ability is something that won't be tolerated.

"Tell me the plan. If we start from Konoha, how do we deal with Naruto and Sasuke? Should we just beat them up?" Kakashi asked.

“Of course not, if we do that we won’t be able to hide,” Kitahara Kaede said.

"It would be best to be able to control both of them directly with illusion magic, otherwise a battle is inevitable," Ai said very seriously.

"You mean you want to use genjutsu to control a Jinchuriki and a Mangekyou Sharingan?" Kakashi was dumbfounded.

Jinchuriki and Uchiha are the most resistant to genjutsu, so controlling them with genjutsu can easily cause problems.

Especially since the person executing this illusion plan is Itachi Uchiha, who is obsessed with his younger brother... if he just goes easy on him, the effect will be completely different.

“Ai, you should make your move. Your order is speed; defeating both of them with your full power shouldn’t be difficult,” Kitahara Kaede said.

"I knew I wouldn't be able to stay idle, but you'll have to discuss the speed issue with me later." Ai readily agreed.

At a time like this, he has no reason to refuse!

The order of speed holds just as vast a future.

Doesn't it mean that exceeding the speed of light means exceeding the speed of time? The potential of speed as a power is vast, and there's no need for any doubts.

“...How about I step in? After all, I'm their teacher, and it's my duty to teach them a lesson,” Kakashi said.

He wanted this opportunity to deal with Naruto and Sasuke; it was a rare chance.

When he hastily ventured into the universe, there were still many things he hadn't passed on to his disciples.

"Your order is based on spatial utilization. Aren't you afraid that you'll expose everything the moment you make a move?" Kitahara Kaede looked at Kakashi with a sidelong glance.

Kakashi's abilities are too representative; in terms of spatial manipulation, there is almost no obvious difference between Kakashi and Obito's dual Kamui.

Letting him take action would easily arouse Naruto and Sasuke's suspicion, as they are no longer children.

Trying to fool the two of them (Wang and Zhao) is no easy task. On the contrary, Ai's speed is overwhelming, and he can also hide his identity very well.

The current leaders of the five major villages all have to undergo this kind of baptism.

Otherwise, how would the strength of the "enemy" be demonstrated? Onoki is only responsible for demonstrating "technique," while Ai is the one who demonstrates strength.

“If we do that, Darui will be in trouble. He might suspect me,” Ai said.

“It’s alright. The Hidden Cloud Village will have Onoki handle it, and they can use those ‘small’ pebbles to deal with Darui. That’s just right,” Kitahara Kaede said.

Then Ai's expression turned even more unpleasant...

Those grains of sand are what formed when the mountain peaks were shrunk.

Although Darui had mastered the Lightning Armor, he still couldn't withstand being hit on the head by a mountain.

If Onoki were to throw those pebbles now, the effect would be even more terrifying than Madara Uchiha's Heavenly Meteor...