Ōnoki's View

Ōnoki from Iwagakure was also having a bit of a headache.

Based on Konoha's various actions, he had begun to trust the short Hokage.

At the same time, it also raised hopes for lasting peace in the Shinobi World.

Unfortunately, the other party went too far this time, actually planning to welcome members of the Akatsuki Organization into Amegakure.

Even if I agree, the other high-ranking officials in the village won't.

As the Tsuchikage, he had to make a gesture of opposition to Konoha's proposal.

It's important to know that the conflict between the two sides over Amegakure and Kusagakure has lasted for nearly a century.

Now that Kusagakure is effectively under Konoha's control, Iwagakure has lost a bridgehead, and Amegakure absolutely cannot be allowed to become part of Konoha's sphere of influence.

"I knew Konoha had ulterior motives. They probably used the formation of the Shinobi Alliance to gradually annex and dismantle our sphere of influence, so they could dominate the Shinobi World!"

A high-ranking official roared, his neck stiff, seemingly hoping to start a war with Konoha at any moment.

"That's right, we can no longer sit idly by and watch Konoha dominate. Lord Tsuchikage, Sunagakure Kumogakure have already sided with the other side. We absolutely cannot back down any longer!"

Upon hearing this, Ōnoki's lips twitched.

You know that Sunagakure and Kumogakure are on each other's side, yet you still clamor to oppose Konoha.

Aren't you afraid that these three families will unite and divide up Iwagakure?

Do you really think my Dust Release can take on ten thousand enemies single-handedly?

The last one who single-handedly took on ten thousand enemies—the grass on his grave is already as tall as me, you know?

Ōnoki didn't reply, and began to think about the current situation.

Giving in now is absolutely not an option. Putting aside how the villagers will view us, if other enemies sense that we are retreating, Iwagakure will face even greater risks.

However, continuing the standoff is not a good solution.

After the Shinobi Alliance was formed, in order to show its sincerity, Konoha proposed to share information on military equipment and took the initiative to show its own military equipment.

You won't believe it until you see it, and what you find will shock you.

The power they've displayed alone is enough to wipe out one of the five hidden villages on their own.

To fight such a terrifying opponent, forget about Dust Release; even if you dragged Madara Uchiha out, he'd still get slapped twice.

Konoha actually managed to produce two Susanoo of weakness.

That's terrifying! Why does the Uchiha Clan even exist in the Shinobi World?

This was the first time that Ōnoki had so vehemently despised the theory of bloodline.

Amniotic fluid really is the first dividing line between people, right?

I want to be reborn as Uchiha in my next life!

These days, time-travel novels are all the rage, right? When I kick the bucket, I absolutely have to transmigrate into the Uchiha Clan and awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan right from the start!

After venting his frustrations to himself, Ōnoki finally spoke up, stopping the argument among the higher-ups.

"Regarding this matter, tell Tsuchikage not to back down. I will negotiate with the Fifth Hokage and see what they really mean."

Ōnoki spoke, the higher-ups below naturally fell silent and rose from their seats.

For a moment, only Kitsuchi remained in the conference room.

"Dad..."

Call me Tsuchikage.

"Tsuchikage, are you really going to go with that brat..." Kitsuchi asked with some worry.

My own father was seriously shocked last time; his blood pressure almost skyrocketed, and his face turned as red as a tomato.

If I were to negotiate with that sharp-tongued brat again, his ears would probably bleed.

Kitsuchi knew that there was no one in Iwagakure who could take over the mantle from his father, so he was naturally worried about the other man's condition.

"Hmph, don't worry, that brat may have a sharp tongue, but his heart..."

Ōnoki waved his hand, and for some reason, the image of Hashirama appeared in his mind.

"Everyone thinks that kid has bad intentions and is a dangerous element, but in my opinion, he's not a bad person. He's unconventional, disrespectful to elders, and his mouth isn't very clean, but he cares about the Shinobi World."

Recalling the various intelligence reports he had seen, Ōnoki's lips suddenly curled up slightly. "You know what? That brat was actually willing to take out the village's money to subsidize ordinary people. You know, ninjas have always been supported by the Daimyo's Mansion and the people. It's unheard of for ninjas to support the people in return."

Thanks to him, the common people in all the villages are now thinking about joining Konoha. If there weren't suitable channels, probably everyone in our village would have run away."

Kitsuchi was clearly aware of this as well. "Yes, at first I thought the intelligence was wrong, but more and more sources have confirmed its authenticity. I'm also very curious why this Hokage puts so much effort into the people."

For ninjas, civilians were merely tools of production. The ninjas used force to protect them from external invasion, while the civilians, in turn, had to support and provide for the ninjas' wars through various taxes.

After all, the funds from the Daimyo's Mansion are ultimately external factors, and the village itself needs its own funding channels.

"This kind of person is neither a bad person nor a good person."

Ōnoki offered his assessment. "A brat who acts on his own whims; if it weren't for his father backing him up, he would have been..."

He didn't finish his sentence because Ōnoki remembered Kazashiro's strength.

"Hmph, fine, I'm not going to see the Hokage either. Send someone to invite that brat Yahiko over. I want to see what kind of person Konoha wants to put in charge of Amegakure."

After hearing this, Kitsuchi knew that his father had already decided to compromise, but he couldn't bring it up himself because of the face of the higher-ups.

The purpose of meeting with Yahiko now is to find a suitable way to address this issue.

For example, the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure and the leader of Akatsuki Organization had a very pleasant conversation, so they decided to support the latter in taking over Amegakure...

In short, he had to give the higher-ups a respectable reason.

"Old man, it's time you found a successor."

Looking at his father, who was already quite old but still had to work hard for the village, Kitsuchi suddenly had the idea of hoping that his father would retire.

"Hmph, you're not qualified to make me relinquish power!"

Ōnoki waved his sleeves, directly refuting Kitsuchi's words.