The money and goods had changed hands, and Ōnoki eventually found the sealed and imprisoned Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Roshi, at the place written on the slip of paper.
His body was covered in Sealing Jutsu. The Sunagakure ninjas seemed to have treated Roshi like a test subject, trying all kinds of new Sealing Jutsu on him.
Fortunately, the problem wasn't too serious. They were all Sealing Jutsu that could be broken with skill alone, though the process was a little tedious.
After retrieving Roshi, Ōnoki rushed to the border and joined up with the forces stationed there in advance. Then they returned to Iwagakure.
Three days later, after a thorough examination, Ōnoki was so furious he nearly jumped out of his skin. That night, many people in Iwagakure heard the sound of things breaking in the Tsuchikage's office.
For reasons unknown, Roshi had been completely crippled, though he could still manage his daily activities.
But any strenuous activity, or borrowing the Tailed Beast Chakra, caused his heart to ache fiercely. His heartbeat became erratic, he felt weak and dizzy, and during the worst incident, he even went into shock on the spot.
Iwagakure's top fighter had become a pathetic ninja with the strength of an ordinary Jonin. For the rest of his life, he had only one chance to fight with all his might:
He could disregard his own safety, pay with his life, and enter the Perfect Form Tailed Beast state.
The more brilliant the fireworks, the closer they were to fading away.
Taking such a humiliating loss wasn't Ōnoki's style. A day later, information about Rasa's abilities was distributed to every ninja in Iwagakure.
At the same time, various regulations were issued: if they encountered Rasa during a mission, ninjas could abandon the mission without being punished.
When Iwagakure ninjas went out on missions, if the mission brought them into contact with Sunagakure, they were not to wear metal Forehead Protectors. They were all to switch to wooden ones.
If frontline ninjas didn't rely so heavily on Taijutsu and ninja tools in battle, Ōnoki might even have replaced every ninja tool in Iwagakure with a wooden one.
Rumor had it that Ōnoki had also secretly issued a mission to search for high-hardness wood...
Overpraise to ruin.
Such a major commotion in Iwagakure naturally couldn't be hidden from the outside world. News about Rasa soon spread throughout the Shinobi World.
The Shinobi World was shaken!
Sunagakure had risen another top-tier fighter, a Kage Level powerhouse who posed a tremendous threat to frontline ninjas and even Jonin.
The great ninja villages all discussed what to do if they encountered Rasa, and how to counter his ability to manipulate metal.
The answer was that it was almost impossible. Everyone knew Ōnoki and understood the strength of the Kage. How to target and restrict them had always been a well-worn topic among enemy villages.
True Kage Level powerhouses feared neither countermeasures nor restrictions. They might have weaknesses, but even when restricted, they remained Kage Level powerhouses.
That was the difference between Kage Level and quasi-Kage Level: true Kage feared no countermeasures.
Konohagakure.
Danzo clutched a stack of documents and stormed into the Hokage's office, his face dark. He went straight to Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk and slapped the documents down in front of him.
He said grimly, "Sarutobi, Sunagakure extorted a batch of military supplies from the Land of Earth, and its personnel have been moving around a lot lately.
"On top of that, a young Kage Level powerhouse like Rasa has risen within the village. I believe Sunagakure is preparing for war and already poses a considerable threat to us.
"We should strike first. Gather our ninja forces immediately and go to war with Sunagakure."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat there as calm as ever. This was the third time Danzo had urged him to attack Sunagakure.
He skimmed through the documents. They were nothing more than reports about Sunagakure's troop movements and intelligence on Rasa, much the same as before.
Resting both hands on the documents, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed helplessly. "Danzo, I've told you many times.
"This is just ordinary preparation for war. The situation is tense, and everyone is doing what Sunagakure is doing.
"You can't draw any conclusions from that alone."
Danzo was deeply dissatisfied with Hiruzen Sarutobi's dismissive attitude and urged him again. "We must always be on our guard.
"Sarutobi, have you forgotten how Sunagakure coveted the fertile lands of the Land of Fire and went to war with us more than a decade ago?
"There's no reason the past can't repeat itself. We should send our forces first, at least so we can seize the initiative."
"That isn't a reason for us to attack the Land of Wind first."
Hiruzen Sarutobi rejected Danzo's proposal outright and patiently explained, "Danzo, I know you've always supported expansion abroad.
"But have you ever considered what we would gain from taking the Land of Wind—or the Land of Earth or the Land of Lightning, for that matter?
"The Land of Fire is vast and rich in resources. We have everything the other villages have, as well as things they don't.
"We have no reason to expand abroad. It would not serve the village's interests.
"Besides, the fact that Konohagakure has so many resources is already a blessing from the heavens. As long as we don't expand, the other villages may feel resentful, but it will be difficult for them to unite.
"But if we strike first and seize any country, every other village will feel threatened. They'll truly unite and do everything they can to kick us out.
"We need peace. We must not show the slightest intention of expanding abroad. As the art of war says, surround an army but leave it an escape route. As long as we don't drive the other villages into a corner, they won't fight like cornered beasts."
With that, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly closed his eyes.
That was why he preferred to be passive. Konohagakure couldn't withstand an all-out assault from the other villages, so he had to do everything possible to prevent that from happening.
Danzo fell silent for a moment, realizing he couldn't persuade Hiruzen Sarutobi. Settling for the next best thing, he said sharply, "Then assassinate Rasa first.
"He poses far too great a threat to ordinary ninjas. If war breaks out, he'll be Sunagakure's sharpest blade."
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and tossed the documents Danzo had brought into the trash can. "Ōnoki poses a great threat to ordinary ninjas, too.
"Should we send someone to assassinate him as well? Danzo, that would already amount to a declaration of war. It would only make the other villages even more united against us."
This was forbidden, and that was forbidden too!
"Sarutobi, you'll regret your decision sooner or later!" Danzo stormed out in anger, sweeping his sleeve aside as he vanished into the shadows.
I am the Root that protects Konohagakure. Let me bear all its sins and evils.
Please vote for me... There were so few votes yesterday, only five or six hundred.
Before you continue