The night wind howled and the moonlight dimmed.
Ōnoki was lying on Kitsuchi's back, his old face covered with cold sweat.
His waist flashed when he was escaping just now. His seventy-year-old bones and the speed he exploded at the critical moment of life and death finally paid the price.
At this moment, every bump caused a heartbreaking pain in his waist, but he gritted his teeth and remained silent.
Behind him, three thousand remaining soldiers were fleeing madly.
No, no, it's less than three thousand.
Ōnoki looked back and saw that the sparse team was scattered over several miles.
Some people were running, some were crawling, some could no longer run and collapsed on the side of the road, being ignored by those behind them.
The only ones who could still maintain their formation were the few hundred elites he brought out personally, but they were all injured and in a miserable state.
Ten thousand people.
A total of ten thousand people.
Ōnoki Close your eyes, and the scene when you set off comes to mind.
Ten thousand troops, flags fluttering, and morale like a rainbow. That is Iwagakure's family background, the elites he has cultivated with decades of hard work.
He led them to surround and kill that Uchiha kid with confidence.
What's the result?
As a result, only 3,000 remaining soldiers were left.
Seven thousand people were buried in a foreign land.
Among them are Han people.
Five-Tails Jinchuriki, Iwagakure The pillar of the future, the child he watched grow up, is dead.
He died in the hands of that monster, leaving no body behind, only a handful of ashes scattered in the wind.
"Father..." Kitsuchi's voice came from below, choked with sobs, "Your waist..."
"Shut up." Ōnoki's voice was hoarse but still stern, "Run your way."
Although the old man's waist was low, he still had a natural suppressive power over his son.
Kitsuchi didn't dare to speak anymore and just ran as fast as he could.
He knows how his father is feeling now.
He also knew what his father was thinking at the moment.
Regret.
Endless regret.
Ōnoki is indeed regretting it.
But what he regrets is not that he offended Uchiha Shaoyu, that is inevitable.
If Uchiha Shaoyu takes refuge in Kumogakure instead of Iwagakure, they will definitely not become their friends, but only their enemies.
It is inevitable that you will offend Uchiha Shaoyu.
The fact that Uchiha Shaoyu is alive is the biggest threat to Iwagakure. Sooner or later, he will face him. He will face him sooner or later, he will face him sooner or later.
What he regretted was - why didn't he kill him earlier?
A few years ago, Uchiha Shaoyu defected from Konoha and went to Kumogakure.
At that time, he was just a teenager. Although he was extremely talented, he was far from what he is today. If at that time, Iwagakure had sent out elites to intercept and kill him in the middle of the road...
If at that time, he took action personally, at all costs...
If only then...
Ōnoki's fists clenched loudly.
There is no if.
There is no regret in selling medicine.
At that time, he didn't care at all about a kid who defected. At that time, he was still staring at Konoha, Sunagakure, and those old rivals.
Who would have thought that a teenage boy would grow to this point in just a few years?
Who could have imagined that he would become the monster he is today?
"Damn..." Ōnoki murmured, his voice full of bitterness, "Damn..."
Kitsuchi heard it, but he didn't dare to ask.
He just ran as hard as he could, running in the direction of Iwagakure.
Behind him, the remaining defeated generals were also running desperately.
No one dared to stop.
Because that monster may still be chasing you.
Although they saw with their own eyes that the huge monster disappeared, and although they saw with their own eyes that Uchiha Shaoyu stood where it was and did not pursue it, they did not dare to bet.
What if? What if the monster appears again? What if Uchiha Shaoyu changes his mind?
run.
Can only run.
Run to Iwagakure, run to a safe place, and run behind the thick rock wall.
Run... to a place where you can catch your breath.
Ōnoki lay on Kitsuchi's back, looking at the battlefield farther and farther away, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness in his heart.
In more than seventy years of ninja career, he has never been as embarrassed as he is today.
Never.
He recalled the years when he was young and fighting with the contemporary Tsuchikage.
At that time, he had encountered strong enemies and experienced defeats, but he had never been defeated by one person and his entire army was wiped out.
Wrong
There is a person.
Uchiha Madara.
But now, the same Uchiha Clan is also so powerful.
Uchiha Shaoyu, green is better than blue.
The ten thousand people he brought, the hundreds of elites he carefully selected, and himself, Third Tsuchikage, were all defeated by one man.
What a shame is this?
How terrifying is this?
"Speed up." He said in a hoarse voice, "We must leave this area before dawn."
Kitsuchi nodded, gritted his teeth, and quickened his pace.
Behind him, the three thousand remaining soldiers were also speeding up.
Under the moonlight, this broken team, like a bereaved dog, fled madly towards the north.
Three days later.
Iwagakure.
The door of Tsuchikage's office was pushed open violently, and a Anbu rushed in, his face pale.
"Lord Tsuchikage! Kumogakure's side... Kumogakure's side has sent someone!"
Ōnoki was sitting on a chair, with a thick bandage wrapped around his waist, and his old face was full of exhaustion. He did not raise his head, but spoke slowly.
"What are you here for?"
He actually already had a rough idea of what was going on.
"Come... come and ask us to surrender."
Anbu's voice was trembling, "They said that if we don't surrender, Uchiha Shaoyu will come to visit in person."
Ōnoki's hand trembled slightly.
Uchiha Shaoyu, come and visit in person.
He knew very well what that meant.
It means that Iwagakure may be destroyed just this time.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Let them in."
After a while, a Kumogakure Jonin walked into the office with a businesslike indifference on his face.
He held a document in his hand and placed it in front of Ōnoki.
"Lord Tsuchikage, this is an autographed letter from Elder Shaoyu."
Ōnoki Open the envelope and take out the letter paper.
There are only a few lines on it, very simple and direct--
"Lord Tsuchikage:
Seven thousand people, are you enough to remember the lesson?
If it's not enough, I can do it again.
Next time, it won't be seven thousand.
Please surrender, or perish. It's your choice.
Uchiha Shaoyu"
Ōnoki's hands are shaking.
It's not anger, it's helplessness.
He put down the letter and looked at the Kumogakure Jonin.
"Tell Uchiha Shaoyu..." His voice was hoarse, but every word was extremely clear, "Iwagakure, please surrender."
The Kumogakure jounin nodded, turned and left.
"I understand."
Ōnoki is the only person left in the office.
He looked out the window, at the familiar rock wall, at the village where he had lived for more than seventy years, his eyes full of sadness.