When he reached the door, Akatsuchi paused slightly.
"Lord Tsuchikage."
"What is it?"
"Kurotsuchi may have spoken rashly just now, but she does understand the gravity of the situation."
Akatsuchi turned back.
"She merely believes in you."
Ōnoki's brow twitched.
The anger on his face finally faded somewhat.
"Leave."
Akatsuchi said nothing more.
He lowered his head, withdrew from the office, and gently shut the door behind him.
Ōnoki floated up alone.
He crossed over the desk and slowly approached the wall.
Portraits of the previous Tsuchikage hung there.
At the very front was the First Tsuchikage, Ishikawa.
The old man who had founded Iwagakure wore a tranquil expression.
Even as a mere portrait, he still carried the weight of countless years.
Ōnoki looked up at him for a long time.
"Young people only see strength and weakness."
"They cannot see the great tide that sweeps along behind the strong."
His voice was quiet.
There was no one else in the office, and he no longer needed to maintain the Tsuchikage's dignity.
Lie Yang was no longer an ordinary S-rank Missing-nin.
No matter how powerful an ordinary Kage Level expert was, his influence was ultimately limited.
The ninja villages could negotiate.
They could surround and kill him.
They could also slowly wear him down with terrain, intelligence, and manpower.
But once someone's power reached the level of the God of Shinobi, many conventional methods became meaningless.
Such a person did not need to actively vie for power.
Nor did he need to establish a ninja village.
As long as he was willing to unleash his power, the entire Shinobi World would change around his choices.
Hashirama Senju was the most direct example.
People always said that the First was kind and benevolent.
They said his heart embraced peace.
That he