While the Konoha Camp buzzed with excitement over Minato's victory, the Iwa front-line camp remained somber.
Ōnoki lay propped up on a soft couch, his severed arm bandaged and bleeding stopped by Medical Ninjas, but his face remained pale and drawn.
A group of Iwagakure leaders gathered around the sickbed, the room thick with a suffocating atmosphere.
"I never imagined that child would possess such overwhelming power," Ōnoki sighed deeply. "He's no longer a mere genius—he's a monster."
Recalling the sword strike that had left him utterly helpless and the rain of light that had illuminated the heavens, Ōnoki couldn't help but remember the terrifying figure who had once looked down upon him and the Second Tsuchikage during their alliance negotiations in Konoha—a figure as fearsome as a demon god.
Has Konoha once again produced such a terrifying existence?
Hearing Ōnoki's dejected sigh, the Iwa leaders exchanged uneasy glances.
Some hesitated, on the verge of speaking, but it was a seasoned Jonin who finally broke the silence.
"Lord Tsuchikage, your injuries—"
"I won't die."
Ōnoki waved his hand, propping himself up slightly using his remaining left hand on the bed's edge. "But this war cannot continue."
His words sent a ripple of shock through the room.
"Lord Tsuchikage!"
A relatively young ninja couldn't hold back his question. "Are we, Iwagakure, to surrender now? Though we've lost some troops, our overall losses aren't that severe. And we still have our Jinchūriki—"
"Jinchūriki—"
Ōnoki let out a bitter smile. "The Four-Tailed and Five-Tailed Beasts of Iwagakure were captured by the First Hokage using Wood Release and then sold to us!"
"Th—how is that possible?"
The ninja who had spoken looked utterly bewildered, as if his worldview had shattered.
"The First Hokage captured all Tailed Beasts except the One-Tailed Beast. The strongest, the Nine-Tailed Beast, was kept by Konoha. The rest were sold to other Ninja Villages."
Ōnoki shook his head slightly, his voice tinged with melancholy. "He hoped that the immense power of the Tailed Beasts would deter war, creating a balance of power that would keep the Ninja Villages in check."
"Though that balance shattered after his death, during the First Hokage's lifetime, no one dared to start a war."
"That's also why I chose to ambush Namikaze Minato. Had he been allowed to grow unchecked, he would likely have become another God of Shinobi, but—"
Ōnoki sighed heavily. "I underestimated the target's strength. This is my failure. When this war ends, I will resign in atonement."
"Lord Tsuchikage, you must not!"
The faces of the assembled officials paled, and they clamored to dissuade him.
"Let's set the resignation aside for now—"
A staff officer beside him spoke with a grave expression. "The war has barely begun. Surrendering now would not only be difficult to explain to the Daimyo's Office but would also tarnish our village's honor. The volume of future missions would likely plummet."
"We're caught between a rock and a hard place..."
"Why not fight Konoha to the bitter end?"
The medical ward descended into chaos. Ōnoki raised his hand, silencing the group. "Enough. Stop your bickering."
He surveyed the room, his expression weary.
After a moment's thought, he suddenly declared, "Send envoys to negotiate with Konoha. Tell them we were deceived by Sunagakure and are willing to join forces against their invasion."
"Sunagakure stands no chance in this war. This way, we can satisfy both the Daimyo's Office and our village's honor."
Since we can't win, we'll just latch onto a stronger ally and coast to victory!
Iwa needs a victory, and it doesn't matter who they fight.
They attacked Konoha before because Konoha had money.
But if Konoha can't be defeated, they'll attack Suna—after all, it's easier to bully the weak.
Even though Suna's economy means there won't be any substantial gains from winning, all they need is a victory.
The war has just begun. Although Minato killed hundreds of their soldiers, most were just cannon fodder Chūnin, which isn't a crippling blow to Iwa.
A two-on-one fight will be even easier!
Especially when it's two powerful forces against one weak one.
This way, Iwagakure's honor can be barely preserved, and the Daimyo's Office will be satisfied.
Meanwhile, in the Suna camp:
Several Shadow Guard members returned in disarray, bringing news that struck Suna like a bolt from the clear sky.
"The Third Kazekage... is dead?" Ebizo stared in disbelief at the group before him, his voice filled with disbelief.
"That guy—Namikaze Minato—he's a monster!"
The Sunagakure ninja leading the report had bloodshot eyes, a lingering trace of fear still lingering in them.
"He has flight capabilities and moves so fast we couldn't react. The Kazekage was defeated. He can also fire lasers and use some kind of flash-like ability. The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, had one of his arms severed by him—"
As the ninja spoke, a deathly silence fell over the command tent.
Ebizo remained silent for a long time before echoing Ōnoki's sentiment:
"He's practically a monster!"
Because the Shadow Guard returned in such disarray, and with some intentionally fanning the flames, news of the Third Kazekage's death spread through the camp like a plague.
"Did you hear? The Kazekage... he's dead."
"How is that possible? The Third Kazekage was the strongest! Where did you hear such a rumor?"
"It's not a rumor! The Shadow Guard returned and said it themselves—he was killed by Konoha's Namikaze Minato!"
"That Wood Release monster?!"
"They say he single-handedly slaughtered hundreds of Iwa ninja. He even severed one of Ōnoki's arms. They say he forced the Kazekage to self-destruct!"
Similar whispers spread through every corner of the camp. At first, they were hushed murmurs, but as more details emerged, the panic caused by the Wood Release monster began to spread through the camp like a tidal wave.
In an instant, the morale of the Sunagakure camp plummeted to its lowest point.
Panic gradually devolved into chaos.
Some radicals clamored for revenge for the Kazekage, while moderates tried to de-escalate the situation. Most were simply lost, unsure of what to do next.
Ebizo was utterly exhausted. Sunagakure had emptied its coffers for this war, and now with the front lines failing and the Kazekage dead, he, as chief strategist, found himself in the same impossible position the Third Kazekage had once occupied.
Worse still was the factional infighting. The Third Kazekage's death had destabilized the already turbulent internal politics of Sunagakure, removing its balancing force. Representatives from different factions argued endlessly, turning the command post into a virtual marketplace.
"We must immediately appoint an acting Kazekage! Without a leader, how can we continue this war?"
"Continue? The Kazekage is dead! Are you going to face that monster yourself?"
"Choosing an acting Kazekage is urgent. We need someone to take charge. We'll have to abandon the front lines for now—"
"Abandon? Easy for you to say! Will Konoha let us off the hook? Do you want to bring the war to the Land of Wind?"
"Then what do you suggest? Keep fighting and die? Or stay here and just drain our resources?"
"We still have the Tailed Beast!"
"Use a Tailed Beast against Wood Release? Has Shukaku stepped on your head?"
At the head of the table, Ebizo remained in deep silence. In these people, he saw no future for Sunagakure.
Or rather, he had already seen its future.
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