Iwagakure.
Inside the Tsuchikage's headquarters.
The Third Tsuchikage lay back in a reclining chair, leisurely swaying. Before him floated a book, pages turning one by one under the control of his chakra.
The past year of warfare had been brutal. Although the great ninja villages were still united in their efforts against Konoha, The Yellow Flash's interventions, using the Flying Thunder God Technique, were like a single person fighting on multiple fronts simultaneously, making the war increasingly difficult to win.
Because of this, he had no intention of concentrating his forces for any more large-scale battles.
For now, peace would prevail, for a while.
Konoha's top-tier fighters were numerous. During wartime, they all obeyed Sarutobi Hiruzen's unified command, but when the war ended and peace returned, the balance of power among them would inevitably become unstable.
From what he knew, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Namikaze Minato, Tsunade, Danzo... all had the potential to compete for the Fourth Hokage's position. Even if Jiraiya refused to contest with his own student, Orochimaru would still make a move. Internal strife within Konoha was bound to arise.
Konoha was now nearly impossible to conquer from outside.
The only option was to wait for Konoha to collapse from within.
"I wonder who will win the battle for the Fourth Hokage... If the Silver Flash were still alive, Orochimaru's chances would be much higher. No, Danzo might stand a chance too."
Onoki chuckled softly.
If the Silver Flash were alive, internal strife in Konoha would be even fiercer. But actually, it was a good thing that the Silver Flash had died, better yet if The Yellow Flash had died with him.
The Sannin of Konoha, along with Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo, were all manageable. But the Yellow and Silver Flashes were like war machines, monsters.
Besides,
Both were assassin types with incredible speed. As long as either was alive, they caused constant unease, always fearing a sudden strike.
"But at least the Silver Flash did one good thing before dying, he took out Hanzō. The benefits gained from the Land of Rain should more than cover the losses from the war..."
Onoki thought quietly to himself.
After the fall of the Rain Ninja Village, he quickly sent several elite squads into the Land of Rain to take control and extract benefits.
Previously, the presence of Hanzō of the Salamander had made taking action there impossible. Now, they could act without restraint. Even if Konoha invaded the Land of Rain, there would be plenty to share.
Just as Onoki was deep in thought,
a ninja suddenly appeared.
The ninja's forehead was covered in cold sweat. Upon landing, he urgently reported, "Tsuchikage-sama! Emergency battle report... Jodo-sama's elite forces have been completely wiped out in the Land of Rain!"
Thwack!
The floating book above Onoki's head crashed straight onto his face.
He threw the book aside and shot up in shock, staring at the reporting ninja. "What did you say?! How could the entire unit be wiped out in the Land of Rain?"
The ninja's forehead glistened with sweat. "It was the Akatsuki... Jodo-sama set up an ambush and killed the Akatsuki's leader, but that leader was merely a puppet. Behind the scenes, there was a terrifying figure whose strength rivaled Hanzō's. They annihilated Jodo-sama's forces!"
"Damn it!!"
Onoki grabbed a teacup from the table and smashed it on the floor, shattering it. His face twisted in fury.
Since the fall of the Rain Ninja Village, the Land of Rain had been in chaos for nearly two years. A group called Akatsuki had been rapidly recruiting surviving Rain ninja, growing stronger. Onoki was aware of this.
But to him, the Akatsuki were just remnants of the Rain ninja clinging to survival. He believed that if their base was found, they could be easily wiped out. They weren't a serious threat.
Yet now, disaster has struck.
Jodo had worked closely with him for years, helping keep the Iwa Ninja Village well-managed. Now, he was dead, at the hands of the Akatsuki!
"How could such a powerful ninja emerge even from the remnants of the Rain ninja..."
Onoki clenched his fists and ground his teeth.
Looking back at recent years, it had been a streak of misfortune.
First, the previously unknown Silver Flash suddenly rose to prominence, wrecking their elite vanguard squads. Then, his power shook the ninja world as he took down several powerful ninja, causing severe damage to the great villages.
And just when the Silver Flash disappeared, Namikaze Minato, who had long been overshadowed by him, seized control of the war again, inflicting heavy losses on Iwa.
Now,
even the remaining Rain ninja had produced another formidable ninja!
Onoki knew Jodo well; calm and cautious. For someone to wipe out him and his elite forces completely, that opponent must be terrifyingly powerful, certainly not weaker than him.
Just as Onoki was grinding his teeth in rage, ready to personally lead troops to crush the Akatsuki in the Land of Rain,
Another ninja burst in.
"Tsuchikage-sama! Sunagakure is under attack!!"
"Oh?"
Upon hearing Suna was under attack, Onoki's anger eased slightly. His expression relaxed a little.
It seemed they weren't the only ones suffering losses. That was at least somewhat more acceptable. He reached for another teacup on the table, preparing to calm himself.
"Sunagakure has been mostly destroyed, and the Fourth Kazekage is severely wounded..." the ninja reported, voice trembling. "According to our intelligence, the attacker was just one person, he was... the Silver Flash who had been missing for two years!"
The Tsuchikage's office instantly fell silent.
Clatter!
The teacup slipped from Onoki's hand, smashing into pieces.
….
Kumogakure.
On a mist-covered high platform.
The Fourth Raikage, his entire body crackling with lightning, punched steadily with determination. His figure flickered on the platform as he trained his speed and taijutsu.
Whoosh!
Tsuchikage Onoki's silhouette appeared on the high platform.
He looked at the Fourth Raikage with a grim expression and said solemnly, "Raikage-sama, the missing Silver Flash has appeared again."
"Hmph... so that guy's still alive after all."
The Fourth Raikage stopped and flexed his muscular, bronze-colored arms. "I knew a guy like that wouldn't just mysteriously die. Good. It's perfect. Now he can test just how much I've improved over the last year."
After more than a year of intense training, his power had grown significantly. He could now suppress the Eight-Tails on his own. His speed had increased, and his defense was tougher.
If he met that Maple Night again,
He was confident he could win.
Hearing the Fourth Raikage's words, Onoki hesitated, but still spoke with a troubled face, "About seven days ago, the Silver Flash single-handedly invaded Sunagakure, severely injuring the Fourth Kazekage and nearly destroying the village. Raikage-sama, during the two years the Silver Flash was missing, when you were improving your strength, that guy was probably doing the same."
"..."
The Fourth Raikage's expression stiffened.
Silence fell over the high platform, broken only by the crackling sound of interwoven lightning arcs.
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