With Konoha reinforcements withdrawing, Iwagakure had no choice but to abandon their battle plans.
Whether it was intentional or not on Nawaki and Minato's part, the Cloud Ninja somehow got wind of this news.
The Third Raikage naturally didn't want to miss this opportunity and immediately led the Cloud Ninja rushing toward the dock.
Ōnoki couldn't just turn a blind eye either. Letting Kumogakure retreat freely would be a huge blow to his reputation.
However, he knew full well that there was no way for him to deal Kumo a fatal blow. If he truly went all out to stop them, it would only lead to unnecessary casualties.
In the end, he could only engage in some half-hearted skirmishes with Cloud forces, with neither side gaining a decisive advantage.
Eventually watching helplessly as the Third Raikage led his forces to safety via the docks, Ōnoki was consumed by fury that night. Not a soul dared to approach his quarters.
Meanwhile, the mastermind behind this situation had already returned to Konoha, living carefree lives.
"You guys actually returned through the Land of Rain so openly?"
Kawaki wasn't sure whether to laugh or scold, his face filled with exasperation.
"What else could we do?"
"That whole area's under Yahiko and company's control now."
Nawaki spoke truthfully—their return route inevitably passed through Akatsuki territory.
"Yeah, you don't expect us to fly back home, do you?"
Minato initially thought this route was too conspicuous, but once he understood, he stopped caring.
"Fine, fine, fine. Everything you said makes sense."
"It's all Yahiko and company's fault—what need did they have to seize so much land?"
Tsunade looked at her younger brother and then her disciple, her smile brimming with affection.
"Well, whatever. It doesn't matter if we've been found out."
"The truth will come to light eventually."
Kawaki had no intention of blaming them—he merely mentioned it offhandedly.
"Teacher, are we starting our next move soon?"
From Kawaki's tone, Minato sensed Konoha was about to directly intervene.
"You've barely returned; don't rush things."
"At least give Ōnoki time to recover."
"And besides, there's nothing for you two here—I promised Fugaku beforehand."
Kawaki had long made arrangements, determined to take control of the Land of Earth.
Fugaku had known of his intentions and volunteered himself for the task, something Kawaki naturally couldn't refuse.
It'd be better for Fugaku himself to personally settle the Uchiha clan leader's vengeance.
"I understand, but what I meant was the Land of Lightning."
Minato raised his brow, clearly preferring to fight side by side with Yahiko and the others.
"Hmm~"
"That's confidential."
Kawaki first piqued Minato's curiosity before thoroughly annoying him.
"Teacher, how could you do this?"
Though dissatisfied, Minato could do nothing but look cutely displeased at Kawaki.
"Pouting won't work either—save it for someone who cares."
"Hahaha!"
An unscrupulous teacher burst into laughter, losing all composure.
"Brother-in-law, if you won't tell Minato, surely you'll at least tell me?"
Thinking he carried enough weight, Nawaki tried cozying up beside Kawaki.
"Who even are you?"
"Back off."
Kawaki pushed him away with a hand, acting like he didn't even recognize him.
Minato, who'd been sulking moments ago, suddenly burst out laughing. Compared to this scene, he actually felt a little superior.
It can only be said that without contrast there is no pain; happiness is often built on the suffering of others.
A world where only Nawaki suffers has finally come to pass.
"Don't look at me. I'm just a puppet Hokage."
Tsunade smiled, waved her hand dismissively, and pretended not to know—though no one bought it for a second.
"Forget it then. Like anyone cares."
Nawaki sat back down, clearly disappointed, yet stubbornly hiding it.
"Don't worry—you two are definitely coming along on the mission to the Land of Lightning."
"You didn't really expect us to handle everything ourselves, did you?"
Kawaki smirked slightly. Having dealt with Madara, he had no intention of getting personally involved again.
As for Orochimaru and the others, they too preferred to keep their hands clean. Staying in the village and giving younger generations a chance was much better.
"Hearing that from Teacher—my brother-in-law—I already feel reassured."
Nawaki and Minato were both easy to please—completely under Kawaki's thumb.
"Two good-for-nothing brats."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. Why did these two Hokage candidates act just like her?
If Kawaki actually cared about power, Konoha might as well have changed its name to Hatake already.
Faced with his intimidating sister, Nawaki could only respond with a helpless grin.
"Teacher, how are Yahiko and the others doing in the Land of Water?"
Minato gave an awkward chuckle, trying to shift the topic.
"Oh, more or less okay. They've managed to stabilize things in the Land of Water—for now."
"But there's still plenty left to do afterward. Once the entire ninja world settles down, I'll send someone else to take over."
Though spoken casually, Kawaki's expression made it clear—he was satisfied with Yahiko's work.
"That so? Nothing particularly worth mentioning happened?"
Minato hoped something interesting would occur—after all, it was one of the Five Great Nations.
Thinking carefully, Yahiko's achievements had already surpassed both Minato and Nawaki.
No matter how strong the Land of Water truly was, conquering one of the Five Great Nations was an unprecedented feat in the ninja world.
"No incidents exactly, but there was one person."
"The Mist Village's Elder Genji committed suicide."
There was even a hint of regret in Kawaki's voice after speaking. He bore Genji no ill will.
The old man from the original plot—who helped Mei Terumi take power—was truly a man of great integrity.
"He'd already surrendered—why would he still choose death?"
Nawaki looked puzzled. With the war over, wouldn't staying alive have been better?
"Because *he* was the one who chose to surrender—that's why he died."
Tsunade understood Genji's mindset perfectly. His village meant everything to him, yet the lives of its citizens weighed heavily on his heart.
He couldn't bear watching villagers die pointlessly resisting, yet after surrendering, the ninja world would no longer have Kirigakure. He felt unbearably guilty, unworthy of going on living.
In this world, there are no perfect solutions. Protecting his people came at the price of crossing an irreversible line within himself.
"He didn't need to die."
Minato couldn't yet grasp such heavy burdens—that was, perhaps, a blessing of his current life.
"There are no black-and-white answers. Genji was truly an extraordinary man."
"Having protected the villagers of Mist and carried that guilt to his grave, Kawaki already held Elder Genji in high regard.
He questioned whether he himself would have been able to do the same—after all, selfishness is only human.
Even if the Hidden Mist Village disappears entirely from the Ninja World, someone will always remember the old man Elder Genji, who saved countless innocent lives."
"Yahiko and the others have given Elder Genji a proper burial," Tsunade sighed. After all, Elder Genji's death had been indirectly caused by Konoha.
But such things were inevitable—it was a necessary part of the path toward peace.
All she could hope for was that in the future, when the Ninja World improved, their smiles would bloom forever in the Pure Land.
Their sacrifices hadn't been in vain; everything would eventually yield a positive outcome.
"It won't be long now. Not much longer."
Kawaki stood up and walked over to the window, exhaling deeply as he gazed into the distance.
At this point, there was no turning back, and certainly no room for regret.
Death and sacrifice were unavoidable—but what Kawaki could do was ensure the Third Great Ninja War wouldn't be as brutal as it had originally been.
Once the Ninja World became unified, he prayed peace could last a little longer.
Just... a little longer!!
...
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