At this moment, in Iwagakure Village—the Land of Earth—in the Tsuchikage's office.
Tsuchikage Onoki had just received shocking new intelligence and immediately stood up, stunned beyond belief.
"What did you say?"
"Did you say that old bastard Hiruzen is dead?"
"Are you certain?"
"Are you sure!!!"
The Anbu agent responded firmly:
"It's absolutely true! Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi has indeed fallen. What's more, half of Konoha has been reduced to ruins..."
Onoki was instantly overwhelmed with joy, practically bursting into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
"Excellent! Outstanding!"
"Evil begets evil. That old scoundrel Hiruzen finally died!"
"Died well, died brilliantly!"
After confirming the death of Hiruzen and the destruction of half Konoha,
how could Onoki not feel ecstatic after releasing so much pent-up frustration?
If his old bones hadn't held him back, he would've jumped up clapping with glee.
"I didn't expect the Akatsuki organization to be this strong? So powerful?"
"They actually stormed Konoha and took out that old fart Hiruzen! Unbelievable!"
"Now we have to be careful too!"
As he spoke, Onoki felt admiration mixed with caution.
After all, if the Akatsuki were capable of killing Hiruzen,
wouldn't that also mean they might kill him?
He definitely couldn't afford to ignore that possibility at all!
"Tsuchikage-sama… Actually, according to the report,"
"It seems Homura Hidden Village also participated in the attack on Konoha…"
Onoki was taken aback at first but quickly understood.
"Oh?"
"So that's how it is!"
"The Uchiha Clan and Konoha have always been bitter enemies; it's no surprise they joined the assault."
"No wonder the Akatsuki achieved such impressive results this time—it must've been largely due to their help from the Uchihas!"
"Now *that's* what I call good news!"
"Dog eat dog—that's exactly what this is! The more those dogs tear into each other, the weaker they'll become."
"By the way, what about the casualties from Akatsuki and the Uchihas? Did they retreat?"
"My Lord Tsuchikage, exact losses are still unclear."
"But there is… something else."
"What do you mean, 'but'?"
"According to reports, there were signs that both the First and Second Hokages had returned to life in Konoha!"
Onoki shuddered violently, his expression darkening dramatically.
"Returned to life!!!"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"How could Hashirama Senju possibly come back to life!"
"If he really came back, could anyone from Akatsuki even leave alive?"
Others might not understand how powerful Hashirama Senju truly was,
but Onoki knew all too well.
That man was the legendary Ninja God capable of rivaling Madara Uchiha!
And speaking of Madara Uchiha—the psychological scar he left behind…
was an eternal terror Onoki would never forget.
"Our spy embedded within Konoha personally witnessed countless wood vines emerging from underground, wrapping around the entire village."
The scale was absurdly vast..."
"I even witnessed with my own eyes a Wood Release Daibutsu towering over a thousand meters high, rising majestically like a mountain..."
"Finally, I saw the giant Buddha locked in fierce battle against a Susanoo Demigod hundreds of meters tall..."
Onoki: "!!!∑(OДOノ)ノ"
By the end,
Onoki had gone numb.
In his heart, he'd been forced to accept this ridiculous intelligence.
He had invested great effort and a huge sum in bribing the Akatsuki.
Finally succeeding in eliminating Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Yet now, Konoha has produced another First Hokage—The Ninja God—who had supposedly passed away many years ago?
Can't we catch a break here?!
What's with damn lucky Konoha getting all this good fortune?
Why couldn't our own Iwagakure experience such miracles?
This isn't fair!
"Sigh—"
Eventually, Onoki could only channel all his frustration and resentment into a single sigh.
"What was the final outcome?"
"It's said that Hashirama Senju drove the enemies away."
"But due to the intensity of the battle, the exact details remain unclear."
"However, since Konoha still stands, it's likely that the Akatsuki and Homura Hidden Village forces were defeated and fled."
The Iwa ninja reported shakily.
Merely mentioning Hashirama Senju's name alone was enough to send chills down one's spine!
"So they really were driven back?"
"Incredible! Surviving an encounter with Hashirama Senju?!"
"That Susanoo Demigod hundreds of meters tall—who exactly does it belong to?"
"Surely it wasn't His?"
Onoki muttered, his expression growing ever grimmer.
"Tsuchikage?"
"It seems the entire Ninja World is about to change dramatically!"
After a long silence, Onoki finally furrowed his brows and sighed before immediately issuing orders:
"Send word—we must immediately raise the rest of the ransom and dispatch an envoy delegation to visit Konoha!"
"Also, I'll personally write a letter to accompany this message to the First Hokage..."
"We must strive to uncover Konoha's true strength while mending relations between our two villages!"
"And don't forget to bring back that kid Kitsuchi!"
Now that it was confirmed The Ninja God had very likely returned from the dead...
Therefore, Iwagakure must immediately adjust its stance toward Konoha...
There's nothing we can do about it!
We simply can't win...
We have no option but to adopt a humble posture and work to reduce hostilities.
Otherwise, if The Ninja God truly came charging at us riding atop his Wood Release Daibutsu...
Iwagakure Village might well face annihilation...
"At once!"
"Ah, about the payment to the Akatsuki..."
The Iwa ninja hesitantly asked.
"Stall them for now!"
"Gathering such a massive sum won't be easy."
"Besides, they've probably already been crippled by Hashirama Senju and pose no threat anymore..."
Onoki snapped firmly.
Suddenly recalling something else, he quickly added:
"Oh right!"
"Send another diplomatic delegation to Homura Hidden Village as well, carrying generous gifts to express our condolences."
"This time, you must maintain a peaceful demeanor—absolutely no more posturing or arrogance!"
"Whoever controlled that Susanoo Demigod in battle against Hashirama Senju—
it's clear they're far beyond what the current Iwagakure can handle.
Damn it!
We've got to avoid angering either Konoha or the Uchiha clan!
We've got to find more allies!"
Onoki grumbled with unusual frustration.
Decades of experience had taught him to detect the looming danger hidden behind such a disturbance.
If his village failed to find its proper place and adjust accordingly,
they might face a true catastrophe—total annihilation.
Of course, beyond just Iwagakure,
the aftershocks of this battle rapidly rippled across the entire Ninja World.
The shocking news of the resurrection of Hashirama Senju, the Ninja God
sent shockwaves through every Hidden Village, leaving them on edge.
The other major Hidden Villages immediately launched intelligence analysis and discussions,
made their decisions accordingly,
and silently began taking sides, building factions, and forging alliances...
each one preparing carefully for what was to come, eyes locked warily on the others.
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