At dawn, outside the Konoha outpost on the border of the Land of Grass.
Over five thousand Iwagakure captives were held within a temporarily erected barrier.
When Ōnoki's figure appeared in the sky, the captives stirred, and the light of hope ignited in their eyes.
"Third Tsuchikage-sama has come."
"He's here to save us."
"Third Tsuchikage-sama wouldn't abandon us."
Cheers rose and fell. Although these Iwagakure ninjas were defeated and captured, their morale had not completely collapsed. They believed their leader would find a way to bring them home. However, hope came quickly and vanished even faster.
Ōnoki entered the main central tent and emerged less than half an hour later, his face grim. He immediately used Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Jutsu to fly away, not even glancing at the captive camp.
"Has the Third Tsuchikage abandoned us?"
"30 billion Ryo. Is it true that even the Tsuchikage-sama can't come up with it?"
"We've been treated as pawns."
Despair spread like a plague. Some began to pound on the barrier, some cursed in low voices, and more slumped to the ground, their eyes vacant.
The commotion gradually escalated. The Konoha ninjas on guard nervously clutched their kunai, and the news quickly reached the main central tent.
An Uchiha ninja knelt on one knee and reported, "Fugaku-sama, there's a disturbance in the captive camp. They seem to believe Ōnoki has abandoned them."
Fugaku, who was reviewing the details of the truce agreement, said in a deep voice, "Shun, go handle this."
"Understood."
A few minutes later, Shun walked to the front of the captive camp.
With his arms crossed, he cleared his throat and said, "Everyone from Iwagakure! Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki has just gone to the Land of Earth to request war reparations from the Daimyo. By noon, 30 billion Ryo will be delivered in full, and you will all be able to return safely."
A ripple of murmuring spread within the barrier.
"Lies! How could negotiations end so quickly? That's billion Ryo, not 300 million Ryo! How could the Daimyo easily produce that much?"
"Evil Uchiha, you must be playing some trick again."
"They didn't even give us breakfast, are they trying to starve us to death?"
Listening to these doubts, Shun's smile remained unchanged.
He had anticipated this reaction. With over a year of war, how many blood feuds had accumulated?
How could they be easily resolved with a few words?
So, he raised his voice sternly, "The war has lasted for over a year, with casualties on both sides. It's perfectly normal to have grievances. But please recognize the reality. It is we, Konoha, who have defeated you, Iwagakure."
Some Iwagakure ninjas shouted defiantly, "Haha. Is Konoha out of people? Sending a baby-faced kid like you."
Shun did not get angry. He changed his tone, "Those of you who have survived this war, we Uchiha believe you are by no means ordinary. We Uchiha have always had a tradition of respecting the strong, so even though you are now captives, we have not subjected you to harsh treatment or insults. Because we know that this defeat is not your responsibility."
He deliberately paused, letting this sentence, like a spinning shuriken, precisely hit the most vulnerable part of the captives' hearts.
Seeing many people's expressions loosen, he continued to press on, "If Iwagakure hadn't killed the Third Raikage three days ago, the Fourth Raikage wouldn't have declared war on you. If you hadn't faced the pressure of a two-front war, you wouldn't have risked attacking this Konoha outpost last night, and you wouldn't have fallen into our ambush."
Shun raised his right hand and passionately declared, "In fact, we Konoha, based on the death of the Third Raikage, had already deduced, that you would launch a sneak attack last night. So, this defeat was an inevitable trend, a mistake by the decision-makers, and has nothing to do with the bravery of you, the frontline soldiers."
The atmosphere within the barrier subtly changed. The captives whispered among themselves, and many showed expressions of relief.
Yes, how could they have been utterly defeated after fighting so hard until now?
It turns out it was a high-level decision-making error.
Shun sneered inwardly. He had long prepared this line of reasoning.
In his previous life, when losing a game, people often blamed their teammates. Using this tactic in the world of Naruto worked very well.
Seeing the commotion gradually subside, Shun nodded with satisfaction and left.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of three familiar figures walking towards the main central tent.
"Minato, Kakashi, Rin, what are they doing here?"
Minato bowed deeply and sincerely apologized, "Clan head Fugaku, regarding Obito, I am very sorry. I failed to take good care of him."
Behind him, Kakashi and Rin also bowed, especially Rin, whose eyes were red, clearly having just cried.
Fugaku, long accustomed to life and death, said coldly, "Life and death are fated on the battlefield, Minato, there's no need to blame yourself, it was Obito's bad luck."
Minato looked up, his eyes filled with remorse. "But if I could have defeated the enemy faster, if my plan had been more thorough..."
Hearing these words, Shun burst into the tent and sneered, "Minato, stop being so hypocritical. As the overall commander of the eastern front, having fought the Fourth Raikage so many times, wouldn't you know his personality?"
Minato was stunned and asked, "Shun, what do you mean by that?"
"Iwagakure killed the Third Raikage, so the Fourth Raikage would inevitably seek revenge for his father and declare war on Iwagakure. Therefore, Iwagakure deployed forces on the border of the Land of Waterfall to resist Kumogakure's attack. In this situation, the Kannabi Bridge mission is of no benefit to us Konoha. You knew this and still carried it out. Isn't it just to snatch our Uchiha's credit and pave the way for you to become the Fourth Hokage?!"
Hearing someone state it so plainly, the tent fell into a dead silence.
Kakashi's eyes widened, and his breathing became rapid. He remembered Obito's dying words, he remembered that clumsy fool who was always late, and his final brilliant smile.
All of this... was it just a political show?
"What you said... is it true?"
Rin covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face, "No... Obito, he... he..."
Minato's face instantly turned pale as he said, "Shun, you've misunderstood. I never thought that..."
Shun sneered, "The war has been going on for over a year, and Konoha's resources are very tight. If Iwagakure truly needed to transport resources across Kannabi Bridge, then you would have received a mission to seize those resources, not to blow up a bridge."
"To cooperate with your show, they sent Jonin Hakami with 100 ninjas to garrison the border of the Land of Waterfall. Moreover, the Kannabi Bridge mission Hiruzen gave you was for you to execute alone. But you brought three students, who slowed down your march, causing 96 of the 100 ninjas who were cooperating with your show to die in vain."
Minato was forced to retreat repeatedly, his face pale as he said, "I... I didn't know the truth... really!"
Shun, not letting up, pressed on, "Iwagakure ninjas are skilled in Earth Release, building a bridge takes less than a minute. Also, our ninjas can jump on trees and run on water, so what's the use of blowing up a bridge? Blowing up a bridge is such a clumsy excuse, isn't it laughable?"
Fugaku stood up, his eyes sweeping over everyone. "Enough! The war is not yet completely over, internal disputes are meaningless."
Shun reluctantly took a step back but still glared fiercely at Minato.
Fugaku walked in front of Minato and said calmly, "Obito sacrificed himself for Konoha. The Uchiha are proud of him. I believe you didn't do it intentionally."
Minato bowed deeply and, with his two dazed students, exited the main tent.
Shun was indignant. "Clan head, you are too lenient. That Minato clearly..."
Fugaku interrupted him, "Shun. Remember, true strong people do not need to prove themselves by blaming others."
Outside the tent, Kakashi was still in shock.
He mechanically followed Minato, Shun's words echoing in his mind.
If the Kannabi Bridge mission was truly insignificant, then what was Obito's sacrifice for?