"Tsuchikage-sama, I have bad news on my end."
Onoki frowned.
"What bad news?"
The intelligence shinobi replied, "Reporting to Tsuchikage-sama. Recently, a rumor has appeared in the Land of Earth. According to this rumor, the order to ambush Sunagakure was actually given by you, Tsuchikage-sama."
"Kitsuchi-sama merely took the blame for you."
Onoki's expression changed drastically.
In an instant, his fury reached its peak.
"Who? Who is spouting such nonsense?"
"When did I ever give such an order? I only learned about that operation after the fact!"
"Who is fabricating these rumors from the shadows?"
"How vicious!"
At this moment, Onoki finally understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's situation a little.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi had been attacked by rumors, Onoki had watched with glee.
Even after they had become allies, that had not changed.
But now that such a rumor had landed on his own head, Onoki's mood was entirely different.
"Investigate!"
"Investigate it immediately! No matter what, find the person behind this!"
Onoki gave the order.
"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama!"
But finding the mastermind behind the spreading rumors was not such an easy matter.
This was not the first or second time Sunagakure had done something like this. They had done it many times, accumulating extremely practiced experience and skill. Even Konoha had failed to find proof and could only suspect that it was connected to Sunagakure.
For Iwagakure to uncover the truth would be just as difficult.
Not long after, the full content of the rumor was delivered into Onoki's hands.
"Saying I'm like Hiruzen Sarutobi, greedy for power?"
"That for the sake of authority and status, I could even discard my own son's reputation?"
"That even a tiger will not devour its cub, and I am worse than a beast?"
"How absurd!"
Onoki flew into a rage, his entire face turning red with anger.
"Sunagakure? Or Konoha?"
Onoki thought very clearly.
Those who had the courage to create such a rumor had to be one of the great shinobi villages of the same level.
Sunagakure had already shown great expertise in dealing with Konoha.
Ninja Kill cards.
Ninja World Weekly.
Those two things alone had inflicted enormous damage on Konoha.
Now that Sunagakure and Iwagakure were enemies, it was entirely possible for Sunagakure to do this.
As for Konoha, even if they were Iwagakure's ally right now, an ally was only an ally.
It was not as though Konoha had betrayed allies only once or twice.
They had stabbed Kirigakure in the back before.
They had also stood by and watched Uzushiogakure fall, only to inherit most of Uzushiogakure's legacy afterward.
"Kumogakure is also possible."
"The Fourth Raikage could never have forgotten Iwagakure's blood feud over his father's death."
An elite squad quickly left Iwagakure to investigate the rumor.
But they gained nothing.
Worse still, the rumor continued to spread.
It had already seeped into Iwagakure itself.
Onoki could already hear discussions about that rumor.
"If it's true, then Kitsuchi-sama is really pitiful."
"I heard Tsuchikage-sama has always been harsh toward Kitsuchi-sama. Before, I thought it was because Tsuchikage-sama had strict expectations for him and hoped Kitsuchi-sama could do better."
"But if the rumor is true, then that isn't the case at all."
"That would mean Tsuchikage-sama only cares about himself. He doesn't love his son at all."
…
Onoki's face turned ashen.
Gradually, the rumor spread beyond the Land of Earth.
The Land of Fire, Land of Lightning, and Land of Wind all had many people learn of it.
Some Sunagakure shinobi began speaking up for Kitsuchi.
"I never expected it. I truly never expected Onoki to be that kind of person."
"Kitsuchi… he was a real man!"
"He clearly had a chance to escape, but he chose to fight to the end. On one hand, it was to give an explanation to the Iwagakure shinobi he had brought with him. On the other, it was as though he was willingly taking the blame for Onoki."
"A filial son, but a heartless father."
One Sunagakure shinobi said, "I think we can do something to speak up for Kitsuchi."
"Just like Kazekage-sama. Minato Namikaze was Kazekage-sama's enemy, but he died unjustly. Kazekage-sama could not bear to watch it happen, so he personally stood up for that opponent."
"That is the spirit of Sunagakure!"
The Sunagakure shinobi opposite him lit up.
"You're right. In every sense, Kitsuchi can be considered a hero!"
Many Sunagakure shinobi began to praise Kitsuchi, shaping him into the image of a hero.
And if Kitsuchi was a hero, then by contrast, Onoki became the opposite.
Kumogakure.
The moment the Fourth Raikage mentioned Onoki's name, undisguised disgust appeared in his eyes.
"As expected, Onoki is exactly that kind of shameless man."
"Greedy for power. Selfish and self-serving."
"Back then, to kill my father, he mobilized so many Iwagakure shinobi, while he hid in the back and did not dare show himself. He relied entirely on human-wave tactics to exhaust my father to death."
"My father did die, yes. But Iwagakure lost countless shinobi as well."
"And behind those shinobi were even more families."
"Is that something a Tsuchikage should do?"
"I did not understand it before. But now, I understand."
"Because Onoki has never treated others as human beings in the first place."
"He does not even care about his own son. He has no affection. He uses people as tools. How could he possibly care about anyone else?"
"To be born in Iwagakure is truly unfortunate."
The Fourth Raikage's thoughts stirred.
A shinobi quickly arrived.
"Raikage-sama."
"C, I have a task for you."
"Please give the order, Raikage-sama."
"Spread the rumor about Onoki throughout the entire Land of Lightning on a large scale. Let everyone in the Land of Lightning understand exactly what kind of person Onoki is."
C froze for a moment, but quickly nodded.
"Yes, Raikage-sama."
Konoha.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi heard the news, a subtle expression appeared on his face.
Once no one was around, he could not help but laugh.
"Wonderful!"
"Something like this has finally fallen onto Onoki's head as well."
"He was the one who started this. Now he cannot escape it either."
"If Onoki bears pressure from public opinion, then the pressure I face will lessen considerably."
"At last, I can catch my breath."
Root base.
Through the temporary authority Hiruzen Sarutobi had granted him, Danzo had recruited many new members. Even though Root had lost many people during the previous operation in the Land of Wind, those losses had already been completely replenished.
"Onoki shifting the blame onto Kitsuchi?"
"A filial son, but a heartless father?"
"So this sort of thing has finally landed on Onoki."
"Good."
Like Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo was taking pleasure in Onoki's misfortune.
As someone from the same era, Danzo's dislike for Onoki was even greater than Hiruzen Sarutobi's.
More than once, Onoki had expressed that he looked down on Danzo.
Danzo knew about all of it.
An ANBU shinobi appeared.
"Danzo-sama, Hokage-sama asks that you go to the Hokage's office."
"Hiruzen is looking for me? Did he say what it was about?"
"Hokage-sama did not say."
"Fine. I'll go in a moment."
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