Chapter 183: I Can Die, But Let Them Choose for Themselves
In just the blink of an eye, all the shinobi willing to surrender—whether from smaller nations or Iwagakure—had rushed behind Uchiha Dali.
Through their actions, they had made their resolve and choice perfectly clear.
Meanwhile, on Kitsuchi's side, aside from himself and a handful of Iwagakure elites still standing, all the remaining supporters lay unconscious on the ground.
At this point, there was no hope of relying on them to fight against Uchiha Dali, let alone the entire Land of Fire backing him. They couldn't even be counted on to muster the strength to shout a simple "Good luck."
"Lord Kitsuchi…"
One elite jonin from Iwagakure looked bewildered.
Before overwhelming power, everything felt utterly powerless.
They weren't fools—if it was a battle with no hope of victory, why sacrifice their lives in vain?
"Captain, this Uchiha Dali is no longer within the realm of human capability. I think he's already reached the level of the 'God of Shinobi'—Senju Hashirama. Perhaps we should…"
Another Iwagakure shinobi stepped forward, speaking in a low voice to Kitsuchi.
"Back then, the First Hokage of Konoha, Senju Hashirama, ended the chaos in the Land of Fire and established the shinobi village system."
"Under his overwhelming deterrent force, the ninja world entered a rare period of peace."
"The current situation is very similar to back then. If that's the case, perhaps… we should temporarily compromise, Lord Kitsuchi. As long as we're still alive, and our children live on, there'll always be another chance to fight back in the future…"
Several elite jonin from Iwagakure began making suggestions to Kitsuchi.
To be honest, Kitsuchi himself was starting to waver.
After hearing his subordinates' proposals, he was tempted.
If they couldn't fight their enemy head-on, then biding their time and waiting for a better opportunity to strike wasn't entirely out of the question.
But just as Kitsuchi was about to nod and agree, a jonin suddenly stepped forward and shouted, "Lord Kitsuchi, we absolutely must not yield to a man like this!!"
"Uchiha Dali just killed our Third Tsuchikage right before everyone's eyes! If we can bow our heads to someone like that, what will people say about us in the future?"
"Even if we manage to survive, we'd spend the rest of our lives haunted by guilt and public shame!!"
The words of this elite Iwagakure jonin immediately reignited the cold fury in Kitsuchi's eyes, which had just begun to soften with resignation.
"You're right, Gangyan. If I have to kneel and surrender to the man who killed my father, then not only would I never find peace in this life, I'd have no pride left as a person!"
"How could Iwagakure shinobi be spineless cowards like that?!"
"If any of you want to live, I won't stop you from going. But I will never surrender!"
As he spoke, Kitsuchi began forming hand seals.
His gaze turned as sharp as a blade, locking onto Uchiha Dali like he was ready to strike at any moment.
Seeing him act so decisively, even those elite jonin who had considered surrendering dropped the idea.
Ōnoki had been incredibly kind to them—not only their mentor but also their superior.
Protecting Ōnoki had always been one of their duties and missions.
And now that Ōnoki had been killed by the enemy…
If they turned and submitted to that same enemy, they would be remembered as traitors—disgraceful and ungrateful.
"In that case, we'll fight at your side to the very end, Lord Kitsuchi."
The elite Iwagakure jonin stepped forward, each assuming a battle stance, ready to go all-out against Uchiha Dali.
"Fools."
To Uchiha Dali, they were no more than ants.
A peaceful world, a flourishing era—it all needed witnesses and caretakers.
If he didn't genuinely want to build a peaceful shinobi world filled with the warmth of ordinary life, he wouldn't waste even a second looking at people like them.
He'd simply sweep through and annihilate everything.
But sparing those who surrendered didn't mean he would forgive those who resisted.
"Wait!"
Just as Uchiha Dali's eyes grew cold and filled with killing intent, Kitsuchi suddenly called out to stop him.
"Oh? Changed your mind?"
The core of Dust Release in Uchiha Dali's palm dimmed slightly, his interest piqued.
Kitsuchi turned back to glance at the many unconscious supporters lying on the ground and pleaded, "They're still unconscious. The final opportunity you mentioned—they should be allowed to make their own choice as well."
This was the only thing he could still do for the Iwagakure shinobi.
To give them the final chance to choose their fate.
If anyone wished to live, then providing them with that opportunity—even in these hopeless circumstances—was what a true leader should do.
There was another purpose behind Kitsuchi's plea.
He himself would never surrender to Uchiha Dali or to Konoha.
But that didn't mean his subordinates couldn't.
If they harbored the will to seek revenge, and if they could infiltrate the enemy ranks, grow in strength, and let their descendants carry on their will… then perhaps one day, they could avenge Iwagakure and the entire Land of Earth.
"…Fine."
Uchiha Dali didn't reject the request.
With a wave of his hand—
A soft surge of chakra swept through like spring rain, instantly awakening all the unconscious enemies.
The Iwagakure shinobi blinked in confusion, unsure of what had happened.
All they remembered was that they'd been facing off against Uchiha Dali, everyone shouting with passion, rejecting surrender and denouncing the traitors who betrayed the village.
Then everything went black.
Now they were awake.
"Did I die?"
"There's not a single wound on me. What happened? Why can't I remember anything?"
"Is everyone else the same? What's going on?"
"…?"
The Iwagakure shinobi looked around at one another, still disoriented.
An elite jonin beside Kitsuchi began giving a simple explanation.
He told them about the final opportunity Uchiha Dali had given them.
"That's the situation. He's ready to kill—he's not bluffing."
"So if you want to stay, be prepared to die. If you don't want your life to end here, then step over to that side. No one will blame you."
"He's right. This is the tide of history. One man's strength can't go against it. You must decide for yourselves."
As they listened to the elite shinobi speak, the thousands of Iwagakure shinobi began looking at each other, unsure of what to do.
Stay, and face death.
Step forward to Uchiha Dali, and live.
What choice should they make?
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