Chapter 173
2-in-1-chapter
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What drove the Iwagakure shinobi to despair was that the Third Raikage had been far too powerful. Ten thousand shinobi of Iwagakure had surrounded him alone, and only after three days and three nights of battle, relying on sheer numbers, had they managed to wear down and kill that monstrous man through sheer exhaustion. The casualties suffered in that battle were so severe that when Ōnoki saw the reports, he nearly collapsed.
The number of dead was not especially high, fewer than one thousand.
The shinobi of Iwagakure were skilled in coordinated team tactics, unlike the weak shinobi of minor villages such as the Frost or Hot Water countries. But the piercing force of the Third Raikage's Hell Stab was overwhelming, perfectly countering the Earth Style techniques of the rock shinobi.
Fewer than one thousand had been killed, but the number of severely injured and permanently disabled shinobi who could never again take the field was more than six thousand.
The Third Raikage had been ruthless.
He had not sought to kill in great numbers, but instead to cripple as many as possible.
This served the same purpose as eliminating over six thousand of Iwagakure's fighting forces, while at the same time saddling the village with an immense financial burden. To the villagers he was hailed as a war hero, but in Ōnoki's eyes he was a financial black hole, and he could not help but curse his name in his sleep sometimes.
In the end, in the Third Shinobi World War, there had been no true victors.
Even Konoha, which outwardly seemed to have emerged strongest, had been battered and bloodied after endless battles of attrition. If Konoha was in such a state, then Iwagakure, which had been thoroughly defeated, was in even worse shape.
It was so bad that in the six-thousand-strong army now assembled, more than half were youths under the age of eighteen.
So bad that Kitsuchi, Ōnoki's own son, did not support his father's decision to go to war with Konoha, just as he had opposed the attack on Kumogakure six or seven years earlier.
"Kitsuchi, have you not seen the reports? Konoha is suffering defeat after defeat at the hands of Kumogakure in the Land of Hot Water." Faced with opposition from the son who ought to have been his most steadfast supporter, the ill-tempered Ōnoki did not flare into anger. Not because he had grown patient, nor simply because Kitsuchi was his son.
It was because over the past few days they had already argued about this more than ten times.
At first, Ōnoki had flown into a rage each time, but repeated disputes had worn him down until he no longer had the energy for it.
It was times like this that he regretted that his children inherited his stubbornness.
"But hasn't Konoha already stopped the southern advance of Kumogakure's army? Wasn't it precisely because Kumogakure's attack was checked that they rushed envoys here to persuade you, Tsuchikage-sama, to commit our forces?" Kitsuchi repeated words he had already spoken countless times, but as long as Ōnoki refused to give up his plan of war, he would continue saying them.
"Kitsuchi, this is a rare opportunity. The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, is dead, and Shimura Danzō, that old schemer, is also dead. Konoha is weaker now than it has ever been. If we fail to seize this chance, when Konoha's younger generation grows strong, we may be the ones to face trouble."
Ōnoki narrowed his eyes, recalling the intelligence that Kumogakure had sent, which spoke of the Mangekyō Sharingan and of Susanoo. That memory stirred the deepest fear in his heart, a nightmare that had haunted him for half a century.
Young shinobi of today did not truly understand how terrifying the Uchiha clan was. Or rather, what they understood as the Uchiha's strength was not the same as the terror Ōnoki had witnessed. He had once seen with his own eyes the horror of Uchiha Madara, a man like a demon from hell.
He knew how dreadful the Uchiha clan could be. The Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo were formidable beyond measure.
More than fifty years ago, if not for the First Hokage's refusal to plunge the world into further war, Uchiha Madara would have annihilated all who resisted and established Konoha as the supreme ruler. Only Hashirama's intervention had stopped him.
Now, with a new Mangekyō Sharingan awakened in the Uchiha clan, it was true that not every Uchiha could be another Madara.
But even so, better to be cautious than to regret later.
If there were truly a thousand Uchiha Madaras, there would be no resisting them and nothing to do but await death. But if just one more such man appeared, and sought to sweep across the world, Konoha no longer had a second Hashirama Senju to stop him.
For this reason, Ōnoki abandoned his previous strategy of delay and agreed to Kumogakure's emissaries that he would send troops south.
If possible, it would be best to strangle such dangerous seedlings in the cradle.
"Tsuchikage-sama, precisely because Konoha is weak, we should let Kumogakure bleed them. There is no need for us to intervene. What the village needs now is recovery and rest. And do not forget, the Third Raikage fell to our hands. Kumogakure may not truly wish to cooperate with us; they may simply be trying to drag us into the mire. Konoha may not be as weak as it appears."
After more than ten disputes, father and son still each clung to their own views. Neither could persuade the other.
From their own perspectives, both believed themselves correct.
It was difficult to say who was truly right. Kitsuchi, who had never experienced the terror of Uchiha Madara, could not understand the fear that still gripped Ōnoki. And Ōnoki, still caught in the nightmare of Madara's power, believed that even at great cost, he must do everything possible to remove such a threat before it could fully emerge.
At that moment, a knock came at the door.
"Come in." Ōnoki set aside his argument with his son. Looking up, he saw Bun'ya and Kurotsuchi enter together. With a note of surprise he asked, "Kurotsuchi, come here. Why are you with Bun'ya?"
Kurotsuchi hurried to her grandfather's side, but kept her head bowed and did not speak.
Ōnoki frowned slightly, then turned to Bun'ya, who had bowed respectfully beside Kitsuchi. "What has happened? Have all the spies from Konoha been captured?"
"Every spy on the list has been apprehended without exception. However… it is highly likely that the Walking Shrine Maiden has escaped." Bun'ya quickly recounted the matter of Doctor Shiso, without any personal embellishment, even describing how they had found Kurotsuchi in her office.
"Bun'ya, are you certain? That Doctor Shiso is the Walking Shrine Maiden?"
Kitsuchi was shocked.
As a doting father, he had personally investigated anyone who came into contact with his daughter, and Doctor Shiso was no exception. Because Kurotsuchi had often mentioned her, he had personally looked into her background in detail and confirmed her harmlessness before allowing Kurotsuchi to associate with the young physician.
He had even established some personal ties with Shiso himself. Few would refuse the chance to build goodwill with a promising young doctor.
"I would hope the intelligence is false. Unfortunately, from the present circumstances, even if Doctor Shiso is not the Walking Shrine Maiden, she is almost certainly a highly skilled spy." Bun'ya's face showed a bitter smile. He knew that Shiso had contact with many of the village's upper ranks.
For this reason, of the three prime suspects believed to be the Walking Shrine Maiden, he had placed Shiso last, hoping that if one of the others was captured, there would be no need to trouble her. But fate had not favored them. Or perhaps it was simply that the Walking Shrine Maiden truly lived up to her reputation as a legendary spy.
"Doctor Shiso, is it?… Phosphor Leaf, you've been guarding Kurotsuchi all this time. Did you discover anything?" Ōnoki looked toward the corner of the room. A moment later, the ANBU assigned to protect Kurotsuchi released her camouflage and stepped into view.
"Forgive me, Tsuchikage-sama. I found nothing suspicious about Doctor Shiso. What I saw was a physician who sincerely cared for young Lady Kurotsuchi."
The voice was that of a young woman, muffled behind her mask, and her words only deepened the confusion.
At the very least, hearing this, Kitsuchi could not help but glance at Bun'ya, silently asking with his eyes, "Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"
Bun'ya's face twitched, unable to answer, and he chose silence.
"Heh. Such a skilled spy… then it seems certain this Doctor Shiso is the Walking Shrine Maiden. Konoha has played us well. No doubt our movements in the village are already known to them." Ōnoki muttered to himself, though loudly enough for all to hear.
"But do not think it will be easy to leave the Land of Earth. Bun'ya, assemble an elite detachment from the ANBU and pursue her immediately. Based on your investigation, since she was still seen in the village last night, she cannot have gotten far."
"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama!" Bun'ya answered loudly.
"Grandfather… may I come too?"
Kurotsuchi, who had remained silent until now, suddenly lifted her head and asked.