Onoki watched with a heavy heart. While Rasa and Chiyo hadn't died, he knew their fate was arguably worse than death.
Had they perished in the battle, they might have been remembered fondly.
But now, everyone would pin the blame for the war squarely on their shoulders.
'That Konoha brat uses such ruthless methods!' Onoki didn't dare linger, afraid of becoming a target for their redirected anger. He quietly gathered his subordinates and made his escape.
While Onoki was inwardly cursing Setsuna, the Don Slime was shouting excitedly, "Setsuna, you're too soft! Why didn't you just kill them all? Even if not all, leaving half would have been fine."
Setsuna, having finally vented some of his battle lust today, was in a rather good mood and patiently explained, "The most valuable resource in this world is population. If I kill them all, who will plant the tree for me?"
"That tree again?" The Chief Slime remembered Setsuna's words in the Demon Desert and asked, puzzled, "What do you mean by 'planting a tree'?"
Flying through the air, Setsuna organized his thoughts. "Simply put, planting the God Tree and then eating its fruit can grant me an immortal body, eternal life, and incidentally various Space-Time abilities as a bonus."
The God Slime's eyes practically turned red with envy. "You just have to eat some God Tree fruit to get eternal life? Then go steal that God Tree right now!"
"It's not that easy to steal," Setsuna shrugged, "There are still some powerful beings hidden on this planet. I'm not a match for them yet."
Otsutsuki Toneri could slice the moon in half. The Sage of Six Paths could create the moon a thousand years ago.
Although he had the Don Slime as his ultimate trump card, that was only a mutually assured destruction threat. He still had some way to go before truly being able to challenge the aliens.
"Then get stronger, fast! As long as you can handle more of my power, destroying this planet would be easy," Don Slime grumbled discontentedly.
"I am getting stronger. I'm trying every way I can to create pressure for myself," Setsuna sighed.
Don Slime snapped its fingers (or the equivalent). "Right, what's the connection between the God Tree and the population you mentioned?"
"The God Tree absorbs the Chakra of all living beings on the planet. When the Chakra on this planet is completely drained, the God Tree bears its fruit. Of course, this method is only used because those aliens are impatient and only think about killing the goose that lays the golden eggs."
Setsuna explained, "In my opinion, we should promote Chakra Training to every corner of this planet and use technological means to allow even those without talent to practice. Then, we could collect Chakra as a form of tax, ensuring a continuous harvest of Chakra."
In Setsuna's view, this method was similar to Big Mom's taxation system in One Piece.
The residents of Totto Land paid one month of their lifespan every six months in exchange for Big Mom's protection.
They didn't even need to work, and as long as they stayed away from the islands Big Mom resided on, they could live quite well.
In his vision, the future Ninja World would only need to pay Chakra, which was far better than paying with lifespan.
"I see. But you could have a better option," Don Slime said. "The population on your planet is too small. Since you can travel through the universe, why not go to other universes and find more suitable planets?"
Setsuna shook his head, "That can only be a backup plan. After all, I'm not sure if the God Tree can be successfully nurtured in other universes."
"That's true too," Don Slime conceded.
"Anyway, my goal is to end all war in this world as quickly as possible!" Setsuna's tone was firm. He intended to speedrun this Ninja War, which originally lasted three years, within three months. The faster, the better.
"So, will the people of this world see you as a saint or a devil?" Don Slime cackled loudly.
"Let future generations judge me," Setsuna quoted a phrase Don Slime wouldn't understand, then accelerated his flight towards Konoha.
In Konohagakure, anxiety filled the streets and alleys as if the village had just experienced a major upheaval.
Half an hour earlier, a giant serpent, massive as a mountain range, had suddenly appeared in Konoha.
Panic had gripped everyone. Fortunately, the legendary Sannin Orochimaru had stepped forward, attempting to subdue the giant serpent.
The result was him nearly being killed by a single headbutt.
Just as the entire village prepared for a desperate fight, the giant serpent opened its cavernous mouth and spat out the Third Hokage and the candidates who had participated in the Chunin Exams.
The Third Hokage subsequently informed them that they had fallen into a despicable trap set by Sunagakure and Iwagakure in the Land of Wind. It was Setsuna who single-handedly held off the Sunagakure and Iwagakure's Ninjas and sent his summon to bring them back.
After establishing the narrative for the event, the Third Hokage swiftly summoned all of Konoha's Jonin.
In the large meeting room, after hearing the Third Hokage's brief account of the events, everyone showed expressions of shock, 'That Genin named Chiaki Setsuna had actually held off the combined forces of Sunagakure and Iwagakure single-handedly? What incredibly noble character!'
Among those present, Danzo had the most intense reaction.
"Outrageous! We must retaliate fiercely! Blood for blood, a tooth for a tooth!" Danzo was furious. He was always the one framing others, but this time, the tables were turned, and he was the one being framed.
Although he had previously considered assassinating the Third Kazekage, believing that killing the Kazekage who 'mined' for Sunagakure would cut off their economic lifeline, he hadn't actually acted on it yet, had he?
The most hateful part was that he was accustomed to operating from the shadows. But this time, Sunagakure had exposed him. Even if he was proven innocent, he would now be in the spotlight, making it very difficult for him to operate covertly in the future.
Utatane Koharu, her hands clasped and supporting her chin, said, "I don't oppose declaring war on Sunagakure, but we need time for military mobilization and logistical preparations. The fastest would be three days."
The Third Hokage said gravely, "Let's put the declaration of war aside for now. What I need to do immediately is gather 100 Jonin to return to the Land of Wind with me and rescue Setsuna."
Mitokado Homura sighed. "I understand how you feel, but it's already too late. Facing the combined forces of Sunagakure and Iwagakure alone, how long could he possibly hold out? The reason you returned so quickly is that his summon charged recklessly forward, completely ignoring the terrain."
"But that summon has already returned. Even if you travel at full speed, it would take at least a day to reach the Land of Wind. Give it up."
At this moment, the Third Hokage showed rare stubbornness. "But what if he can hold out until then? Even if there's only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, we cannot abandon a hero of Konoha."