Chapter 207: The Plan Succeeds, Onoki Goes to War
Thick earthen walls shot up from all sides, instantly blocking the cloaked figure's path.
Seeing their enemy trapped, the Iwa ninja, led by their captain, cautiously prepared for a breakout attempt.
The signal flare exploded in the sky. The Iwa captain, having sent the alert, was about to scale the wall to check on the enemy's condition when he felt a tremor beneath his feet.
Before anyone could react, a mass of vine-like saplings burst from the ground, ensnaring them and growing at an astonishing rate.
"Wood Release: Tree Binding Eternal Burial!"
The chakra-infused wood was too strong for the Iwa shinobi to break free. From the moment they were entangled, their fate was sealed.
The cloaked figure leaped onto the top of the towering wall and looked down at the gruesome scene below, a twisted smile of pleasure flashing across her face.
White Zetsu and Tobi appeared beside her. Looking down at the carnage, Zetsu hesitated for a moment. "Nagisa, don't waste time on these small fry. We need to retreat."
At the sound of her name, the cloaked figure—Uchiha Nagisa—stiffened. She turned, her eyes burning with murderous intent. "I told you," she said, her voice freezing cold, "never to call me by that name again."
"...I'll be more careful next time," White Zetsu replied, his gaze shifting away nervously.
"Hmph. Let's go." With that, Nagisa leaped from the wall and began to run toward the village exit. Before leaving, she unleashed a Fire Release jutsu, setting the wooden corpses ablaze to conceal the evidence.
Not long after they had left, a large group of Iwa ninja arrived. After a quick investigation, they set off in pursuit.
White Zetsu, still traveling underground, detected them immediately. "The fish have taken the bait," he said with a cold smirk.
"Good," Nagisa replied. The Sharingan in her left eye blazed with power.
In the next instant, dozens of similarly cloaked figures appeared around her. They were her puppets, an entire legion composed of Konoha shinobi.
Their purpose was simple: to delay the Iwa pursuers until they were all eventually killed.
When that happened, the "fact" that Konoha had kidnapped Onoki's daughter-in-law would be set in stone.
A furious Onoki would undoubtedly go to the front lines himself to demand her return. And when the Northwestern Corps couldn't produce her, they would face the full wrath of the Tsuchikage.
This entire scheme was, of course, the handiwork of Uchiha Madara, a brilliant plan he had devised after successfully manipulating Nagisa.
According to Madara's intelligence, the combination of Kyosuke and Might Duy was no match for Onoki and Han. Against the powerful Dust Release, a single mistake would mean death.
And even if Kyosuke managed to survive, he would need reinforcements from other powerful shinobi to win the war. Konoha only had two such individuals available: Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, and Minato Namikaze, who was fighting on another front.
Sarutobi was unlikely to leave the village. And if, by some strange twist of fate, he did, Madara wouldn't mind arranging for him to die an "unexplained" death on the battlefield, just like Tobirama Senju.
As for Minato, his Flying Thunder God Technique made him the perfect candidate for reinforcements. Moreover, Madara's original choice for his successor was on Minato's team. His arrival would be most welcome.
Thus, the kidnapping mission was a brilliant "two birds with one stone" strategy for Madara.
Through her remote control of the puppets, Nagisa soon sensed the battle had begun.
The pursuing Iwa ninja, rushing to catch their targets, were caught completely off guard by the ambush just outside the village. Nagisa's puppets managed to kill a significant number of them in the initial chaos.
But this only served to extinguish the last remnants of reason in the Iwa forces. That their village, one of the five great shinobi villages, had been so easily infiltrated and a high-profile individual abducted was an unimaginable humiliation. They could already hear the mocking laughter from the other villages.
Fueled by this rage, the Iwa pursuit squad launched a frenzied counterattack.
They had the advantage in numbers, and Nagisa's control over her Mangekyo was still unrefined. Her puppet army was quickly slaughtered.
The Iwa ninja tore the cloaks from the fallen puppets. After a brief examination, they confirmed the identities of their attackers.
"Damn Konoha! They dare to play these games with me!" Onoki, sitting in the Tsuchikage's office, slammed his fist on the desk, his entire body trembling with rage.
He wanted nothing more than to fly to the front lines himself and tear the invaders to shreds. But he couldn't rule out the possibility of this being a diversion. He was forced to remain in the village, waiting for news.
The wait stretched on until the evening of the next day.
Throughout this time, a steady stream of reports trickled in from the intelligence division.
"Identities of the attackers confirmed... spies within the Northwestern Corps have verified that these individuals disappeared several days ago."
"Pursuit squad has suffered heavy casualties. The enemy vanished near the border of the Land of Grass."
"Message from Lord Kitsuchi. He will personally lead a search party."
"Lord Kitsuchi's team has engaged the enemy in the Land of Grass. A fierce battle is underway."
Hearing this last report, Onoki, despite his exhaustion, forced himself to stay awake, awaiting the final outcome.
The anxious wait was agonizing. He hadn't felt this way in years, not since he had reached the absolute peak of his power.
But this was different. It was his daughter-in-law, pregnant with his grandchild. Who could remain calm in such a situation? Onoki certainly couldn't.
If the worst were to happen... he didn't know what he would do.
Time ticked by, each second an eternity. Finally, the latest report arrived.
It was good news, and bad news.
The good news: Kitsuchi had successfully rescued his wife, gravely injuring the enemy in the process.
The bad news... there was only one piece of bad news. The child was lost.
When he heard the words, Onoki collapsed into his chair, a profound emptiness washing over him.
"Lord Tsuchikage..." the intelligence ninja said, his voice filled with concern as he looked at Onoki's face, hidden in the shadows.
Onoki's mind was filled with images of the future he had so eagerly anticipated. He had pursued power and influence his entire life, and in doing so, had failed as a father. When he learned he was to be a grandfather, he had sworn to be a good one.
Now, all those beautiful dreams were shattered.
After a long silence, Onoki stood, his face unreadable. He left the office with two final orders.
"Investigate this incident. I want every detail, every clue, no matter how small."
"And prepare the Kage Guard. We are going to war with Konoha."
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