Chapter 216: Defeating the Tsuchikage, Iwagakure's Retreat
The massive cube of light drew the attention of everyone on the battlefield. Unlike the looks of concern on the faces of the Northwestern Corps, the Iwa ninja erupted in a chorus of cheers.
Their morale soaring, they launched a fierce counterattack. Though they were still at a disadvantage, they knew their invincible Tsuchikage would soon come to their aid. Then, not a single one of the damned Konoha shinobi would escape.
The cube of light persisted for nearly thirty seconds before it slowly dissipated, leaving behind an empty void where not even a speck of dust remained. A triumphant smile spread across Onoki's face.
He slowly descended to the ground, placing a hand on his lower back with a weary sigh. "I'm getting old. It's getting harder and harder to deal with a couple of brats."
"If you know you're old, you should stay home and enjoy your retirement, old man!" a cold voice said from behind him. The hairs on the back of Onoki's neck stood on end.
Before he could react, a golden flash appeared in front of him. Minato Namikaze stood there, a kunai in his hand.
With blades at both his front and back, Onoki froze.
After a long moment, he finally spoke. "I gathered all of the kunai in the canyon. How did you escape?"
Minato glanced at Kyosuke behind him. The subtle movement did not escape Onoki's notice, but he said no more.
They had survived thanks to Kyosuke's mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique. He had successfully learned the jutsu two months ago, but had kept it hidden as a final trump card. But in a situation like this, it was impossible to keep it a secret any longer.
They stood in silence for a moment. Kyosuke stared at the back of Onoki's neck, a powerful urge to drive his sword through it rising within him. But Minato, ever the pragmatist, spoke up, preventing him from acting.
Kyosuke reluctantly suppressed his killing intent. There would be other opportunities.
"Lord Tsuchikage," Minato began, his tone carefully chosen, "Lord Danzo should have arrived in Iwagakure by now, correct?"
"...Yes," Onoki replied. He knew what Minato was implying.
For Danzo to come to Iwagakure alone as a hostage, to prove Konoha's innocence in the kidnapping of his daughter-in-law, was something Onoki had not expected. He knew what kind of man Danzo was. Such an act was a powerful display of sincerity. More importantly, his own intelligence division had confirmed that while Konoha shinobi were involved, they had all gone missing shortly before the incident. The possibility of a frame-up was high.
Besides, he had never quite understood why Konoha would risk angering him to such a degree at a time like this. Did they really not fear the complete destruction of their nation?
With all these doubts and suspicions, Onoki had already concluded that Konoha was not behind the attack. But with no other culprit to be found, he had needed an outlet for his rage.
Now, with both himself and his army defeated, there was no point in continuing the fight.
"Very well," Onoki said slowly. "Iwagakure will withdraw its forces. But Konoha still owes me an explanation for the kidnapping."
"Thank you for your understanding, Lord Tsuchikage," Minato said, his expression one of relief. "You have my word, Konoha will investigate this matter to the fullest."
Onoki ignored him and turned to the impassive Kyosuke. "I was almost sad to see you die. As it turns out, you are far more interesting than I thought."
"Heh," Kyosuke replied with a humorless smile that made Onoki's eye twitch.
"A brat with no respect for his elders," Onoki muttered. He then rose into the air and flew off in the direction of the main battlefield.
"Let's go," Minato said to Kyosuke. The two of them set off in the same direction.
Along the way, Minato hesitated several times, wanting to ask Kyosuke how he had learned the Flying Thunder God Technique. But it was clear from his expression that he didn't want to talk about it, so he kept his questions to himself.
They soon arrived at the battlefield and were greeted by the sound of joyous cheers. The ground was littered with corpses, but only Konoha shinobi remained. The Iwa army was gone.
The moment they were spotted, they were swarmed by their comrades, lifted into the air, and carried on their shoulders. The cheers rose to a deafening roar.
The Iwa forces were now in an orderly retreat toward the Land of Earth.
"Father, why did you suddenly order a retreat?" Kitsuchi asked, breaking the silence.
Onoki shot him a sideways glance. "I lost. You didn't win. Do you want us all to die here?"
"But..." Kitsuchi's face was still filled with anger and frustration.
"No 'buts'," Onoki snapped, his expression darkening. "I told you before, this probably wasn't Konoha's doing. Why can't you understand that?"
"...Then who could have infiltrated the village?"
"Think about it. Who benefits the most from a full-scale war between us and Konoha?"
A glimmer of understanding appeared in Kitsuchi's eyes. "You mean... the bastards from the Cloud?"
"Hmph." Onoki didn't give a direct answer. "Send word back to the village. Mobilize all remaining forces. We're turning around and attacking the Land of Lightning."
"But... but what about the alliance? And this is just a guess..." Kitsuchi stammered.
"This defeat has cost the village dearly," Onoki said, his voice hard as steel. "We must recoup our losses. Whether the Raikage was behind this or not, we will attack."
"I see," Kitsuchi said, the final pieces falling into place.
"...You useless fool. Now go."
"Yes, sir!"
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