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At Iwagakure, Ōnoki sat at the head of the meeting table, his brows furrowed as he stared at the intelligence report in his hand. He finally tossed it onto the table, the tension in the room palpable.
"Everyone, what should we do?" Ōnoki asked, his tone heavy.
Konoha had produced another powerful figure—White Fang, Hatake Sakumo. The power to cleave mountains with a single strike certainly evoked memories of Hashirama's strength. However, the report of White Fang's subsequent severe injuries suggested that Konoha had not produced another God of Shinobi.
The God of Shinobi wouldn't be incapacitated after just one attack.
Konoha had once again given rise to a formidable talent.
Ōnoki scanned the faces of the assembled Iwagakure elite, feeling a headache building. Why couldn't Iwagakure produce such geniuses? They were reliant on sheer numbers.
If only they had someone with even half of White Fang's capabilities, he would fully support their growth.
"White Fang's strength could disrupt the balance."
"If he appears on our battlefield, we'll suffer heavy losses."
"We need to find a way to neutralize White Fang."
The elite jōnin present were discussing the matter fervently, but none of them offered a concrete solution. Ōnoki's patience wore thin, and he slammed his hand on the table, silencing the room.
"Enough."
"I asked for solutions, not for you to lament about White Fang's threat."
Listening to these people made his head throb.
These were supposed to be the village's top warriors, yet they were proving to be nothing but a source of frustration. Without him, Iwagakure would surely fall apart.
"If White Fang appears on the battlefield, Iwagakure forces are authorized to abandon their mission and retreat."
Ōnoki rubbed his temples as he issued the command. The ability to cleave mountains was certainly terrifying, but if he exerted all his power, he could achieve a similar feat.
So, he wasn't particularly afraid of White Fang. Ninja combat wasn't about the size of the destruction; it was about lethal precision. White Fang's attack, after all, hadn't killed anyone in Sunagakure, so there was little reason to be overly concerned.
Not having faced that attack directly, Ōnoki didn't grasp its true danger. But the problem was clear—aside from himself, there was no one in Iwagakure who could match up to White Fang.
The good news was that the Kazekage had been the first to engage. If Ōnoki entered the battlefield now, it wouldn't seem excessive.
But if he stepped in, Hiruzen would surely follow. While Sarutobi's strength wasn't on par with previous Hokage, he was still formidable. And then there was that crafty old fox, Danzo. If the two of them teamed up, Ōnoki wouldn't stand a chance, especially with White Fang added to the mix.
Iwagakure was backed into a corner.
Were it not for Sunagakure sharing the burden, he might not even want to continue the war.
"But this will cause significant losses for us."
Some of the other ninja didn't want to show too much fear of White Fang, believing it could have a negative impact on Iwagakure's morale.
Ōnoki shot a sharp look at the speaker. It was his son, Kitsuchi.
Well, that was fine. He could discipline him later.
"Do any of you have the ability to defeat White Fang? Or even just to hold him off?"
Ōnoki's question was met with silence.
It seemed no one did.
Perhaps the two jinchūriki could do it, but their control was still unstable. Deploying them on the battlefield could backfire catastrophically.
"However, you shouldn't worry too much about White Fang."
Seeing their discomfort, Ōnoki decided to offer some reassurance.
They turned to him, hopeful.
Ōnoki sneered.
"White Fang's strength is a bigger problem for Hiruzen than for us. That old monkey hasn't aged out of ambition just yet."
As his longtime rival, Ōnoki understood Sarutobi's mindset all too well.
With White Fang's current strength, he posed a potential threat to the Hokage position.
From what Ōnoki knew, Hiruzen was not a man who would relinquish the Hokage seat easily. He would undoubtedly suppress White Fang.
"Even if we aren't overly concerned with White Fang, Konoha's strength is indeed alarming. They keep producing powerful ninja as time goes on."
One of the ninja reminded them, drawing everyone into contemplation.
In the Land of Rain, Orochimaru was pushing all opposition back, and even with Sunagakure's help, the enemy was only barely holding the line.
Meanwhile, on another front, Jiraiya had Iwagakure forces completely stalled, with no sign of a breakthrough. And with each passing day, it seemed the Konoha ninja were growing stronger. It was unbelievable.
"An alliance, then. If we fight Konoha while facing off against other villages, we're bound to lose."
Ōnoki considered the proposal. It was clear that Konoha was putting a lot of pressure on them.
This was after sharing the burden with Sunagakure.
He quickly made a decision.
"Form an alliance with Sunagakure and Amegakure. Request aid from Kumogakure and Kirigakure."
"Amegakure?" The others were surprised at Ōnoki's suggestion.
Why would they consider allying with a small village?
Seeing the reluctance on their faces, Ōnoki scolded them.
"Set aside your arrogance."
"Amegakure is not a small force."
"Moreover, they have produced a troublesome individual."
A ninja who had repeatedly repelled three great nations in battle.
A man with the title of "Demi-God."
"Hanzō of the Salamander."
...
Kumogakure.
"White Fang."
The Third Raikage, A, looked at the intelligence report in his hand.
"Hahaha, it seems we have a worthy opponent."
"Raikage-sama, should we join the battle?" his blonde-haired secretary asked.
After a moment of thought, A shook his head.
"Joining the battle now won't yield significant results."
It was a shame, given the strength of the opponent.
If any village could be considered the weakest at the moment, it would be Kumogakure.
The losses in the First Shinobi World War had been devastating for them, and they were only now beginning to recover.
A and B were the only ones shouldering the burden now, but B's control was still unstable, leaving A to carry the weight alone.
Kumogakure had lost most of its veteran shinobi in the First Shinobi World War, and while the current generation was finally starting to come into its own, the next generation was still growing.
If they joined a large-scale battle now, it could jeopardize the future of Kumogakure.
Other villages could field two or three powerful shinobi; Konoha had even more.
Kumogakure, on the other hand, only had A.
"Let's wait."
A's deep gaze passed through the window, staring at the clouds outside.
For now, Kumogakure needed to continue building its strength.
...
Kirigakure.
In the Mizukage's office, the Third Mizukage sat behind his desk, his hat casting a shadow over his face as he worked through paperwork.
In the shadowy corners of the room, a pair of crimson Sharingan eyes gleamed.
An elderly man, his face lined with wrinkles, emerged slowly from the darkness, casually picking up a report on Konoha from the Mizukage's desk.
The Mizukage showed no reaction, as if the old man didn't exist.
"White Fang?"
If someone from Ōnoki's era had seen this elderly man, they would immediately recognize him.
This was none other than the legendary "Shinobi of the Sharingan."
Uchiha Madara.
(End of Chapter)