Iwagakure Village
Onoki frowned at the intelligence report in his hand, his brows tightly knit. He tossed the report onto the table.
"What do you all think? What should we do?" he asked.
Konoha had a new powerhouse.
The White Fang, Hatake Sakumo.
That slash, capable of cleaving through a mountain, carried shades of the legendary Hashirama Senju.
However, the subsequent injuries suggested that Konoha hadn't produced a new "God of Shinobi" just yet.
The true God of Shinobi wouldn't have been incapacitated after slicing a mere mountain.
Once again, Konoha had produced an extraordinary figure.
Onoki looked at the sparse group of Iwa shinobi around the conference table and felt a headache coming on.
Why doesn't Iwagakure have geniuses like that?
They were relying solely on their numbers to keep up.
If he had someone even half as talented as White Fang, he'd pour all his resources into training them.
"White Fang's power disrupts the balance."
"If White Fang appears on our battlefield, our losses will be heavy."
"We have to find a way to contain White Fang."
The elite Jonin at the meeting murmured amongst themselves, yet no one offered a concrete solution.
Onoki's temples throbbed with annoyance. He slammed a hand on the table, cutting through the chatter.
"Enough."
"I asked for solutions, not for laments about how much of a threat White Fang is."
Listening to these people gave him a headache.
And these people were the village's critical fighting force.
No brains, no brawn—what would this village do without him? Eventually, it would collapse.
"If White Fang appears on the battlefield, Iwa shinobi are authorized to abandon the mission and retreat," Onoki ordered, rubbing his temples.
That slash was indeed intimidating, but if he went all out, he could manage something similar.
He wasn't afraid of White Fang, after all.
A shinobi's true threat wasn't measured by destructive power but by deadly precision.
White Fang's strike hadn't claimed a single life in Sunagakure, so Onoki wasn't overly concerned.
Onoki hadn't experienced that slash firsthand, so he couldn't understand its danger.
Still, damn it.
Aside from himself, there was no one in Iwagakure who could contend with White Fang.
The good news was that the Kazekage from Sunagakure had already entered the battlefield. If he went in too, it wouldn't seem too overboard.
But if he showed up, Sarutobi Hiruzen would definitely make an appearance.
Although Hiruzen's strength wasn't on par with the previous Hokage of Konoha, he was still a match for Onoki.
And that old schemer Danzo Shimura would certainly join the fray as well.
If those two joined forces, Onoki would be outmatched, especially now with White Fang in the mix.
Iwagakure was being thoroughly outmaneuvered.
If it weren't for the pressure Suna was also exerting on Konoha, he would have considered pulling out of the fight altogether.
"But retreating would damage our morale significantly," another shinobi objected, unwilling to show such open fear of White Fang, lest it affect Iwagakure's image.
Onoki shot a glare at the man who spoke up.
It was his son, Kitsuchi.
Well, that made it easier. He could deal with this later at home.
"Can any of you defeat White Fang? Or if not defeat, at least restrict him?" Onoki challenged bluntly.
The others exchanged glances.
It seemed no one could do that.
Perhaps the two Jinchuriki could manage, but they were unstable right now. If they lost control in battle, it would be catastrophic.
"But there's no need to be overly concerned about White Fang," Onoki added, seeing the hesitation in their faces.
When they looked towards him, he sneered.
"White Fang is powerful, but we aren't the ones most worried about him—Sarutobi Hiruzen is."
He knew his old rival too well.
White Fang's current strength surpassed Hiruzen's, which meant White Fang had a real shot at the Hokage's position.
And from what Onoki knew, Sarutobi Hiruzen was not the kind of man to relinquish power easily.
He would definitely suppress White Fang.
"Even if we don't worry about White Fang, Konoha's strength is terrifying right now, and they're only producing more powerful shinobi as time goes by," another shinobi reminded.
The room fell into contemplative silence.
In the Land of Rain, Orochimaru had all but overwhelmed their forces, and now even with Suna's aid, they could barely hold him off.
On the other front, Jiraiya was holding them at bay without a shred of vulnerability.
And with every passing day, breaking through seemed less and less likely.
It seemed as though Konoha's shinobi were growing stronger at an impossible rate.
It was almost unbelievable.
"We need an alliance. If we go against Konoha alone while dealing with other villages, we're bound to lose."
Onoki considered this proposal. He had to admit, Konoha was exerting immense pressure on them.
And that was even with the burden shared by Suna.
He quickly made a decision.
"Form an alliance with Suna and Amegakure. Also, request aid from Kumogakure and Kirigakure."
"Amegakure?" The others were visibly surprised.
Since when did a minor village qualify as an ally?
Seeing the displeasure on their faces, Onoki roared at them.
"Get rid of your arrogance."
"Amegakure's forces are not insignificant."
"Not to mention, they have a troublesome individual on their side."
A ninja capable of repelling three villages repeatedly in battle.
The man who was slowly earning the title of 'Demi-God.'
"Hanzo of the Salamander."
---
Kumogakure Village
"White Fang," the Third Raikage, A, said, looking at the intelligence report.
"Hahaha, looks like a formidable opponent has emerged."
"Raikage-sama, should we join the war?" his blonde-haired secretary asked.
A thought for a moment but shook his head.
"Joining now won't yield significant results."
A shame, really—a worthy opponent.
If one were to evaluate the weakest village right now, Kumogakure might take first place.
The losses they had suffered in the First Great Ninja War had been substantial, and they were just beginning to recover.
Currently, only he and Blue B could bear the mantle, but Blue B was still unstable, which left him alone.
Kumogakure had lost most of its previous generation in the First War, their current generation was just stepping up, and the next generation was still growing.
Jumping into a major battle now could impact the future of the village.
Most of the other villages could field two or three strong fighters, with Konoha leading in numbers.
For Kumogakure, it was just him, at best.
"Sigh."
"Let's wait a while longer."
A gazed out the window at the thick clouds beyond.
Kumogakure needed to build up its strength for now.
---
Kirigakure Village
In the Mizukage's office.
The Third Mizukage, wearing his ceremonial robe and hat, was busy with paperwork.
In the shadows behind him, a pair of crimson Sharingan briefly glowed.
An old man with a face full of wrinkles slowly emerged, casually picking up a document about Konoha from the Mizukage's desk.
The Mizukage paid the elder no attention, as if he didn't exist.
"White Fang?" the old man murmured.
If Onoki from Iwagakure saw this elder, he would instantly recognize him.
The man standing in the Mizukage's office, shrouded in darkness, was none other than the Shinobi Asura.
Uchiha Madara!
---
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