“Father, Konoha has succeeded again.”
“No matter how many times I witness it, I have to admit my admiration for the creativity of Konoha’s shinobi! Such an immense Lightning Release technique—even the Kirigakure couldn’t pull it off… If that boy really invented this, then he reminds me of a truly terrifying enemy.”
Senju Tobirama!
Even in death, he remained a headache for every village.
Ōnoki Remained Silent
He stared into the distance for a long time, a trace of doubt creeping into his mind.
Did Konoha really send out shinobi just to bombard the Kusa-nin?
No…
There had to be another reason.
Ōnoki grew more cautious, sensing that he had overlooked something.
As he pondered, Kanda Kyoichi formed hand seals in the distance. A terrifying tidal wave surged through the forest, extinguishing the remaining flames and washing away any traces of the corpses.
Then, the Konoha shinobi withdrew.
“This was a display of power,” Ōnoki thought, believing he had grasped part of Konoha’s intent—intimidation.
The Kusa-nin had never been known for their unwavering loyalty. Today, they had aligned with Iwa simply because Iwa was stationed in the Land of Grass. But tomorrow? If Konoha proved stronger, they might just switch sides again.
Just days ago, Konoha had already repelled them with jutsu, killing a significant number of both Iwa and Kusa-nin.
So…
If Konoha continued to exert pressure, the Kusa-nin might truly turn against him.
After the Konoha forces left, Ōnoki silently approached with Akatsuchi, his expression unreadable. He could still sense the presence of surviving Kusa-nin in the area, among them the one organizing the remnants—
Asano Nariki.
Ōnoki became even more convinced of his suspicions.
Even if the Kusa-nin didn’t outright betray them, they were unlikely to put in much effort from now on. They would likely maintain a neutral, passive stance rather than fully supporting Iwa.
After all…
No one could guarantee clear skies every day. The same lightning that had struck their shinobi today could easily rain down on Kusagakure tomorrow. And they could not withstand Konoha’s wrath.
What a terrifying technique!
He needed to find a countermeasure—fast.
---
“Ōnoki Has Left”
“After today, he definitely won’t trust the Kusagakure anymore. Not that it matters—those guys have zero credibility. Betrayal is just a matter of time.”
Kyoichi walked back with the squad.
Due to the unusual weather, only a small number of shinobi had been deployed. Most were stationed at the border, guarding against a possible counterattack from Ōnoki and his Iwa forces.
After all…
Who could say Ōnoki wouldn’t try to outmaneuver them? Instead of showing up here, he might just go straight for their main base.
If they didn’t plan ahead, they’d suffer a heavy loss.
Kyoichi wasn’t reckless.
While intimidating the Grass ninja was one of his objectives, his primary goal was to draw attention away—to create a distraction for Namikaze Minato’s squad as they infiltrated enemy lines.
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I, Konoha's Sage of Life
FanfictionKanda Kyoichi transmigrated to Konoha and became a temporary instructor at the Ninja Academy. Fortunately, he awakened the Mentor System. By teaching others, he could earn rewards. Thus began Kyoichi's career as a "teacher" in the ninja world. Shisu...
