https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-254-The-Human-Shaped-Monstrous-Beast-/12932155/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-256-The-Truth-Behind-Sarutobi-s-Death-/12932157/
Chapter 255: The Betrayal of the Fire Shadow!
Chapter 255: The Betrayal of the Fire Shadow!
At this point, Konoha had exhausted all its resources, both in terms of manpower and supplies.
Apart from the Sarutobi Army, there were no other hidden cards left.
Pursuing the enemy now would undoubtedly lead to more victories, but it would also incur significant losses.
The critical issue was the potential for the Sand Ninja to launch a desperate counterattack, which would be troublesome.
If they exhausted even this last bit of capital, the other three great ninja villages that had previously withdrawn from the Ninja World War might rejoin the battlefield.
Therefore, Konoha could not afford to pursue further.
And so, the battle at Ginseng Mountain came to an end, with Konoha emerging as the overwhelming victor.
"We won!"
"Long live Konoha!"
"Long live Naruto Uzumaki!"
...
Cheers echoed across the battlefield.
Dong Ping's gaze immediately shifted towards the ninjas named Naruto Uzumaki, but the darkness of night concealed their identities, and the distance made it difficult to discern them clearly.
"It's Zangin, Mizuharumon, Sarutobi... all led by the Fire Shadow Clan!"
Hyuga Cangyue's voice sounded from his side.
During the battle, she had been the one who held back the most against the Sand Ninja.
She had engaged in a prolonged battle with a taijutsu-focused Sand Ninja, skillfully leading them astray until she delivered the final blow.
A true assassin!
"As expected!"
Dong Ping was not surprised at all.
He had guessed that the Fire Shadow Clan was leading the charge.
Regardless, after this great war, Senju Hashirama would have to step down.
Konoha's losses were too severe, and even the Celestial Hammering Four Villages could not make up for them, so as the Fire Shadow, he had to take responsibility.
After his retirement, only four people were qualified to succeed him as the Fire Shadow.
The Three Sages, Naruto Uzumaki! All of them were from the Fire Shadow Clan.
Among them, Tsunade had left the village and never returned, leaving only Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Naruto Uzumaki as candidates.
Jiraiya had already hinted that he did not wish to become the Fire Shadow, making him the only choice.
So, it was not surprising that they were rallying behind Naruto Uzumaki.
As for why they did not choose Orochimaru?
If Orochimaru truly took the position, he would not be an easy leader to deal with.
This was not a matter of capability but of interests.
If the Fire Shadow was chosen based solely on ability, Orochimaru would undoubtedly be the strongest candidate, but the position would never be granted to him.
Lacking the Flame Will was his greatest sin.
Note that this Flame Will refers to the will of the Four Founders, not that of the First Fire Shadow.
Amidst the cheers, Naruto Uzumaki seemed to have become the sole protagonist of this great war.
Dong Ping let it slide, as he had been holding back during the battle.
However, Yamazaka Koji had defeated Generationals in a direct confrontation and disrupted the Sand Ninja's rear, earning him the title of 'Flag-Capturing General.'
But now, he was being ignored... It was truly unfair.
It was unclear who had devised this strategy, but it was undeniably ingenious.
Even if someone saw through it, they would have no grounds to complain.
After all, wasn't it only natural for Naruto Uzumaki, the Supreme Commander of this battle at Ginseng Mountain, to claim the greatest credit?
The next step was to clean up the battlefield.
Curiously, the Sand Ninja camp did not seem to have many supplies.
It was uncertain if they had only brought this much or if they had prepared in advance and not stored all their supplies here.
It was likely the latter! Despite their heavy losses, the Sand Ninja had occupied a large portion of the Land of Fire, ensuring they had ample resources.
With money, there were plenty of people willing to sell supplies to them.
Perhaps some of these supplies were even produced in Konoha, and even strategic materials like healing potions were available in sample quantities to the various ninja villages.
Whether these were spoils of war or obtained through other means, no one dared to ask, and no one dared to speak.
The next step was to take subsequent actions.
By keeping a close eye on the Sand Ninja, they could be completely expelled from the Land of Fire, and then the Konoha forces could return to the village.
As for restoring order, eliminating chaos, and so on...
What did that have to do with ninjas?
Konoha was merely the Land of Fire's combat organization, not a governing body, and they did not concern themselves with such matters.
The Sand Ninja retreated decisively, withdrawing entirely from the Land of Fire.
After leaving a detachment to monitor the border, the remaining forces planned to return to their village for rest and recuperation.
In the current situation, the village couldn't afford to use all its remaining strength to guard against the Sand Ninja.
Dohei naturally returned to the village with the others.
After all, it would be foolish to not return at such a crucial time for post-war profit distribution.
So, after the battle at Ginseng Mountain, nearly two months passed, and as the new year approached, he returned to the village with the triumphant army.
Today, the Leaf Village was bustling with excitement.
Early in the morning, countless villagers gathered on both sides of the village gates.
Senju Hashirama and other high-ranking village officials stood at the gates to welcome the returning army.
This ceremony was not only to boost the villagers' confidence and pride but also to send a message to other ninja villages that the Leaf Village was still a force to be reckoned with.
Soon, the triumphant army appeared before the villagers, eliciting a huge cheer.
"It's the Golden Flash!"
"I heard he defeated the Cloud Hidden and Stone Ninja, and now he's defeated the Sand Ninja too!"
"That's right, he's the hero of the Leaf Village!"
"So cool!"
Various voices echoed among the villagers.
But if you listened carefully, you'd notice something interesting.
The topic would eventually shift to Naruto Uzumaki, and they would credit him with the achievements while overlooking the contributions of others.
Dohei's 404 Squad was also part of the army, but they were overshadowed by Naruto Uzumaki, who was constantly waving and greeting the villagers, making them appear rather ordinary.
"Doesn't this feel unfair?"
Dohei turned to Yamazaka Koji beside him, curious about his thoughts.
After all, in this great war, he had given it his all, holding nothing back, yet he hadn't received the recognition he deserved.
"No!" Yamazaka Koji replied calmly, "I'm your man, and I fought for the village only because of your and Danzo's deal!"
Having witnessed the village's dark side, the influence of the Flame Will had faded, and he was now solely dedicated to serving Dohei.
"That's good!"
Dohei also felt relieved, fearing that Yamazaka Koji might be resentful.
He had already received his reward, and during this time, he had been diligently studying the Soul Transfiguration Technique, making significant progress.
It could be said that this reward was exchanged for their honor.
He was well aware of this, so he didn't have any complaints and followed the village leaders' instructions without question.
It's not possible to expect both the rewards and the honor, right?
That would be too undignified.
After entering the village, the army disbanded, and only the high-ranking officials were summoned to the Hokage Tower.
The 404 Squad, the Boar Deer Butterfly team, and others followed Danzo and Naruto Uzumaki to the conference room on the third floor of the building.
The Hokage's office was too small for such a large gathering.
At this moment, the leaders of the various ninja clans in the village were already waiting for them.
It was evident that today's meeting was of utmost importance.
Senju Hashirama, seated in the main position, had noticeably relaxed his furrowed brows.
"I have some good news to share. The Leaf Village has reached a ceasefire agreement with the Stone Ninja and the Cloud Hidden!"
He delivered the news first.
However, despite it being good news, the conference room fell silent for a moment.
Dohei, seated in his position, smiled slightly.
The fun was about to begin!
Because Senju Hashirama was clearly about to turn against them.
It was important to know that the reason the Leaf Village could achieve the Celestial Hammering Four Villages was that the various ninja clans had contributed their privately cultivated talents and ninja armies, and even pooled their accumulated resources.
Although the primary goal was to protect the Leaf Village, the pursuit of interests was even more crucial.
Did they really think that the Flame Will would motivate them like a white-toothed beast, willing to sacrifice everything for the Leaf Village?
Post-war negotiations were an opportunity for the various ninja clans to reap benefits.
For example, they could monopolize certain goods, trade routes, specialties, and more as a reward for their contributions.
But now, Senju Hashirama had reached a ceasefire agreement with the Cloud Hidden and Stone Ninja without consulting them, leaving them surprised.
In summary...
The Hokage had betrayed them!
(End of Chapter)
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