Chapter 33: Ōnoki's Desperate Gambit

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In just a few short days, the news of Uchiha Madara’s return spread throughout the entire shinobi world.

Then, the news that Madara had seized control of Amegakure and become its leader also quickly made the rounds.

This time, the four great hidden villages that had been half-doubting the rumors were thrown into complete panic!

Uchiha Madara has truly returned!? But didn’t he die long ago!?

Even the Raikage, who had confidently dismissed the reports as nonsense, fell silent. After all, where there’s smoke, there’s fire!

Without further ado, the four great hidden villages hastily dispatched their elite shinobi to investigate Amegakure.

But before they could uncover anything substantial, the public announcement from Iwagakure sent shockwaves through the shinobi world—not once, not twice, but three times over.

What Iwagakure released was none other than the ceasefire agreement and surrender terms that Madara had forced Ōnoki to sign!

During this period, it wasn’t just Konoha that was in an uproar—so was Iwagakure, and perhaps even more so.

When Ōnoki returned to Iwagakure with only his son, both of them looking utterly disheveled, it caused a massive stir within the village.

Who on earth could have annihilated the three thousand elite shinobi personally led by the Third Tsuchikage and forced Ōnoki himself to retreat in defeat?

Ōnoki claimed he was innocent and deeply aggrieved, so he recounted every detail of his disastrous encounter with Uchiha Madara.

The higher-ups of Iwagakure were left in stunned disbelief.

However, given Ōnoki’s firsthand account and the severe injuries sustained by his son, Kurotsuchi, they had no choice but to accept this terrifying reality.

What Ōnoki said next caused the entire leadership of Iwagakure to explode in outrage!

Ōnoki explained the contents of the ceasefire agreement and surrender terms, stating that he had been forced to sign them. If they refused to comply or failed to adhere to the terms, Madara would personally come knocking on their door!

The higher-ups of Iwagakure erupted in fury, some even pointing at Ōnoki’s bulbous nose and cursing him for disgracing the village. Others outright demanded that Ōnoki step down from his position as Tsuchikage.

Ōnoki remained silent, his face cold, waiting for the storm of anger around him to subside.

Once things had quieted down somewhat, Ōnoki spoke a few words that left the leaders of Iwa speechless.

His exact words were as follows:

"First, I must admit my incompetence in the face of Uchiha Madara’s overwhelming pressure. That is my fault.

However, I know exactly what you’re thinking—you want my position as Tsuchikage, and you believe that once someone else takes over, the agreements and treaties I signed can be nullified!

Heh… Let me make one thing clear: Uchiha Madara doesn’t play by the rules. Whether it’s me or another Tsuchikage, if he doesn’t get what he wants, he will personally come to take it! And let me assure you—I am no match for him!

If any of you can handle Uchiha Madara in the upcoming invasion of Earth Country, I will gladly step aside for you! If any of you possess greater strength than me or can surpass my abilities, I will willingly hand over my position!"

With these words, the previously vocal dissenters among Iwa’s leadership fell silent.

What Ōnoki said was undeniably true. With Iwagakure’s current lack of talent, there was no one who could match Ōnoki’s capabilities. In other words, during this impending crisis for Iwagakure, the only person capable of leading everyone out of Dilemma was Ōnoki himself—and no one else.

With no more arguments, Ōnoki managed to reclaim some of his lost dignity. Then, the leadership of Iwagakure began discussing the most painful issue of all—the reparations!

Let’s take a look at the terms of the reparations: ten billion ryō in wealth, three hundred thousand tons of grain, and various precious metals like copper and iron. These figures were enough to make anyone wince. Unlike the wealthy Fire Country, this was a compensation package that would cripple Earth Country!

And so, another round of heated arguments broke out.

Some insisted they absolutely could not pay the reparations, while others argued that they could. Some even suggested trying to negotiate further with Uchiha Madara. In short, opinions were as varied and chaotic as ever.

Amidst this disorderly commotion, Ōnoki delivered a single sentence that silenced them all.

"All your arguing here is useless! We don’t have the resources to fulfill these demands—only Earth Country can provide them! So whether we pay or not isn’t up to you—it’s up to the daimyō!"

After saying this, Ōnoki had no patience left for these squabbling fools. He set off alone to the daimyō’s castle in Earth Country to report the situation in person.

Though the daimyō had mentally prepared himself, he still spared no mercy for Ōnoki, publicly berating him with every harsh word imaginable. The daimyō made it clear that he would not pay a single ryō of the reparations!

At this point, Ōnoki abandoned all sense of pride and resorted to sheer stubbornness.

He flatly stated that he was no match for Uchiha Madara, nor was there anyone in Iwagakure capable of standing against him. Even if they threw the entire might of Iwagakure and Earth Country into the fight, they still wouldn’t stand a chance against Madara.

And since Madara wasn’t a reasonable man, when he inevitably invaded Earth Country, Ōnoki could only lead Iwagakure in a desperate attempt to hold him off. At any rate, before the daimyō was killed and his wealth plundered by Madara, Ōnoki and Iwagakure would undoubtedly perish first!

"So," Ōnoki concluded, "whether we fight or pay is your decision!"

Upon hearing this, the elderly daimyō of Earth Country immediately suffered a spike in blood pressure and collapsed in a dizzy spell.

Ōnoki, unfazed, simply adopted an indifferent attitude, remaining in the daimyō’s castle and waiting for him to make a choice.

The daimyō fainted, and after a chaotic scramble to treat him, he only regained his composure the next day.

Though the daimyō hated Ōnoki with every fiber of his being, the issue still needed to be resolved. Clenching his teeth in barely contained rage, the daimyō summoned Ōnoki once again to discuss the unresolved matters from the previous day.

When the daimyō met Ōnoki again, the first thing he said was:

"Can we… unite with the other five great nations to pressure Amegakure? Or perhaps join forces with them to launch a joint campaign against Uchiha Madara?"

Chapter end