Chapter 179: The Tragedy of Small Nations, Betrayal Before Battle
After hearing Uchiha Dali's self-introduction, among the countless shinobi present, many of those who weren't wearing the Iwagakure forehead protector broke into cold sweat.
Some of them were even trembling slightly.
This left Uchiha Dali quite puzzled.
He asked himself—he hadn't used any violence on them, nor had he said anything threatening or malicious.
So why were they reacting this way?
At that moment, whispers began to spread through the crowd.
"So that's Uchiha Dali? So that's what he looks like..."
"He's the one who conquered Sunagakure in the Land of Wind and made both the village and the nation bow to Konoha, right?!"
"And Kirigakure from the Land of Water too—both those countries have already submitted to Konoha!"
"This guy looks dangerous. I'm actually not that scared of those vicious-looking types!"
"Yeah, you can't see through him at all. He might be smiling at you one second, and the next thing you know, he's dealt you a fatal blow…"
"…"
Though these voices were low, to Uchiha Dali it was as if they were being shouted at full volume.
His perception was so sharp, he could easily hear things happening kilometers away.
"So that's how it is…"
Uchiha Dali smiled inwardly.
At that moment, a burly shinobi leader from the Land of Demons stepped forward and shouted, "Hey, Fourth Hokage of Konoha! We never truly wanted to be your enemies!! We only joined forces with Iwagakure out of concern for our own safety and future!"
"It wasn't us who wanted to invade the Land of Fire—it was the Third Tsuchikage who rallied us to resist together! If you want someone to blame, blame the Land of Earth, blame Iwagakure!"
This man was the Kage of the Demon Hidden Village in the Land of Demons.
The moment he said this, an uproar broke out.
The shinobi of Iwagakure were the most outraged.
"Damn it! Lord Third Demon Shadow, how can you say that?! You're just pushing all the blame onto us?? Weren't you the ones who came begging us for protection?!"
"That bastard's nothing but a lowlife. No wonder he's only the leader of a small shinobi village from a small country! So despicable!"
"Typical of someone from a backwater place—doesn't even understand the most basic principles of honor!"
"Bastard! You're blaming Lord Third Tsuchikage? Don't forget it was you small nations who came crawling to us for shelter!"
"…"
The words of the Third Demon Shadow sparked collective outrage.
But from his own perspective, he was simply trying to protect himself.
Anyone with eyes could see it—Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, was completely incapable of stopping Uchiha Dali.
Otherwise, Dali wouldn't have been able to casually show up right under their noses in front of so many powerful shinobi.
If his life were even remotely threatened, would this have happened?
As the Iwagakure shinobi angrily denounced the Third Demon Shadow, the shinobi of the Demon Hidden Village retaliated just as fiercely.
Since their Kage had already shown clear signs of submission to Uchiha Dali, they naturally understood what side they needed to pick now.
And the Demon Hidden Village wasn't alone—shinobi from other small nations like the Land of Birds, Land of Snow, and Land of Grass all began to line up and pledge allegiance to Uchiha Dali.
"Lord Fourth Hokage, we had no choice. Please don't hold it against us—we were just trying to survive…"
"We were blinded by fear and failed to see the situation clearly. But we understand now. Lord Fourth Hokage, please give the Land of Grass a chance to atone. We're willing to become a subordinate nation to the Land of Fire!"
"The Land of Demons is also willing to submit to you!"
"…"
Within moments, nearly all the small nations were declaring their submission and willingness to surrender to Uchiha Dali.
This sudden shift caught Uchiha Dali completely off guard.
He had originally planned to give these people a chance to rethink their position.
But now, it seemed there was no need.
"Small nations really are pitiful…"
Uchiha Dali thought with a touch of sympathy.
In the face of powerful shinobi villages and individuals, the shinobi of these minor nations—and even their leaders—were like people without umbrellas seeking shelter under a roof in the rain.
If they refused to bow their heads, they would simply be left to get drenched.
And in reality, what they faced wasn't just some light rain, but potential annihilation.
Seeing all these shinobi suddenly switching sides, Ōnoki was furious.
"You cowardly scum! I always knew you were nothing but a bunch of fence-sitters!!"
"I just didn't think you'd kneel so quickly—what a disgrace!"
He clenched his fists, furious enough to want to kill all the small country leaders on the spot.
But at that moment, Uchiha Dali spoke up.
"I accept you."
"From today onward, you are citizens of my nation. Anyone who dares lay a finger on you will be declaring war on me."
With that, Uchiha Dali ignored Ōnoki and turned to face the Iwagakure shinobi.
Many of them were still seething with rage.
But a few had fallen silent.
Those few had already started to contemplate their own fate.
"Uchiha Dali, you brought this on yourself!!"
Ōnoki could take no more. Enraged beyond reason, he raised his hand and began forming the Dust Release core, aiming to kill Uchiha Dali right then and there.
But Uchiha Dali seemed entirely unfazed by the imminent attack.
He simply continued addressing the Iwagakure shinobi before him.
"You are free to choose whether you stay or go."
"If you're willing to accept my invitation, then let's build a truly peaceful ninja world together—a unified nation, where there is no 'us' or 'them,' where we are all one people."
"There would be no more war, no more pointless sacrifices."
"Everyone would be able to live in peace, happily with their family and friends. The choice is yours."
"Will you die here, continuing to fight in the name of so-called national interests? Or will you stand united and help create a new, unified nation?"
Just as Uchiha Dali finished speaking, Ōnoki's Dust Release was unleashed.
The pyramid-shaped barrier, with its core of destructive Dust Release energy, hurtled toward Dali's back.
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