Gazing at the setting sun slipping behind the mountains, the elderly man who had been sitting for nearly an entire day finally put down the seemingly endless stack of documents. Slowly rising to his feet, he pressed a clenched fist against his aching lower back and gave it a gentle thump.
"Time spares no one… this body really does grow weaker with each passing year."
The little old man, hair gone silver and frame slightly hunched, let out a sigh full of wistful melancholy.
Outside the window,
the village lights began to flicker to life. As the sun dipped away, the blanket of night spread across heaven and earth, and against that darkness, lanterns bloomed one by one—dense as a river of stars scattered upon the ground.
And this was precisely the moment that Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, nicknamed the Two Scales, cherished the most.
Because at this very hour, when he looked upon those countless lights, Ōnoki could always feel that all his toil and burdens had been worthwhile—that he had not failed the expectations of his grandfather, the First Tsuchikage, nor wasted the teachings of his master, the Second.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A harsh pounding suddenly echoed against the door.
Then came a loud voice:
"Tsuchikage-sama, urgent news from the front!"
"Rikishi, come in."
His thoughts cut short, Ōnoki's brows furrowed. Reluctantly, he pulled his gaze away from the sea of lights and turned around. A moment later, a middle-aged Iwa shinobi wearing a forehead protector marked with the stone insignia and clad in red battle garb with a brown vest strode quickly inside.
This man's name was Rikishi,
one of Ōnoki's most trusted aides, currently serving as captain of the Intelligence Division.
"Tsuchikage-sama, this is an emergency dispatch from Kurotsuchi-sama."
Bearded and stern-faced, Rikishi stood at the desk and spoke gravely:
"The Yellow Flash of Konoha has appeared on the Kusagakure front. Our offensive was repelled. At the same time, our rear supply line was ambushed. The key point of the supply route, Kanabi Bridge, has been destroyed by Konoha shinobi. The reserves at our main base in the Land of Grass are no longer sufficient to sustain a full-scale campaign at the front… Tsuchikage-sama, we request your orders and guidance!"
"…Guidance?"
Ōnoki's expression darkened, though he kept his composure. After a few moments of silent thought, he shook his head and said:
"What is there left to guide? Sunagakure has already been beaten down by Konoha, Kumogakure was forced back into their mountains under our joint assault with Konoha, and now only we and Kirigakure are still engaged with them. But that useless lot from the Kiri won't trouble Konoha in the least. With only us, it's near impossible to inflict decisive damage. …The end of this war is inevitable!"
He let out a low breath.
"I did not expect Konoha's stamina to be so formidable… nor their Yellow Flash to be even more troublesome than I had foreseen. Since we've failed to seize an advantage on the battlefield, the ceasefire negotiations with Konoha will no doubt be arduous."
Ōnoki knew his own limits.
Unlike the reckless warriors beneath him who only knew how to charge forward, as Tsuchikage he clearly understood how deep Konoha's foundation truly ran. Even had their campaign in the Land of Grass swept through unimpeded, negotiations would still have been unavoidable.
Because Iwagakure simply did not possess the power to annihilate Konohagakure.
Unless several great villages joined forces, only then would the chance exist to crush it completely.
"Send word to Kurotsuchi. Tell them there is no need to launch further assaults. I will dispatch envoys to the Land of Fire to begin ceasefire talks with the Konoha shinobi. But until negotiations conclude… they are to hold their ground at the Grass base camp. That position will serve as a vital bargaining chip in our dealings with Konoha!"
Having spoken, Ōnoki closed his eyes, already pondering whom he should send as emissary to negotiate with Konoha.
But—
Two seconds later,
Ōnoki opened his eyes again, puzzled to see Rikishi still standing before his desk without leaving. He asked aloud:
"Rikishi, is there something else?"
"Yes… just one minor matter. At the forward base in the Land of Grass, eleven shinobi of the Koeda Clan suddenly vanished all at once. Despite Kurotsuchi-sama's repeated searches, no trace has been found… they suspect the Koeda shinobi may have defected."
Rikishi reported this in a lowered voice, not considering it a matter of grave importance.
After all, from his perspective,
the broken remnants of the Koeda Clan—the last eleven survivors—were of little consequence, whether dead or alive. If not for the fact that the message came directly from Kurotsuchi, he wouldn't have bothered to mention their fate at all.
"The Koeda Clan… hmph! A bunch of fools courting death!"
At the mention of that name,
Ōnoki's expression grew even darker. The sourness he felt from the defeat in the Grasslands now vented itself upon the Koeda Clan, who had betrayed him. Coldly, he ordered:
"Baniwa, I leave this to your ANBU. In the Land of Grass, either bring those defectors back… or execute them on the spot. I care not which."
"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama."
The reply came from the ceiling above.
The speaker never revealed himself—merely answered, then melted back into silence. Whether he remained crouched there or had already departed the Tsuchikage's chambers, Rikishi could not tell. He was not a sensor ninja, after all. His rise to captain of the Intelligence Division came from administrative skill and unwavering loyalty, not sensory prowess.
"And furthermore… the women and children of the Koeda Clan within the village must also be dealt with. Send them to the place they ought to go—let them atone for their clan's crimes. This matter… Yagan, I leave it to you."
"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama."
This time a different voice sounded from above.
With two successive orders given, Ōnoki fell silent again. He did not speak further, merely waved his hand in dismissal when Rikishi bowed and withdrew. Left alone in his office, the Tsuchikage returned to his thoughts on the looming ceasefire with Konoha.
As for the ANBU hidden in the shadows… he paid them no mind.
In Iwagakure,
every ANBU operative was a fervent adherent of Ōnoki himself—his most devout believers. Should anyone harbor the slightest doubt toward him, they would never be admitted to ANBU, or else be cast out immediately.
"Tsuchikage-sama, something is wrong!"
Suddenly,
one of the ANBU concealed above spoke out in alarm:
"Shale's squad—its presence has vanished!"
"What?"
Ōnoki's eyes flew open wide from his quiet contemplation, his face struck with disbelief.
"Schist, are you telling me… that band of Koeda women and children managed to wipe out Shale's squad?"
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