Iwagakure, the Village Hidden by Rocks.
High above the Tsuchikage's Tower, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, floated gently in mid-air, his small form belying his immense power.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~
A gentle breeze rustled past, causing Onoki's robes to flutter and snap. Gazing down at the sprawling village of Iwagakure below, a complex mixture of deep affection and profound regret could be seen in his aged eyes.
In the current ninja world, Onoki, a master of the advanced Kekkei Tota known as Dust Release, was one of the oldest and most experienced active ninja. Throughout his long life, he had outlasted far too many powerful individuals. In his youth, Onoki had witnessed firsthand the era when Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, at the peak of their unparalleled strength, had dominated the entire ninja world. Under the overwhelming might of these two legendary figures, Konoha Village had consistently maintained a crushing, almost absolute, advantage over all other powers. No other force, no other village, could even begin to compare with Konoha's might during that time.
Only after the successive deaths of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju did the other four Great Shinobi Villages gradually begin to accumulate the strength and resources to even attempt to contend with Konoha. But now, it seemed history was threatening to repeat itself. Onoki, having personally experienced that era of Konoha's dominance, was absolutely unwilling to see such a situation arise again.
For these past several years, Iwagakure had been secretly and diligently gathering intelligence on Konoha Village. The more intelligence they collected, the heavier Onoki's heart became. Over these past four-plus years, due to the joint declaration of the Five Kage Summit, the overall situation in the ninja world had remained relatively stable. After Tsunade ascended to the position of Fifth Hokage, Konoha's outward actions had also been conspicuously low-key and restrained.
However, Onoki, who had access to a vast network of clandestine intelligence, could clearly sense that Konoha Village, in just a few short years, had risen meteorically from its previous state of decline. Various signs indicated that, compared to its strength before the Third Shinobi World War, the current Konoha Village had, astonishingly, become even stronger.
While everyone else seemed oblivious, the higher echelons of Konoha's Hokage faction had somehow managed to reconcile with the Uchiha clan. Now, the formidable strength of the Uchiha clan had been truly and fully integrated into Konoha Village. By completely harnessing the power of the Uchiha clan, Konoha's mid-to-high-tier combat strength had immediately received an enormous boost.
Moreover, over these past few years, the number of exceptionally powerful individuals emerging from Konoha Village had been simply too great.
Tatsuya Akimichi, a master of the Akimichi clan's secret techniques and Konoha Village's "Second Sage." Shisui Uchiha, the genius of the Uchiha clan, renowned as "Shisui of the Body Flicker." Kakashi Hatake, the "Copy Ninja." Might Guy, Konoha's "Sublime Green Beast of Prey." Asuma Sarutobi, an elite Jonin of the Sarutobi clan. Yuhi Kurenai, a female Jonin of the Yuhi clan, skilled in genjutsu. Mitarashi Anko, Orochimaru's former female disciple.
These individuals were among Konoha Village's most active and accomplished elite Jonin in recent years. The number and quality of missions completed by the ninja squads they led were exceptionally high. Among them, Tatsuya Akimichi and Shisui Uchiha, the most outstanding in terms of raw power, already possessed strength entirely comparable to that of a Kage from one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Furthermore, according to some highly reliable, albeit difficult to obtain, intelligence reports, Tatsuya Akimichi's strength was rumored to be universally acknowledged within Konoha as the absolute strongest. Even the slightly less prominent individuals like Asuma and the others were all elite powerhouses capable of holding their own in any situation.
Compared to this formidable lineup, within Iwagakure, perhaps only Kitsuchi could barely be considered on a similar level. Konoha Village's powerful resurgence made Onoki feel a profound sense of crisis.
"Old Man, there's intelligence from the Land of Rain!" Just as Onoki was lost deep in thought, a clear, crisp female voice sounded from below. The voice was quite loud, carried upwards by the gentle breeze to Onoki's ears.
Hearing the voice, Onoki turned his head and looked down. He immediately saw a petite, long-legged young girl holding a scroll and waving it enthusiastically at him from atop the Tsuchikage Tower. The young girl was none other than Onoki's granddaughter, Kurotsuchi.
Seeing Kurotsuchi shouting and waving from the Tsuchikage Tower, Onoki felt a familiar headache coming on. This granddaughter of his was becoming less and less endearing with each passing day! Reluctantly, Onoki descended, landing lightly on the tower rooftop, then took the intelligence scroll from his granddaughter's hand and began to examine its contents.
Soon, Onoki's brow furrowed deeply. After reading the intelligence report, Onoki looked up at Kurotsuchi and said, "Go and find your father."
Kurotsuchi, her curiosity piqued, asked, "Old Man, what is it? What happened?"
Onoki replied irritably, "What's a little brat like you meddling in so many affairs for? Hurry up and go!"
"Tch!" Kurotsuchi, unfazed by Onoki's scolding, let out a dismissive sound and quickly flickered away. She had been somewhat curious about what this urgent secret report contained, but it seemed she wouldn't be able to satisfy her curiosity this time.
Not long after, Kitsuchi arrived before Onoki. "Father, what has happened?"
Onoki's expression was grave as he said in a low voice, "The ANBU squad we dispatched to Amegakure… they've all been eliminated."
"What? Was it Akatsuki?" Hearing this, Kitsuchi's face immediately darkened.
Onoki nodded grimly. "Apart from them, there should be no other force in Amegakure capable of achieving this."
Kitsuchi's voice was heavy. "What are they trying to do? That ANBU squad has been stationed there for one or two years already. Why would they suddenly make a move against us now?"
Onoki pondered for a moment, then said, "Perhaps… they are preparing to re-emerge."
Kitsuchi thought for a moment. "Re-emerge? Are they not afraid that our Five Great Shinobi Villages will join forces against them again?"
Hearing this, Onoki shot Kitsuchi a sharp glance. "Do you really think Akatsuki went into hiding back then because they were afraid of our Five Great Villages joining forces? If you think that, then you are severely underestimating them! Akatsuki's strength is immense. Their sudden decision to go into hiding last time was perhaps simply because the time was not yet ripe for their plans. There must be some reason behind it that we are unaware of. Akatsuki, just like the Divine Court, undoubtedly has unknown secrets and objectives behind their actions."
Kitsuchi's face was somber. "Father, what should we do then? Should we notify the other four Great Villages?"
Onoki shook his head. "Akatsuki's strength is formidable, and their objectives are unclear. Even if we inform the other villages in advance now, it will be of little use. For the time being, it's best not to stir up trouble unnecessarily."
Hearing this, a look of unwillingness appeared on Kitsuchi's face. "Then, are our men to have died in vain like this?"
Onoki's eyes narrowed at his son's words. "For the sake of the village, sacrifices must sometimes be made! If we proactively confront Akatsuki now, it will only benefit the other hidden villages. As a high-ranking member of this village, you must learn to always consider the village's best interests first and foremost. You cannot afford to be swayed by sentimentality!"
Kitsuchi lowered his head, his voice muffled. "Yes, Father."
Seeing his son's dejected posture, Onoki knew that Kitsuchi was undoubtedly feeling resentful, but he paid it no mind. He changed the subject, asking, "Has contact been made with that person?"
Kitsuchi replied, "We have already found him."
Onoki nodded. "Has the message been delivered to him?"
Kitsuchi confirmed, "The message has already been relayed to him."
Hearing this, a sharp, calculating glint flashed in Onoki's eyes. "Very good! With the information we've provided them, I believe that person will make the appropriate choice."
Kitsuchi, however, looked hesitant. After a pause of more than ten seconds, he finally voiced his concern, "Father, Akatsuki is about to re-emerge and cause trouble again. If we take such actions at this critical juncture, will it affect the cooperation between the Five Great Shinobi Villages?"
Hearing Kitsuchi's words, Onoki's face immediately fell. He shot Kitsuchi a cold, disdainful look, then spat out a single word: "Foolish!" With that, he paid Kitsuchi no further attention and, with a light levitation, departed from the rooftop.