Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 410 Details
In Iwagakure, the rising sun casts its rays into the Tsuchikage's office.

The short-statured Onoki was almost completely sunk into the large, thick office chair.

He wore the Tsuchikage hat, his brows furrowed, as he looked at the detailed intelligence in his hand regarding the latest situation in the Land of Fire.

After a long while, he exhaled a long breath, gently put down the scroll, and slowly raised his head, his slightly cloudy eyes gleaming with a sharp light.

“Hyuga Kumokawa…” he murmured the name softly, his tone complex and full of meaning.

A mix of emotions: admiration, apprehension, awe, and a hint of... jealousy.

"Father."

Huang Tu stood silently in front of the desk like an iron tower, looking at Onoki and said in a deep voice, "A message just came from the Daimyo Prefecture, inviting you to a banquet in the capital."

"They said they wanted to discuss further material assistance to us, as well as matters related to the formation of a ninja alliance."

At this point, Huang Tu paused, his eyes narrowing on his rugged face: "This time, the official's tone was excessively polite."

"You mean, could it be because..."

"Humph."

Before his son could finish speaking, Onoki chuckled and interrupted him.

"I wrote to them personally before, asking for more strategic materials to prepare for any eventuality, but they made all sorts of excuses and complained to me that they were poor."

"Now look at them, inviting me out first and being so polite."

Onoki raised his eyelids and sneered, "Isn't this change in attitude obvious enough?"

“Our esteemed prince is clearly afraid.”

What are you afraid of?
Of course, they were afraid of following in the footsteps of the Fire Country's daimyo!
Fearing that Iwagakure might follow suit, they also wanted to establish a "shadow government-government alliance" with him!
In the past, the major ninja villages were not incapable of overthrowing the daimyo, but rather they had no need to, or even dared not, to do so.

Because they didn't understand, they replaced the great name, and then what?

Governing the country? Collecting taxes? Balancing the nobility?

These ninjas, who only know how to fight and kill, are not good at that kind of thing. Forcibly replacing them will only plunge the country into greater chaos and ultimately backfire on themselves.

Therefore, rather than making a mess of things ourselves, it's better to maintain the status quo and let the daimyo who are skilled in this area take care of things, while they focus on military force.

However, it is different now.

Hinata Kumokawa personally set a 'model' for them!
A living example of success is right in front of them!

Huang Tu seemed to be deep in thought. After hesitating for a moment, he lowered his voice and said, "Then, Father, do you think we really can...?"

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Onoki slowly shook his head, a bitter smile on his face, and said, "I once thought I had thought deeply enough about power and the future of the village."

"But it wasn't until I saw what Hinata Kumokawa did that I realized I had underestimated the decisiveness required for change."

"First there was Hashirama Senju, who established the one-country-one-village system, and now there's Kumokawa Hyuga, who completely overturned the old system and created the 'Kage-Government Unity'..."

He murmured with a sigh, "Konoha, Konoha, how come it keeps producing monsters like this, monsters that even make you feel powerless to be jealous of them."

Although he was a ninja, Onoki was still an old man who had been in charge of Iwagakure for decades, and he had some political acumen.

He could naturally see the entirely new system that Hinata Kumokawa had built behind his series of ruthless actions.

A highly centralized and incredibly efficient war machine that integrates the nation's resources, especially its military power.

Compared to the system where the powerful and the shadowy are mutually restrictive, superficially united but actually at odds, and constantly embroiled in internal conflicts, this system of "sharing power and influence" is progressive.

Especially when facing unprecedented threats such as the Akatsuki organization, the Hueco Mundo, and even the Otsutsuki clan, the war potential it can unleash is undoubtedly more overwhelming than before.

“What a pity…” Onoki said softly, his tone both helpless and envious. “This system is good, but it’s like a double-edged sword that not everyone can wield.”

Look at the entire ninja world.

Perhaps only a madman like Hinata Kumokawa, who possesses monstrous strength, acts without restraint, and dares to break all rules, could forcibly put it into practice.

Onoki was well aware of how many deeply entrenched interest groups he would offend and what kind of terrifying backlash he would provoke if he wanted to carry out such a subversive reform in the Land of Earth.

To confront this challenge requires not only wisdom ahead of its time and unparalleled courage, but also an absolute, overwhelming power capable of crushing all obstacles.

Otherwise, it would be courting disaster.

Although Onoki liked to occasionally act like a senior, he was also very self-aware.

Even if he had the power to kill the daimyo of the Land of Earth, he would never be able to take over and smoothly operate the entire Land of Earth like Hyuga Kumokawa did.

Those deeply entrenched aristocratic and bureaucratic systems will never truly submit.

Because they knew very well that Onoki didn't have the same ruthlessness as Hyuga Kumokawa, who could slaughter all the rebels from top to bottom, completely reshuffling the game with iron and blood.

He might be ruthless for the sake of the village, but he couldn't bring himself to carry out a near-massacre-style purge; the foundation and ideals of Iwagakure wouldn't allow him to do so.

"So, Hyuga Kumokawa has really gotten us into a huge mess."

Ono rubbed his temples in pain and said in a low voice, "Even if we didn't have those kinds of thoughts, after his outburst, the Daimyo will definitely be on guard and on high alert day and night."

"The current aid and politeness are just sweet treats to appease us. There will definitely be a big stick to follow, which will inevitably be accompanied by closer surveillance and checks and balances."

"From now on, life in our Hidden Stone Village will probably be even more difficult."

Hyuga Kumokawa has proven that ninjas can not only control force, but also take over and efficiently operate the entire national machinery!
Now, the village leaders don't need to figure out the key points on their own. Even if they can't understand them, they can try to 'copy' what Hinata Kumokawa did, right?

Once this idea takes hold, will the daimyo still be able to sleep soundly?
Onoki could even imagine that the Fourth Raikage in Kumogakure was probably in even more pain than he was right now.

The daimyo of the Land of Earth was shrewd and knew how to use both kindness and severity.

The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning is known for his straightforward temper and strong desire for control. In the past, since the Raikage of each generation was mostly brave and strong, a delicate balance of trust had formed between the two sides.

But now, with Hyuga Kumokawa as a "role model," can the daimyo of the Land of Lightning still feel at ease with the growing power of Kumogakure?
"Then what should we do?" Huang Tu's face was full of worry.

Onoki's eyes flickered as he fell into deep thought, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table.

It would be absolutely impossible for him to say that he had no thoughts at all, after all, he was very clear about the benefits of Hyuga Kumokawa's actions.

After a long pause, Onoki murmured in a barely audible voice, "Unless, like the Land of Fire, an external crisis appears 'at just the right time'."

"For example, the evil cult, or the Akatsuki organization."

"The large-scale invasion of the Land of Earth caused turmoil, and our Hidden Stone Village stepped forward, taking over some power in the name of quelling the chaos and protecting our homeland..."

However, as soon as the idea popped into his head, Onoki shook his head and dismissed it completely.

It is absolutely impossible for us to cooperate with the Akatsuki organization.

Although he had indeed secretly hired the Akatsuki to handle some "dirty work" that Iwagakure couldn't directly do.

However, at that time, the Akatsuki organization had not yet revealed its ambition and terrifying strength, which was enough to threaten the entire ninja world.

In Onoki's eyes, they were nothing more than a useful and law-abiding top-tier mercenary group. Times have changed. The Akatsuki's fangs have been revealed, and even if Onoki were senile, he wouldn't dare to engage in such a risky scheme, as that would only drag Iwagakure into an abyss of no return.

And the evil god cult...

Thinking of this organization, Onoki frowned even more.

Their movements are even more secretive than those of the Akatsuki, and they are so well hidden that even the intelligence network of the five great nations has difficulty catching the trail of their leaders.

Even if they could find it, there's absolutely no trust between them. It's like inviting a wolf into the house; inviting a god in is easy, but sending him away is difficult. The risk is just too great...

So, are we really just going to passively accept the increasingly tight reins imposed by the daimyo and watch helplessly as the development space of Iwagakure is gradually compressed?
Just as the office fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the unconscious tapping of Onoki's fingertips on the desk...

Thumping!
A faint sound of birds flapping their wings suddenly came from behind Onoki, causing him to abruptly stop tapping his fingers on the table.

Almost simultaneously, Huang Tu, who was standing opposite him, narrowed his eyes and tensed up instantly.

Onoki sat in the large chair, not getting up immediately, but slowly turning the chair to face the open window behind him.

On the windowsill stood a raven, its feathers entirely black except for its blood-red eyes.

It tilted its head and silently watched the two of them with its blood-red eyes.

The next moment, a deep human voice came from the raven's opening and closing beak.

Good morning, Lord Tsuchikage.

Suddenly, Huang Tu instinctively gripped the handle of the giant axe behind him with one hand, his expression solemn.

Onoki's face revealed little emotion as he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Who are you?"

"I have no intention of harming either of you."

The raven seemed completely unaffected by the murderous intent, calmly saying, "Please also restrain your subordinates and do not harm this innocent bird."

"It's just a 'mouthpiece' that I use to convey information."

It paused, its blood-red eyes locking onto Onoki: "You may call me Jugo. I am the 'Bishop' of the Cult stationed in the Land of Earth."

Chonggo?

Ohnoki had heard of this name.

Jugo's hometown is a small village located in a remote mountainous area on the border of the Land of Earth.

However, it was only after that tragedy that Onoki truly noticed this obscure place.

Back then, during the joint campaign by the five great nations to eliminate the "virtual" scourge, Iwagakure received intelligence from the border claiming that a village had been massacred by an unknown force, so they sent people to investigate.

After the investigation team arrived, they learned from a few survivors who had hidden themselves that the perpetrator of the tragedy was not "Xu".

Instead, it was a young man in the village named Jugo, who was known as "Libra" because of the violent power he possessed.

According to survivors, this person had a dual personality; once he went berserk, he would transform into a mindless, terrifyingly powerful monster.

Iwagakure dispatched a small team led by a Jonin to surround and capture this unstable element, but the enemy managed to escape after severely injuring several of its members and disappear without a trace.

Unexpectedly, this guy not only didn't die, but also joined the evil god cult and even became the so-called "bishop".

Relevant information flashed through his mind, and Onoki became wary, but a mocking smile appeared on his face: "Heh, the cult?"

"Is it that cult of evil gods that's wanted by all five of our great nations and can't be brought to the light of day?"

"You rat from the gutter, how dare you show your face in front of me?"

Before he could finish speaking, Onoki clapped his hands lightly.

Kaka!

Without warning, several sharp rock spears emerged from the stone surface and attacked the ravens on the windowsill.

However, just before the rock spikes broke through the soil, the raven sensed it, flapped its wings, and leaped lightly to avoid the attack, circling in the air outside the window.

It looked at Onoki, who seemed to be showing some restraint, and knew that the old man was giving a warning and testing it.

rustling...

A chilling, dense crawling sound and flapping of wings suddenly came from every corner of the office.

Countless centipedes, ants, scorpions, and various other insects emerged from the cracks in the walls, the edges of the floor, and even the shadows of the bookshelves.

Their eyes, without exception, gleamed with the same scarlet light as the raven, instantly filling the room and subtly enveloping the Ōnoki and the yellow earth.

Huang Tu shielded Onoki behind him, warily scanning the insects, while Onoki's brows furrowed tightly.

It's not a summoned beast?
Is this the ability to control animals?
It's impossible to sense any chakra at all. With this ability, wouldn't the entire Hidden Stone Village have no secrets in the eyes of the other party?

However, according to the information held by Iwagakure, Jugo's ability should be some kind of berserk transformation, which is completely different from this method of controlling animals.

Was the intelligence wrong, or did he gain new power within the cult of evil gods?

It is said that Hidan, the "Pope" of the Jashin Cult, possesses an ability called "Blood Gift," which grants those who receive "Blood Gift" abilities related to blood...

"I meant no harm, Lord Tsuchikage."

The raven in the sky spoke again, its voice still calm: "This risky appearance is because of the predicament you currently face, and..."

"The thing that we both want to do."

Upon hearing this, Onoki's eyes flickered slightly, and he lowered his hands, which were forming hand seals in front of him.

"Interesting." The old fox smiled and said, "Tell me more."

With that, he waved his hand, and Huang Tu walked out of the office with a knowing look, closing the door and blocking the Iwagakure ninja who rushed over after hearing the noise.

------

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
Three figures moved swiftly through the dense forest, their footsteps landing on the thick branches with only a slight sound.

These three were naturally the Fourth Raikage, who had just left the capital of the Land of Lightning, and Tsuchidai and Nozomi, who had accompanied him.

The Fourth Raikage's usually stern face was now clouded with rage, and the bulging veins on his forehead revealed the anger in his heart.

Finally, far from the capital and Daming Prefecture, he could no longer suppress the raging anger in his chest and roared, "You bastards, a bunch of fools blinded by lard!"

He was naturally cursing the officials in the capital's Daming Prefecture whose words were full of warnings and probing, as well as the magistrate behind them whose attitude was ambiguous.

"At this critical juncture of life and death, the Akatsuki and the Hueco Mundo could make a comeback at any time."

The Fourth Raikage said angrily, "Instead of thinking about how to concentrate their forces to deal with a powerful enemy, they've started to be suspicious and wary of their own people!"

Clearly, Onoki, far away in the Land of Earth, guessed correctly.

The Fourth Raikage was indeed in a worse situation than him.

(End of this chapter)