Konoha Notes

Chapter 90 Stability
Shuji did not participate in the disguised operation deep into the Land of Grass. Iwagakure only withdrew the Five-Tails Jinchuriki; the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Rōshi, remained on the front lines.

He must stay.

Yamato's Wood Release is also lethal, but his ability to suppress tailed beasts is only so-so. In the original work, he had to rely on the necklace left by the First Hokage to suppress Naruto's tailed beast transformation.

Ultimately, the team responsible for carrying out this dangerous disguise mission consisted of Kakashi, Yamato, and an elite Jonin from the Hyuga branch family, who were in charge of long-range reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance.

What truly gave this squad the confidence to maneuver behind enemy lines and even hold back a formidable foe like Huang Tu was their fourth member—Jiraiya.

Yes, Jiraiya went along too.

There are two reasons:

First, the rear base was attacked, and the mopping-up team sent by Onoki must have been commanded by a very strong commander.
Second, Hiruzen Sarutobi has arrived.

Hiruzen Sarutobi is still the Konoha professor Orochimaru described as someone who could easily kill him. With him around, Konoha's frontline fighting strength is sufficient.

It was precisely because Jiraiya was with them that Huangtu was unable to completely wipe out or drive away Kakashi's team for so long. The information that Jiraiya himself was not on the front line was able to be transmitted back to Nara Shikaku in time through the communication frog of Mount Myōboku.

That's why we had this attack today.

"I thought you were going to die of old age in Konoha, Hokage," Onoki said coldly.

“You’re still going strong for your age, so I can’t be too delicate, Tsuchikage.” Hiruzen Sarutobi was still as kind as ever. “Now that you’re the only one left, I came to check on you.”

"Want to come down and catch up? It's been a long time since we last met, Tsuchikage."

The appearance of the two Kage instantly cooled down the previously heated battlefield. Old Purple retracted his Tailed Beast Cloak and sat cross-legged on the high platform, but his gaze remained fixed on the Anbu member wearing the animal mask.

Shuji retreated to Hiruzen Sarutobi's side, ignoring Rōshi's gaze.

Onoki slowly descended, standing a dozen meters away from Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Do you intend to kill me here, Hokage?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said sincerely, "The war has lasted too long, Tsuchikage. Let's stop and retreat to the Land of Earth. Konoha has never harbored any intention of destroying Iwagakure. Making peace is the best outcome for both of us."

The Third Tsuchikage merely sneered: "Of course it's good for Konoha, but it's of no benefit to Iwagakure. Hokage, enough of this high-sounding nonsense."

"Well, you've given Sunagakure a price, and you've given Kumogakure a price. Now give me a price as a reason to let Konoha go."

Hiruzen Sarutobi simply looked at Onoki without saying a word.

It's not that we don't want to talk, it's that we can't talk.

The Hidden Stone Village has far too many ninjas.

Konoha can talk to Sunagakure and Kumogakure, but it can't talk to Iwagakure.

The total number of ninjas in the village of Konoha, which is over 12,000, is the total number of ninjas in the village's more than 50 years of history. The 10,000 Iwagakure ninjas who besieged the Raikage are the actual number of Iwagakure ninjas under Onoki's rule. And that's not all!
Even Konoha, which possesses the most fertile land in the Land of Fire, doesn't dare to raise so many active ninjas. Onoki of the Land of Earth dares to raise them. He raises so many ninjas precisely because he intends to fight outside the country, and he is determined to fight.

Any price paid to Onoki will ultimately only become fuel for Iwagakure's outward expansion.

“Jiraiya has now penetrated deep into the heart of the Land of Grass,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly. Onoki Hanashiro’s eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, and the deep wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen. He struggled to control his facial muscles and maintain his composure.

"Huangtu, you haven't returned yet, have you?"

Since things have come to this point, there is naturally no need to say more.

Jiraiya's elite squad may have reached some kind of tacit understanding with Kusagakure in the rear; Huang Tu's whereabouts are unknown and his situation is uncertain; if no breakthrough can be achieved here on the front line, Hiruzen Sarutobi is here, the Wood Release ninjas are here, and Konoha has already adopted a posture of not being afraid to fight.

The information conveyed in those two short sentences was enough to make Onoki weigh things for a long time.

After a long while, Onoki let out a very soft, ambiguous hum from his nose: "Hokage, you're not old yet."

Hiruzen Sarutobi met his gaze and replied, "The Konoha offensive will be suspended by sunset tomorrow."

Having made his promise, the Third Hokage personally stood at the front of the battle, supervising Onoki as he issued a series of orders, watching as the Iwagakure troops began to withdraw from the Kannabi Bridge line in an orderly manner.

Only after the reconnaissance team and the barrier team repeatedly confirmed that there were no hidden traps left in the area ahead did the Konoha ninja forces cautiously advance and take over this blood-stained land.

Kakashi's team and Jiraiya returned at noon the following day.

Just before sunset on the second day, the deadline promised by Hiruzen Sarutobi, Onoki finally led the main force of Iwagakure to completely withdraw from the border of the Land of Grass.

That afternoon, the envoy from Kusagakure arrived at the Konoha front-line command post and paid his respects to the Third Hokage.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not mention the Grass Village's silence and inaction throughout the conflict; he simply smiled and said that Konoha had always respected and was willing to support the interests of the Grass Village.

Subsequently, both sides dispatched personnel to jointly set up outposts along the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth, establishing a new defensive posture.

The western front has now come to a temporary end.

“Shikaku told me that you are still as perceptive as ever, Shuji.” In the temporary command tent, Hiruzen Sarutobi met with Shuji, who had removed his ANBU uniform, alone. “If you hadn’t proposed the strategy of disguising yourself as Kusagakure to exert pressure and force that stubborn old man Onoki to submit, it would never have gone so smoothly.”

"The strategy was proposed by me, but the greatest credit goes to Kakashi-senpai. If he hadn't ventured deep into the area to ascertain Iwagakure's intention to retreat, none of the subsequent plans would have been possible."

Shuji spoke calmly, showing no interest in claiming credit. For him, after being promoted to Jonin, simply accumulating battle achievements was no longer the priority. With his power and background, credit would be recorded by others. What was more important now was demonstrating convincing judgment and value.

Opinions expressed in this way will receive more attention and recognition.

"Young people don't need to be overly modest."

"To be able to seize fleeting opportunities in a rapidly changing battle and propose feasible solutions is an extraordinary talent." The Third Hokage looked at the young man before him, his gaze filled with appreciation and a touch of complexity. "This Anbu mission is now over. You can return to the Jonin ranks. However, if necessary in the future, you may still need to act as 'Mori'."

"Kakashi and Tenzo have other missions to attend to. Shuji, you can go back to the village to rest first."

At this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to suddenly remember something, and a slightly apologetic and helpless smile appeared on his face.

"Although it's a bit embarrassing to say, your two teammates seem quite bothered by the arrangement of being left alone this time."

Shuji was now completely bewildered.

(End of this chapter)