The Hand of God Creates the Strongest Hidden Mist Village

Chapter 173 This amount of money can't even fit in one cart!

Onoki's mind went slightly dazed, and the scene from decades ago involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

At that time, he was a young man, full of vigor, who followed his master, Master Mu, to Konoha to discuss an alliance with the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

Then----

Then he met that man.

That man with blood-red eyes!

Madara Uchiha!

When the blue Susanoo rose from the ground, the entire Leaf Village trembled.

It was an absolute, overwhelming, cataclysmic power. Before that power, even the Dust Release master was no match for it.

That name, that memory, has always been a lingering shadow in his heart.

"Susanoo—it's Susanoo again—"

Onoki muttered to himself, his fists clenching involuntarily.

He would never forget that scene. In front of Uchiha Madara, he and his teacher were completely powerless to resist. That blue giant wielded a giant sword, easily splitting mountains and changing the terrain. That power was simply inhuman.

And now, yet another young man with Susanoo has appeared.

Moreover, they are from the Hidden Mist Village.

"Father." Huang Tu's voice pulled Onoki back from his memories. "Although Makoto's Susanoo is powerful, it is still inferior to Madara Uchiha. I judge that with the power of Dust Release, we should be able to break through his defenses."

Onoki was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "The Susanoo's defense is indeed not invincible. But—"

He didn't continue.

But the problem is that Makoto is not just Susanoo.

With the Hidden Mist Village and the Hidden Leaf Village locked in fierce combat, how could Onoki not know about Makoto Karatachi?

Two pairs of Mangekyou Sharingan, space-time ninjutsu, the inextinguishable Amaterasu flame, incredibly powerful genjutsu, and the Dark Release technique capable of absorbing ninjutsu—

When all those powers converged in one body, Konoha was defeated.

And now, this guy is standing on the opposite side of Iwagakure!

"Third Master, urgent intelligence!"

Suddenly, a Jonin from the intelligence squad strode into the command post and said in a deep voice, "Our people have reported that Makoto Karatachi is on the front lines because he was hired by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire! He joined the battle as a mercenary, not as an assistant to the Mizukage of Kirigakure!"

"What?!"

These words were spoken.

A brief silence fell over the tent. Onoki hovered in mid-air, his cloudy eyes slightly narrowed, as if he were weighing something.

"Is the intelligence accurate?"

"It can be confirmed that this was said by Makoto Gojibana himself!"

"Father." Huang Tu raised his head, his voice low, "Karagi Makoto said he was employed by the daimyo of the Land of Fire, fighting as a mercenary. It should be true, after all, Karigi Makoto didn't pursue me when I retreated, and he seemed to have mentioned it."

"The Water Shadow Consultant becomes a mercenary?"

Onoki glanced at his son.

The loess did not deny it.

"Although the Third Hokage was shrewd and calculating, he didn't have the guts to actively ally with Kirigakure. Besides, Makoto Karatachi killed his son, a feud that was irreconcilable."

"Therefore, the identity of a mercenary is indeed more reasonable."

Ōnoki hovered above the sand table, his cloudy eyes slightly narrowed, his wrinkled face revealing neither joy nor anger.

A brief silence fell over the large tent.

Several Jonin from Iwagakure exchanged bewildered glances, clearly stunned by the news. For a Mizukage's assistant from Kirigakure to appear on the battlefield as a mercenary was extremely rare in the entire history of the ninja world.

"Lord Tsuchikage, Makoto Karatachi's strength is unfathomable. We witnessed the defense of his Susanoo firsthand. Add to that his bizarre space-time ninjutsu and the rumored ability to replicate—" a Jonin from Iwagakure couldn't help but speak up, "If Konoha really binds him to their cause, our situation—"

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone present understood what he meant.

Iwagakure currently holds a significant advantage, with three times the manpower of Konoha, and while supplies are tight, they are still manageable. However, if Makoto Karatachi, a variable, joins the battle, everything becomes uncertain.

Huang Tu looked up at his father: "Father, Koji Makoto said he's a mercenary, he does things for money. This means—he doesn't necessarily have to stand on Konoha's side."

A glint of light flashed in Onoki's eyes.

"you mean?"

"What if we offer a higher price—" Huang Tu tentatively said.

Before he could finish speaking, a chorus of objections arose from inside the tent.

"What a joke! We, Iwagakure, are going to pay a brat from Kirigakure?"

"Exactly! We have superior numbers, what are we afraid of, him alone?"

"Lord Tsuchikage, we mustn't encourage this arrogance!"

Huang Tu ignored the dissenting voices and simply watched his father quietly.

Ōnoki remained silent for a moment, then slowly raised his hand, and the murmurs inside the tent abruptly ceased.

"How much do you think the tangerine is worth?" Onoki's voice was hoarse but calm.

Everyone was taken aback.

Onoki continued, "On the battlefield in Kirigakure, he single-handedly turned the tide of the entire battle. The eastern front of Konoha was broken by his own strength."

With each word he spoke, the expressions on the faces of those inside the tent grew increasingly grim.

"And now, he has reappeared on our battlefield. He saved Orochimaru with a single move and crushed Huangtu's demolition squad."

Onoki's gaze swept over everyone present, his voice gradually turning cold: "You think someone like this isn't worth much?"

The tent was completely silent.

"but----"

Onoki abruptly changed the subject, his cloudy eyes narrowing slightly. "Karagi Makoto killed Sarutobi Shinnosuke; this is an irreconcilable feud. Although the Third Hokage is cunning and calculating, it's probably not so easy for him to genuinely accept the man who killed his son."

Huang Tu seemed to understand something: "Father means—the relationship between Konoha and Makoto isn't entirely monolithic?"

"It's more than just not a solid plate." Onoki sneered. "Hiruzen Sarutobi is only using Makoto Karatachi because he's forced into it."

"Once the war ends, or once Makoto Karatachi loses his usefulness—how do you think Konoha will treat him?"

He paused, a meaningful smile playing on his lips: "Besides, since Makoto Kuraki is a mercenary, things are much easier. If he wants money, we'll give him money. If he can help Konoha, he can naturally help us too."

"Send someone to contact Makoto Karatachi." Onoki's voice was deep and decisive. "Make an offer to him. Whatever Konoha offers, we'll double it. If Konoha offers 100 million, we'll offer 200 million."

"Tell him that money is no object as long as he stands idly by, or—helps us out."

Huang Tu was taken aback.

"On the battlefield, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests." Onoki interrupted him, his voice icy. "A person like Makoto Karatachi is either to be used by us, or to be eliminated completely. But with our current forces, eliminating him would come at too high a cost."

"In that case, let's keep him calm for now. We can settle accounts with him later after we've dealt with Konoha."

Huang Tu was silent for a moment, then nodded emphatically: "I understand, I'll go contact Gou Jucheng right away!"

"Also, tell Lao Zi and Han to keep an eye on things. With Gouju Makoto not on the battlefield, those two need to tone it down and exercise restraint!"

Onoki spoke in a low voice. He understood the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan better than anyone else, and the battle between Kazama and Tani had already demonstrated the absolute restraint of the Mangekyou Sharingan against the Tailed Beasts.

Using a Jinchūriki to fight against Makoto Karatachi could easily turn into a dagger aimed at oneself if one is not careful.

Meanwhile, inside the Leaf Village's territory.

At Hiruzen Sarutobi's urgent summons, Danzo rushed to the command post without stopping.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the main seat, the embers of his pipe flickering intermittently. Amidst the swirling smoke, his gaze calmly fell upon Danzo, who had just entered.

Danzo remained unchanged, his right eye and right arm wrapped in thick bandages, leaning on a cane, expressionless, with Ryoma Aburame following behind him, exuding a chilling aura.

However, he wore a mark with the character "fire" engraved on his waist, symbolizing his special status as the acting Hokage.

"Hiruzen, what's the matter that you urgently wanted to call me back?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not answer immediately, but instead gestured for the others to step back.

Nara Shikaku and Orochimaru exchanged a glance, then silently got up and left.

Aburame Ryoma paused slightly, then followed her out.

Before long, only two Konoha elders remained in the command post.

"Danzo, you should have already heard about Makoto Karatachi's appearance on the battlefield in the Land of Grass," Hiruzen Sarutobi said bluntly.

Danzo nodded slightly: "My subordinates have already reported this."

"Then do you know that he possesses the Rinnegan?"

Upon hearing this, the air in the command post seemed to freeze for a moment.

Danzo's expression remained unchanged, but his single exposed eye narrowed slightly. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: "Rinnegan? What Rinnegan? Hiruzen, what are you talking about?"

"Makoto Kuraki revealed his Rinnegan to us."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was calm, but his gaze was fixed on Danzo: "According to him, he thought we already knew about this. And the only possible source of this information in the entire Hidden Leaf Village—"

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

Danzo was silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a low chuckle.

"Hiruzen, you didn't think I knew all along that Makoto Karatachi possessed the Rinnegan, but deliberately didn't tell you, did you?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't speak, he just looked at him quietly.

Danzo's smile faded, a hint of displeasure flashing in his single eye: "My intelligence network is indeed wider than yours, but do you think something as legendary as the Rinnegan is something you can just pick up off the street like cabbage, something you can easily find out about?"

"If I had really known all along that Makoto Karatachi possessed the Rinnegan, do you think I would have just stood by and done nothing? Even if he were Makoto Karatachi, I would never have kept this information a secret!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly.

Danzo's words do make sense. Given Danzo's personality, if he had known beforehand that Makoto Karatachi possessed power at the level of the Rinnegan, he definitely wouldn't have remained indifferent. He would either have secretly sent people to hunt him down, or he would have leaked the news long ago, forcing Konoha to launch a full-scale attack.

"Then how do you explain that Makoto Kuraki would think we already knew?" Hiruzen Sarutobi pressed.

Danzo paused for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Two possibilities. First, he said it on purpose to create a rift between us. Second—"

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his single eye.

"Someone deliberately leaked false information to him, making him believe that Konoha already knew his secret."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes narrowed: "You mean, someone is deliberately trying to sow discord?"

"Hiruzen, you're too naive." Danzo sneered. "Karachi Makoto is an enemy. You believe what an enemy says?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent for a long time before slowly exhaling a puff of smoke.

"Regardless, Makoto Karatachi is on our side now, and he's capable of fighting off Onoki's Dust Release!"

"So I've decided to accept his terms. Five hundred million taels of silver, to ask him to help us win this war."

"How many?!"

Danzo suddenly stood up: "Hiruzen, are you crazy? That's 500 million ryo! The surrender terms we signed with Kirigakure were already 2 billion ryo, and you still want to give Karatachi Makoto 500 million ryo? Do you know what that means?!"

"The daily interest alone would require a horse-drawn carriage to carry all that money, and even that wouldn't be enough!"

"I know."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was calm, as if Danzo was not talking about an astronomical figure that would collapse the entire Konoha's finances, but some ordinary matter.

He raised his head and looked directly into Danzo's single eye.

"But so what?"

"Danzo, tell me, if we lose this war, what use is five hundred million taels, let alone five billion taels?"

'

Danzo's face was ashen, and his bandaged right arm trembled slightly, clearly as he was suppressing his anger.

He knew, of course, that Hiruzen was telling the truth.

Iwagakure's forces are three times that of Konoha's. Although supplies are tight, they can still be maintained. That old fox Onoki is pressing forward step by step. If it weren't for Makoto Karatachi's sudden appearance, the flank positions would have already fallen, Orochimaru would have been killed in battle, and the entire defensive line might have collapsed as a result.

But knowing is one thing, accepting is another.

Five hundred million taels —

This number is enough to keep Konoha from catching its breath for the next ten years.

Adding to the previous compensation of 2 billion ryo to Kirigakure, that's a whopping 2.5 billion ryo, which is an astronomical figure for Konoha right now!

"and."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice suddenly became somewhat subtle, "Danzo, why do you think Makoto Karatachi suddenly appeared on the battlefield of the Land of Grass?"

Danzo was taken aback.

"The letter of authorization from the Daimyo clearly states that he is to be hired to assist Konoha in fighting against Iwagakure," Hiruzen Sarutobi said slowly. "But why do you think the Daimyo would think of hiring someone from Kirigakure, and specifically Makoto Karatachi?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, the fact that Makoto Karatachi is here means that someone has paved the way for him, provided him with a channel, so that Makoto Karatachi can now directly access the Daimyo!"

Danzo's pupils contracted slightly.

"Hiruzen, you wouldn't be thinking of saying—"

"I didn't say anything." Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him, turning and walking back to his seat. "I just feel that some things are more worrying than five hundred million ryo."

A long silence fell over the command post.

Danzo stood there, his expression shifting, before finally slowly sitting back down in his chair.

"you're right."

"Five hundred million taels is a lot, but it is insignificant compared to the outcome of this war."

"But Hiruzen, have you considered this? Makoto Karatachi can help us fight Iwagakure today, and he can help Iwagakure fight us tomorrow. This kind of person is like a double-edged sword; if used well, he's a powerful weapon, but if used poorly—"

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

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave him a deep look: "Let's talk about this later. The most urgent thing is to stabilize the war and achieve victory. If we can't even get through this current crisis, what's the point of talking about tomorrow and the future?"

"----OK."

Since things had come to this point, Danzo couldn't say anything more.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi said, the most important thing right now is to take down Iwagakure!

"It's nice to meet you again, Lord Yashiro."

-

While strolling around the Konoha camp with Mangetsu, Makoto Karatachi unexpectedly ran into a few acquaintances.

"It seems your Uchiha clan is in a bad situation too; there appear to be quite a few wounded."

"Makoto Goji Berry?!"

The Eighth Hokage of Uchiha was resting in a secluded corner with several clan members when they heard the sound and looked up at the same time.

Upon seeing that it was Makoto Gojibana, the expressions of the people present became somewhat subtle.

The relationship between the Uchiha clan and Makoto Karatachi is extremely special. As the core force of the Hidden Mist battlefield, countless Uchiha members died on the Hidden Mist battlefield, at the hands of Makoto Karatachi, and yet he was using the power of the Uchiha clan.

However, after the war, under the leadership of Kindai Uchiha, the Uchiha clan gradually began to change their attitude towards Makoto Karatachi.

They even sent Uchiha Hachiro to curry favor with them, attempting to reach a cooperation agreement.

"Lord Yashiro, please don't be so nervous."

Makoto Kari waved his hand with a smile, casually pulled out a small sake flask from his pocket, took a sip himself, and then waved it at Yashiro: "Want some? Authentic Kirigakure sake, you can't buy it in the Land of Fire."

Uchiha Hachimoku's eye twitched slightly. His gaze swept over Makoto Karatachi's face, then looked at Hozuki Mangetsu, who was looking around behind him. He took a deep breath and slowly stood up.

"Your Excellency is too kind. It is wartime now, and drinking alcohol is probably inappropriate."

"Too."

Makoto didn't force himself, took another swig, and then casually walked over and sat down next to Uchiha Hachiro, as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other for many years.

"Lord Yatsuhito, your Uchiha clan suffered considerable losses on the Iwagakure battlefield, didn't they?"

The Eighth Hokage of Uchiha was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"Iwagakure is evenly matched with us, but they have a large number of ninjas, and their Earth Release ninjutsu also has a certain limitation on our Fire Release ninjutsu, so it is difficult for us to exert our full power."

"Speaking of which, I must thank you for your help today. If you hadn't arrived in time, the flank positions would probably already be—"

"You're too kind," Makoto Koji waved his hand. "It's just a job for money. Don't worry, you Uchiha are also my big clients. If anything happens on the battlefield, I'll take care of you."

"A major client?"

Uchiha Hachimoku's lips twitched slightly, and he subconsciously lowered his voice.

"Your Excellency, isn't it inappropriate to say such a thing here?"

He certainly knew what Makoto Kuraki was talking about, but his meeting with him had been a private affair. If someone in higher positions overheard this, what would happen?