The world I hear is completely different from yours.

Looking up at his staff officers, Onoki issued his order without hesitation: "The entire army retreats immediately! Return to the Land of Grass! We still have a unit there, and the Chakra Railgun is almost complete!"

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PS: First update. Please continue to add to your favorites and recommend!

Chapter Sixty-Two: Behave Yourself, or You're Robbing!

A few days later, news spread throughout the world that the Iwa ninja army had suffered heavy losses and was forced to withdraw from the Land of Fire. This battle, which had been full of twists and turns, also drew the attention of every country that was following the situation.

In this war, Konoha deployed a brand-new puppet weapon: the Zerg puppet army. These Zerg puppets could not only be remotely controlled via signal towers, but also possessed considerable group coordination capabilities, which shocked everyone who saw the battle reports. It's important to understand that after this great battle, the Land of Earth's 30,000-strong army was reduced to less than 10,000, while Konoha's tens of thousands of losses were almost entirely due to puppets, with virtually no loss of human strength!

If the Iwa ninja army had ultimately won, things would have been fine, but the war ended in a draw! Konoha's puppet army had demonstrated combat power capable of rivaling that of ninjas in this war, a terrifying force that terrified every ninja village! Therefore, upon seeing the battle report, all the village leaders immediately began to send people to gather intelligence on this new puppet weapon!

It's important to understand that the growth in the number of ninjas and their training cannot compare to these insectoid puppets. It takes many years for a ninja to grow from birth to graduation from the ninja academy and become a veteran with rich combat experience, while the production of an insectoid puppet takes much less time!

And so, Konoha's puppet army appeared before the world with an extremely conspicuous record!

In this war, the commander of the Konoha insectoid puppet army, Tian Qing, who was secretly called the "ageless witch" by many, also demonstrated great strength. It was as if the passage of time had not made her old, but rather made her stronger!

......................

In the Land of Grass, when the battered and bruised Iwa ninja army returned to their former positions, almost every Iwa ninja couldn't help but shed tears. Just a short while ago, they had set off from here with great confidence to attack Konoha, but in the blink of an eye, only a small number of them had returned alive, leaving the once crowded Iwa ninja positions now deserted.

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, sat in his command tent, looking at the few remaining Iwa ninja advisors in the empty tent, and felt a pang of sadness.

"Report! The Chakra Railgun is now complete and has been tested. We can begin test firing!" A bespectacled Iwa ninja rushed in and shouted the good news.

Immediately, the gloom on Onoki's face disappeared considerably. Before the staff officers could speak, he directly gave his order: "Very good! However, I will not directly open fire on Konoha, but will instead request Konoha to send a delegation to request peace talks!"

In this great battle, of the 30,000 Iwa ninja who followed Onoki to Konoha, less than 5,000 returned. Such a terrifying casualty ratio pained Onoki deeply and caused the Land of Earth's years of savings to go down the drain. It is likely that it will be difficult for the country to recover its strength in the next few years.

"Fortunately, we still have the Chakra Railgun, our last weapon to turn the tide!" Onoki breathed a long sigh of relief. In his mind, his decision to extort the railgun design from the Land of Lightning was the wisest decision he made in this war. It was this order that successfully gave Iwagakure one last chance.

"Although our attack failed, Konoha suffered significant losses. They've exhausted all their combat-ready puppets and haven't been able to replenish them! Meanwhile, we still have weapons like the Chakra Railgun. Therefore, if peace talks begin, we can still hold a favorable position!" Onoki explained his thinking, then continued through gritted teeth, "So we can demand Konoha compensate us with substantial supplies and money, and demand they hand over all research data on the Zerg puppets! Otherwise, we'll use the Chakra Railgun to bombard Konoha from a distance!!"

This is what's known as "military blackmail"! For the heavily damaged Iwagakure village, even if they immediately destroyed Konoha with chakra railguns, they wouldn't have enough manpower to seize the Land of Fire's territory and resources. It's better to take the opportunity to extort as much as possible, and then act accordingly once they have the benefits. Of course, if Konoha refuses to give anything, it's not impossible that Onoki, in a fit of anger, might order the artillery to open fire.

"There's one more thing: we must demand an immediate response from Konoha, or we'll immediately launch an attack using the Chakra Railgun!" Onoki knew very well that the Iwa ninja army had suffered heavy losses and was practically defenseless. However, given time to recover, Konoha could produce a large number of Hydralisk puppets again. Therefore, the longer the situation dragged on, the more advantageous it would be for Konoha. So, Iwa ninja absolutely could not give Konoha the opportunity to stall for time during the peace talks!

"But what if Konoha keeps making excuses to delay?" an Iwa ninja strategist asked. Such delaying tactics are quite common. After all, if a country wants to postpone something, it has countless reasons—official excuses like "under investigation," "closely monitoring," and "effective talks have been held" are plentiful!

“Three days! That’s our final deadline! There’s no room for negotiation! Besides, to keep Konoha in line, we need to add a little something extra when we ask for peace talks!” Onoki said coldly. “So I’ve decided that when our delegation arrives in Konoha tomorrow, we’ll immediately begin the test firing of the chakra railgun! The target will be the Konoha troops that attacked us before! When our chakra railgun reduces that force and their positions to ashes, Konoha will have no choice but to bow down to our delegation!”

Making an example of someone is a very good method! This was also the case in Tian Qing's previous life. If two countries wanted to gain the upper hand in peace talks, they had to do something outside the negotiating table. For example, they could mobilize their troops for a military exercise, or carry out a surgical operation against a disobedient vassal country to demonstrate their strength and make the other side consider the consequences of the peace talks failing. This would greatly enhance their position in the peace talks.

The next day, an arrogant delegation of Iwa ninja appeared in Konoha Village, their imposing manner even causing them to slam their fists on the table at their first meeting with the Konoha representatives, demanding that they immediately sign various compensation agreements.

"Otherwise, the wrath of the Chakra Railgun will immediately descend upon Konoha!!" The Iwa ninja envoy shouted, spittle flying from his mouth.

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PS: Second update

Chapter Sixty-Three: The Iwa Ninja's Teeth Floating in the Air

"Is this the Chakra Railgun?" Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, stood at the foot of the mountain, looking at the mountain that had been completely hollowed out, and murmured, "Old Purple, is this the super weapon you mentioned that might replace us in the future?"

The Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Rōshi, nodded and didn't explain anything further. Unlike Rōshi, who was determined to defect, Han still had some hesitation in his heart.

"What are you all standing there for! Get in there now!!" a gruff voice shouted. Behind the two Jinchuriki, a large group of fully armed Iwa ninja were tightly surrounding them. When the leader of the Iwa ninja captains saw that the two Jinchuriki had stopped and were not going any further, he immediately began to reprimand them without any politeness.

In the previous battles, many Iwa ninjas died because they were "accidentally affected" by the Jinchuriki's Tailed Beast Bomb. As a result, the Iwa ninjas' already cold attitude towards these two Jinchurikis became even more hostile. If it weren't for Onoki's orders, many Iwa ninjas would probably have been unable to resist "accidentally" stabbing the Jinchurikis in the back.

"Hmph!!" Old Purple turned around and glared fiercely at the Iwa ninja captain, about to lash out, when Han next to him reached out and pulled Old Purple back. Only then did Old Purple angrily turn around and continue walking forward.

After a long silence, Lao Zi said in a very low voice, as if talking to himself, "Why?"

Han glanced at the Iwa ninja behind him and the Iwa ninja in the barrier team who were following at a distance, ready to suppress the Jinchuriki, and replied in a very low voice, "It's not the right time yet."

........................

Tsunade was very unhappy at this moment. This time, as the only remaining high-ranking elder in Konoha, she was required to represent the envoys sent by Konoha and Iwagakure to negotiate a ceasefire.

"Why me again? I'm the head of the medical department, not the head of the foreign affairs department!" However, considering that this was the first task given to her by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, Tsunade thought about it for a moment and agreed.

But Tsunade now deeply regrets it, because these Iwa ninja envoys are truly despicable!

Inside the peace negotiation meeting room in Konoha Village, the Iwa ninja envoy was lecturing the Konoha representative with great enthusiasm: "...In this battle, our army advanced into the Land of Grass after eliminating Konoha's puppet army in order to save face for Konoha. It was not a retreat! So don't mistakenly think this is a victory for Konoha!"

Tsunade stared at the Iwa ninja envoy without saying a word, a forced smile on her face, and a strong urge to punch him.

The Iwa ninja retreated swiftly, escaping Konoha's pursuit. They then victoriously advanced into the Land of Grass, successfully trapping Konoha within the Land of Fire. This is the Iwa ninja's description of the war, their audacity is astonishing. Despite being utterly defeated by Konoha after their invasion, they dared to demand compensation and information about the insectoid puppets?!

"If it weren't for the chakra railgun's limitations!" Tsunade gritted her teeth in annoyance. So frustrating! But I have to keep smiling!

..................... ..

"The first test firing of the Chakra Railgun is beginning!!" shouted an Iwa ninja, pressing a button, after which the entire mountain trembled!

Lao Zi and Han stood quietly on the mountaintop, looking at the massive barrel of the railgun.

"Speaking of which, where's Onoki? Why didn't he come? Could he be scared?" Old Purple suddenly asked.

The Iwa ninja captain hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering whether to speak to the Jinchuriki he disliked, before angrily replying, "Don't slander Lord Tsuchikage! Lord Tsuchikage was already seriously injured and is now forcing himself to handle official duties; it's perfectly normal that he can't come!"

Old Zi wore a forced smile, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"The railgun has finished heating up!! The Jinchuriki is ready to input chakra!" the Iwa ninja leader shouted, while secretly making a hand gesture to signal the Iwa ninja in the barrier team to be ready to suppress the Jinchuriki immediately if anything unusual happened.

Old Purple and Han exchanged a glance, then released the tailed beast seals from their bodies!

Boom! Several tails brimming with chakra appeared behind them! Entering Explosive Tail State 1! A continuous stream of tailed beast chakra surged into the Chakra Railgun!!!

"Railway cannon charging initiated! Set target: Konoha position!!"

Tick-tock! Tick-tock! The railgun's charging progress continues to increase: 10%....50%....99%...

Suddenly, at the very last moment before the charging was complete, an extremely dangerous aura surged in Lao Zi and Han's hearts, as if something terrifying was about to happen!

Without the slightest hesitation, Old Purple and Han immediately followed their intuition and skipped the second stage of the Tailed Beast Transformation! They began their full Tailed Beast Transformation!!

Instantly, the roars of the two tailed beasts shook the heavens and the earth! But their voices were filled with terror!

"What are you doing?!" the Iwa ninja captain shouted. Just as he was about to order the Iwa ninja in the barrier team to activate the Tailed Beast Seal to suppress the Jinchuriki, the Chakra Railgun's charging progress reached 100%!

boom!!!!!

Terrifying explosions erupted throughout the entire mountain! The deafening roar was heard throughout almost the entire Land of Grass!

In the Iwa ninja camp, Onoki, his body wrapped in bandages, abandoned his duties and rushed out of his tent: "What was that explosion just now?!"

Soon, an Iwa ninja rushed to Onoki's side, panting, and said, "It's...it's the chakra railgun that exploded!! All three thousand-man squads stationed around the railgun have been wiped out!"

Instantly, Onoki's face, which had been pale from blood loss due to his injury, turned deathly white. Images from the past flashed before his eyes, finally settling on the Fourth Raikage's reply. In the reply, the Fourth Raikage enthusiastically expressed his hope that the Land of Earth would soon complete the construction of the chakra railgun, adding, "When that happens, it will surely shock the whole world!"

Suddenly, Onoki seemed to understand something, and he cursed, "Raikage, you despicable and shameless scoundrel!!!" before spitting out a mouthful of blood and fainting.

.....................

Inside the peace negotiation meeting room in Konoha, the Iwa ninja envoy was still speaking at length: "...This peace negotiation is an honor for Konoha. Just handing over a small item and insignificant puppet research data is enough to regain the friendship of the Land of Earth—it's absolutely worth it..."

Tsunade clenched her fists, the smile on her face gradually disappeared, and her veins bulged.

Just then, a Konoha ninja rushed into the meeting room and hurriedly handed a piece of information to Tsunade.

"The Iwa ninja's chakra railgun exploded and was completely destroyed?"

Instantly, Tsunade laughed, a bright smile that momentarily stunned everyone in the conference room. Then, Tsunade jumped up excitedly and stylishly threw a left hook!

The Iwa ninja envoy flew up, several broken teeth flying out from the swollen corner of his mouth and dancing in the air!

That was a beautiful and cool punch! Almost simultaneously, this thought crossed the minds of all the Konoha representatives in the conference room.

...........

PS: Third update. Thank you all for your support this month.

.......

P.S. I started playing FGO yesterday, free-to-play, and today the tickets the system gave me got me Jeanne d'Arc Alter, hehe.

Interlude: A civilized, harmonious, brainwashed land of earth.

In the morning, the young maid rubbed her sleepy eyes, picked up a broom, and walked out of her room, yawning as she headed towards the courtyard to carry out her routine cleaning. As a nobleman in the Land of Earth, second only to the daimyo in status, the shogun always had high standards for the cleanliness of his residence, and had previously punished many lazy servants for this.

"But lately, the general seems to have become much more kind and approachable, almost like a completely different person," the maid thought as she swept the floor. "It's probably because those strange men in black fiery robes came here. Everyone has noticed that the general has really changed a lot!"

In the distance, a group of people were doing their morning run, shouting slogans: "One, two! Go! One, two! Go!" Leading the group was a shirtless general covered in sweat.

"Good morning, General!" The maidservant quickly stepped aside and bowed respectfully. The general was originally a typical nobleman who spent his days and nights drinking and making merry, and slept until noon every day. But now, the general not only goes to bed early and gets up early every day, but also leads a group of people for a morning run, which makes everyone unable to believe their eyes.

"Good morning!" the general replied cheerfully, a slight smile on his face. The general used to be a short-tempered nobleman, harsh towards his servants. He had previously flew into a rage over a maid accidentally breaking a plate, nearly beating the unfortunate maid to death. But now, the general not only refrained from hitting or scolding people, but also greeted everyone with a smile every day.

"Could it be that a great god has used his magic to mercifully bestow happiness upon us?" the little maid wondered, continuing to sweep the floor.

...........................

Yekura and Sasori stood atop the general's mansion, looking down at the smiling, approachable general. Their faces were filled with astonishment: "The general before was clearly just a cowardly, opportunistic, and bullying scoundrel. But after just one glance from Yahiko, he's changed so much? This brainwashing power is terrifying! Apart from his appearance, he's basically a completely different person inside!"

Previously, after Pakura and Sasori delivered the captured daimyo to the Akatsuki organization and completed their mission, they were ordered by the Akatsuki to gather intelligence on various powerful nobles throughout the Land of Earth. Yahiko, along with Konan and Nagato Yuki, visited each of these nobles one by one, based on the information provided by Pakura and Sasori, to let them experience Yahiko's "ultimate persuasive skills." The Shogun was one of these nobles.

"It's not just the general; almost all the powerful nobles in the Land of Earth have already succumbed to the Akatsuki's brainwashing, haven't they?" Yekura muttered to himself. "What exactly does the Akatsuki want to do? This is completely different from the Akatsuki I remember!"

“And most importantly,” Sasori said after carefully observing the general’s every move, “I found absolutely no trace of the general being affected by illusions, nor any trace of his brain being manipulated or modified by others. How exactly did Yahiko change the general? It’s truly an incredible power!”

........................ ..

Inside the daimyo's residence in the Land of Earth, an Iwa ninja is paying his respects to the daimyo.

Not long ago, the daimyo was kidnapped from his residence, but he was quickly "rescued" by a group of mercenaries. After being examined by the Hidden Stone Village and confirmed that the daimyo was not affected or controlled by any genjutsu, he returned to his residence and resumed his nominal position as the leader of the Land of Earth.

"Your Highness, since Iwagakure encountered some minor setbacks in the previous war, the Tsuchikage sent me to request that Your Highness increase the military budget provided to Iwagakure in the future," the Iwagakure ninja said in a low voice, kneeling to the side.

With the substantial rewards Iwagakure receives for accepting missions, the village was perfectly financially self-sufficient and didn't particularly care about the meager financial allocations from the Daimyo. However, now that Iwagakure has suffered a major defeat and heavy losses, resulting in a significant drop in income, the village naturally won't let go of any channel that can generate revenue.

Although the Iwa ninja spoke very respectfully, asking for the Daimyo's permission, it was merely a formality. While the Daimyo is nominally the leader of the Land of Earth, and the Tsuchikage is obligated to obey his orders, the Tsuchikage, who controls the ninja village, doesn't actually need to consider the Daimyo's feelings. Therefore, the Daimyo has never dared to refuse the Tsuchikage's requests before; whatever the Tsuchikage wants, the Daimyo will provide, since it's not the Daimyo who pays, but all the people of the Land of Earth.

But this time, the Iwa ninja did not hear a response from the daimyo for a long time.

"That greedy, lustful bastard, is he thinking about kickbacks and benefits again?!" Iwa ninja cursed inwardly, glancing at the daimyo who was deep in thought. "If it weren't for the urgency of the situation and the village's urgent need for funds, why would I need to be polite to you! It seems that once this matter is over, I should suggest to the Tsuchikage that we change the daimyo!"

However, remembering the Tsuchikage's instructions beforehand, the Iwa ninja forced down his dissatisfaction and forced a smile as he continued, "Of course, how could the Tsuchikage forget His Highness Daimyo's hard work? This time, just like before, one-tenth is specially reserved for Your Highness. Also, didn't you always say you liked women from the Land of Rivers? We've just found a pair of beautiful sisters from the Land of Rivers, and we'll send them to your residence tomorrow!"

"You've given me money and people, are you satisfied now?!" Iwa ninja thought to himself, looking up at the daimyo.

Then the daimyo stopped pondering, revealing a solemn and dignified expression, and rebuked with righteous indignation: "What kind of person do you take me for? Don't you know how much pressure such a rash and drastic increase in the military budget will put on the people of the Land of Earth? How could I bring suffering to the people of the Land of Earth for my own personal gain?!"

Huh?! Are you kidding me?! The Iwa ninja stared wide-eyed at the glorious name, almost unable to believe his ears!