Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

Without the slightest hesitation, Ma Yeyi immediately arranged for his subordinates in his delegation to relay the relevant information back to his own ninja village!

He needs his Raikage's orders before he can take any further action.

"Remember, not only should you report the specific process to Lord Raikage, but you should also report Konoha's unusual attitude. I have a feeling there's something wrong here. Even if Konoha were to back down, they wouldn't do it so readily and quickly. Logically, they should have tested us first. Tell Lord Raikage to pay close attention to this, and it would be best if they could send more people to investigate!"

Maya looked at another member of her delegation responsible for communications and said with a very serious expression.

"Yes, Maya Isan!"

After bowing his head in response, the member of the delegation immediately left to use his village's special information channel to report the relevant intelligence to the Fourth Raikage.

After the Cloud Ninja left, Maya summoned the other members of the delegation to give them further instructions and orders. Although he needed to wait for his Raikage's orders, Maya did not intend to just wait idly.

He wanted to see if he could obtain more effective information on his own, as he felt there was a strange undercurrent in Konoha's attitude.

"Konoha, there's definitely something fishy going on here. It might be a bit risky, but if we can find out the real reason, it will definitely help Raikage-sama's judgment and allow us to gain more benefits for our village!"

Maya paced back and forth in her room, muttering to herself with a determined look in her eyes.

"Heh, as expected of the delegation representative valued by Lord Raikage, you can easily detect the tricks involved. However, instead of you investigating on your own, let me tell you why Konoha has changed its attitude. Moreover, I think our two families can cooperate well from now on!"

It was almost at the same time.

A soft, clear voice suddenly rang in Maye's ear.

"Who goes there!?"

The sudden tension in his muscles, and the chilling feeling that spread deep into his heart, caused the leader of the Cloud Village Jonin to change his expression abruptly, and he shouted out in a sharp voice.

“Maye Issan doesn’t need to be so wary. I’ve come here to seek cooperation!”

Then, amidst the still extremely vigilant and fearful expression of the Cloud Village Jonin, a tall and slender figure slowly appeared in the shadowy corner on the left side of the room. Upon seeing this, Maya's hair stood on end. He found it hard to believe that with his strength, someone had managed to get so close without him even noticing.

There is no doubt that the newcomer's strength far surpasses their own.

In Konoha today, only the Third Hokage could do this, since according to the intelligence gathered by their Cloud Village intelligence network, neither Jiraiya nor Tsunade, the two legendary Sannin of Konoha, were in the village.

However, the words he had just spoken did not sound like those of someone from Konoha. Doubt, fear, and coldness alternated on the face of this Jonin from Kumogakure, and it was in the next second that he saw the face of the person who had appeared.

"What!? Uchiha Shoji!?"

Ma Ye's pupils shrank instantly, and he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

The person who came was none other than Shoji, who had just left the Hyuga clan's residence. He originally planned to wander around a bit more before contacting the Cloud Ninja. However, after seeing Mitokado Homura and Nara Shikaku's sudden visit to the Cloud Ninja delegation, Shoji, who had an idea, came along. It can be said that Shoji had heard every word of the conversation between Mitokado Homura and Maya.

Since Mitokado Homura wasn't accompanied by any Hyuga clan Jonin, and the sensory ninjas in the Cloud Ninja delegation were still somewhat lacking in strength, no one present could detect Shoji's aura.

"Hehe, it is indeed me. I apologize for arriving so late at night. Please forgive my intrusion. However, as I said before, I have come for the common benefit of both villages. Aren't you curious about why Konoha's attitude is so straightforward? I can tell you the answer!"

Jiang Si remained leisurely, walking lightly to a spot near Ma Yeyi while maintaining a relatively 'safe' distance. He sat cross-legged, a faint smile playing on his lips, and looked at Ma Yeyi as he spoke.

Although he was very wary of the general in front of him, it was precisely because of this that Ma Yeyi was very clear about how strong this black-haired youth was. With just that move, the man could kill him in the blink of an eye.

Even when facing death, one may find it difficult to react.

This is already a difference of dimensions.

Any act of caution would only seem superfluous and ridiculous. To be valued by the Fourth Raikage and chosen as the leader of the delegation, Ma Yi is far superior to many ordinary ninjas in terms of magnanimity, thinking, and mentality. This is the mindset that he immediately adjusted.

This same Jonin from Kumogakure slowly sat down and faced Shoji.

After taking a deep breath, Maya looked at Shoji and said, "The arrival of the renowned Uchiha Shoji at this late hour must be of great importance. If I'm not mistaken, Konoha's attitude is definitely related to you, Shoji, or perhaps the entire Iwagakure village, right?"

"Clap clap clap!"

"Excellent! To be able to react in such a short time, Maya is indeed worthy of being someone the Raikage values. That's right, the reason why Konoha so readily admitted its actions, without even testing or deliberately pursuing accountability, is that it directly intends to use compensation to advance peace negotiations with your village. The reason lies with our Iwagakure. Because not long after our delegation left Konoha, we were ambushed by Konoha, and the pursuing force was none other than the Root of Konoha. Although I suspect that the Third Hokage was unaware of this matter at first, whether he knew or not is no longer important!"

"The important thing is that the pursuit is real. Now, can Maya Isang understand Konoha's actions?"

Jiang Si raised an eyebrow slightly and said with a light laugh.

"What!? Root? You mean that Shimura Danzo sent a large force to hunt down your delegation!?"

Although I had anticipated that it was 100% related to the Iwagakure village and had prepared myself accordingly, Maya really did not expect it to unfold like this. Just how big must Shimura Danzo's heart be to do such a foolish thing?

Even disregarding the mess that the Cloud Village caused later, just the fact that the peace agreement between the two villages hasn't truly taken effect yet, isn't Shimura Danzo afraid that the Cloud Village will ignore the peace treaty and start a new war after seeing that Konoha has started a war with Iwagakure?

This kind of opportunistic thing has happened more than once in the past Shinobi World Wars!

"Hehe, whether it's true or false, I think Maya Isang himself should know the answer. If proof is really needed, we have nearly two hundred corpses of Root soldiers who died in battle. That should be enough evidence, right?"

Jiang Si placed his hands on the small table in front of him, still with a very relaxed and carefree expression, and said.

"No, of course I believe you, Mr. Shoji. I see. Is that why Konoha is so eager to further advance peace negotiations with our Kumogakure? I understand. So, Mr. Shoji, could you elaborate a bit more on the cooperation between our two villages that you mentioned earlier?"

My previous doubts were well answered here.

The unease in Maya's heart completely disappeared at this moment. He finally understood why Konoha had such an attitude, and he could roughly guess what kind of purpose Uchiha Shoji, who now had a great reputation in the ninja world, was aiming for.

"It's very simple. Our two families will join forces to put pressure on Konoha. Konoha is too big and too strong. With such a good opportunity to openly weaken and further suppress Konoha, I think your Raikage wouldn't refuse, would he?"

This is almost exactly the intention behind revealing the hand.

Cooperation is indeed a way of doing things that is in the best interests of the two major ninja villages.

However, from the perspective of their own ninja village, having Iwagakure take the lead is the best option. It can be said that, given the current situation, this is the best outcome that Maya could consider.

However, he clearly understood that Iwagakure wouldn't be that foolish, and Uchiha Shoji in front of him was not the kind of person who could be easily fooled. Therefore, whether or not to cooperate, and how to cooperate, all required further consultation and agreement. Most importantly, this was not something that he, a mere delegation leader, could decide.

The decision must be left to our own Raikage.

“I understand what you mean, Mr. Shoji, but this is still a decision that our Raikage should make. Besides, your Tsuchikage probably hasn’t received the most accurate information yet. It would be most appropriate to discuss this after both of our Kage have made their decisions, wouldn’t it?”

Maya felt that delaying the inevitable and letting Konoha and Iwagakure fight to the death was the best course of action for their own ninja village. After all, Konoha's attitude was clearly to first stabilize their Kumogakure village and then confront Iwagakure head-on. Only in this way could Konoha's previous actions be explained. And if this could be confirmed with 100% certainty, their Kumogakure village would be the most advantageous of the three families and could sit back and watch the tigers fight!

Within the scope of what can be fought for, the village can strive to gain more benefits. Whether or not to participate in the war, and who to target, will depend on the future development of both sides. In any case, the initiative will definitely fall into the hands of the village itself.

Maya believed that his Raikage would make a similar decision, but before that, he still needed to be careful in choosing his words. After all, he was well aware of what Konoha meant to the other four great ninja villages. He did not rule out the possibility that the Raikage would join forces with Iwagakure to directly wage war against Konoha, which would indeed be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Both choices have their advantages and disadvantages. As Maya said, only the Raikage can make such a decision; others, including Tsuchidae, only have the right to offer suggestions. Shoji naturally understood this and could somewhat sense the meaning of this Jonin from Kumogakure. However, he was also confident in his own abilities, so he smiled nonchalantly and said, "Yes, that is naturally my duty. I've only come to make an introduction today. After all, if Maya doesn't understand the ins and outs of this matter, it will be difficult for him to report detailed information to His Excellency the Raikage, and the subsequent decision may be flawed. I await your village's reply!"

After saying this, Jiang Si slowly stood up.

"Oh, by the way, please also pass on a message to Lord Raikage: Iwagakure will absolutely not interfere with what your village desires. Our goal is to strike at Konoha. This is Lord Tsuchikage's small act of indulgence and care for our Uchiha clan. I think your village should understand the meaning behind this!"

Before leaving.

Jiang Si paused slightly again before uttering the last sentence with deliberately emphasized tone.

Just as Maya's gaze narrowed slightly.

"Then, I'll take my leave of rudeness!"

Jiang Si bowed slightly in greeting, then his figure flickered and disappeared into the shadows without leaving a trace, causing the cold light in Ma Yeyi's eyes to intensify.

'Uchiha Shoji, and Iwagakure? It seems the situation is getting increasingly complicated!'

Maya murmured softly.

This was an unexpected turn of events for the three great ninja villages. The Hidden Cloud Village did not expect that while their second objective would fail, other aspects would proceed so smoothly. The Hidden Leaf Village did not anticipate that what should have been a smooth peace negotiation, at most ending in a falling out with the Hidden Stone Village, would ultimately lead to a situation where they almost turned against the two great ninja villages.

Even the Iwagakure group, led by Uchiha Shoji, who had made many mental preparations, never expected that Shimura Danzo would be so foolish as to once again secretly send his Root elites to ambush their delegation without the Third Hokage's knowledge!

This provided Iwagakure with the perfect justification for its operation.

This truly brought the relationship between the three great ninja villages to its most tense point.

Each side had to make a decision. Due to the delay in information, Konoha had clearly decided to stabilize Kumogakure, try to communicate with Iwagakure as much as possible, and if that failed, choose to go to war with Iwagakure.

It took more than a full day for the Third Tsuchikage and the Fourth Raikage to receive their respective reports from Shoji and Maya.

Judging from the timing, Onoki received the relevant information earlier. It can be said that even the experienced Third Tsuchikage did not expect that Shoji's trip to Konoha would bring him such a big surprise.

In particular, I was struck by the intelligence reports about the Hidden Cloud Village and the Hyuga clan.

Onoki's face revealed a meaningful smile.

"Hmph, that little Fourth Raikage is still just like his father, obsessed with these bloodline limits. But this is indeed a very good opportunity!"

This is clearly an opportunity that can be seized.

Onoki didn't believe that the Fourth Raikage would miss such a perfect opportunity to strike at Konoha and cut flesh from the Land of Fire. Although there was indeed a deep-seated hatred between Iwagakure and Kumogakure, and the Fourth Raikage's father had died a few years ago under the siege of Iwagakure's army.

However, in relations between nations, interests are the sole measure and criterion for judgment. Onoki believes that even if the Fourth Raikage wants revenge, his primary target is still Konoha, where the Hidden Cloud Village has long coveted the bloodline limit and resources, and where the Land of Lightning has long desired the rich land!

If handled properly, it won't just be a matter of the Land of Hot Water. Just like how Iwagakure helped their Land of Earth carve out a piece of land from the Land of Wind that could be considered somewhat profitable, this time, if they can defeat Konoha's hidden army head-on, it would be a pipe dream to wipe out Konoha and swallow a large chunk of the Land of Fire's territory in one fell swoop.

However, taking a bite of the juicy, fatty "land of fat" is the safest thing to do!

This is a very worthwhile deal no matter how you look at it or how you do it, and Ohnoki is definitely going to increase his stakes!

Now that they are a powerful and well-equipped force, Iwagakure's previous attack on Sunagakure was just an appetizer; Konoha is the real main course.

The decision was made without hesitation.

Onoki immediately sent someone to summon his son, Huangtu.

"Lord Tsuchikage, you wanted to see me?"

In formal settings, Huang Tu arrived at the Earth Shadow's office as quickly as possible and asked with a respectful expression.

After his son arrived, Onoki handed the information on the table directly to Huangtu. Huangtu looked at it very carefully, and his face showed the same expression as his Tsuchikage father before.

"So, Tsuchikage-sama, are you planning to wage war against Konoha?"

Even though he also felt that this was indeed a very good opportunity, Huang Tu, who was of a kind and steady nature, still felt that it was more appropriate to observe for a while. Although he was extremely angry that Shimura Danzo dared to send more than two hundred Root members to hunt down his delegation members, judging from the result, none of his delegation members died. On the contrary, all the Root members who came to ambush him were killed in battle. His side was the one who benefited, so there was no need to rush. On the contrary, the Hidden Cloud Village was a big uncertainty factor.

In the Third Shinobi World War, their own village had just killed the Third Raikage, who was also the biological father of the current Fourth Raikage. Huang Tu always felt that the other village might not really join forces with their village. Not to mention stabbing them in the back, even just sitting on the sidelines and watching the two fight would put their village in a difficult position. Konoha is still Konoha after all, and its size is what it is. It would be very difficult for their village to defeat the other village one-on-one. Huang Tu thought this possibility was very high!

He still hoped that his Tsuchikage father could make a more prudent decision instead of going all in. In the Third Shinobi World War, it was almost a half-all-in on Kumogakure. It was only because the Third Raikage was killed that the sacrifice of the two or three thousand Iwa ninja who were killed or seriously injured was worthwhile. If they had escaped, coupled with the failure of the southern invasion plan, Iwagakure would have been a complete loser in the Third Shinobi World War!

That victory was only possible because the Third Raikage was killed by them!

"I understand what you mean, Huangtu, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. Of course, I will act cautiously, so I plan to have you lead three thousand troops to the front line of the Grass Country to meet up with Chitu. After that, I will have someone notify Han to go to the border together. What you need to do is to keep putting pressure on the border of the Fire Country. You don't need large-scale clashes, but small-scale infiltration attacks are still necessary!"

"Only in this way can we make Konoha feel the pressure from us!"

With three thousand troops, plus the Iwa ninja army now gathered at the border, the total number of troops has exceeded five thousand. In addition, there is Akatsuchi, a Jonin who is close to the level of a Kage. This force is definitely capable of threatening the border security of the Land of Fire.

Now, we also have Huang Tu, a Kage-level powerhouse, and Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki.

If Konoha doesn't react, the Land of Grass will fall completely into the hands of Iwagakure, and war will surely spread throughout the borders of the Land of Fire. This is the result that Onoki initially wanted to achieve.

The rest depends on Konoha's response and Kumogakure's reaction.

Onoki will definitely send someone to contact Kumogakure. Once the two villages reach an agreement, Konoha will face unprecedented defensive pressure.