Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

Although Onoki was older than them and his personal strength was certainly not as good as it had been in his prime, the destructive power of Dust Release and Onoki's ability to freely use Light, Heavy, and Rock Techniques to fly high in the sky still made the Third Tsuchikage a formidable figure.

The fact that the Shadow himself went to the front lines was indeed a very clear and dangerous signal. If not handled properly, who knows what would happen next? Many times, you should never use your so-called common sense to judge other people's judgments. Just like his silly best friend, Shimura Danzo, he would always do some stupid things that shocked or even baffled them at certain times!

“That certainly can’t be delayed any longer. I understand what you mean. Hiruzen, leave the negotiations on the Iwa ninja side to me. I will do my best to facilitate a ceasefire between the two sides!”

Realizing the seriousness of the problem, Mitokado Yan nodded emphatically and said in a very serious tone.

"Alright, then I'll leave it to you, Yan!"

"Don't worry, Hiruzen!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't see this as cowardice. In the eyes of the Third Hokage, it was the magnanimity a leader should have, a necessary choice of forbearance during a period of instability in the village. He believed that patience brings peace and tranquility, and taking a step back opens up a vast sky. This was the governing philosophy that Hiruzen Sarutobi considered most suitable for his village at the moment.

The consensus reached needed to be communicated immediately, and the strategy for implementation was naturally agreed upon by Koharu Utatane. Danzo Shimura, of course, disagreed 100%, but his disagreement was useless. He was already semi-detained and had lost his leadership of Root. All that was left for Danzo Shimura was to attend high-level meetings and have the right to know certain information.

In any case, Hiruzen Sarutobi has made up his mind. At least for a while, he wants to let his best friend calm down. Releasing him is a certainty, and Root will most likely be handed over to Danzo to lead again, but definitely not now. Hiruzen Sarutobi doesn't want to see any more unexpected situations arise!

The Third Hokage hoped that this lesson would teach Danzo a lesson, so that he would at least not do anything so outrageous again.

Of course, this could very well be wishful thinking on Hiruzen Sarutobi's part, since the original work already vividly portrays what kind of person Danzo Shimura was.

Aside from the diplomatic efforts that Konoha resumed under the orders of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the outside world was also in an uproar due to the different outcomes of the second battle for the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold.

The most direct manifestation of this is seen in Sunagakure in the southern region and Kusagakure in the Land of Grass. One of these ninja villages intends to retake its northern fortress, while the other intends to take this opportunity to break free from Iwagakure's control, or at least return to the pre-war order.

During the period when a large number of Iwa ninjas settled in the Land of Grass, the Grass ninjas truly experienced what it meant to live a life of complete restriction. When great powers clash, small countries suffer. However, when two great powers are evenly matched, small countries still have some autonomy. But once one power becomes dominant, the neighboring small countries are definitely the most unfortunate ones.

363. The Delicate Situation in the Ninja World

P.S. Happy Lantern Festival!

Therefore, when Iwagakure arrogantly seized almost all the strategic points of the Land of Grass and demanded a lot of supplies and manpower from Kusagakure, everyone in Kusagakure was seething with hatred. However, at that time, Iwagakure was powerful and even invaded the Land of Fire, capturing the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold. It seemed that they were going to completely suppress Konoha, which made Kusagakure not dare to make a move.

364. The Problem of Choice

The negotiators dispatched.

A ceasefire on the western front and continued pressure on the eastern front mean Konoha will once again experience varying degrees of oppression. However, compared to the initial pre-war situation, Konoha's situation is much better. Although both sides are exerting pressure while observing, the situation has indeed eased considerably since the Iwa ninja retreated to the Land of Grass. This is why the Third Hokage believes it's time to negotiate and talk with Iwagakure.

365. Attitude and Reopened Negotiations

"Yes, there's also news from the Cloud Ninja. Arai and Ogata, I'll leave that to you two. Keep a close eye on every move the Cloud Ninja make, especially the location of Mount Fengzui. Whether Konoha voluntarily ceded it or the Cloud Ninja forcibly took it, the difference between the two is huge!"

Onoki turned to look at Arai and Ogata and said.

"Yes, Lord Tsuchikage!"

"Oh, and also, regarding Hyuga Hizashi, a member of the Hyuga clan's branch family, and the Byakugan that Konoha later sent out, have the people lurking in Kumogakure see if they can gather any further information. If so, try to seize or destroy the Byakugan and Hizashi's corpse. Understand?"

As if remembering something, Onoki paused for a moment, then spoke again in a very serious tone.

Arai and Ogata were both taken aback and replied in a deep voice, "Yes!"

It's already quite troublesome that Konoha has a Byakugan bloodline limit. At least Kirigakure only has one Byakugan. If Kumogakure also obtains the Byakugan bloodline limit and even has the ability to develop it further, it will definitely not be good news for Iwagakure. Although the Sharingan has always been more than one step ahead of the Byakugan in terms of the three great dojutsu of the ninja world, that is the difference between people, not the difference between eyes!

Onoki had a very clear view on this point: the Uchiha were strong because of their strength. If we don't talk about the extremely rare Mangekyou Sharingan, the ordinary tomoe Sharingan is not necessarily stronger than the Byakugan. Moreover, in the case of large-scale army-level wars in ninja villages, the Byakugan's role far surpasses that of the Sharingan!

Onoki certainly doesn't want to face two enemies with 'X-ray vision' abilities in his border region in the future!

Therefore, finding ways to acquire or destroy the Byakugan of Kumogakure is also an important task, in order to prevent Kumogakure from using this to further strengthen its own power!

Although the difficulty level is hellish, it's worth a try. At least it's necessary to gather more information! Even if it comes at a price, it's worth it. Aren't the spies sent by each village to other ninja villages there for these kinds of missions?

Everyone else felt that their Tsuchikage's arrangement was necessary. Even Shoji was very interested in this plot development, which was completely different from the original story. He was really curious about how the Fourth Raikage would deal with the extra Byakugan that Kumogakure had gained.

Should I use it myself? Or should I use it as valuable research material to see if I can use it to directly replicate the Hyuga clan's bloodline limit?

However, the latter is obviously much more difficult. If the bloodline and bloodline limit of a clan were so easy to replicate, the entire ninja world would be full of Byakugan and Sharingan. As for the former...

The Byakugan is indeed a dojutsu that is highly compatible with taijutsu. The ninjutsu and taijutsu of the Raikage of each generation would definitely be stronger with the help of the Byakugan. But to be honest, even if the Fourth Raikage transplanted those Byakugan into himself, he would definitely not become much stronger. The gap between the Fourth Raikage and his father, the Third Raikage, is still very obvious.

If the Third Raikage were to have those Byakugan transplanted and could unleash its full potential without any side effects, it would indeed be terrifying. In fact, there's a high probability that the Third Raikage in that mode could completely overwhelm the Eight-Tails. Even Pain in Six Paths and Jiraiya in Sage Mode would likely be no match for him, because their foundation is already very strong, and their strength is definitely at the Kage level. The Fourth Raikage would pale in comparison. He would certainly become stronger, but he definitely wouldn't reach the Kage level. Of course, these are all just Shoji's own speculations.

We'll only know for sure after we face off in person.

'If I were to actually transplant those Byakugan eyes onto him, I'd really like to test the strength of this Fourth Raikage!'

A thought flashed through Jiang Si's mind, but he immediately shook his head almost imperceptibly.

I shouldn't think about these things anymore. The most important thing is to focus on solving my eye problem!

Jiang Si gently touched the corner of his eye, silently thinking to himself.

Since awakening his Mangekyou Sharingan, Shoji has been avoiding using it excessively. However, there were two times when he had to expend a lot of his eye power. One was during the battle when his clan left the village, and the other was during this war. These two high-intensity battles consumed at least half of Shoji's eye power. Although there is no clear figure, based on Shoji's own judgment, he believes that if he were to engage in two more battles of similar intensity, he would go blind!

I still have no clue how to activate the Eternal Eye.

Even if his younger brother were older and able to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan, would Shoji really be so heartless as to take away his brother's eyes? That's obviously impossible, so we still need to pin our hopes on the First Hokage's Wood Release cells!

Referencing the situation of Obito Uchiha in the original work.

If all else fails, I'll have to forcibly integrate the Wood Release cells into my body. Of course, that's a last resort, and who knows if doing that will kill me. The best way is to try and refine them little by little to see if I can use the First Hokage's Wood Release cells to create a special energy that can replenish my eye power. However, if I can't do that before I go completely blind, then I'll just have to try anything!

'We need to speed things up, whether it's for the village, the clan, or even ourselves!'

The remaining time may seem ample, but in reality, there are many problems that need to be faced and resolved one by one.

"Then, dismissed!"

"Yes!"

While Shoji was slightly distracted by his own problems, Onoki also made some other arrangements and deployments in response to the current situation of his village. After confirming some important information with other Iwa ninja, he directly announced the adjournment of the meeting.

With the plan in place, the next step was for both sides to take action. As both Iwagakure and Konoha exercised more restraint and retreated, the tense situation in the border region from the Land of Grass to the Land of Fire eased considerably, with only some sporadic reconnaissance skirmishes remaining. The main forces of both ninja villages had entered a period of rest and recuperation.

While Konoha couldn't say they were completely at ease—their main force deployed at the front lines couldn't be replaced too often—they could calmly arrange for the wounded to be escorted back to the village for recuperation.

Furthermore, ninjas who were initially deployed to the front lines and had to fight for a longer period of time compared to their reinforcements could be temporarily removed from the front lines. This would allow these personnel to get sufficient rest and also slightly alleviate logistical pressure.

The remaining main force can hold out, not to mention that the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold has been recaptured. Even if things go wrong, there are still garrison troops stationed on the border between the Wind and Fire Kingdoms in the southern region that can be withdrawn. During this period, Konoha has absolutely no need to worry about the Sand Village. Even if Rasa, or even if the Sand Village's leadership has completely lost their minds and decides to take action, it should be against Iwagakure to recapture their northern fortress.

There is absolutely no way they would attack Konoha.

The fact that Iwagakure and Konoha have temporarily halted their war has also put Sunagakure in a strong position. As the largest country closest to the western front of the two major ninja villages, Sunagakure is sure to be the first to receive firsthand information. It can be said that Rasa's previous schemes and petty thoughts have been completely extinguished in the face of this scene.

Iwagakure did not suffer any further serious damage.

The frontline troops still retained about 70-80% of their original strength, and the Iwa ninja corps stationed in the fortress built by their own ninja village showed no signs of being mobilized. Rasa, who had the desire to steal but not the courage, could only sulk in silence.

This also includes the fact that Kusagakure's leader, Uryu, was in a precarious situation during this period. He had finally seen a glimmer of hope, but it was not extinguished by the Iwa ninja, but by Konoha, the very village that had brought him hope. Uryu simply could not describe his current distress in words!

Pu Lu did have a fleeting moment of wicked courage, wanting to launch a sneak attack on an Iwa ninja from behind, but the thought was immediately banished by a tightening of his expression and a forceful shake of his head. Not to mention that their Kusagakure village was simply incapable of such a thing, even if a miracle occurred, and a meteorite fell from the sky to kill a large number of Iwa ninja, if Kusagakure dared to retaliate, the ensuing retaliation from Iwa ninja would be far beyond their ability to withstand.

Therefore, this leader of Kusagakure, who was more than ten times more passive than Rasa, could only truly hope that Konoha could re-enter the territory of the Land of Grass. As long as the two great powers could re-establish a delicate balance in this region, Kusagakure could regain a certain degree of autonomy, just as before.

At least it won't feel so stifling, right?

Unfortunately, the further easing of the situation between the two major ninja villages made Pulu feel utterly hopeless. At this moment, he was really worried that if the Land of Grass really fell into the control of the Hidden Stone Village, what would become of their Hidden Grass Village?

Resisting would lead to certain death, while not resisting would only result in becoming a vassal state of Iwagakure, with no chance of ever becoming powerful again. This was a situation that was utterly unacceptable to Ura, who had great ambitions.

Unlike Sunagakure, where they could take a step back, Kusagakure would fall into an abyss if they took another step back. Even so, Ura couldn't come up with any effective solution and could only take it one step at a time.

As for their two neighboring ninja villages, Onoki, Kyoto, and Shoji had different attitudes. Sunagakure would still pay some attention to the former, after all, it was a ninja village that could mobilize tens of thousands of troops, had a Kage-level fighter, and a tailed beast, so it was impossible for them to be completely indifferent. But Kusagakure was different. In this war, one of Iwagakure's most fundamental goals was to completely bring Kusagakure into their own ninja village's sphere of influence!

They wanted to make the Land of Grass a purely defensive forward base owned solely by their own ninja village, and turn the Hidden Grass Village into a mere supply point of additional manpower that obeyed their commands.

Onoki and his group would never let Kusagakure go, nor would they give it any chance. In the current situation where the landscape of the ninja world has changed dramatically, the only outcome for Kusagakure is to obediently become a vassal of Iwagakure. There is no other choice.

Even if Puru were to reaffirm his resolve to completely side with Konoha, it would be to no avail.

Moreover, there's a 99% chance that Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of Konoha, would accept the surrender of Kusagakure under these circumstances. If the mere Land of Grass could bring peace and tranquility back, the Third Hokage wouldn't even blink an eye. In his view, even if the Land of Grass fell completely into the hands of Iwagakure, it wouldn't harm the core interests of his own village and the Land of Fire. There was no need to confront Iwagakure over such a thing!

Similarly, in the Land of Hot Water, the Third Hokage also chose a strategy of complete retreat and turtling. Just as he reached a ceasefire agreement with Iwagakure, he received a message from Suzaku and Inoichi at the Fouzui Mountain stronghold. After only a moment's consideration, the Third Hokage directly ordered Suzaku and Inoichi to lead all the Konoha garrison troops along the Fouzui Mountain border back to the Land of Fire's border stronghold, surrendering the entire Land of Hot Water!

It must be said that, in a sense, Hiruzen Sarutobi was a leader with great courage. He ceded the border buffer zone to the country without hesitation, and it wasn't even some remote and impoverished area. To put it bluntly, both the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Grass were far richer than the Land of Wind. The latter was truly a large country that had been forcibly propped up by its own size. Sunagakure was able to become one of the Five Great Nations in that environment, and the First Kazekage was truly commendable. Of course, the reason why Hiruzen Sarutobi ceded the interests of two major countries was indeed because the Land of Fire was too prosperous and genuinely didn't care about the interests of these smaller countries.

As for the specific issue of border stability, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't so foolish as to be so short-sighted as to be completely oblivious. It was truly due to his personal character and governing philosophy that his early ambition and talent had been completely extinguished.

The current Third Hokage is so 'stubborn and conservative' that he only cares about ensuring the stability of his own village. Therefore, as long as it doesn't involve the village's core interests, Hiruzen Sarutobi is truly willing to give up everything.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's repeated concessions have truly put the Hidden Cloud Village in a dilemma. Although in international relations, things like face and reason seem rather superficial, and only interests are eternal, it doesn't mean that all of these things can be discarded.

In some situations, the moral high ground is still very important. Previously, the Hidden Cloud Village insisted on the death of their own delegation's deputy leader, making Konoha bear the blame for disrupting the peace. Now, they are acting as if they are very remorseful.

Not only did they kill the culprit 'Hyuga Hiashi' as an apology, but they also completely withdrew from the Land of Hot Water territory and made various degrees of compensation in terms of interests. They showed all the sincerity they needed to express.

If the Hidden Cloud Village continues to be aggressive, it will definitely lose its moral ground!

Of course, such an impact would at most make ordinary people feel constrained. The Fourth Raikage, Eko, was not affected by this. What really made things difficult for him was that the entire Konoha garrison had retreated to the border area of ​​the Land of Fire. This not only completely shortened the logistics line but also greatly improved security and further integrated the forces!

Then, the most crucial point is that the messengers sent out to further communicate with the Iwa ninja did not bring good news. They did not say they would not fight, but their attitude clearly indicated that they were waiting for the Kumo ninja to strike first.

This made the Fourth Raikage curse Onoki in his heart for being so treacherous, while also feeling a little regretful. Why didn't he take the initiative to attack when the Iwa ninja had tied down half of Konoha's forces and Konoha's defenses in the northeastern border were still relatively scattered? If he had, it would have been very likely that he could have defeated them one by one and directly swept through the entire northeastern region of the Land of Fire. Now the best opportunity had been lost.

Of course, the Fourth Raikage A did not think it was his side's problem, and completely ignored the fact that his own side had already gained considerable benefits. He only went on to curse the Iwagakure side!

But things have come to this point, unless the Fourth Raikage can harden his heart and launch a surprise attack on the Konoha border, there is indeed a fairly high chance of winning. However, considering Konoha's subsequent response and Iwagakure's very ambiguous attitude.

Under the repeated admonition of his own advisor, Tu Tai.

Even the Fourth Raikage, after his 'impotent rage,' had no choice but to accept Konoha's proposal to continue the previous peace negotiations.

"Hmph, that's enough for now. Konoha, and those bastards from Iwagakure, just you wait, Raikage!"

The Fourth Raikage, A, slammed his fist heavily on the newly replaced desk.

"boom!"

"Crack!"

As the tabletop shattered, the Fourth Raikage's furious words fell.

With each side stating their stance, this blatant restart of negotiations is once again taking place in Konoha Village. However, the delegation leaders sent by Iwagakure and Kumogakure have also changed this time.

On the Kumogakure side, Tsuchida was dispatched as the leader of the delegation. On the Iwagakure side, Onoki sent Kyoto and Shoji as the leader and deputy leader to Konohagakure. Initially, Onoki was unwilling to send Shoji to Konoha and wanted Akatsuchi or Arai to go with Kyoto instead.

The main reason is that Danzo Shimura's unconventional behavior made Onoki wonder if the Uchiha clan was really that hated by the Konoha leadership, to the point that they wanted to defy the public order of the ninja world and directly attack the delegation members. Although the probability of a second attack was extremely low, Onoki naturally wanted to exclude Shoji from the delegation list to ensure everything was in order.

But in the end, Shoji himself suggested going to Konoha, and he persuaded Onoki with just a few words.

The core lies in just two words: 'Hyuga'!

That's right. This time, when he returns to Konoha, Shoji is going to cause trouble again, and his target is the Hyuga clan. This is a plan that will not lose out if it fails, and will be very profitable if it succeeds. If he can't get something on the battlefield, he can make up for it in other ways in private.

Of course, Shoji was well aware of the difficulty of this plan.