Naruto: I'm really not an evil scientist!

Therefore, everything I have said is true, without a single falsehood, and I have no intention of deceiving you.

Tobirama Senju nodded thoughtfully, his gaze involuntarily shifting to the Ten-Tails following behind them.

This terrifying creature, which originally belonged to the first style, now followed them obediently, like a docile spirit beast.

A question welled up in his mind: "You... subdued it?"

Hiruko smiled slightly, not answering directly, but his confident and composed expression gave the clearest answer.

Upon seeing this, Tobirama Senju couldn't help but be secretly amazed.

This Ten-Tails, which once struck fear into the hearts of countless ninjas, was actually subdued by Hiruko!

Just how powerful must one be to do this!

"I suppose so. It's one of the legacies that Shiki left me."

Hiruko displayed several strange cosmic items he had acquired. "You probably guessed it," he said, "I just fought Isshiki in another dimension. After he was defeated, everything inside became mine."

"..." Hiruko's actions successfully skewed Tobirama Senju's thinking.

The Otsutsuki clan has a lot of good stuff. Defeating one yielded so many items from the universe, and there's also the Ten-Tails... Come to think of it, the chakra and various bloodline limits of their ninja world all originated from Kaguya Otsutsuki.

Tobirama Senju's mind raced. If the Otsutsuki clan continued to look down on the ninja world from a superior position, one after another would rashly come to their deaths.

To the ninja world, wouldn't these Otsutsuki be nothing more than "treasure-delivering children"?

Although a whole group of Otsutsuki would be difficult for the ninja world to withstand, if it were just one or two scattered individuals, the wisdom and strength of the ninja world would not be without a fighting chance...

Thinking of this, Tobirama Senju's gaze sharpened, and he asked the most crucial question: "How close are the connections among the Otsutsuki clan? In your opinion, what kind of chain reaction will Isshiki's death trigger?"

Hiruko pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "As far as I know, Isshiki and Kaguya were among the same group that descended upon the ninja world."

After being severely injured by a single strike, he remained dormant in the ninja world for a full thousand years.

Upon hearing this, Tobirama Senju's lips twitched slightly.

Therefore, the fact that Kaguya was sealed away for a thousand years, and that her One-Sword Technique wound remained unhealed for a millennium, while the Otsutsuki clan never sent anyone to help, undoubtedly reveals a deep-seated arrogance.

They never took the ninja world seriously, believing it posed no threat whatsoever to them, the Otsutsuki!

Tobirama Senju was secretly delighted. Arrogance is good!

Ideally, the Otsutsuki clan would forever look down on the ninja world. In this way, the ninja world could gain more precious time to develop and grow stronger in order to cope with a greater crisis that might come in the future.

The group walked and talked, and before they knew it, they had returned to the surface of the water.

Looking up, the battlefield situation was already clear.

The ninjas from Kirigakure surged ashore like a tidal wave, breaking through the defenses that Iwagakure had meticulously laid out on the canal with unstoppable momentum.

Despite their valiant resistance, the Iwagakure ninjas were outnumbered and outmaneuvered, and their defeat was inevitable.

Onoki slowly scanned the chaotic battlefield with his gaze, his feelings extremely complicated.

Everywhere you look, there are defeated Iwa ninja.

Under his orders, most of the Iwa ninja were retreating in an orderly manner, but the unit he led resolutely stayed behind to provide cover.

They lost... Jigen was defeated, and so was Iwagakure.

Although he could find many excuses to absolve himself, looking at the equally solemn Second Tsuchikage Mu not far away, Onoki knew very well that Iwagakure had no excuses left at this moment.

"Aren't you leaving?" Wu looked at Onoki, who was still holding firm and had not retreated, his tone filled with a mixture of complexity and confusion.

Beside Onoki, Hirotsuchi, who had just emerged from the fierce battle, looked at him with concern and unease in his eyes.

Onoki seemed oblivious to Huang Tu's gaze. He slowly closed his eyes and whispered in a dreamlike voice, "Where can I retreat to? Iwagakure... has already lost."

The defenses within the capital of the Land of Earth were utterly incapable of stopping the fierce offensive of the Hidden Mist Village; the guerrilla warfare was also of little effect.

Faced with the capital city that had already been cleared out, Wu Yinruo was so ruthless that she could even resort to the extreme measure of violent flooding... In this battle to defend the capital, they had been utterly defeated.

Seeing that Onoki seemed to have lost his fighting spirit, Huang Tu felt anxious, gritted his teeth, and said urgently, "Father, we Iwagakure still have the strength to fight!"

"As long as the border guards arrive in time, and with the support of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire, we will surely be able to continue fighting and reclaim our lost territory..."

"Yes, there is still hope."

Onoki opened his eyes, turned to the yellow earth, and his eyes revealed a mixture of complexity and relief. He gave a faint smile, "But that hope no longer belongs to me."

"From now on, Iwagakure is in your hands."

While Kirigakure's tactics were undoubtedly brilliant, without their decisive and steady approach, targeting the capital, they would not have been able to establish a foothold in the Land of Earth.

At most, they can only occupy the northeastern part of the Land of Earth and the coastal areas, using the canal as a boundary.

But the future of Iwagakure has quietly fallen on Huangtu's shoulders.

To continue expanding their gains would be easier said than done. Not only would Iwagakure be unwilling but powerless to reverse the situation, other countries would certainly not sit idly by and allow Kirigakure to grow unchecked, and would definitely try to check and balance them.

Furthermore, if other countries could quickly develop strategies to counter the ingenious tactics of Kirigakure, Iwagakure might not be without the possibility of regaining everything it has lost.

However, all of this has no connection with Onoki anymore.

Upon hearing this, Huang Tu was stunned for a moment. Before he could react, several figures rushed towards them against the tide of the fleeing crowd.

The leader, wearing a conspicuous Konoha headband, strode up to Onoki and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Tsuchikage, we're late."

Onoki waved his hand gently, looked at the Kirigakure ninja who were gradually approaching and surrounding them, and said calmly, "Now that things have come to this, let's not talk about these useless pleasantries."

Take the loess with you; make sure his safety is guaranteed.

"What?" Huang Tu was shocked upon hearing this, his face filled with disbelief and reluctance.

"Someone always has to stay behind to cover the retreat."

Onoki's expression was calm as still water, but his tone was extremely firm: "Since Master Mu is already here, then the one who covers the rear must be me."

Having said that, he looked at the Konoha support team again and said in a more emphasizing tone, "Take Huang Tu with you! That's an order, and you must obey!"

Huang Tu stared blankly at Onoki, then exchanged a glance with the Konoha ninja, and finally nodded with difficulty.

He knew very well that he had to obey his father's arrangements at this moment, and that he had to live for the future of Iwagakure.

So, filled with reluctance and worry, he retreated with the Konoha ninjas.

The clones protecting Onoki frowned upon seeing this.

Just as they were about to say something, they heard Onoki say in a low voice, "You should leave too. While I and the Iwa ninja can still hold them off for a while, I hope that in the future, the clones and the Land of Earth can continue to fight side by side and face the storms of the future together."

Upon hearing this, the clones remained silent for a moment before turning and leaving.

They knew that leaving now was for a better reunion and standing side by side in the future.

At this moment, the Hidden Mist ninjas had finished dealing with the other Iwa ninjas covering the rear and quickly gathered in front of Onoki.

Yagura slowly walked out, his gaze fixed on Onoki.

“I want to talk to Hiruko,” Onoki said, looking at Yagura with a calm but firm tone.

……

At the same time, news of the defeat at the front lines in the Daimyo's residence in the Land of Earth came like a bolt from the blue.

The daimyo, who had become the Land of Earth's ATM and indulged in wine and women all day long, had an unusually complicated expression upon hearing this news.

The news of the defeat struck him like a heavy hammer blow, slamming into his already numb heart.

The maid carefully poured him wine, but he seemed oblivious, his eyes vacant and lifeless, as if his soul had drifted to a distant place.

Has this moment finally come? He sighed inwardly.

In order to save his life, he was willing to become Onoki's ATM, hoping that Onoki would spare his life and give both parties a dignified handover.

However, as the iron hooves of Kirigakure trampled into the capital, the fragile pact between him and Onoki became utterly useless.

What happened to the daimyo who were previously driven into the capital? The daimyo of the Land of Fire died on the spot, while the daimyo of the Land of Wind made a concoction and then poisoned himself.

Now, was it his turn? His heart was filled with fear and despair.

Watching the beautiful and captivating song and dance performance before him, the Daimyo of the Land of Earth suddenly felt that the wine he was drinking had become incredibly bitter and difficult to swallow.

His wine glass trembled slightly, and his eyes flickered with confusion and helplessness.

Just then, an elderly nobleman ignored the extravagant scene inside the hall and walked in without any hesitation.

He strode up to the daimyo and said urgently, "Daimyo, Kirigakure has already invaded the East Street, and the situation is extremely critical. Please evacuate as soon as possible!"

Daimyo, however, seemed not to hear him and continued to speak drunkenly: "Of the five great nations, apart from the Wind Nation, which is already destroyed, our Earth Nation has the weakest foundation, so naturally we are destined to perish."

Escape? But where can we escape to?

His voice was filled with helplessness and despair, as if he had lost all hope for the future.

The nobleman saw that the daimyo had seen through his intentions but remained unmoved, even turning his smile cold. He felt a chill in his heart, but maintained a respectful expression and continued to persuade him: "My lord, times have changed. The situation is now critical and very different from that of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind."

The Water Kingdom is coming with overwhelming force and employing unpredictable tactics. If we don't make plans soon, we risk losing our country and our homes.

"As the daimyo of the Land of Earth, if you can single-handedly protect your people from the ravages of war, your merit will surely be remembered by posterity."

Upon hearing this, the lord sneered, his gaze fixed intently on the nobleman, his tone laced with mockery and disdain: "To be remembered by posterity?"

"Hmph, I fear that future generations will remember me as a coward who fears death and betrays his country for personal gain! The daimyo of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, even when faced with dire straits, never chose to surrender; they died with honor."

"And if I, as you say, were to surrender to an enemy country as a daimyo, wouldn't I become a sinner for all time in the Land of Earth?"

Seeing the lord's resolute attitude, the nobleman was secretly anxious, but dared not force him. He could only change to a more earnest tone and say, "Sir, you have misunderstood."

We do not want you to bear the infamy of selling out your country for personal gain, but rather we hope that you can act wisely and find a way for the nation to survive.

Surrender is not a disgrace, but a temporary measure.

When the time is right, we can unite the Land of Fire, the Land of Lightning, and even the Otsutsuki clan to reclaim our land and dignity.

Upon hearing this, Da Ming's lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes filled with mockery: "A stopgap measure?"

Hmph, you guys have quite the cunning plan!

Unfortunately, although I lack the ability to lead an army, I do know the principle that a loyal minister does not serve two masters and a virtuous woman does not marry two husbands.

"Though the Land of Earth is weak, as a daimyo, I cannot lose my integrity or my face!"

At this point, the daimyo paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall, his tone becoming unusually serious: "You are all nobles of the Land of Earth, enjoying the country's stipends and the people's offerings."

Now that the country is in trouble, instead of thinking about serving the country, you are trying to find a way out for yourselves, and even trying to drag me down with you!

Have you ever thought about what the Iwagakure ninjas who are still fighting on the front lines would think if I really surrendered to the Land of Water?