Ōnoki had long known that the great war for the unification of the ninja world was inevitable. The only uncertainty was whether it would be initiated by Madara Uchiha or Aoba Kamikawa.
Ōnoki adhered to Iwagakure's traditional foreign policy, the strategy of being the ninja world's ultimate disruptor. However, with Konoha rising under Aoba and Kirigakure rising under Uchiha Madara, he had to adjust his approach.
In simple terms, he tried to play both sides. On one hand, he expressed willingness to submit to Madara.
On the other, he secretly maintained ties with Konoha, trading vast resources to reclaim Deidara while covertly training a new ninja force, biding his time, waiting for an opportunity to turn the tables.
But before he could act, war erupted suddenly.
What infuriated Ōnoki the most was that he didn't even get to see Aoba in battle.
That's right, among the Konoha forces attacking Iwagakure, Aoba was not present. Instead, the leader of the attack was Tsunade, personally leading the troops. Accompanying her were almost exclusively the new generation of Konoha shinobi, including many of Aoba's personally trained disciples.
The forces also included the Sunagakure division led by Gaara.
Iwagakure was not weak. In the original timeline, it may not have had a strong presence, but that was because Ōnoki knew he had no worthy successor and thus avoided provoking war.
In reality, Iwagakure's overall strength was not inferior to Kumogakure's. In terms of training their rank-and-file troops, they had once been at the forefront among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
What pained Ōnoki was that no one in Iwagakure had inherited his Dust Release or emerged as an extraordinary talent capable of leading the village.
As a result, in his later years, Ōnoki adopted an increasingly conservative stance, which in turn caused Iwagakure to fade into the background.
However, with Deidara's return, he had seen a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately, before Deidara's training could be completed, war broke out.
Tsunade personally led the troops and formally issued a declaration of war.
Since Konoha had taken the lead, the daimyo of the ninja world were now practically powerless, reduced to mere figureheads. The shinobi villages had become the true ruling entities of their respective countries.
At this point, Tsunade was no different from a daimyo in terms of authority.
In truth, the most recognized figure in the ninja world was still Kamikawa Aoba. Tsunade, as the Hokage, had largely become a symbolic leader in the eyes of outsiders.
However, within Konoha's upper echelons, most knew the depth of Tsunade's relationship with Aoba. No one within the village underestimated her authority as the true Hokage.
Tsunade leading this war personally served two purposes: To dispel external rumors that Aoba was usurping power and to prove her own strength through battle.
The legendary Sannin: Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade had all been undeniable geniuses.
Among them, Orochimaru had ventured the farthest, albeit through unorthodox means. His pursuit of immortality had pushed him to the very limits of what a shinobi without a special bloodline could achieve.
Jiraiya had started as an underdog but was born with the potential to master Sage Mode. His proficiency in senjutsu earned him the title of Toad Sage, though he spent much of his later years consumed by prophecy, hindering his growth.
Tsunade, too, had her shortcomings. Her emotional vulnerability prevented her from facing the deaths of her loved ones, causing her to waste decades in stagnation.
However, with Aoba's arrival, she had finally emerged from her shadows. As she became more involved in Aoba's plans, she realized how weak she truly was and began diligently training once more.
Her recent progress was not solely her own doing. Konoha's research into the deeper layers of chakra, combined with Aoba's extensive knowledge of training methods, had all contributed to her growth.
By absorbing vast amounts of training experience, she had finally carved out her own path. And today, she would test her newfound strength.
She would personally challenge Ōnoki to prove that she was worthy of the title of Hokage.
Ōnoki had gained fame early in life. Even in the era of Uchiha Madara, he had already made a name for himself. The fact that Madara remembered him was proof of his exceptional talent and strength.
After Madara's era, there was even a brief period when Ōnoki had led an era of his own.
But unfortunately for him, Konoha had too many geniuses. After Hashirama's death, Tobirama, another monstrous powerhouse, took over.
Even after Tobirama, Hiruzen Sarutobi became the Hokage, mastering all five chakra natures and standing as the pinnacle of conventional shinobi. With his unique summoning partner, Enma, he was firmly among the top three in the ninja world.
But even then, Ōnoki did not fear Hiruzen.
The real problem was that beneath Hiruzen, Konoha had the legendary Sannin, the White Fang, the Yellow Flash…
Other villages struggled to produce a genius once in a generation, while Konoha produced them in clusters. This completely overshadowed Ōnoki's own brilliance.
Ōnoki had outlived Tobirama, Hiruzen, the White Fang, and the Yellow Flash. He had survived as the great powers of Konoha collapsed one after another, only for a new monster to emerge: Aoba Kamikawa.
No one truly understood how suffocated Ōnoki had felt all these years.
He had endured everything, waiting for Iwagakure's chance to rise.
But Aoba's existence had completely crushed any hope of Iwagakure's resurgence.
At first, when Madara returned, Ōnoki saw a sliver of hope. He thought that by playing both sides, he could lead them into mutual destruction, leaving Iwagakure to reap the benefits.
But before Aoba and Madara could clash, Konoha's army had arrived at his doorstep.
The moment he saw the Konoha forces, Ōnoki knew, it was over.
He understood Aoba's personality. Since Aoba had made a move, it meant he had absolute confidence in victory.
Ōnoki's side had virtually no chance of winning.
Yet, he still chose to fight.
Not for Iwagakure.
Not for victory.
But for himself.
For all the years of patience he had endured.
For the battle he had always known was destined to come.
He was going to die.
But before his death, he would defeat the current Hokage and leave his name in the annals of the ninja world.
If you would like to read more...
The novel has be completed (Chp. 362) on the patreon -> SaintXI