Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!
Chapter 498: The Great Battle Begins Part 1

Chapter 498 - 498: The Great Battle Begins Part 1

"Father, what happened?"

As soon as Kitsuchi saw Ōnoki return, he rushed to meet him.

His eyes instinctively searched behind his father, but Rōshi was nowhere to be seen.

Then, he looked at Ōnoki's face—

That grim, heavy expression gave him the answer before the words were spoken.

"Rōshi... has been killed."

Regret filled Ōnoki's heart.

He should never have made that letter public.

But there was no undoing the past—all he could do now was accept the consequences.

"What?"

"Rōshi is dead?"

Kitsuchi froze, his mind going blank.

He couldn't begin to fathom the disaster that awaited Iwagakure now that Rōshi was gone.

"This was Konoha's plan all along."

"When we arrived, Lord Rōshi was already dead—decapitated on the spot."

"Fugaku Uchiha led the attack himself."

The Iwa-nin behind Ōnoki clenched his fists, his voice seething with rage.

But right now, anger was the least useful emotion.

"What do we do now?"

"With Rōshi gone, Konoha is bound to launch an all-out assault."

"In our current state, can we even hold them back?"

The weight of the news crushed the spirits of the Iwa-nin.

Many wore expressions of despair, as if they had already lost before the battle had even begun.

"What do you suggest, then?" Ōnoki's voice was sharp, laced with frustration.

"Surrender to Konoha?"

He had already been suppressing his own turmoil, but hearing someone utter such defeatist words pushed him over the edge.

The room fell into dead silence.

No one dared to provoke his wrath further.

Even Kitsuchi, still reeling from Rōshi's death, said nothing.

"All forces, prepare for battle."

"You—come inside. We need to discuss our next move."

Ōnoki's gaze swept across the gathered Iwa-nin before he turned and stepped into the command tent.

"This is the worst possible outcome..." an Iwa-nin sighed, stepping up beside Kitsuchi.

Just days ago, he had been one of the loudest voices calling for war with Konoha.

Now, his tone carried nothing but grief.

Rōshi's death hit him hard, and he could only imagine the devastation Kitsuchi must be feeling.

"What's done is done. We can only move forward."

"Come on, let's go inside."

Kitsuchi nodded, though his entire demeanor seemed deflated.

He looked like a withered plant—drained of all strength and energy.

"Hm."

With a quiet response, he followed the others into the tent.

Once all the high-ranking officers had gathered, Ōnoki had already set aside his grief.

He understood one thing—he was the leader of Iwagakure.

If he faltered now, the entire village would fall apart.

"You all know the situation. Rōshi was killed by Fugaku Uchiha in the Land of Waterfalls."

"Konoha's ambitions are clear as day. They won't stop at Iwagakure—they will come for all of the Land of Earth."

"There is no avoiding this war. From this moment on, we prepare for battle."

"I will stand with you. And even if it costs me my life, I will fight Konoha to the bitter end."

Ōnoki's voice was firm.

The last traces of hesitation were gone. This was not the time for doubt or regret. It was time to fight.

"For the village, we will give our lives!"

The Iwa-nin roared in response, their voices shaking the very walls of the tent.

Ōnoki's resolve had spread to them, and in this moment, their hearts were united as one.

"Iwagakure is fortunate to have you all."

Ōnoki had rallied them, but now, he too was caught in the wave of emotion.

The fire in his heart, long buried, reignited once more.

His eyes burned with intensity, and if one looked closely, they would see the glisten of unshed tears.

"So what if we die?"

"At the very least, we'll make Konoha pay the price!"

"Damn it all, it's just Konoha! Nothing special!"

"They've got one mouth and two eyes just like us!"

"What, do Konoha shinobi have extra heads or something?"

The tent erupted with battle cries, each voice louder than the last.

The morale of the Iwa-nin soared, like warriors ready to charge into the flames of war.

"Good. Very good."

"This is the spirit we need."

"Let Konoha know—Iwagakure will not be trampled so easily."

Ōnoki's voice was thick with emotion. A single tear, unnoticed, slipped down his weathered cheek.

"Father, this battle won't be easy. We need a solid strategy."

Kitsuchi's words weren't meant to dampen the mood, but he refused to let blind passion cloud their judgment.

They were already at a disadvantage. If they charged in recklessly, Iwagakure might not survive the first battle.

"Well, it's time to plan our strategy."

Ōnoki nodded, his gaze falling on the map of the Land of Earth hanging on the wall.

"The commander Konoha has sent this time is Fugaku Uchiha."

"His uncle was the previous Uchiha Clan Head."

"The last recorded battle he fought ended in mutual defeat against Lord Rōshi."

"But considering he managed to kill Lord Rōshi this time, his strength has clearly improved significantly."

"Other than Lord Tsuchikage, there may be no one capable of stopping him. He's an extremely dangerous opponent."

"He also has a deputy."

"A well-known taijutsu fanatic from the Second Shinobi World War—Might Duy."

"He once fought Lord Han and proved to be a formidable adversary."

"Konoha's main force consists of the Uchiha Clan."

"Their Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan, is one of the Three Great Dōjutsu of the ninja world."

"They specialize in Fire Release, genjutsu, and taijutsu, making them far more troublesome than the average ninja."

With each statement from the intelligence officer, the furrows in everyone's brows deepened.

The fire in their blood, just starting to ignite, was quickly doused by a bucket of cold water.

Konoha's strength was truly terrifying—the idea of an entire village going up against a single clan seemed almost unbelievable.

"Uchiha Fugaku is indeed strong," someone acknowledged.

"I'll take care of him."

"Might Duy... he's one of Konoha's veteran warriors."

"When he activates his secret technique, his taijutsu becomes especially terrifying."

"Who among you is willing to take him on?"

Ōnoki had seen Fugaku's Susanoo firsthand and knew that, aside from himself, no one in Iwagakure could stand against it.

As for Duy, he wasn't confident he could take on both opponents at once.

If something happened to him, Iwagakure would be left at Konoha's mercy.

"Father, I'll do it."

Kitsuchi stepped forward without hesitation. With the losses of Han and Rōshi, he was now undoubtedly Iwagakure's second-strongest fighter.

In the original Fourth Shinobi World War, his combat record had been remarkable.

He had sent the Tailed Beast-transformed Kinkaku flying with a single punch and used the Earth Release: Mountain Jutsu to suppress both the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and the Ten-Tails.

He might not have reached that level yet, but he was certainly qualified to face Duy.

"Be careful."

Ōnoki's gaze softened with a hint of guilt.

Countless words swirled in his mind, but in the end, he could only bring himself to say these three.

If he hadn't held onto false hope—if Rōshi were still alive—his son wouldn't have to face such a dangerous opponent alone.

"Yes, I will."

Kitsuchi nodded, but deep down, he was far from calm.

How could he not feel pressure?

Anyone who made a name for themselves in the Second Shinobi World War was not an easy opponent.

But right now, Iwagakure had no other choice.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.