Chapter 276: Betrayal
In the end, Konoha and Iwagakure successfully formed an alliance.
As Tonari returned to the Konoha camp on the border of Takigakure, carrying the signed treaty scroll, he was met with thunderous cheers from the Konoha shinobi.
However, in reality, this paper contract held little true binding power.
Just as Kumogakure had previously torn up its alliance with Konoha, either side could break the agreement at any time should they wish.
That said, given the current state of the war, it was unlikely either village would restart hostilities anytime soon. Iwagakure had suffered severe losses from their war with the Third Raikage, and Konoha was in no position to betray the treaty either.
However, no one was happier about the peace than the people of Takigakure.
For years, their land had been the battleground between Iwagakure and Konoha, despite their allegiance to Iwagakure.
But, of course, Iwa never truly cared about them.
The smaller nations had always been pawns for the larger shinobi villages.
As long as the war did not reach the Land of Earth itself, Takigakure was the perfect place for battle.
It wasn't as if Iwagakure could use its own homeland for war, after all.
They had also attempted to push the conflict into the Land of Grass, but after Minato Namikaze had obliterated an entire Iwagakure force using the Flying Thunder God Technique, Iwa had given up on that idea.
Takigakure, however, had no choice but to endure.
With Konoha and Iwagakure finally agreeing to peace, rumor had it that the leader of Takigakure locked himself in his room and cried for an entire day.
It was far too difficult for small nations to survive these wars.
Not every minor nation had a powerful guardian like Hanzo of the Salamander in Amegakure, someone strong enough to tip the scales of war.
Even though the war in Takigakure had officially ended, Konoha couldn't afford to bring back all of its troops.
At least 1,000 shinobi had to be left behind in case Iwagakure pulled a surprise attack.
However, with thousands of Konoha ninjas now able to return home, the pressure on Konoha's forces significantly decreased.
For Konoha, getting their troops back home was more valuable than any military victory.
With their shinobi numbers replenished, they could rotate their forces more effectively, and once the Third Shinobi War officially ended, everyone would finally be able to return home.
Though many had died fighting Iwagakure, this victory felt different.
Because this time, they weren't forced into a treaty.
They had fought Iwa into submission.
Tonari had overpowered the Third Tsuchikage, and Konoha had negotiated from a position of strength.
This shift in morale was crucial.
Instead of being humiliated into signing peace, they had forced Iwa to yield.
The once demoralized Konoha troops now walked with pride.
With the logistics of troop withdrawal left in the capable hands of Nara Shikashin, Tonari became a hands-off commander.
It seemed being Hokage wasn't so difficult after all.
As long as he had power, charisma, and the right people to handle the details, he could focus on protecting the village from the top.
Turning to his two students, Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha, Tonari could see that both looked pale.
They had witnessed the horrors of war firsthand.
While Shisui was older and could manage his emotions, Itachi was still only three or four years old.
Yet Tonari had never treated them as mere children.
He saw them as shinobi who would eventually shape the future.
"Sensei... is war always this cruel?" Itachi finally asked, his voice uncharacteristically hesitant.
Shisui remained silent, waiting for Tonari's answer.
Tonari nodded seriously.
"Yes. War is always cruel. No matter the era, no matter the scale, it is always filled with suffering and loss."
His expression grew even more solemn.
"That's why, if we have the power to prevent war, we must do everything in our power to do so."
Fixing his gaze on them, his tone became serious.
"Shisui, Itachi… You two are not ordinary people. You both have talent and potential beyond most shinobi."
"But don't waste your potential focusing only on strength."
"Don't limit your ambitions to just the Uchiha clan."
"You must think beyond your family. Beyond the village."
"You must learn to see the world from a higher perspective."
"If we truly wish to end war, we must be willing to sacrifice, to fight, and even to kill if necessary."
"Because peace is not something that happens on its own. It must be built."
Tonari's words were planting a seed in both of their minds.
He was carefully shaping their beliefs.
He would not allow Itachi to become obsessed with protecting only Sasuke.
Instead, he wanted them to see the bigger picture—to help create a world of true peace.
Hearing this, Shisui and Itachi's eyes burned with conviction.
"Sensei... is your dream to bring peace to the world?" Shisui asked, his voice filled with admiration.
Tonari nodded.
"Yes. That is my dream."
He then extended a hand toward them.
"Will you help me?"
Shisui immediately nodded.
"I will!"
Itachi, despite his young age, answered firmly.
"Me too!"
Tonari grinned.
"Good. I believe in you both."
Just as Tonari was about to continue, his expression suddenly changed.
He waved a hand at his students.
"Go prepare for the journey home with the rest of the army."
They obediently left, still glowing with purpose and admiration.
Once they were gone, Tonari bit his thumb and performed a summoning jutsu.
A small, white-furred cat appeared, carrying a scroll in its mouth.
Dropping it at Tonari's feet, the cat then vanished without a word.
Tonari unfurled the scroll, scanning its contents.
His expression froze.
Then, his lips curled into a chilling smile.
But it was not a smile of amusement.
It was a smile of cold, simmering rage.
"Hanzo of the Salamander…"
"So you really think of yourself as a god just because others call you 'Demi-God'?"
At that moment, a shadowed figure appeared outside the tent.
"Come in."
A masked Root operative clad in black robes stepped forward, handing him another scroll.
Tonari read it.
It contained the exact same information.
However, this time, it came from Root's intelligence network.
Though Tonari's summoning cats were faster, the fact that Root's intelligence system still obtained the same information through normal means showed just how effective it was.
Hanzo had betrayed Konoha.
Instead of fighting against Sunagakure, he had joined forces with them to ambush Konoha's troops.
Konoha's forces were collapsing.
If they didn't reinforce them soon, Sunagakure and Amegakure would break through into the Land of Fire.
Tonari's anger reached its peak.
Hanzo's betrayal reminded him of how Iwagakure had stabbed the Third Raikage in the back.
But unlike Kumogakure, who had hesitated to retaliate, Tonari had no such restraints.
He would burn Amegakure to the ground.
"Gather every Root operative in Takigakure. We're moving out."
"Yes, sir!"
Leaving Nara Shikashin in charge of the returning troops, Tonari set out for Amegakure—his rage burning hotter than ever.
Hanzo had made a fatal mistake.
Because now, the Fourth Hokage was coming for him.
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