Naruto: Did i Just Get Reincarnated as Gojo?

Kusagakure's Western Surveillance Zone.

"Charge!!!"

"Damn it, how dare you, Iwagakure?!"

"Earth Release: Rock Dwelling Collapse!"

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

Compared to Konoha's preference for rapid assaults using Fire Release ninjutsu, Iwagakure's combat style is undoubtedly much more bloody and brutal.

Even when they could easily eliminate their opponents, the Iwagakure ninjas preferred to lure enemies into pre-set traps, then alter the geological structure to bury them alive.

Letting the enemy die slowly in the despair of suffocation.

Despite his age, Ōnoki is a diligent Tsuchikage who likes to handle matters personally. Braving the risk of the village's homeland possibly being attacked and the potential backlash of public opinion after the war, he still chose to come to the front lines himself.

Although he didn't take the initiative to fight along the way, he still stepped in to assist when his ninjas faced danger.

He purely treated the Kusagakure ninjas as experience fodder for training.

Allowing the new generation of Iwagakure ninjas to gain more combat experience on the battlefield.

Ōnoki is not oblivious to what's happening in the world, but compared to the series of new policies recently issued by the Raikage and the Hokage, he still trusts his own tried-and-true methods.

All those flashy strategies are not as effective as Iwagakure's training methods.

"Hmph! That Minato Namikaze even proposed to me, saying 'First come, first served' in Kusagakure, and that whoever strikes first gets the primary right to distribute the spoils."

"There's no need to play these convoluted tricks with that youngster. What we grab is ours. Does he want to ride on Iwagakure's head and be the alliance leader?"

Ōnoki straightened his old back, snorting disdainfully.

Responding to all changes with constancy—that's his Ninja Way!

Of course, there was something Ōnoki held back and didn't say: "Do you think Konoha is still the same with Madara Uchiha around?"

If Madara Uchiha still existed, perhaps he would really choose to endure and respect Konoha as the leader of the alliance.

But now... Konoha and Iwagakure are just between Madara and Hashirama!

"Advance! Advance! Advance!"

Kitsuchi led at the forefront, appearing like a heavy wall of despair to the weak Kusagakure. It might take twelve golden Kusagakure ninjas wielding the power of the Zodiac to break through him.

Iwagakure's modernized troops advanced methodically.

"It's been so long, and Kusagakure's western side hasn't received reinforcements. It seems Konoha's ninjas have succeeded."

"We need to speed up too. Don't let the real treasures fall into Konoha's hands."

"Yes, Father!"

Upon hearing this, Kitsuchi immediately ordered, "Stop conserving chakra! Finish them in one push!"

Ōnoki chose to act later and seize control.

He clearly knew that with Kusagakure's small fry, they couldn't possibly stop Konoha's Blitz unit.

But any bit of attrition is something.

Assault operations consume a lot of energy! Even killing a hundred pigs would tire a person out, let alone ninjas who can throw shuriken, wield kunai, use explosive tags, and occasionally unleash one or two C-level ninjutsu.

Ōnoki's gaze was deep...

Judging from Konoha's assault performance, they probably didn't know that Kumogakure had dispatched the Two-Tails Jinchūriki to Kusagakure.

In terms of intelligence work, Konoha still lacks the experience of Iwagakure, which has been battling Kumogakure for decades.

Ōnoki could already envision the scene: exhausted Konoha ninjas finally breaking into Kusagakure's interior, only to be greeted by a fully-powered Two-Tails Matatabi.

Will they win?

Even if they do, would Konoha's Blitz unit still have the strength to fight?

He, Ōnoki, chose to personally lead the army precisely for this opportunity!

The Ōnoki who designed the battle where "20,000 Iwagakure ninjas exhausted the Third Raikage to death" is undoubtedly a cunning ninja.

His appetite isn't just for half of Kusagakure or the Two-Tails Jinchūriki... He also wants to consume Konoha's elite forces!

What he wants is to boil the frog slowly, continuously depleting Konoha's vital forces!

As for whether this would break the "Konoha-Iwagakure Non-Aggression Pact" and destroy the hard-won fragile peace between the two villages?

First, if they kill everyone, no one would know what Iwagakure did. Even if they find out, Konoha would probably swallow their anger to minimize losses, refusing to speak up for the dead.

Even if the fragile peace is broken, so what? It would just revert to the original state between the two villages.

Iwagakure, has never feared war!

'Except for Madara Uchiha...'

"Let me see if Konoha, who first took Kusagakure, still has the strength to fight."

"Tsuchikage-sama, ahead is Kusagakure Village."

After eliminating the last Kusagakure ninja who resisted stubbornly, Iwagakure's Blitz unit finally advanced to the gates of Kusagakure.

Ōnoki flipped off the basket on Kitsuchi's back, clapped his hands, and blew his nose.

That lingering smell of explosive tag smoke was still caught by Ōnoki even from a distance.

Not just the smell of explosive tags, but also the dry scent after Fire Release burning... and the chakra that permeated the air after a battle between strong opponents.

The corners of Ōnoki's old mouth lifted slightly: "It seems... Konoha had a fierce battle with Kusagakure~ They must have had a hard time."

"Heh heh~ Tsuchikage-sama, should we go in now?"

"Of course. There's no more sounds of battle in Kusagakure Village, so the Konoha ninjas must be tired now. It's the perfect time to enter!"

"Pass on my order: Iwagakure ninjas, enter the village!"

Hearing this, Akatsuchi at the forefront lowered his center of gravity. Like a massive armored tank, he stomped forward toward the gates.

The walls of Kusagakure Village crumbled like paper.

The two forces conducting special military operations against Kusagakure had thus converged!

Upon entering the village, Ōnoki's crafty eyes began scanning around, searching for Konoha's leader and the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.

His gaze fixed on Fugaku Uchiha in the distance and the unconscious blonde woman lying on the ground. From the woman, Ōnoki sensed the chakra of a Tailed Beast.

"This is remarkable~ The Uchiha clan emblem? He seems to be... the Uchiha clan head, Fugaku Uchiha. I didn't expect him to lead Konoha's Blitz squad; I thought it would be Orochimaru."

"It seems that in the decades since Madara Uchiha's death, the Uchiha clan has produced many talents. Even the clan head can defeat a Jinchūriki."

Ōnoki smirked maliciously. He originally needed to weigh the pros and cons of attacking Konoha's ninjas.

But after seeing Fugaku Uchiha's performance, the nightmare in Ōnoki's heart was awakened. He once again recalled the fear of being dominated by Madara Uchiha.

An outstanding Uchiha ninja like Fugaku... cannot be allowed to live!

He must seize this opportunity to eliminate him.

With the mindset of stabbing his ally in the back, Ōnoki put his hands behind his back, leading Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi toward Fugaku Uchiha.

"Yo, Konoha ninja."

"You are..."

Fugaku Uchiha looked somewhat weak. He pulled himself together and looked at the old man before him: "Third Tsuchikage... Lord Ōnoki."

"I didn't expect you to personally lead Iwagakure's Blitz unit."

"Obviously, I came personally to ensure the smooth execution of the special military operation against Kusagakure."

"How is the battle situation, young man from the Uchiha clan?"

"Kumogakure's military base has been completely destroyed. We've nearly annihilated the Kumogakure garrison and captured their commander, Kōsuke Eguchi, alive. Kusagakure had twelve elders; among them, seven were pro-Kumogakure and opposed Konoha. I've killed them all."

Fugaku Uchiha looked around, sighing almost imperceptibly.

Despite trying his best to restrain his power, the damage to Kusagakure's infrastructure was still somewhat excessive.

These... will all be Konoha's assets in the future!

The internal politics of the Land of Grass are corrupt, and the factions within Kusagakure are intricate and complicated. Ninjas aligned with different major villages even see each other as enemies.

Those who survived have shown friendly attitudes toward Konoha. They're even willing to offer everything in the village that Konoha desires to thank Fugaku Uchiha for cleansing the "impurities" from the village.

Ninjas, ninja tools, cash... even parts of the village's land and taxation rights.

They fell from being Kumogakure's "parent" to Konoha's "dog," but for the Kusagakure ninjas who achieved factional victory, this was no big deal!

Factional victory is the real victory! The village's victory is the victory of other factions!

If they weren't worried about turning against Kumogakure too much and possibly incurring their resentment in the future—risking being destroyed by Kumogakure when Konoha loses power—Kusagakure would have considered inviting Konoha to station troops for protection.

You know, Kumogakure was really good to them! They almost recognized Kumogakure as their parent.

If we consider the various ninja villages as part of a complex family tree, Konoha and Kumogakure were originally peers, while Kusagakure was a generation younger—a "son."

But Kumogakure, for strategic reasons, chose to "reverse the order," recognizing Kusagakure as a parent.

Originally, the "loving father and filial son" relationship was instantly broken by Konoha's intervention. Kusagakure kicked away their adopted child and turned to recognize Konoha as parent.

So what impression does this leave in the ninja world? Kumogakure became Konoha's grandchild?

Unable to retaliate against the powerful Konoha, it's uncertain what attitude Kumogakure will have toward Kusagakure in the future. They might seek revenge against Kusagakure to regain face.

Kusagakure's ninjas aren't skilled in ninjutsu, but they're highly adept at seeking external protection. During the Third Ninja War, they surrendered to Iwagakure; after the war, they allied with Kumogakure; now they've turned to Konoha.

In Fugaku Uchiha's view, this result is very suitable for Konoha's interests. With Kusagakure's high-level statements, as long as they offer Iwagakure some benefits, Konoha's special military action can be considered a complete success.

It also avoids the possibility of Konoha being retaliated against by Kusagakure later.

Within the Land of Grass, Kusagakure isn't the only ninja force; there's also "Hōzuki Castle."

Perhaps eliminating Kusagakure's pro-Kumogakure faction wouldn't prompt them to act, but if the entire Kusagakure Village were destroyed, Hōzuki Castle, under public pressure, would certainly seek to regain face from Konoha.

Although even together they wouldn't be a match for Konoha, it's like dealing with fleas or cockroaches—the fewer troubles, the better.

'However, this brings up a problem... The Iwagakure guys probably won't honestly abide by the alliance treaty.'

Fugaku Uchiha remained vigilant.

Carrying out the order from Advisor Gojo to "shock the ninja world," his mind was constantly working at high speed.

"Oh~ I see. Then you have indeed achieved outstanding results."

Ōnoki smiled insincerely as he looked at the unconscious blonde woman lying on the ground: "Leaving other captives aside for now. This woman on the ground is the Two-Tails Jinchūriki from Kumogakure, right? I didn't expect that you, Fugaku-dono, could defeat her."

Iwagakure's map is small; Ōnoki finally revealed his dagger: "In that case, how about handing her over to us in Iwagakure?"

"It's not that we're unkind; Fugaku-dono also knows the temperament of those brutes from Kumogakure. Knowing that their Jinchūriki has fallen into another village's hands, they will definitely not let it go."

"Konoha doesn't want to suffer Kumogakure's revenge, right? But we Iwagakure have the Will and Experienced in dealing with those brutes from Kumogakure."

"I can help Konoha resolve the crisis of Kumogakure's retaliation."

Old bastard!

Fugaku Uchiha narrowed his eyes. He wants to take the Jinchūriki from Konoha without offering anything?

Compared to the value of a Tailed Beast Jinchūriki, what's the revenge from Kumogakure?

Fugaku Uchiha possesses the Mangekyō Sharingan!

Recently, he also learned from clan scrolls the "Ninja Art: Tailed Beast Control" and "Genjutsu Specialized Against Jinchūriki." Although he might not be highly skilled in using them and they might not work on Tailed Beasts of Eight-Tails and above, controlling the Two-Tails is more than sufficient.

No matter how fierce Kumogakure's revenge is, can it compare to a tactical nuke that could explode in the village at any time?

Fugaku Uchiha exhaled slowly and said, "We Konoha have the ability to bear this risk, so we won't trouble you, Lord Third Tsuchikage."

"Heh heh, young man from the Uchiha clan... You're quite bold. But what if I say that we Iwagakure are determined to take the Two-Tails Jinchūriki?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere seemed to freeze.

The Iwagakure ninjas behind Ōnoki gradually surrounded them, and the Konoha Blitz unit ninjas who were clearing the battlefield noticed this, their faces changing dramatically. They pulled out their kunai and gathered behind Fugaku Uchiha.

"I told you these Iwa bumpkins can't be trusted!"

Someone among the Konoha ninjas cursed under their breath, instantly igniting the powder keg between the ninjas of the two villages. They glared at each other, ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

The "Konoha-Iwagakure Non-Aggression Pact" is revered when convenient, but when not... it's not even as good as the "Truth Newspaper" used by Kumogakure's Anbu as toilet paper!

The ninja world doesn't believe in tears, nor in peace treaties.

There's no mechanism in the ninja world where you can raise a finger to the Sage of Six Paths and swear, with your ninja way collapsing if you break the oath! The binding force of a treaty is limited to the self-awareness of village leaders.

<><><>

Among the ruins of Kusagakure Village after the war, a middle-aged painter named Kishimoto poked his head out from a house. Seeing the two tense groups not far ahead, he eagerly took out his drawing board.

With a few strokes, he captured the tense scene before him on paper. Kishimoto turned his pen and pressed it against his chin, pondering how to title this explosive scene.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he wrote down the title of the painting—"The Konoha-Iwagakure Tailed Beast Crisis"

After thinking for a moment, Kishimoto added a suffix at the end, [·I], turning it into "The Konoha-Iwagakure Tailed Beast Crisis·I"

The history of the ninja world is like this, repeating endlessly. The major villages never learn their lessons. Perhaps... in the future, more major wars will break out because of Tailed Beasts.

The middle-aged painter Kishimoto retreated into his house, preparing to travel the ninja world with his drawing board soon, to witness and paint more stories about Tailed Beasts.

<><><>

The recent battle between the Tailed Beast and the giant deeply shocked civilians like him.

Fugaku Uchiha and Ōnoki stared each other down, neither willing to concede on the issue of the Tailed Beast.

This was a completely unexpected boon, far more valuable than a trivial Kusagakure Village. Since they had taken the great risk of attacking Kusagakure, they needed more gains to account for it within their village.

Fugaku Uchiha was the first to speak, saying solemnly:

"Lord Ōnoki, I respect you as the Third Tsuchikage. As the Third Tsuchikage, you represent the entire will of Iwagakure Village..."

"Are you sure you want to tear up the 'Konoha-Iwagakure Non-Aggression Pact' and completely destroy the relationship between our two villages?"

"Are you sure you want to start a war with us here? To officially escalate this special military operation against Kusagakure into a war... into the Fourth Ninja World War?"

Because the two villages had already jointly offended Kumogakure, internal strife now would mean that among the five great ninja villages, if the top three go to war, the bottom two wouldn't be spared.

Only two years have passed since the end of the Third Ninja World War, and the ninja world is once again on the brink of war.

To be extreme, perhaps the one who least wants a war to break out at this moment is Kumogakure. If the great elder were still alive... they might grit their teeth and hand over Yugito Nii to mediate and resolve this "Konoha-Iwagakure Tailed Beast Crisis."

"Hmph... Young man from the Uchiha clan, you're still too young." Ōnoki completely dropped his façade: "The ninja world has its own operating rules, and among them is an eternal law..."

Ōnoki raised a finger: "No one will pay a higher price for those who have already died."

"That is to say, if I kill all of you Konoha Blitz unit members here, do you think Konoha will start a war with us Iwagakure over you, who are already dead?"

"Even if I kill you and present your head to Konoha's Fourth Hokage, claiming that it was done by the Two-Tails Jinchūriki."

"Do you think he will order revenge against Kumogakure, or us Iwagakure, or swallow his anger?"

Ōnoki's words, laden with malice, swept over the Konoha ninjas present.

Objectively speaking, standing before them was Iwagakure's Tsuchikage, the longest-serving leader in ninja history and the strongest Tsuchikage in Iwagakure's history. Saying such words was enough to chill the Konoha ninjas.

If this were during the time of the Third Hokage, perhaps many Konoha ninjas would waver because of this.

But... contrary to Ōnoki's expectations, not only did the Konoha ninjas not show any signs of fear due to his verbal attack, but their desire for battle became even stronger.

What Ōnoki didn't know was that whether the village would avenge them wasn't a multiple-choice question but a single-choice question with only one option: Yes.

Moreover, according to Gojo Kaigetsu's policies, it was mentioned that ninjas who died in external military operations would have their names engraved on the Konoha Hero Monument and their families would receive generous compensation.

For lower-level ninjas, why do they work in this line? Love and peace? Pursuit of the ninja way? Loyalty to the village?

Maybe some of that, but mainly, it's about a middle-aged man's last dignity—earning money for his family with hard work and blood!

'Damn it, it shouldn't be like this... Did Hiruzen Sarutobi's Will of Fire not get passed down?'

'Or is it that this group of Konoha troops led by Fugaku Uchiha aren't loyal or honest to the Will of Fire?'

Ōnoki couldn't understand the reaction of the Konoha ninjas, but... it didn't matter.

Killing one is killing; killing a hundred is also killing. His Dust Release wouldn't consume more chakra just because he had to kill more people.

People might get tired killing a hundred pigs, but he, Ōnoki, wouldn't!

'Line up, stand in a straight line, Konoha ninjas...' Secretly, Ōnoki prepared to quietly form seals.

"So this is your answer..." Fugaku Uchiha said coldly, "Old man, times have changed!

"I'm curious, what will Iwagakure become without you?"

"What did you say?"

"I said... Susanoo!"

Fugaku Uchiha shouted fiercely, the tomoe in his eyes connecting again. In Ōnoki's shocked and fearful gaze, the Mangekyō Sharingan appeared.

'This—this can't be?! This is Madara Uchiha's...'

For a moment, the Mangekyō Sharingan in Fugaku's eyes seemed distorted due to excessive use of ocular power. Blood slowly flowed from the corners of his eyes down his cheeks, leaving two horrifying bloodstains!

Under Fugaku's full activation, the silver-white Susanoo projection appeared once again in the real world.

"Haah—!"

His Susanoo let out a roar. Bones, flesh, tendons, tengu armor, Yata Mirror, Totsuka Blade...

Ōnoki looked on in disbelief, staring blankly at the silver-white Susanoo before him, lost in memories of his long life.

That year, he was thirteen.

In the early days of the village's founding, the Second Tsuchikage, Mū, led his young disciple Ōnoki to Konoha for diplomacy, hoping to establish a peace treaty with the symbol of peace, the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju.

That was the only time Iwagakure actively sought peace.

However, the two of them didn't even get to meet Hashirama Senju.

They encountered Madara Uchiha, who blocked them at the door. The peace treaty between Iwagakure and Konoha was rejected by Madara, who crushed Mū and Ōnoki with absolute dominance, shattering Ōnoki's Ninja Way.

That night, what blocked the master and disciple was a giant named Susanoo, just like the one before him.

To this day, even though Madara Uchiha has been dead for countless years, that deep blue Susanoo remains an indelible nightmare in Ōnoki's heart.

People in the ninja world always end up becoming the person they hated most in their youth. Today, one of Ōnoki's greatest desires is to use Madara Uchiha's stance to deal with Konoha's ninjas and the Uchiha descendants, fiercely trampling any so-called peace treaties underfoot...

But now, standing before him isn't someone he can easily handle.

Although the appearance differs from Madara Uchiha's deep blue Susanoo, it still reminded Ōnoki of the fear of being dominated by the giant.

Susanoo... is simply invincible...

Ōnoki was afraid.

His hands, which were about to form seals, quietly dropped. The arrogance on his old face vanished, and he felt his thighs trembling.

A nightmare is a nightmare, often unrelated to strength or weakness, but lies in the knot in one's heart that cannot be untied. Losing one's fighting spirit is equivalent to being infinitely debuffed for a ninja.

"Tsuchikage-sama, what should we do?"

"Should we fight? Here? Right now?!"

Kitsuchi swallowed, feeling shocked by the Susanoo before him, but he didn't retreat. He turned to consult his father.

He and the Iwagakure ninjas behind him were ready to hear Ōnoki shout "Fight!" at any moment.

Only then did Ōnoki come back to his senses.

Times have changed; he is no longer the thirteen-year-old boy but the Tsuchikage bearing the weight of Iwagakure Village! To become enemies with Fugaku Uchiha, who has activated Susanoo? No... Even if they won in the end, it would be a Pyrrhic victory for Iwagakure.

Such a victory isn't what Ōnoki wants!

For the sake of the young generation of Iwagakure ninjas behind him—and absolutely not because of the fear of being dominated by Madara Uchiha—Ōnoki chose to compromise.

Ōnoki forced himself to move, squeezing out an ugly smile on his wrinkled old face: "Heh, young man from the Uchiha clan, I think you misunderstood me..."

"What I meant was that if I attack you, the Fourth Hokage will definitely seek revenge against us Iwagakure. This is very bad for our two villages that have established a peace treaty."

"Our Iwagakure Village's commitment to the 'Konoha-Iwagakure Non-Aggression Pact' is as solid as stone, which reflects our Ninja Ways..."

"Not to mention the Two-Tails—even if you add the Eight-Tails to make ten tails, it can't shake the stone in the hearts of our Iwagakure ninjas!"

Ōnoki rambled on with incomprehensible words, but the meaning was understood by both sides present.

Iwagakure: The Tsuchikage is magnanimous!

Konoha: The Tsuchikage chickened out!

Ninjas from both sides gave the opposing camp a "you're lucky" look, then tacitly relaxed their hands that were preparing to form seals and put their ninja tools back into their pouches.

Fugaku Uchiha was also momentarily stunned. He had been ready for a desperate fight.

He didn't expect Ōnoki, who had a reputation in the ninja world for being as stubborn as a stone in a latrine, to back down like this?

This is really...

Fugaku Uchiha breathed a sigh of relief, but recalling the task given by Advisor Gojo to "shock the ninja world" that hadn't been fulfilled yet, he put on a stern face again.

He had already used up his chakra and ocular power; he couldn't have used them in vain.

Thinking this, Fugaku Uchiha manipulated Susanoo, slashing heavily toward the distant gate of Kusagakure Village.

Boom—

A deep ravine appeared on the ground.

Fugaku Uchiha said coldly, "Our Konoha's desire for peace is as extreme as this ravine."

After speaking, the two divine weapons in Susanoo's hands disappeared, followed by the tengu armor, flesh, tendons... The massive apparition dissipated from the real world.

The Iwagakure ninjas who hadn't witnessed Susanoo's power couldn't help but glance toward Kusagakure's gate. Those who saw it gasped, clicking their tongues.

Such a massive fissure... It's almost like a small canyon. Although several Earth Release ninjas from Iwagakure could create such terrain, this was just a casual slash from him...

Terrifying.

A desire for peace? Extreme? It looks more like he's saying the chasm between Konoha and Iwagakure is as irreparable as this fissure.

The Kusagakure elders, who could only hide in the distance and watch, heard the conversation between Fugaku and Ōnoki and complained inwardly.

So you both want to establish a peace treaty, so what's with all the corpses in our Kusagakure and the small canyon at our village gate?

Are small ninja villages not worthy of an awareness of peace?

Angry, trembling, cold!

"It seems we've both made the right decision."

"Naturally... Next, let's start cleaning up the battlefield according to the interest distribution details mentioned in the 'Konoha-Iwagakure Non-Aggression Pact.'"

Ōnoki sighed.

Having not achieved the greatest war gains, the task of collecting spoils became uninteresting.

As if entering a sage-like state, he led the Iwagakure ninjas to another corner of Kusagakure Village, handing the main stage back to Konoha.

<><><><>

Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters. Ahead of the rest!

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)

There is 9 Exciting Fanfics already available on my Patreon!