A Sage's Pursuit of Power

In Iwagakure, Onoki received Konoha's message regarding the request to trade tailed beast chakra.

Upon hearing the news, Onoki almost lost his composure.

Konoha was going too far! A simple document to demand tailed beast chakra? How utterly dismissive of him!

He was Onoki, after all, a Tsuchikage who had led an era. No matter how strong Kamikawa Aoba might be, he wasn't someone to fear so easily.

But after his initial outrage, Onoki grew quiet as he read the details of the document.

The reason for his silence was known only to those closest to him, Kurotsuchi and Kitsuchi.

Konoha's proposal included a surprising condition: trading Deidara for the tailed beast chakra.

While tailed beasts were crucial to any village, Deidara held a unique significance to Onoki, one that few could truly understand.

Onoki lived in a constant state of anxiety these days. Kitsuchi, while competent in strength, lacked the qualities of a strong leader. He was an ideal second-in-command but by no means a leader.

And though Onoki was still active, he was keenly aware of his declining physical condition.

His body was riddled with issues, and a sudden bout of back pain during a critical moment could very well cost him his life.

In the original timeline, his heroic moments during the final battle were only possible because Tsunade, the ninja world's greatest healer, kept replenishing his stamina and healing him mid-combat.

If left to his own devices, he would have likely collapsed from his ailments within minutes of fighting.

This underscored how Tsunade's power among the Five Kage wasn't so much her individual combat strength as her unparalleled healing abilities. No team could turn down a support ninja of her caliber.

However, neither Tsunade nor the other Kage in the original timeline had managed to step beyond conventional ninja strength to become truly "super-Kage level."

Despite their seemingly perfect team composition: Tsunade as the healer, Gaara for control and support, the Raikage as a tank and close-combat specialist, the Mizukage as a ranged attacker, and Onoki for finishing blows they were still powerless against Madara's overwhelming strength.

The gap in absolute power was simply insurmountable.

In the current timeline, however, Tsunade seemed to be on the verge of a breakthrough. She was deeply engrossed in her laboratory, working on an advanced version of the Strength of a Hundred Seal.

After years of stagnation, Tsunade's renewed focus had reignited her passion. With Konoha's accumulated technological advancements, her progress was remarkable.

This development had slightly diminished Aoba's personal amusement, though he was comforted by the gentle presence of Yumi at home.

Still, Aoba had noticed that Yumi seemed to have something on her mind lately.

After persistent questioning, Yumi finally spoke up.

"I think it's time."

Aoba immediately understood what she meant, her vengeance.

A year ago, Aoba had visited Kusagakure and humiliated them severely, but the village itself remained largely unharmed. Only Hozuki Castle had been destroyed, and as a prison, it housed few people.

In the real world, Aoba couldn't fully grasp the depth of Yumi's hatred for Kusagakure. After all, in the original series, apart from Sasuke, the characters' notions of love and revenge often bordered on the bizarre, almost incomprehensible to a normal person.

Fortunately, after spending time with Aoba, Yumi and Karin's mindset had become much more straightforward: revenge must be exacted, and a blood feud demanded nothing less than annihilation.

"Have you made up your mind?"

Kusagakure's location was strategically significant. According to Aoba's plans, the village should have been dealt with long ago.

The only reason he had spared them was out of consideration for Yumi's feelings. He had been waiting for her to make the decision, as her vengeance wasn't directed at an individual but an entire ninja village.

"Yes, I've decided. You already have too many things on your plate. I don't want my matter to continue being a hindrance to your plans. So, I will carry out our vengeance. Once it's done, we can fully devote ourselves to supporting you."

"Since you've made your decision, then go ahead. You can act under Konoha's name..."

"No, we'll do it under our own name. We'll exact vengeance under the banner of the Uzumaki Clan. At the same time, we will declare the return of the Uzumaki Clan to the world."

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Currently on Chapter 311 - Monster