Chapter 492 This is not a loss, this is a tactical retreat

Although Konoha stood up, the Cloud Village could only accept defeat.

However, it is better to avoid stabbing your allies in the back, at least not on the surface.

Because something happened to the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Lao Shi.

Oonoki had no choice but to leave the battlefield matters to his son Huangtu, and hurried back to Iwagakure with a few guards.

The top leaders of the Iwagakure Village need to think carefully about the matter of Lao Zi being captured.

The atmosphere in the conference room of the Tsuchikage office building was particularly depressing. The senior executives, including Ōnoki, had no good way to solve Lao Zi's problem.

Lao Zi, you deserve to die!!

You can make a scene if you want, and it’s okay if you leave in anger, but can’t you just hide it?

Good guy, you hid so that the village couldn’t find you, but the enemy could find you, right? Now what’s going on? You’ve been captured and taken to the Cloud Ninja Village.

It's simply embarrassing.

"Are you going to withdraw your troops?"

When the war reached this point, the top leaders actually knew that the village could not win.

It's just that there has been no suitable way out, so we have to fight anyway. Now that the old purple incident has broken out, it's just a good reason for the village to withdraw.

Jinchūriki, or to be more precise, the importance of the tailed beast to a village is self-evident. We can not use it, we can imprison it, but we cannot do without it, and we cannot watch it become the property of other villages.

This is the bottom line.

"But if we withdraw our troops......"

Isn't this just a disguised admission of failure of the war?

They might even have to bear a heavy war reparations. It would be bad enough if they failed to defeat the Cloud Village, but if they had to pay compensation to the Cloud Village with a flattering face, it would be more painful for the top leaders of the Iwagakure than killing them.

So as soon as the question was put on the table, there was a moment of silence.

Even the Daimyo of the Land of Earth frowned and remained silent.

Ohnoki glanced at everyone. He knew that everyone had already wanted to end the war, but they were just holding their breath and unwilling to admit defeat.

Since we can't win, ending the war is certain.

The problem is that the village cannot accept defeat.

Even though the war lasted nearly three years, the village could not accept defeat, nor could it bow to the Cloud Shinobi Village.

“Withdrawal does not mean failure.”

Seeing that no one dared to speak freely, Ohnoki simply stood up and took the responsibility on himself. Why did no one dare to speak freely?

It's just that they are afraid that the blame will fall on their heads.

The weight of the pot for the failure of the war is a bit heavy, and most people cannot bear it.

Fortunately, the Daimyo of the Land of Earth supports the Iwagakure. The Iwagakure does not need to give an explanation to the Daimyo's mansion, it only needs to appease the villagers.

"Everyone, we were just forced to evacuate tactically. Who said we lost to the Kumogakure? Did the Kumogakure win?"

As long as we don't admit defeat, your Cloud Village is not the winner. If you have the guts, come to the Land of Earth.

As for negotiations and war reparations, it is nonsense.

My Iwagakure didn't lose, so what's there to negotiate about?

Is tactical retreat also considered a defeat?

Since we are not defeated, why should we negotiate? Why should we pay war reparations?

At this point, Ohnoki didn't mind sacrificing his reputation and playing dirty. He could play dirty because no one in the Cloud Ninja Village admitted defeat in the war.

"Ahem!! Tsuchikage, this tactical retreat won't have much of an impact, will it?"

The Daimyo of the Land of Earth was directly shocked by Ōnoki's words of tactical retreat.

If you think about it carefully, it seems to make sense.

It was our Iwagakure who initiated the war and attacked the Land of Lightning. Our tactical retreat now does not mean that we have lost.

It's just a tactical requirement. Why bother to stay on the battlefield of the Land of Thunder?

Ōnoki's tactical retreat was tenable.

As long as the Cloud Shinobi Village refuses to admit defeat, there will be no winner in this war. Negotiations and compensation are just dreams.

Ohnoki answered affirmatively: "Although it will bring some adverse effects to the village, the Kumogakure Village is not the winner. If we are not glorious, the Kumogakure Village will not be much better."

"Because they don't dare to attack the Land of Earth casually."

Of this, Ōnoki was certain.

The Iwagakure couldn't hold on, and the Kumogakure couldn't hold on either.

Running so far to attack the Land of Earth, the logistics alone are enough for the Cloud Village to enjoy. Before, it was our Iwagakure who was troubled, but now it's your turn, the Cloud Village.

Ohnoki is not afraid of an attack from the Cloud Ninja Village. At worst, he can just do nothing and fly in the sky all day, intercepting the Cloud Ninja Village's logistics transport teams everywhere.

It depends on how you fight the Cloud Ninja Village.

"Cough cough!!!"

Although it felt a bit embarrassing, it was also a reasonable reason. The daimyo who found the steps decisively chose to support Ōnoki, but he was a little worried:

"Tsuchikage, even if the village chooses a tactical retreat, it can't shut everyone up, and there's also the Jinchuriki, Old Purple......"

If the Iwagakure wants to carry out a tactical retreat, in addition to appeasing the villagers, they also need to find another way to resolve the issue of Old Purple.

If the tailed beasts really fall into the hands of the Cloud Village and become its things, then the Iwagakure will suffer a great loss.

Although the tactical retreat was shameful, at least the Cloud Village did not gain any benefit, and both sides were embarrassed. That was not a big deal. If the tailed beasts were gone, the Iwagakure would really become a joke.

"I don't know if Lao Zi can return to the village, but the Four-Tails will definitely not fall into the hands of the Kumogakure."

Ohnoki looked at everyone and reminded them:

"Even if the Cloud Village wants to take the Four-Tails for themselves, the other villages will not agree. The Mizukage of the Mist Village and the Wind Shadow of the Sand Village have already contacted me."

"They will represent the village to oppose the Kumogakure's action of taking the tailed beasts for themselves. I believe Konoha will not agree with the Kumogakure's actions. Konoha did not contact me simply because they did not want to stab their allies."

"If the situation really reaches the point where the Kumogakure wants to forcibly keep the tailed beasts, Konoha will stand up and oppose it."

In a four to one situation, can your Cloud Ninja Village force the Four-Tails to stay in the village?

"But...what price do we have to pay to gain the support of other villages?"

Even if others help you, your Iwagakure will have to pay a price.

No one will help you for no reason. Even if everyone doesn't want the Four-Tails to settle down in the Cloud Village, can your Iwagakure afford this price?

The Sand Village and the Mist Village are easy to deal with, but what about Konoha?

It's not easy to get Konoha to stand up against its allies.