Starting with the usurpation of Akatsuki, the ninja world was overthrown.

After the battle in Chapter 237 ended

After the battle in Chapter 237 ended

Although he didn't know the details, Orochimaru had a gut feeling that this person in front of him would never make such a decision for such a mundane reason.

This is true.

Shiba Kiyokawa simply felt that if Rinpoche became the Jinchūriki of the One-Tailed Beast, then whoever planned to collect the Tailed Beasts from scratch in the future would likely cause a huge commotion the moment they began.

I'm really looking forward to it!

After confirming the Jinchuriki candidate, everyone present immediately began to take action.

Tailed beasts are powerful, but that's relative to ordinary ninjas. For the people present, a single tailed beast is merely troublesome, not even a challenge.

The members of Kirigakure also lent a hand, and afterwards, Shiba Kiyokawa and Orochimaru easily subdued Shukaku, gave the disobedient tanuki a good lesson, and then sealed it inside Rinpoche's body.

After it was over, Shiba Kiyokawa squatted down and patted Rei Rinpo's head reassuringly.

"Don't worry, having an extra neighbor inside your body won't affect anything. You're still you. If someone hates you because of this, just beat them up. If something happens, just say your teacher is Orochimaru."

Also, when you're a little older, you can communicate with the baby in your belly. You can talk to him and even befriend him, but remember not to be overly afraid of him. If he bothers you, feel free to hit him; we'll take care of you.

Orochimaru glanced at him sideways and asked coldly, "Why did you say it was me, teacher, when something happened?"

Shiba Kiyokawa smiled. "Isn't it because you have to go back to Konoha for a while?"

Orochimaru was speechless.

He could no longer question the claim that Rinpo could be a talisman, and thus could only acquiesce to Shiba Kiyokawa's actions.

His closest loyal followers could only look up at the sky in silence, pretending they hadn't heard anything.

However, when he looked at Limpoli, his eyes would still unconsciously reveal a strange look.

In the traditional ninja mindset, Jinchuriki are considered unlucky beings, and there is a tradition of discrimination against them in various villages.

But the person in front of you can casually say, "If anyone hates you because of this, just beat them up."

They could even easily coerce Orochimaru into becoming their guarantor.

The actions of Akatsuki leader Shiba Kiyokawa truly refreshed their understanding once again.

However, as Orochimaru's die-hard fans, they could only remain silent at this moment.

After that, Orochimaru subtly reminded Shiba Kiyokawa, "Konoha ninjas from other places are coming soon."

Not everyone on the entire front was his absolute confidant.

Shiba Kiyokawa understood Orochimaru's predicament, so he patted Rei Rinpo's head one last time and then vanished in an instant.

The members of Kirigakure also withdrew from the battlefield at the same time.

Meanwhile, the mudslide and debris flow triggered by the landslide in the distance were still raging and devastating along its course!

This day is destined to be one of the most memorable days of the Third Shinobi World War!

On this day, Orochimaru, the frontline commander of Konoha's western front, swiftly and decisively ended the war in the most violent way!

The collapse of the mountain, coupled with the subsequent pursuit and slaughter, allowed the Battle of Kikyo Mountain to quickly wipe out more than 3,000 Sand Village ninjas in just a few days, making it the fastest-ending battle and the battle with the highest number of deaths in a single day since the start of the Fourth Shinobi World War!

Just three days later, Sunagakure requested a full-scale peace talks with Konoha and Kirigakure.

Compared to the shocking intelligence of the battle, the news of Yekura's massacre of the Daimyo's capital in the Land of Wind seemed to be forgotten for a time.

The Land of Wind then appointed a new daimyo.

This time, however, the relationship between Daimyo and Kage has been completely reversed!

This time, Yekura returned to Sunagakure with the most generous daimyo sponsorship in the village's history, and upon her return, she announced that the tax revenue from several surrounding oasis cities would henceforth belong to Sunagakure.

This amazing news immediately dispelled the gloom of the war's defeat and completely silenced those who wanted to blame her for not being on the front lines at the crucial moment.

Afterwards, Yekura took over the village's affairs in an orderly manner after the loss of the elders, and began to recall ninjas. She personally went to preside over the peace talks with Konoha and Kirigakure.

Surprisingly, Sunagakure did not collapse due to the huge defeat in this crucial battle. Instead, it was revitalized by the injection of large sums of money and the unprecedented concentration of power!

This directly led to a period of confusion for the unsuspecting intelligence personnel from Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and even Konoha's high-ranking officials.

They simply couldn't understand how Sunagakure could seem to be thriving after such a humiliating defeat.

On the other hand, the atmosphere in Miyake Village, which won the battle, became particularly subtle for a period of time afterward.

Orochimaru ended the battlefield with a resounding victory, but various details revealed that the higher-ups of Miyo were not happy but worried.

As a result, many ninja clans that had already aligned themselves with the Konoha leadership were now unsure whether they should celebrate.

The atmosphere in the village was eerily strange, with a large number of ignorant civilian ninjas singing, dancing, and celebrating their victory on one side.

On the other side were the Konoha leadership and ninja clans, their faces clouded with worry, panicked, and on the verge of losing their composure.

The eerie atmosphere made the entire village seem incredibly torn apart in a short period of time, like two paintings forcibly pieced together, with everything about them feeling out of place.

Even the end of the Kikyo Mountain battle surprisingly prompted discussion among the usually conservative and timid Konoha leadership.

"How about we order Orochimaru to keep fighting? Ignore Sunagakure's peace requests; this time we can completely push the war forward! Let Orochimaru fight all the way to Sunagakure and not come back for a while!"

Faced with the elder's suggestion to switch rooms to Koharu, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face, which was clouded with worry, remained completely calm.

He took a deep drag on his pipe before saying, "It's no use. On the fourth day after the battle ended, Orochimaru took it upon himself to agree to Sunagakure's invitation for peace talks, and many ninjas from the front lines have already been sent back by him."

The Third Shinobi World War has been going on for more than three years, and now every ninja rotating on the front lines is tired of the war.

Orochimaru has already promised to send these people back after the war ends. If the village leadership changes their mind now and sends them back, it will inevitably trigger a large-scale emotional backlash.

Furthermore, just a few months ago they had negotiated and ended the war with Kirigakure while in a position of advantage. If they were to handle a similar situation with such a drastic difference now, the village's reaction would certainly not be good.

Koharu Utatane angrily retorted, "How could Orochimaru act so unilaterally! Didn't he even consider consulting the village before doing these things? Hiruzen, does he even respect you as his teacher anymore?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at her sideways, too lazy to even say a word.

Orochimaru doesn't even acknowledge me. Did you just find out today? We've been partners for years, is it really necessary to act so surprised?

"No, we can't let Orochimaru come back at this time! The Hokage position in the village has been vacant for a long time."

"If we let Orochimaru return now with the victory that ended the war, wouldn't that force Hiruzen to change his mind?"

"But who can persuade him now?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked coldly.

"Hiruzen, isn't your son still on the front lines?"

The next moment, right after Mitokado Homura asked the question, an ANBU member rushed into the office, head bowed, and reported to his superior with a sorrowful expression.

"Lord Hiruzen, Captain Shinnosuke, who went missing, has been found. I'm sorry, but he—sacrificed himself."

At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi's vision went black, and the pipe slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a clattering sound.