"Senior Suzaku, there are so many Iwa-nin outside."
"This is the Iwa-nin camp, it would be strange if you didn't see any Iwa-nin around here."
Nara Suzaku sat inside the tent, slowly sipping hot tea. The tea was provided by the Iwa-nin, but the tea leaves were a product of the Land of Fire, specifically a type called "Bilu." It was considered quite average in quality but had a high yield, and besides being sold domestically, it was also exported abroad.
The Land of Earth does not grow tea plants; its barren land can barely grow grass. All the good land is used to grow grain, leaving no resources for planting non-essential crops like tea.
So, tea is entirely an imported commodity. Even the most common tea from the Land of Fire, Bilu, is hard to come by in the Land of Earth. Therefore, using Bilu to treat guests isn't considered poor hospitality; it's actually quite proper.
"Senior Suzaku, should we prepare for something?"
"Ebisu, what are you planning?"
Nara Suzaku glanced helplessly at one of the bodyguards who had come with him to the Iwa-nin camp.
There were five people in the tent, including Nara Suzaku, the official envoy, and four guards. Two were Konoha ninja, and two were Mist ninja. All were special Jōnin, stronger than Chūnin but not as noticeable or prominent as Jōnin. Kakashi and Hōzuki Mangetsu had gone to great lengths to pick out these individuals.
Originally, they considered selecting full-fledged Jōnin, like Uchiha Chisao and Ringo Ameyuri, both feared warriors. If something went wrong, having these two would greatly increase their chances of escape.
However, Nara Suzaku sternly refused this idea.
He was here to persuade the Iwa-nin to cease fighting, not to launch a surprise attack.
In the end, four special Jōnin from Konoha and Mist were selected to accompany him. Ebisu, one of them, had recently been promoted to special Jōnin. His skills were solid, with no real weaknesses in ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu. His only obstacle to becoming a full Jōnin was his lack of mastery over advanced ninjutsu.
There was one minor issue—he was a bit too lively. Watching Ebisu fiddle with a stack of explosive tags, contemplating how to set traps around the tent, Nara Suzaku felt a vein throbbing on his forehead.
"Set a few traps, so if the Iwa-nin make a move on us, they'll get a nasty surprise..."
"Sit down and be quiet. I've already said the Iwa-nin won't attack us."
Nara Suzaku spoke firmly.
His tone was so strict that Ebisu froze in place, then obediently put away the explosive tags. He sat down, imitating Genma Shiranui's composed manner, and sipped his tea slowly.
The Iwa-nin will definitely not attack us—Nara Suzaku was confident in this. Thinking back on his recent meeting with Ōnoki and Kitsuchi, before he had even spoken, Kitsuchi had shown an unmistakable goodwill. Most importantly, Ōnoki had not thrown him out immediately. His long silence indicated that he was considering it.
Given Ōnoki's past actions, Suzaku was certain that his plan would not fail.
Of course, this was largely thanks to the Uchiha clan's victory in the Land of Hot Water. Without that triumph, where even the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki was captured, persuading Ōnoki would have been a 50-50 chance. But now, Suzaku felt sure he was in a strong position.
"We'll return safely. Just relax," Nara Suzaku said calmly.
Meanwhile...
In the Iwa-nin's main tent, after gathering the opinions of everyone except Kurotsuchi, all eyes turned to Ōnoki, waiting for the Tsuchikage's decision. The vote had ended with Han abstaining. Four, including Kitsuchi, favored cooperation with Konoha, while six, including Rōshi and Bun'ya, believed they should continue attacking Konoha.
The ratio wasn't overwhelming.
Six to four. If just one person from Rōshi's side wavered, the vote would be tied. Rōshi was clearly unhappy, glaring furiously at Kitsuchi and his supporters.
"Tsuchikage-sama?" Rōshi stared intently at Ōnoki.
Since they hadn't won by a large enough margin to force Ōnoki's hand, the Tsuchikage's opinion would now decide the strategy—whether they would ally with Konoha against the Cloud-nin or continue their southern campaign against Konoha.
"A strong Konoha is never a good thing. Back in the day, when the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara dominated the ninja world, we didn't dare breathe. We knelt and begged to form an alliance with Konoha, only to be rudely turned away by Madara. Ohnoki and Mu-sama almost died in the Land of Fire."
Ōnoki rambled on about the past.
The undertone of his words made Kitsuchi's face darken, while Rōshi's fiery expression softened a bit.
"You're all young and haven't seen Konoha at its peak. Frankly, when Madara and the First Hokage both died, I was so happy I almost jumped for joy. I wonder if you've ever considered why we always invade Konoha in every ninja war and not the Sand-nin?"
Without waiting for an answer, Ōnoki continued, "It's not just because the Sand-nin are poor and Konoha is rich, though that's part of it. The Sand are still one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, and no matter how poor the Land of Wind is, they can still squeeze out something valuable. But we always go after Konoha because we never want to return to a time when we grovelled in the dust, looking up at Konoha's radiance. The Sand-nin, Cloud-nin, and Mist-nin feel the same—nobody enjoys being trampled underfoot."
Rōshi impatiently furrowed his brow.
This is too long-winded. Can you just get to the point already? All this dragging on was making him feel a bit uneasy.
"If possible, I would be the first to crush Konoha's resurgence in its cradle. But... it's too late." Ōnoki sighed deeply. The Uchiha clan had captured the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, and three pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan were wreaking havoc. This information had come from the Cloud-nin emissaries.
The Fourth Raikage and Dodai had decided to reveal the Uchiha's three pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan to Iwa-nin to convince Ōnoki of the danger Konoha posed and push him to stand against them.
However...
It seemed to have backfired!
The Fourth Raikage and Dodai weren't old enough to have personally witnessed Uchiha Madara or the First Hokage's overwhelming power, so they couldn't understand the fear Ōnoki still harbored. To this day, he hadn't forgotten the sheer helplessness he felt when facing Madara—so intense it almost made him wet himself!
So...
"Konoha has already risen again. The deaths of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo didn't bring it down. Fortunately, Cloud-nin have already borne the brunt of their resurgence. My decision is to end this war with Konoha."
After circling the point several times, Ōnoki finally revealed his decision!
"Father!"
Kitsuchi was so surprised that he even forgot to address the Tsuchikage properly in front of so many people.
His shock was understandable. Before the arrival of the Cloud and Konoha emissaries, Ōnoki had been firm in his intent to attack Konoha. Only after Kitsuchi had tirelessly persuaded him, citing the unfavorable weather, did the attack slow down temporarily.
He never imagined Ōnoki would suddenly make a complete 180-degree turn, leaving everyone both surprised and relieved.
"Boom!!!"
"Crack!"
Two different sounds echoed simultaneously. An enraged Roshi slammed his palm down, shattering the table as he abruptly stood up. The red-bearded Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails glared at Ōnoki, shouting, "Tsuchikage-sama, are you really planning to cooperate with Konoha?"
"Roshi!"
Kitsuchi also stood up, glaring angrily at Roshi. "What are you thinking? Are you questioning the Tsuchikage's decision?"
The atmosphere in the tent became chaotic.
Everyone was in disbelief. What was happening? Were they about to break out into a full-on fight?
"That's right. The Cloud Village isn't Konoha's match. Even if we defeat Jiraiya's army, we'll still have to face another Konoha army. In that case, we might end up falling into Cloud Village's trap. If Konoha, in desperation, joins forces with them and turns on us… that's not impossible!"
Ōnoki remained calm, as if oblivious to the intense standoff between Roshi and Kitsuchi, and explained his reasoning for the decision.
"Hah!"
Roshi let out a sarcastic laugh. "In the end, Tsuchikage-sama, you're just scared, aren't you?"
Scared?
As the leader of the village and the spiritual pillar for tens of thousands of Iwa-nin, accusing him of fear was the ultimate insult. As Roshi's words echoed, Kitsuchi, Bun'ya, and the others' faces changed drastically. Arguing with the Tsuchikage was one thing, but this level of disrespect was completely out of line!
"Scared, you say?"
Ōnoki's face twitched slightly as he slowly responded, almost enunciating each word. "Perhaps you're right. I am scared. But not of death. Death doesn't scare me. In fact, dying gloriously for the village would be the highest honor."
"What I fear most is making a wrong decision that drags the village into an abyss of endless suffering."
He lifted his head and locked eyes with Roshi.
"Fear is fear! Why try to hide it? Tsuchikage-sama, under your leadership, we'll never be able to surpass Konoha and become the top in the shinobi world," Roshi retorted before storming out of the tent without even glancing at the others, whom he considered cowards, frightened into submission.
Roshi knew very well that once Ōnoki made a decision, Bun'ya and the others would most likely switch sides and support the Tsuchikage. The decades of authority and influence Ōnoki had built couldn't be easily overturned by Roshi's words. Teaming up with Konoha to fight Cloud Village was now the inevitable outcome unless Ōnoki changed his mind.
Roshi, consumed by rage, didn't want to stay any longer. He felt like a fire was burning in his chest, scorching his heart.
With Roshi gone, the tent fell into silence. Just as Roshi had predicted, though Bun'ya and the others might not fully agree, they weren't about to oppose Ōnoki's decision. They trusted that the Third Tsuchikage would lead Iwa-nin through these turbulent times toward a brighter future.
"Han," Ōnoki called.
"Tsuchikage-sama?"
"Go after Roshi. Make sure he doesn't do anything rash."
"Do you think he might—?"
"While it's unlikely, Roshi can be reckless when his temper flares... Keep an eye on Konoha's emissaries. Protect them."
"Understood, I'll go immediately."
Han stood up and dashed out like the wind.
"Father... Tsuchikage-sama, do you think Roshi-senpai would really do something like that? He's hot-tempered, yes, but he usually knows his limits," Kitsuchi tried to defend Roshi. Despite their earlier conflict, Kitsuchi believed both of them were acting in the village's best interests.
That's why, now that the dust had settled, Kitsuchi still wanted to protect every comrade in the village.
"Better safe than sorry."
Ōnoki sighed.
He didn't truly believe Roshi would do anything drastic, but as the Tsuchikage, he couldn't afford to take any chances. He had to be prepared, not regretful after the fact.
"That settles it. Does anyone else have any objections? If you do, speak now before I meet with Konoha's emissaries."
Ōnoki scanned the room, his gaze lingering on Bun'ya and the others.
"Tsuchikage-sama, are you saying that even if we teamed up with Cloud, we still wouldn't be able to defeat Konoha?" Bun'ya asked cautiously.
"Not necessarily. If we truly joined forces with Cloud, Konoha would likely have to back off. But as I've already said, a full alliance with Cloud is impossible. I don't trust those mountain savages who are always causing trouble. If given the chance, I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to stab us in the back for revenge."
After all, the Third Raikage had fallen in battle against Iwa-nin.
That was the unbreakable knot of hatred between Cloud and Iwa. They could cooperate in name, coordinating their attacks on Konoha, but true, deep collaboration was impossible!
Hatred like that wasn't easily resolved.
Bun'ya and the others fell into silence.
Ōnoki was about to speak again when suddenly, there was a loud "Boom!" from outside.
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