The old man knew very little firsthand. Most of his information came from Jōnin in the Land of Earth, but what could he do? In a way, the daimyo of the Land of Earth held more power than the Tsuchikage himself. The daimyo controlled the economic lifeline of Iwagakure.
Although Iwagakure had been largely self-sufficient in recent years—enough to sustain itself and recover from the devastation of the Third Great Ninja War—Ōnoki understood that compared to the daimyo, their economy was still far behind. Once a war dragged on, the early stages might be manageable, but sooner or later, they would have to rely on the daimyo's coffers.
In short, Ōnoki couldn't ignore the daimyo's words, no matter how bitter they tasted.
With a frown, he turned back to the group before him. "So what's it going to be? Will you stay here in Daimyo City and wait for Konoha's envoy in a few days, or will you move on your own?"
"We'll return to Daimyo City with you," Shikamaru answered without hesitation.
"Damn it!" Ino clenched her fists, clearly unhappy.
Not long after, Ino and the others were confined within the palace. With the Tsuchikage present, escape was out of the question.
Ōnoki immediately sent word to Tsunade about what had happened. In the past, Tsunade would have been furious. But now, knowing Kaito's identity and temperament, she could imagine the chaos he might unleash if he heard Ino had been mistreated. That was exactly why she had sent Ayanami Kaito to the Land of Earth in the first place—though she kept that to herself. She wanted to see just how far Kaito would go once he arrived.
"Asuma-sensei," Shikamaru muttered, leaning forward with his head in his hands, "I have a few ideas, but as long as Ōnoki's here, there's no way we can get out."
"Unless he tells Tsunade-sama… we'll have to risk everything to break free." Asuma's voice was heavy, his jaw set.
"Don't worry," Shikamaru replied. "Things haven't gotten to the worst yet. The Third Tsuchikage shouldn't lie to us—he'll tell Tsunade-sama. For now, all we can do is wait."
"Tch! If I get out of here, I swear I'll smash that jerk into the ground!" Ino huffed.
"Ino…" Asuma shook his head. Given their situation, those words could be dangerous if overheard. The daimyo's son was the kind to seek petty revenge.
"Asuma-senei, I'm serious! I'd rather die than marry that creep. I'd…" Her voice dropped to an icy tone. "I'd kill him myself."
A sudden voice interrupted them. "Yo, who made my Ino so angry?"
They turned. Standing before them, wearing his usual confident smile, was Kaito.
"Kaito!" Ino's eyes lit up. She rushed forward, throwing herself into his arms.
He caught her effortlessly, his hand resting at her back as he breathed in her familiar scent.
"When did you get back?" she asked, happiness shining in her eyes.
"It's been about a week. When you didn't return, and there was no word, Tsunade-sama asked me to come and see for myself." His tone softened as he spoke.
The two of them became so absorbed in each other that Shikamaru, Asuma, and Chōji might as well not have existed.
Kaito even thought to himself, Three walking lanterns in the middle of the day. Couldn't they take the hint and leave?
If Shikamaru had heard that thought, he might have yelled, "Some friend you are—always picking romance over comrades!"
Ino's face suddenly grew serious. "Wait—you didn't just come here to talk. You're here to save us, right? Then hurry, before they realize!"
At the word save, Kaito's smile faded. He already suspected Ōnoki's involvement, but hearing it confirmed made his expression turn cold.
"Ino, what happened?"
"I'll explain," Shikamaru cut in, laying out the entire situation in detail.
By the time he finished, Kaito's face was dark enough to rival a thunderstorm.
"Alright. Even a lowly nobody dares to touch what's mine? They're asking for death." His voice was a quiet snarl.
A crushing wave of Spiritual Pressure erupted from him, shattering tiles above and sweeping across Daimyo City in seconds.
Soldiers and civilians alike crumpled under the pressure, as though the weight of a mountain had slammed down on them.
In the palace's main hall, the daimyo and Ōnoki had been discussing resource allocations when the surge hit. The daimyo barely had time to speak before his knees buckled.
"Third Tsuchikage! What—why can't I move?" the daimyo stammered.
Ōnoki sighed and released his own chakra, shielding the hall from the worst of Kaito's presence. Even so, he knew the newcomer was powerful—Kage-level at the very least. At first, he thought it might be Jiraiya, but the truth was far more troubling.
As the oppressive aura withdrew, Ōnoki looked toward the courtyard. Sure enough, Konoha shinobi were approaching. At their head was Ayanami Kaito, the man who had destroyed Root by himself four years ago.
Ōnoki's stomach sank. If it had been Jiraiya, things might have been easier—Jiraiya was steady, not prone to impulsive outbursts. But Kaito was young, driven, and clearly protective of Ino.
This is going to be trouble, he thought grimly.