Konoha Notes

Chapter 303 Deidara Onoki

Deidara has been very well-behaved these past two days. Even in meetings he didn't like, he stood obediently next to Wenya and listened to the whole thing.

Onoki was not pleased by this; in fact, he was a little worried.

Could it be that this kid lost a match and is now planning something big in the Konoha arena area?

Losing to a Sharingan genjutsu is nothing, after all, Onoki knows how strong the Uchiha clan can be when they get powerful. In fact, for Deidara, losing a match in a safe environment is actually a good thing.

But then I thought about it again. Konoha doesn't have much of anything except eyes. They have Sharingan and Byakugan that are all-around and have no blind spots. Once they leave this compound, Deidara wouldn't even be able to sneakily throw a clay doll. So it's unlikely that they could actually cause any trouble.

Even if things really escalate, it will be Konoha's problem.

Last time in the alley, Deidara was pinned down by genjutsu before he even stepped out the door, which proves that Konoha can keep an eye on people. If they can't keep an eye on him next time... it can only mean they have other plans.

With this thought in mind, Onoki's worries miraculously subsided, and he even felt a touch of roguish composure.

So, without saying anything, he floated out of the Iwagakure outpost with his hands behind his back.

No sooner had Onoki left than Deidara slipped away.

As usual, he didn't go through the main entrance, but instead bypassed the Iwagakure ninjas' sight and quietly slipped into the alley.

He didn't have to wait long before the operative wearing the white cat mask emerged from the corner.

Deidara didn't meet his gaze this time. He even closed his eyes, tilted his chin back, and his voice echoed through the alley: "What's your name?"

He received no reply.

"You're from the Uchiha clan, right?"

“Last time doesn’t count.” Deidara opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on the area below the other’s chin. “I haven’t even gotten serious yet. Hmm!”

He reached into his ninja tool pouch at his waist with his right hand and pulled out a lump of pale yellow clay. He kneaded and stretched it with his five fingers. The clay shaped itself in his palm, expanded, and sprouted wings and a sharp beak—becoming a bird the size of a palm.

Deidara lifted it up, its beak pointing straight at the chest of the shadowy figure.

“Iwagakure’s tournaments don’t have that many ridiculous rules,” he said. “When I get back, I’ll blow up all the Konoha participants. Then your village will have no choice but to send you out, right?”

A bird flapped its wings and hovered in mid-air between the two.

“When that time comes,” Deidara grinned, his teeth gleaming white in the dim alley, “you’ll see what real art is. Hmm!”

"boom!"

The bird exploded. There was no fire, no impact, only a blurry cloud of white smoke that was quickly dispersed by the wind.

The members of the secret service stood still, not even moving a corner of their clothes.

Only behind the eye holes of the mask, a pair of scarlet eyes silently watched Deidara.

“This,” Deidara put his hand away and turned to walk deeper into the alley, “is to say hello.”

With his back to the ANBU, he raised his right hand and waved it.

"I'll remember that, Uchiha. I'll be waiting for you on the field."

"Also, my name is Deidara, and I am an artist."
-
Onoki arrived at the top-floor conference room in the venue area.

Having been in Konoha for two or three days, this man, who had long held the position of Kage of Iwagakure, noticed something amiss in the village.

I originally thought that Shuuji was just an influential person in Konoha, or rather, the successor to the next Kage.

In hindsight, that judgment may have been wrong.

It seems... not entirely the next one.

The current Hokage, Tsunade, has been virtually invisible lately, with all substantive negotiations and arrangements being handled by Shuji. This prompted him to make this trip. "Lord Tsuchikage."

People who had booked their time early were already waiting.

"No need for formalities." Onoki didn't touch the chair, but floated directly to the other side of the table, looking down at Shuji. "I only want to confirm one thing before the treaty is finalized."

"You wouldn't be thinking of taking up a position in the joint organization yourself, would you?"

Xiu Si looked up: "No, I have absolutely no intention of doing so."

"As I said at the meeting before, the resolution passed this time will only be used to establish an organization to handle the event."

If he chooses to go in himself, it would be tantamount to telling the other villages that this organization is not just for handling event-related matters.

"Hmph." Onoki snorted and finally sat down in his chair. "In that case, I might have more to look forward to regarding the Five Villages Alliance."

"After all, if you intend to join, and if Iwagakure wants to gain a voice within the organization, either I, or Huangtu, will have to go in."

“The Hidden Cloud Village, the Hidden Sand Village, and the Hidden Mist Village all need to have equal numbers of people.”

"At that time, this organization will become second only to the Five Kage Summit."

He stared at Xiu Si, his eyes sharp.

"and then?"

Shuji met his gaze, his tone calm: "Then, all the negotiations during this time will be in vain. The level is too high, the interests are too deeply involved, and the joint organization will only become another venue for wrangling, ultimately becoming a mere decoration."

"The reason why the five major ninja villages can agree now is because it only involves the competition, the boundaries are clear, and the benefits can be quantified."

"However, the fact that Lord Tsuchikage is willing to inquire about this matter suggests that he also has high expectations for the alliance itself."

"Given the current situation, having a little hope won't do any harm for Iwagakure," he said slowly. "After all, I've managed to sit on Konoha's territory in this way... It would be a real shame to leave empty-handed."

We should seize the benefits that are available to us first.

This is the biggest lesson Onoki has learned in decades, based on the current negotiation results and the draft provided by Konoha.

At least in the first year after the treaty was negotiated, Iwagakure would be able to profit.

But the Third Tsuchikage had more to say than just that when he specifically arranged to meet with someone.

"What did you give the Raikage?" Onoki asked, "To make him willing to cooperate in the meeting."

"How about it? Would you like to talk to me too? Perhaps Iwagakure can offer... more than Kumogakure."

"Although the Land of Earth is full of rocky mountains... the area that can be moved is much larger than that of the Land of Lightning."

"With the addition of Iwagakure, the village of Sunagakure, which has been the most unstable ally for Konoha for a long time, will finally be at peace."

"In the western and northern parts of the Land of Fire, there are more than a dozen small countries. If we can establish close cooperation with Iwagakure, these dozen or so countries... will become areas that Konoha will not need to worry about in the future."

"In comparison, the only countries that the Land of Lightning can influence besides itself are the Land of Frost."

Shuji paused for two seconds: "The five villages are now in a state of equal cooperation, Lord Tsuchikage."

"You don't want to negotiate now? That's fine too. If this alliance can be maintained, there will always be opportunities."

Onoki turned and floated toward the door, pausing for a moment in front of it.

"Let's talk about it then, Shuji."

(End of this chapter)