Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Why didn't Lord Retsujin shoot that bastard against the wall back then?! (╬◣д◢)

He only asked this bastard to investigate who the culprit was who attacked Jie and who the culprit was who shifted the blame to Sunagakure, but this bastard actually caused such a big mess.

After taking down Konoha and Iwagakure, with these resources, their village now needs to develop stealthily. Even if Onoki and Iwagakure are really the murderers, they need to plan carefully, make a note of it, and settle accounts with Onoki later when the opportunity arises, rather than taking action against him now.

Knowing Onoki's personality, who knows if that cunning old fox is already plotting his next scheme? Ebizo felt so tired...

561. "Conan's dad" isn't the true love.

"Hey, calm down, take a deep breath! Oh! Right, there's no need to get so worked up. I just wanted to give you a surprise. It wasn't just me; the Raikage and his son were accomplices too. And it's now confirmed that Onoki sent people to the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire to cause trouble. Onoki has to hold back his anger, and... I feel like Onoki hates the Raikage much more than we do. This time, the Raikage and his son were practically beating him up the whole time... ┐(′?｀)┌"

Seeing that Ebizo looked like he was about to die from lack of breath, Masato helplessly spread his hands.

"This is really a surprise....-_-||"

Sunagawa, though not as agitated as Ebizo, also sighed helplessly.

This bastard is having a good time, but every time he causes trouble, he makes this boss take the blame. He even suspects that he became the boss just to make this bastard take the fall.

If the head of Sunagakure were to say that this bastard did everything on his own initiative and had nothing to do with him, who would believe that?

Over the years, he has taken the blame for countless things for this bastard. Although some of these accusations have enhanced his historical status in the village, his originally upright character has also been branded with the cunning and treacherous mark of Onoki. He doesn't know whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Years later, when future generations mention him, he'll never shake off the reputation of being a cunning schemer...

"Phew! Last time we obtained a large amount of supplies, enough for the village to develop peacefully for many years. What we need is time, and to prevent a next time."

Ebizo took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He was furious at the bastard. If he could, he really wanted to kill him, but the bastard was still single and had to endure until he left a super seed for the village!

However, Shinto's next words relieved him. If it were the Raikage and his son beating up Onoki, given Onoki's nature, he might actually target the Raikage first, before it would be their turn. Besides, this guy was just planning to use the Five-Tails to trick Iwagakure, so it wasn't a deep-seated grudge...

"You're overthinking it. You learn from your mistakes. I reckon Onoki will find a Jinchuriki after getting the Five-Tails. He'll learn from his mistakes. Last time I messed with him, he sealed the Five-Tails in the mountains and has that Four-Tails Jinchuriki by his side every day, practically sharing a bed with him. It's unlikely he'll get another chance like this."

Masato said that he only remembered that the Five-Tails Jinchuriki of Iwagakure was a steam ninja, but he didn't really know anything about his background. In the original work, that guy was just a water cooler, and his total screen time was less than two episodes. So he didn't know exactly when the Five-Tails was stuffed into someone's stomach. But he thought that the time should be about right. Even if it wasn't the time, Onoki would have started looking for a Jinchuriki for the Five-Tails earlier because of this incident. With the experience of young Murasaki, it would be much easier to find a Jinchuriki for the Five-Tails.

"...Do you think Yusaku is suitable to become a Jinchūriki?"

At this moment, Sunagawa suddenly changed the subject and asked Masato.

Speaking of Jinchuriki, they are also a source of trouble for their village. The Seven-Tails gets along well with Shuri Uzumaki, so there are no problems. The Uzumaki clan's constitution is indeed amazing. However, the One-Tail is a headache for them. It is unknown whether Bunpuku has become more and more proficient in Buddhism and seems to have reached the age of fifty. About a year ago, he seemed to feel that his days were numbered, so he notified them to start looking for a Jinchuriki.

They had dealt with the One-Tailed Beast for many years, and with the Seven-Tailed Beast as a reference, they knew its nature all too well. Even the highly skilled Buddhist monk, Fenfu, couldn't subdue it after so many years, which shows how extreme the One-Tailed Beast's nature was. Unlike the Seven-Tailed Beast, which was beaten up by Shinto and had the physique of the Uzumaki clan, and then became completely docile after spending a few years with Uzumaki Shuri.

However, the selection of the One-Tailed Jinchuriki requires not only unwavering willpower but also a strong mentality. If the One-Tail causes a few setbacks and the candidate's mentality collapses, then the whole thing is pointless. Therefore, after searching the village for over a year, they still haven't found a suitable candidate. The Uzumaki clan would have been the best choice, but now, the last survivors of the Uzumaki clan are even rarer than national treasures. Sasori is still too young to be able to achieve yin-yang harmony with Uzumaki Shuri... Even if they had a baby, Lady Chiyo probably wouldn't agree to let the fourth-generation heir of the Miyamoto clan become the Jinchuriki.

At this time, Shinto's disciple, Kudo Yusaku, came into their view. First of all, in terms of willpower, there was no problem at all. They had also seen the Eight Gates Formation that Shinto had tricked into learning from Konoha. The training of that thing was hellish. Without strong willpower, it was impossible to complete. Didn't you see that Sasori stopped playing after developing ten-pack abs?

His mentality is also okay; he can persevere through such a tedious and simple training, so his mentality isn't easily broken. However, what makes them hesitate is that this kid is a student of Zhen Dou, and they have also studied the Eight Gates Formation. After seeing six gates, he's definitely a Red Pole (a high-ranking official in the martial arts world). If he opens seven gates... then he'll be a real man!

It feels like such a waste to make this child a Jinchūriki; it wouldn't allow him to fully utilize his potential.

So they were undecided. Since Masato had just lifted up the Jinchūriki, Sunakawa wanted to hear Masato's opinion. After all, that kid was this bastard's student, and they had to give him face.

"It's not suitable. First, Kudo is too old and his thinking is mature. Although this is an advantage in resisting the One-Tailed Beast, it is also a disadvantage. This fat cat is different from other tailed beasts. Its personality is too extreme. You can't just beat it up like you would with other tailed beasts. This fat cat can only be slowly influenced by the child's innocent and simple heart. Kudo is already at the age of puberty, full of curiosity about the opposite sex's hormones. His mind is already filled with all sorts of messy thoughts like reproduction. Where is his innocence and simplicity? I've dealt with so many tailed beasts. Based on my experience, the One-Tailed Beast is the most difficult to deal with. Unless you can find another Hashirama Senju and absorb it until its legs go weak, like you did with the Nine-Tailed Beast, no amount of force will work... What? Bunpuku can't hold on anymore? ┐(-??;)┌"

Zhen Dou shrugs.

Just kidding! I went to great lengths to trick Green Skin Dai into giving me the Eight Gates Formation so that "Conan's dad" could take off. If you guys use him as a Jinchūriki, wouldn't all my efforts have been for nothing?

Besides, "Conan's dad" is definitely not that fat cat's true love. Gaara, that fat cat's true love, isn't even a molecule yet. Forcing things won't work and will only be a waste!

562. A showdown between old cunning strategists

In the original work, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki is just a minor character in Takigakure, a character so insignificant that Takigakure barely even appears. So removing the Seven-Tails makes little difference who its Jinchuriki is or which village it's in. However, the Seven-Tails and its chosen one, Gaara, are important supporting characters, almost forming a romantic pairing with the ninja world's top gunner. If they haphazardly pair Gaara with "Conan's dad," a character not even in the original work, resulting in Gaara having no connection with the top gunner, wouldn't the main storyline fall apart? How would they manage that?

His only advantage now is that he knows where the main storyline will go!

Although he had never met Bunpuku, he knew that Bunpuku should still be in good health. He often discussed Buddhism with Chiyo and the like. He should be able to stay healthy for a few more years until the birth of the fat cat's chosen one. Why is he making arrangements for his death now?

"...It's good to prepare early."

Hearing about all the complexities surrounding the One-Tailed Jinchuriki, Sunagawa and Ebizo were completely bewildered. This tiny One-Tail was proving to be even more troublesome than the Seven-Tailed—something they hadn't anticipated. However, remembering how this fat cat had caused trouble for the Second Hokage, some trouble was indeed to be expected. Sasori wasn't even fully grown yet; if he were to cause trouble for Sunagawa one day, their village would be leaderless…

.......

"Lord Tsuchikage, that bounty hunter Kakuzu has sent a message through the Anbu, claiming that the Five-Tails is in his possession and he wants to make a deal with us..."

In Iwagakure, Tsuchiki came to Onoki to report, looking even more excited than when his own father was marrying his thirteenth concubine.

I finally managed to contact them!

During this time, they were going crazy. After the Five-Tails was taken away by that bastard Shiki, Tsuchidae had already raised enough funds, but still no one contacted them. Even Onoki was starting to doubt whether he had really misjudged the situation and that Shiki had secretly sold the Five-Tails to someone else.

However, even after sending extra people to closely monitor the situation in various villages of the ninja world, nothing unusual happened. So they could only wait patiently. Waiting is the most torturous thing, so they couldn't eat or sleep during this time, worried that that bastard Shiki would secretly sell the Five-Tails.

They couldn't openly confront Shiki, since it was just their guess that he had taken the Five-Tails; there was no evidence to prove it was him, and he hadn't even shown his face during the whole process. If they went to Sunagakure and confront Shiki based solely on speculation, those two bastards would definitely deny it, and if their previous attempt to sabotage the village came to light, Konoha would surely condemn them from a moral high ground. Thinking of Hiruzen Sarutobi's pathetic face, Onoki obediently held back and sent his son to the black market to post a bounty...

Just when they were about to lose their patience, finally, news came: it was that bastard Kakuzu again. Ōnoki could confirm with his own ass that it was definitely Shiki who did it.

Everyone in the ninja world knows about the relationship between the bounty hunter Kakuzu and Shiki.

Kakuzu's business acumen as a financial tycoon is beyond doubt. Having been in the financial world for many years, he is an expert in bargaining and negotiation. He is also very dedicated to the interests of his good brother. With the Five-Tails in his hands, the initiative is in his hands. So after separating from his good brother with the Five-Tails, he did not rush to contact Iwagakure. Instead, he continued to run his business and travel around with Miss Koi, with the aim of wearing down Iwagakure's patience. Once Onoki's patience was worn down, it would be much easier to sell it for a good price!

After seeing the bounty on the Five-Tails in the black market, Kakuzu knew that he had almost finished his mission, so he immediately sent a messenger to the Land of Earth to capture an Iwa ninja and have him deliver a message to Onoki.

"...Damn it! It really was that bastard! I'm leaving this to you. Go talk to Kakuzu. As long as you bring the Five-Tails back, spending more money is fine. Use the Earth Shrine to mobilize people, blockade the land, sea, and air. This time, I'll let them know that I'm not so easily fooled! (▼he▼メ)"

After uttering a curse, Onoki spoke to Tsuchiki while giving his son a meaningful look, and at the end, he gritted his teeth.

Do they really think Iwagakure is so easy to fool?

Originally, Onoki intended to spare some money in order to bring back the Five-Tails and save face for his grandfather, as his grandfather's reputation was of utmost importance.

But upon closer reflection, I realized that if this kind of thing happens once, it will happen again and again. If he always obediently pays up when Five-Tails or something else is taken away, wouldn't that embolden criminals? Would they really treat this place like an ATM?

Therefore, Onoki decided to change his plans. He had to bring back Go-Ooya; he had to save face for his grandfather.

So when Tsuchiki reported to him, he fully utilized his cunning nature, letting Tsuchiki negotiate head-on while he secretly led his men to blockade the land, sea, and air, letting everyone know the price of tricking Iwagakure! (▼へ▼メ)

However....

This is a showdown between two cunning old foxes!

"Lord Tsuchikage, we haven't found Kakuzu, only this long little note..."

Onoki was cunning, and Kakuzu was no fool either. Who was Kakuzu? He was a seasoned veteran, even more senior than Chiyo. In terms of age, Kakuzu was a cunning veteran of Onoki's father's generation. When he started out in the underworld, Onoki was still drinking milk. What kind of scoundrels hadn't he seen over the years?

Kakuzu knew exactly who Onoki was, and given his love and love for Onoki, how could he not be wary of Onoki's move?

So when Tsuchiki led his men carrying boxes of cash to the designated transaction location, while Onoki secretly led his underlings to blockade the land, sea, and air, Kakuzu was nowhere to be found at the transaction location. Instead, they discovered a small note stuck to a large tree.

"Onoki, you brat, you're smart, but I'm not stupid either. I was already in this business before you even existed. Given your dishonest actions this time, the deal is canceled. It'll be back in seven days at the same time and place. If you try anything funny again, the Five-Tails will belong to someone else. Shimura Danzo of Konoha has already made an offer to me..."

......

"...Damn bastard! (▼へ▼メ)"

"Civil Engineering, come back in seven days..."

Onoki was furious as he looked at the note in his hand; the veins on his hand bulged and his face contorted in a ferocious expression.

the first time!

This was the first time since his debut that he had felt suppressed. It wasn't that his intelligence was being suppressed, but rather that the other party had far more experience than him, and could guess his thoughts.

This feeling made him very unhappy, and at the same time, he felt a little powerless.

This kind of old fox is just too damn cunning. After all, he's been around for so many more years than me. Even a pig would become a spirit by now, let alone an old guy who survived an assassination attempt on Hashirama Senju.

Although he was very unhappy, he endured it for the sake of his grandfather's reputation...

563. A War Without Gunfire

"Yes, Lord Tsuchikage... -_-||".

Honestly, Tsuchiki didn't agree with his boss's method. The reason was simple: if the other party was someone else, his boss's method might work, but if the other party was Kakuzu, then it was a different story. After all, he was an old man who had survived from the first year of the ninja world to the present day. He was not someone that could be easily outmaneuvered. However, his boss had always been a maverick in some aspects, so even if he disagreed, he didn't dare to raise his hand in opposition.

Just as he expected, since they proposed a transaction on their territory, they naturally took precautions. Why would they be foolish enough to actually come and trade with them? If Kakuzu were that stupid, he wouldn't have survived this long. He's the top bounty hunter rogue ninja in the black market; his status and strength speak for themselves. Countless bounty hunter rogue ninja in the black market want to climb over him to the top. Without some intelligence, how could they succeed...?

To be honest, if his boss didn't come with him after seven days, leaving him to face such a formidable opponent alone, his heart would pound. There was also a bounty on his head in the black market, which was definitely done by that bastard Mitokado Homura. He had been able to hold his own against him for three days and three nights, which was like using someone else to do the dirty work. So he was worried that after making a deal with Kakuzu, that guy would also kill him. He wanted to suggest that young Murasaki come with him, since it would be safer. However, seeing that his boss was on the verge of exploding, he decided not to say anything and could only pray that Kakuzu would really keep his word as the legends said.

...

Seven days later,

At the same time and in the same place, facing a seasoned veteran like Kakuzu, Onoki completely gave up before figuring out a plan, deciding to just pay to avoid trouble.

On this day, Tumu and a few of his underlings cautiously arrived at the agreed location. Kakuzu was already waiting for them. When Kakuzu turned around and stared at him with a pair of eyes that glowed green, Tumu's heart almost jumped out of his chest.

However, his ninja discipline prevented him from trembling, and he calmly began negotiating the price with Kakuzu.

Just kidding. He's the man who once debated with Konoha's top leader, Mitokado Homura. If he didn't even have this much guts, then all those years of hard work by the Iwagakure leadership would have been for nothing.

This is a war without gunfire.

With an intelligence score of 95, Tu Mu is one of the few all-rounders in Iwagakure who can fight and argue. Although his knowledge is limited and he has not studied more obscure subjects such as economics, his super high intelligence allows him to make connections and apply his knowledge in a practical way. In the process of bargaining, he is not at a disadvantage when facing Kakuzu, a financial giant.

Although Kakuzu is a rogue ninja, he is a very principled one. He never uses force to intimidate others when negotiating business, unless they truly cannot reach an agreement...

However, in this war without gunpowder, both sides explained their understanding from an economic perspective, trying to persuade the other to accept their views. Although the two had different positions, one wanted the other to give a discount of two coins, while the other wanted the other to give two more coins. After a heated debate, although the atmosphere was very tense, the Iwa ninja underlings carrying the large sum of money watched the confrontation of the two with great tension.

The two men's saliva mingled, and the younger Iwa ninja was worried that their leader's spitting on the green-eyed monster would displease him and lead to his slaughter. After all, they had already brought the deposit; even if they were killed and the deal fell through, the other party wouldn't lose out...

However, the two who kept talking in front of them ignored the inner thoughts of the Iwa ninja underlings around them, and continued to put forward their own views, trying to persuade the other party to give in. The two talked like this for two days, neither of them convinced the other, and instead they even developed a little bit of mutual respect.

Especially Kakuzu, who had been alone for decades, had encountered many people with better skills than him in the later stages of his career, but none of them could reach his level in economics and talk to him for so long. For so many years, he had been in a state of loneliness at the top. He never expected that he would actually meet someone who could barely compete with him. It was really rare. The more he talked, the more excited and happy he became, and his mouth just kept chattering.

The civil engineer was completely stunned by Kakuzu's research in this field. Truly, he was an old man who never died; not only was he a fierce killer, but his cultural level was also exceptionally deep! Actually, while Kakuzu's asking price was a bit high, it was still within their budget. The reason they wanted to lower the price was because they were heartbroken over the money. The other families were fine, as they were all established powerful families in the village, but his family was just rising to prominence. It was all his hard-earned money from decades of effort. Although he had been decisive and generous in handing it over initially, his easily wounded heart still ached from the thought of giving it away...

However, on the third day of haggling, when Kakuzu's green eyes gradually revealed murderous intent, this war without gunpowder finally came to a successful conclusion.

In the end, intelligence was defeated by strength. Tsuchiki admired Kakuzu's obsession with money, but in the end, he cautiously took a step back and paid a deposit first. He would send the other half after his subordinate sent the Five-Tails back to the village. Of course, to put both sides at ease, Tsuchiki stayed behind as a hostage. Onoki would not go back on his word and abandon their only highly intelligent talent in Iwagakure for that little bit of money.

.....

"Teacher, you're finally back! If you hadn't come back, we would have come looking for you! ╥﹏╥"

The day after Shinto returned, he called out his three nominal disciples to check on the progress of "Conan's dad" and Yekura. Umekawa Nai-i was just called out as a bystander. This guy was already useless, staying at home all day developing those messy ninjutsu, even though he was very hardworking, almost to the point of neglecting to eat and sleep.

However, hard work alone cannot make up for a lack of talent. In the past two years, in terms of knowledge, this kid is almost catching up with the great scientist Snake. However, he has not developed a single proper ninjutsu, but he has developed a lot of random ninjutsu. I don't know if he is really stupid or pretending to be stupid. Mei Chuan Baidi and Mei Chuan Naito are always very excited when they see his development results, as if their child has won the top prize in the imperial examination.

But this kid really isn't cut out for it. However, seeing how supportive the two generations of the Meikawa clan leaders are of his dream, and how genuinely passionate he seems to love developing ninjutsu, Masato couldn't bear to shatter his dream, after all, he hasn't had many dreams!