"You really think I wouldn't dare?"
When has Oonoki ever swallowed his pride like this?
The only person who ever made him bow his stubborn head was Uchiha Madara.
Even the monstrous Third Raikage—strong as he was—ended up getting worn down and killed when Oonoki used sheer numbers against him.
Hearing Yan's repeated warnings and threats, Oonoki was furious. He slammed his hands on the table and stood up.
Well, technically, he stood on his chair—just so he could seem a little taller.
People shrink as they age, and Oonoki had shrunk quite a lot.
"Of course, I know you would dare! But do you really think I'd be sitting here, letting you threaten me, if I wasn't completely confident that I could handle you?"
Yan chuckled softly.
"I'm not like the Third Raikage, who sacrificed himself to hold the line while letting his guards escape."
Honestly, Yan never understood that move.
Then again, another guy who pulled something similar was Senju Tobirama.
It's crazy to think about—someone as strong as the Third Raikage, whose body was so tough he could go toe-to-toe with the Eight-Tails, actually stayed behind on purpose and let his guards escape when the enemy was chasing them.
Since when was that a Raikage's job?
If you're just going to stay behind whenever enemies show up, then what's the point of having guards?
Are Raikage guards just for show?
At least with Senju Tobirama, it made a little more sense. The Gold and Silver Brothers were leading a massive enemy force against him.
Whether it was him or one of his students staying behind, someone had to do it. He just chose to do it himself so his students could escape.
But Yan always had one question—Tobirama had the Flying Thunder God technique, so how did he even end up surrounded and killed?
If he couldn't win, why didn't he just teleport away?
Anyway, the world of Hokage is full of weird decisions like that.
"Oonoki, don't overestimate yourself. You might end up falling flat on your face. At your age, one bad fall could be the end of you.
And if that happens, Iwagakure Village will be in trouble.
As I recall, you haven't even trained a successor yet, have you?"
"...."
That comment made Oonoki both furious and speechless.
Yan was frustrated by Oonoki's harsh words, but he was also angry at himself. Why did he send his son to the Land of Rain in the first place?
If Kitsuchi were still alive, even if he wasn't the most qualified choice for Tsuchikage, at least he could have kept things stable. He had the ability to do so.
Maybe he wouldn't have been able to make Iwagakure Village stronger, but at the very least, he wouldn't have made a mess of things. That would have been good enough.
But now, Kitsuchi was dead, and the village couldn't find a suitable successor. That left Oonoki with no choice but to endure Yan's harsh words.
"I've had enough!! Uchiha Yan, are you here just to provoke me? Do you want to start a war between Konohagakure and Iwagakure Village?"
Oonoki couldn't hold back anymore.
"No, I'm just reminding you—this kind of thing is best if Iwagakure Village stays out of it.
Otherwise, Konohagakure could do the same to you. And between us, Iwagakure Village has angered far more small villages than we have, hasn't it?"
Yan spread his hands innocently. He was just stating the facts, so why was Oonoki suddenly talking about war?
Being too short-tempered was never a good thing. And at his age, getting worked up so easily could be dangerous.
"I already told you—I don't have a choice in this matter."
"And what does that have to do with Konohagakure?
That's Iwagakure Village's problem. That's the Land of Earth's problem!
If he's the Daimyo, then he should just stay in his palace and enjoy his life.
Why does he have to meddle in village affairs?"
"What kind of nonsense 'conflict' needs your intervention? You think you're some kind of peacemaker? And Kusagakure Village of all places—do they even deserve that?"
"Don't forget, Iwagakure Village has used Kusagakure Village plenty of times too. Do you really think that if Konohagakure threw them a few benefits, they wouldn't turn around and bite you instead?
All it would take is a little push, and they'd be begging Konohagakure to stand up for them."
If Iwagakure Village could play these games, then Konohagakure could play them too—only in a way that would be even more infuriating.
Wanna find out?
Kusagakure Village is like a stray dog. Toss them a few bones, and they'll jump right in, biting whoever you tell them to.
They don't care who threw the bone.
"What exactly do you want?"
Oonoki's patience was wearing thin.
The smile on Yan's face faded. He tapped his fingers on the table twice.
"It's simple. Tomorrow has nothing to do with Iwagakure Village. I don't want to see any of your shinobi getting involved or making a fuss."
"Kusagakure Village wants an explanation? Fine, I'll give them one. I'll make sure they understand the situation clearly. That way, no one else gets the idea that Konohagakure's blades are just for show."
"Uchiha Yan, this is Iwagakure Village, not Konohagakure."
Iwagakure Village had stepped in to help, yet now Yan wanted to kill Kusagakure Village's people right in their territory. How could Oonoki possibly accept that?
"Looks like we're not getting anywhere. In that case, I hope you can keep protecting them. Goodbye."
If they couldn't come to an agreement, then there was nothing left to discuss.
Good luck, Iwagakure Village. Have fun dealing with Kusagakure Village on your own. Konohagakure is out.
Yan couldn't be bothered to waste any more words with Oonoki. He got up and left the Tsuchikage's office.
As he walked out, he turned to the people waiting outside.
"Let's go. The Tsuchikage isn't being very cooperative. Our job here is done. We're heading back."
"???"
Hearing this, the Uchiha clan members were all stunned.
Even the people from Iwagakure Village were confused. The talks hadn't even started yet—how were they already over?
Wasn't this supposed to be a negotiation between Kusagakure Village and Konohagakure, with Iwagakure Village acting as the mediator?
"Yes."
Shisui and the others obediently followed orders. They left the Tsuchikage's office building without any hesitation and walked straight out of the village.
"Tsuchikage-sama."
The Tsuchikage's secretary rushed into the office in a panic.
"The people from Konohagakure... have already left the village."
"Damn it!! He actually dared to leave!!"
Oonoki had been putting on airs, assuming that Konohagakure would care about its reputation. Even if they were unhappy, he thought they would still follow proper procedure—sit down, negotiate, and only leave once an agreement was reached.
How Kusagakure Village would be dealt with afterward, or how revenge would be taken, was a separate matter.
Besides, with the Akatsuki organization as a looming threat, Oonoki didn't believe that Konohagakure would actually want to start a war with Iwagakure Village.
But Yan didn't play by the rules. He just turned around and left.
"Forget about them. If Konohagakure isn't serious about this, it has nothing to do with us.
Just pass the message to the people from Kusagakure Village—
Tell them that Konohagakure's Hokage Advisor is furious and is planning to ambush them on the road. They should watch their backs."
A high-ranking official from a major village threatening to ambush leaders from a small village—once this news spread, it would surely damage Konohagakure's reputation.
Oonoki was eager to see whether the Third Hokage and Tsunade would shamelessly let Yan continue acting this way.
"Reckless brute!!!"
And he claims he's not like the Third Raikage? How is Uchiha Yan any better than him?
Completely unreasonable.
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