Tsunade unrolled the scroll but paused before reading it. She looked at Inoiki and said, "You're absolutely right—if you had killed him, it would've caused quite a stir. It's fortunate you didn't. With further interrogation, we might be able to extract more information."
Inoiki met her gaze but offered no response. Internally, he disagreed. He knew Deidara had already yielded everything he knew—there was nothing else to uncover, at least nothing of true value. But he held his tongue. Arguing wouldn't change her mind.
Tsunade then turned her attention to the scroll. It detailed everything about the Akatsuki—their hierarchy, names, abilities.
As she continued, her expression darkened. These weren't just dangerous rogues or missing-nin. They were a highly organized, purpose-driven force, capable of inflicting catastrophic damage. If the Akatsuki ever launched a full-scale offensive—if they ever acted with their full might and intent—then even the great villages would bleed. The cost in lives, in stability, in morale... it would be devastating.
Without a moment's hesitation, Tsunade turned to Shizune and said firmly, "Shizune, go summon all the elders immediately. I have something urgent we need to discuss."
Shizune gave a sharp nod and, without delay, left the Hokage's office to carry out the order.
Once the door closed behind her, Tsunade shifted her gaze back to Inoiki. Her expression was tense, brows drawn together in thought. "This masked man, Tobi—the one you fought… does he really possess such an ability?" she asked. "If what you say is true, then defeating him will be incredibly difficult. In a one-on-one battle, he may very well be invincible."
She wasn't exaggerating, and her use of the word "invincible" stemmed from what Inoiki had already described—or more accurately, inferred. According to Inoiki's analysis, if Tobi chose not to fight head-on, and instead used his abilities purely for evasion, he would be nearly impossible to defeat. His intangibility technique, presumed to be the space-time jutsu Kamui, allowed him to phase through all physical attacks.
Even if the technique had a cooldown period, Inoiki estimated it to be no more than five to ten minutes of continuous use. That alone would make Tobi nearly untouchable. Whenever the duration neared its limit, he could simply sink into the ground and reappear at a safe distance, becoming tangible again. Before the enemy could reach him, he would reactivate his jutsu to become intangible once more. Because the cooldown reset during that interval, he could resume his intangibility—creating an endless cycle of invulnerability and escape.
Inoiki had concluded that unless Tobi made a mistake—unless arrogance or overconfidence drove him to engage directly—there was virtually no opening to exploit. Against such an opponent, conventional tactics would fail. It was like trying to land a blow on a shadow that could choose when to exist.
Inoiki gave a thoughtful nod, his expression serious. "Yes, that's a fair way to put it. But even with all his abilities, we can't overlook the cost of using such a high-level jutsu. Space-time ninjutsu like that must put an enormous strain on the user's chakra reserves. And while Tobi may have an unusually large amount of chakra—possibly even on par with a Jinchūriki—it's not infinite. He can't sustain that kind of technique indefinitely, especially if he's forced to use it repeatedly during battle. Eventually, he'd reach a limit."
He let the words linger for a moment, giving Tsunade time to absorb the implication. Then, with a small exhale, he shifted his stance slightly, his posture relaxing. "Anyway, I think my part here is finished. I've told you everything I know. May I be excused now?"
Tsunade arched an eyebrow at him, folding her arms as she regarded him carefully. "Yes, you've done your job—and you did it well. But why the sudden hurry to leave?"
Inoiki rolled his eyes subtly and offered a dry, tired smile. "Well, for starters, I've been flying non-stop for hours just to get here. I've used up about eighty percent of my chakra, and I can feel every bit of it."
He paused, then added with a more mischievous tone, "And secondly—let's be honest—I really don't want to sit around and listen to the elders lecture and nitpick every detail of this report. You know how I am. I don't have the patience to sit still while they drone on, pretending to be the wisest minds in the village."
His smile faded into a more serious expression. "To be blunt, I'd probably end up saying something I shouldn't. Something they definitely wouldn't like hearing. So unless you want another political headache to deal with, it's probably best if I leave before they get here."
Tsunade nodded, sighing as she leaned back slightly in her chair. "Yes, you're right. It's probably for the best that you leave now. If you stay, you'll almost certainly end up arguing with the elders. And after you storm out, they'll turn their frustrations on me, claiming I can't control my own subordinates." She gave him a pointed look. "So yes, go. But listen carefully—don't pull a reckless stunt like this again. Running yourself down to near exhaustion, burning through almost all your chakra… what if you had been ambushed by another Akatsuki member on your way back? You wouldn't have stood a chance."
Inoiki waved a hand dismissively, clearly unbothered. "I had confidence they wouldn't show up. If any of them had been nearby, they would've intervened when I was fighting those two Akatsuki members. But no one came. That alone told me I was safe."
He crossed his arms and continued, "Besides, during my interrogation of Deidara, I learned something useful—they had just finished sealing the tailed beasts. They're drained. They're not at their peak right now. And if any of them wants to fight me, they need to be at their peak. That's how much faith I have in my abilities."
He glanced back at her with a smirk. "Some people might call it overconfidence. I don't. It's not arrogance—it's fact."
With that, he gave her a final nod, turned toward the window, and leapt through it in one smooth motion. His floating sword caught him in midair, and with a surge of wind, he soared into the sky, vanishing toward the horizon on his way home.
----
Want to get daily updates and read chapters on a daily basis? Then join my Patreon!
Patreon Link: https://[email protected]/Hkj822
Join Discord Link: https://discord.gg/FUnTzyS9