"Of course, it's to dig out a few of his bones, as well as tamper with his liver, spleen, and kidneys. Otherwise, are we really going to return a perfectly intact Four-Tails Jinchuriki to that bunch of bastards from Iwagakure?"
Kawaki Aoba stood aside, sensing the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, who was surrounded by a group of Konoha companions.
After learning about Onoki and the others' intentions, he had considered whether to tamper with Roshi's body.
However, before he could act, the Nara clan ninjas and the sealing team had already taken the first step.
Kawaki Aoba's mouth twitched. Poor Roshi, a dignified Kage-level combatant, wouldn't even be as strong as a normal person in the future, let alone continue being a ninja.
Although it was cruel, this was the war of ninjas. Especially for the strong, being able to keep their lives after falling into the hands of the enemy was already extremely lucky.
If Iwagakure and Konoha hadn't negotiated beforehand, Roshi's only fate would have been to have the tailed beast forcibly extracted from his body, causing his chakra to dissipate and leading to his death. Now, he could at least prolong his life for a while.
After everything was done, Kawaki Aoba and his group left with Roshi.
Upon arriving at the place where the Konoha ninjas confronted Onoki, Kawaki Aoba couldn't help but click his tongue as he sensed the situation on the field.
Although they hadn't started fighting yet, the Konoha ninjas' presence gave off a tragic image.
What was the image of the Konoha ninjas now? It was simple: each person carried a stack of explosive tags. Judging by the thickness, each stack held at least 10,000 tags, and the number of ninjas on the field...
Once the two sides started fighting, it was uncertain whether Onoki would die, but at least 80% of the elite ninjas behind him would perish.
Damn Konoha, where did they get so many explosive tags? Could it be that they transferred resources from other battlefields?
Onoki was extremely jealous, and Kawaki Aoba, who constantly sensed the other party's emotional changes, nearly laughed aloud.
What a strong sense of envy.
If Onoki, the old fool, knew that the original purpose of these explosive tags was to destroy Konoha, who knew what he'd think?
That's right, these explosive tags, including the ones Kawaki Aoba had squandered before, were all stockpiled by En'yo Village.
Before En'yo Village was destroyed, their most famous product was explosive tags. After their destruction, all those explosive tags were taken by Gen'on to prepare for the destruction of Konoha.
Now that Konoha had obtained Gen'on, they naturally took over all of that stockpile of explosive tags.
Although it couldn't compare to the 600 billion explosive tags of future Konan, not even a drop in the bucket, it was definitely enough to sustain a great ninja war. If they used it wisely, there might even be some left over.
"Takefu-sama, fortunately, we have brought the Four-Tails Jinchuriki."
Clad in a chakra cloak, Kawaki Aoba and the others appeared with the already unconscious Roshi.
The chakra cloak had been condensed by him just now, to prevent Iwagakure from pulling any tricks and to be prepared to turn hostile at any moment.
Now, it seemed his thinking had been correct. Just looking at the tense atmosphere, if it weren't for their abundance of explosive tags, Onoki might have truly turned hostile and attacked at any time.
Upon seeing Kawaki Aoba and the others, Onoki's face was as if his son had died.
"Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, hmph, Konoha is willing to invest a lot of resources, aren't they afraid of losing the Nine-Tails on the battlefield?" Onoki said in a strange tone.
Akimichi Takefu also turned his head to look at Kawaki Aoba, who was currently wearing the chakra cloak, and didn't show any unusual expression. Instead, he smiled and looked back at Onoki:
"Well, there's no need for Tsuchikage-sama to worry about that. We've already brought the Four-Tails Jinchuriki. As long as Iwagakure abides by the treaty with Konoha, Tsuchikage-sama can take him now."
Looking at Roshi's current state, Onoki's face seemed so grim that water could have dripped from it.
Roshi's hands were twisted irregularly, indicating his hand bones had been completely broken.
The patella at his knee had also been dug out, leaving him completely disabled. In addition, there were various wounds of all sizes on his body.
This Four-Tails Jinchuriki was now useless, and Iwagakure could only cultivate a new one.
The cultivation cycle would take at least a few years. If the Jinchuriki was a child, it would take even longer.
But no matter how they chose to proceed, they couldn't expect the Jinchuriki to possess any significant combat power in this ninja war.
Onoki swept his gaze toward Kawaki Aoba, and various vicious thoughts emerged, but those explosive tags were truly terrifying.
Of course, there was also the factor of fearing Kawaki Aoba's strength. If Kawaki Aoba had been weak, Onoki wouldn't have minded grabbing Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to negotiate some terms, but based on the intelligence analysis and Kawaki Aoba's current state, he was clearly not someone to mess with.
"Hmph, our Iwagakure is not the kind of village that goes back on its word. Since I have already agreed to the terms with that old fool Hiruzen Sarutobi, it is impossible to back out. Tōshi, take Roshi. Let's go back."
With another cold snort, Onoki turned around and left directly. The Iwagakure ninjas followed after taking Roshi.
After they had completely left, a sensory ninja walked up to Onoki and said, "Tsuchikage-sama, there is a problem with that Nine-Tails Jinchuriki brat's chakra. It doesn't appear to be violent tailed beast chakra at all."
Hearing this, Onoki waved his hand casually. "I already knew what you were going to say when I saw that brat. It must be a sealing technique newly developed by Konoha to filter tailed beast chakra."
While saying this, Onoki's tone carried a strong sourness. Although they were both part of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, Iwagakure was still far behind Konoha, which had vast resources and influence.
On the Konoha side, after seeing Onoki and the others leave, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, the other party was the Tsuchikage, and the pressure brought by his status, position, and strength was not to be taken lightly.
Had a conflict truly broken out, a large part of them might not have survived.
But fortunately, although the transaction had been tense, the outcome was favorable.
At this time, Akimichi Takekaze patted Aoba Kawaki on the shoulder and said kindly, "This transaction went smoothly thanks to you, Aoba."
"If you hadn't caught the Four-Tails at that critical moment, I would have been a sinner who betrayed the village's interests."
"Elder Akimichi, you're too kind. This is what I should do," Aoba Kawaki replied humbly.
While speaking, Aoba Kawaki's Observation Haki was firmly locked onto Onoki and the others.
Whether it was an illusion or not, he felt that after Onoki and the others disappeared from their sight, the Iwagakure ninjas seemed to move faster, as though in a hurry to return.
Especially that old fellow, Onoki, who, as a Kage, had flown off first.
If he left in such a hurry, something serious must have happened in Iwagakure, or perhaps on the battlefield between Iwagakure and Kumogakure.
Aoba Kawaki began to recall the events of Iwagakure during the Third Shinobi World War.
After all, Iwagakure wasn't often the protagonist in those battles. After thinking for a while, the only thing that could make Onoki so anxious was probably the incident where he ambushed the Third Raikage with ten thousand Iwagakure ninjas.
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, had personally led the ambush within the borders of the Land of Earth, where the Third Raikage died from exhaustion.
But according to Aoba Kawaki's vague memory, that event occurred later in the Third Shinobi World War. The Raikage had crossed the sea for a surprise attack only after most of Iwagakure's forces had been drawn to the Konoha and Kumogakure battlefields.
Wait, if we think about it this way, then the current situation…
Aoba Kawaki suddenly realized that after his disturbance in Kusagakure, Onoki and Iwagakure's Jinchuriki had been distracted, leaving Iwagakure in a vulnerable state.
With the Third Raikage's tactics, he would never pass up such an opportunity to strike.
This all made sense.
This negotiation wasn't just Konoha using the Tailed Beasts to reach a temporary peace with Iwagakure. It was also a trap set up by both villages to take advantage of Kumogakure.
Although Kumogakure and Iwagakure were geographically close, they had been long-time enemies. Once they found an opening, neither would hesitate to stab the other in the back. And as for Konoha? They were more than happy to watch from the sidelines, no matter who ended up on the losing side.
Now that Aoba Kawaki had figured everything out, his thoughts began to race.
The commotion caused by this grand spectacle was no small matter. He wondered if he could take advantage of it.
With his current strength, he didn't have the guts to charge into the battlefields of both sides, but sneaking into their strongholds was another matter.
Not to mention, the ten thousand ninjas that Iwagakure had dispatched to ambush the Third Raikage had certainly drained their resources.
And with many of their forces occupied on two major battlefields, how many ninjas could Iwagakure have left to defend the homefront?
If he hadn't thought of it before, now the idea was irresistible.
Even if Iwagakure's treasures didn't compare to Konoha's, they would certainly allow him to rise in power. And such opportunities came once in a lifetime.
His heart throbbed with excitement, and Aoba Kawaki's empty eyes began to glow with anticipation.
Upon returning to the camp, Aoba Kawaki decided to request something from Akimichi Takekaze: Tailed Beast chakra.
If circumstances hadn't been so unfavorable before, he would have already drained the chakra from the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, Han, and wouldn't have waited until now.
As for the use of the Tailed Beast chakra, it wasn't to merge with the Ten-Tails in the future. Aoba had no interest in keeping anything messy in his body; he simply wanted to perform a ritual sacrifice.
He would soon sneak into Iwagakure to steal their riches, and increasing his strength was essential.
"You want Tailed Beast chakra?" Akimichi Takekaze asked, slightly surprised.
He recalled Aoba Kawaki's chakra cloak from earlier.
He speculated that it was a secret technique Aoba Kawaki had created, and now asking for Tailed Beast chakra was probably to enhance or upgrade that technique.
Yuhi Kurenai, overhearing: "...Could it be that I developed that secret technique?"
Considering Aoba Kawaki's contributions to the battle and his reputation as a ninja technique genius, Akimichi Takekaze agreed.
After all, it was just some Tailed Beast chakra for research purposes. He believed he still had the authority to approve it.
In the end, Akimichi Takekaze agreed to give Aoba Kawaki two sealed scrolls containing Four-Tails chakra and the right to use the Five-Tails chakra from Han before he was escorted to Konoha.
When sealing the Four-Tails chakra, Konoha had prepared five ultra-large chakra sealing scrolls, filling four and a half of them.
Although Aoba Kawaki had played the biggest role in capturing the two Tailed Beasts, the operation wouldn't have been so smooth without help from his Konoha comrades.
Carrying the two scrolls of Four-Tails chakra, Aoba Kawaki returned to his tent, feeling satisfied.
Now, he had certain privileges. Not only did he have a separate tent, but people began calling him "Sir" as he walked through the camp.
Some even referred to him as a Jonin, which was quite satisfying.
But even so, his happiness was tempered by the realization that improving his strength was his main priority.
Once back in his tent, Aoba Kawaki immediately placed the two scrolls of Four-Tails chakra on the altar.
Given the value of Tailed Beast chakra in the ninja world, Aoba Kawaki was filled with eager anticipation.
Even if the sacrifice didn't yield something extraordinary, it should at least be comparable to a normal S-rank ninjutsu.
The sacrifice began!
The sacrifice ended!
This time, what appeared on the altar was a rhombus-shaped crystal.
Seeing the rhombus-shaped crystal, Aoba Kawaki's eyes lit up. The last time he had received the Kuraama clan's Kekkei Genkai, a similar crystal had appeared.
This meant that what he had obtained from this sacrifice was likely related to a Kekkei Genkai.
Excitedly grasping the crystal in his palm, the information contained within it flooded his mind. Aoba Kawaki's smile faltered as he processed the shocking revelation.
The information contained in the crystal was: Extremely incomplete, low-level, thin Saiyan bloodline.
Extremely incomplete, low-level, thin.
His focus immediately narrowed on the word Saiyan.
This was the Saiyan— the battle-hardened race from the Dragon Ball universe.
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