Just as Kawaki Aoba manipulated the smoke to reach Deidara, the smoke clones dispatched elsewhere had already made a discovery.
Despite deploying a large number of smoke clones simultaneously, they failed to locate the Book of Seals. However, on the top floor of the Tsuchikage Building—within the Tsuchikage's office—they encountered something unexpected.
By the time Kawaki Aoba arrived, many smoke clones had already dissipated under attack.
And the one who had attacked them…
Upon seeing the attacker, the corners of Kawaki Aoba's mouth curled into a smile. He hadn't expected such a surprise—what a big fish he'd caught.
The individual held up in the Tsuchikage's office by the smoke clones was none other than the future Fifth Tsuchikage—Kurotsuchi.
Though still a young girl, Kurotsuchi already showed signs of the grit that would one day make her Onoki's successor.
S-Rank Ninjutsu? No… I want the Four-Tails.
"Who are you?" Kurotsuchi demanded, standing her ground. "This is the Tsuchikage Building. You can't destroy it at will."
She held a kunai in front of her, trying to mask her fear with courage. "If you leave now, I'll act like nothing happened. Otherwise, you'll be hunted by Iwagakure."
Kurotsuchi's voice wavered slightly, but her determination didn't. Despite her fear, she stepped forward, not back.
Kawaki Aoba, amused by the child's resolve, smiled even wider.
"You must be Kurotsuchi—Onoki's granddaughter, right? What a coincidence. My name is Baiyun. Don't worry. As long as you cooperate and tell me where Iwagakure's Book of Seals is, no harm will come to you."
He sounded sincere, but the twisted smile on his face, masked by a jutsu resembling the marine Smoker (clearly a meta-reference), did little to comfort the girl.
Kurotsuchi instinctively stepped back and tightened her grip on the kunai.
Seeing that persuasion had failed, Kawaki Aoba stepped forward.
Just as he reached for her, a powerful punch suddenly crashed down from above—aimed directly at his head.
Earth Release: Fist of Stone!
It was a classic Earth Release technique—one that imbued the user's fist with the weight and hardness of a boulder. If it landed, the damage would be catastrophic.
The ninja had been well-hidden—so well, in fact, that even Kawaki Aoba hadn't sensed him.
But the moment the punch landed—
Bang!
Boom!
The first was the clone's detonation. The second, the aftermath of the powerful blow blasting through the floor.
The ambusher crashed through, landing on the level below. It wasn't Kawaki Aoba who'd taken the hit—but a smoke clone.
The real Kawaki Aoba reappeared behind Kurotsuchi in an instant, smoke surging from his body and transforming into restraints that wrapped tightly around her.
Though she struggled, Kurotsuchi was still just a genin. She had no hope of breaking free.
"Miss Kurotsuchi," he said calmly, "I'll say it once more. Hand over the Book of Seals, and I'll leave peacefully. No one else needs to get hurt."
He glanced at the hole left in the floor. The ninja who had struck his clone was climbing back up, clearly agitated.
Now that Kawaki Aoba held Kurotsuchi hostage, the Iwa shinobi froze—his hands clenched, his face grim.
"There is no Book of Seals," Kurotsuchi said at last. "You're wasting your time. Iwagakure doesn't keep one."
Kawaki Aoba smirked. "Heh. Do you think I'd believe that? I wasn't born yesterday."
Even if the Book didn't exist, there was no way he would leave empty-handed.
"No Book of Seals? Fine. Then hand over every scroll, training manual, and secret technique Iwagakure possesses."
"You're insane!" barked the ninja who had ambushed him earlier. "That's the core of our village. We'll never give it to you! Iwagakure's Will of Stone won't allow us to bow to terrorists."
His voice was steady, eyes locked on Kurotsuchi—but filled with resolve. He wouldn't give in.
Kawaki Aoba scoffed. "Don't say that nonsense. If you really had that kind of resolve, you'd throw that kunai right now and kill your Tsuchikage's heir. Go ahead. I won't stop you."
The Iwagakure ninja froze.
"Tch." Kawaki Aoba clicked his tongue in disdain.
After a long silence, the ninja took a breath and growled, "What do you really want? Don't waste time asking for everything. That's not happening."
Aoba grinned.
"So you're saying... you can give me something. Good. Let's talk trade."
The Iwagakure shinobi was silent for a long moment before responding in a low voice, "If you release Lord Kurotsuchi and leave Iwagakure immediately, we're willing to offer one A-rank ninjutsu, five B-rank techniques, and a substantial number of C-rank jutsu."
"Heh." Aoba Kawaki sneered, clearly unimpressed. "Do I look like a beggar to you? You think the granddaughter of the Third Tsuchikage is worth that little? Or are you saying I risked a war with your village for scraps?"
The Iwa ninja clenched his fists in anger. So this guy does realize that Iwagakure isn't a force to be taken lightly. Yet, despite his fury, he didn't act rashly—because Aoba Kawaki held all the cards.
"Then tell me," the Iwa shinobi asked through gritted teeth, "what do you want?"
"Now we're talking," Aoba said, his expression sharpening. "This is an exchange, right? Then let's trade equally."
He gestured toward the thick mist outside. "Your forces are already surrounded and restrained by my technique. If you want them back alive, you'll hand over your Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique."
The Iwa shinobi's face darkened. "That jutsu is only taught to those personally acknowledged by the Tsuchikage. It cannot be handed over lightly."
Aoba could tell he wasn't bluffing. To Iwagakure, that technique was more valuable than the lives of its own operatives.
Thinking quickly, Aoba raised the stakes. "There's a blond kid among your group—young, but talented. He uses explosive clay, doesn't he? That kind of art jutsu isn't something a random genin can pull off. He must be one of your elite trainees. How about I throw in his life too?"
The Iwa shinobi's jaw tightened.
That "blond kid" could only be Deidara. Still just a prodigy, not yet a full-fledged ninja, but already earmarked for greatness by the Tsuchikage himself. Alongside Kurotsuchi, Deidara was one of Iwagakure's brightest hopes for the future.
Damn it, why was that brat outside the walls to begin with? He's not even officially a shinobi, and he's already been taken hostage.
Aoba leaned in, his grin growing sinister. "Judging by your face, I guessed right. So, what'll it be? Do you want to trade the Light-Weight Rock Technique for their lives? I'd think carefully—next time we talk, it might be over their corpses."
His smile warped into something feral—psychotic, even. But he didn't care. He was disguising himself using the image of Smoker, a notorious marine from another world he'd modeled his transformation on. It didn't matter if people associated the madness with him—Aoba Kawaki remained safe behind the mask.
"I… agree," the Iwagakure ninja finally said, practically grinding his teeth into powder. "You'll get the technique. Just let that boy and the rest of our shinobi live."
But Aoba wasn't done.
He lifted his hand, casually signaling that Kurotsuchi was still very much under his control.
"The granddaughter of Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage—Kurotsuchi—is not just some hostage. She's one of your village's brightest talents and your future leader. Don't you think she's worth the Super-Weight Rock Technique?"
"…Fine." This time, the Iwa shinobi didn't hesitate.
That made Aoba suspicious. He agreed too fast. Did I ask for too little? There wouldn't be another opportunity like this to bleed Iwagakure dry. He needed to milk it.
"I'm not finished yet," Aoba said. "There's still the matter of your next generation. You don't want your ninja academy students to meet with any… unfortunate accidents, do you?"
The Iwa shinobi's eyes went wide, the rage in his stare enough to kill. "What are you implying?"
Aoba waved dismissively. "Relax. I'm not saying I'll do anything—yet. It's just my third chip. I'll leave the academy students untouched… as part of the deal."
It was an outright threat. And the worst part? The Iwa shinobi couldn't call his bluff.
Right now, Iwagakure was spread thin. Most of its combat-ready forces were either on distant assignments or guarding vital strongholds. The man standing before Aoba was one of the few available high-ranking operatives.
It was maddening.
"You should be careful not to push too far," the Iwa shinobi said at last. "Our village isn't a soft persimmon you can squeeze as you like."
Aoba smirked. "You're bluffing again."
But the Iwa shinobi pressed forward: "If you can use the lives of our academy students as a third bargaining chip… then would you be willing to count our clerical staff as a fourth? What about civilians? What about infrastructure?"
"If you really calculated everything," he continued coldly, "I doubt the entire Iwagakure Village would be enough to meet the value of all your 'chips.'"
"Oh?" Aoba raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained. "So you saw through me, huh?"
The Iwa shinobi's face was black with fury. Whether Aoba meant it or not didn't matter—he had no choice but to stay calm.
He took a deep breath and said: "Enough games. We acknowledge that you exploited a weakness in our defenses. But don't overreach. Iwagakure still has its pride."
"If you push us too far, we'll go down fighting. Even if this village is reduced to rubble, we will rebuild. But you, Aoba Kawaki—if you leave nothing but scorched earth behind, the entire shinobi world will hunt you down."
"You're threatening me?" Aoba's eyes narrowed, and killing intent surged around him.
"No," the Iwa shinobi replied, meeting his gaze without flinching. "I'm warning you. There's a difference."
He was ready to die if it meant protecting the future of Iwagakure.
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