Chapter 191

Kaito was genuinely bewildered at first, completely clueless as to what the hell Ōnoki was on about. 

True, Kaito had indeed done these things. Whether it was the sizable group of Iwa-nin or that fellow Kitsuchi, they all fell by his hand.

But the thing was, Kaito had carried out these deeds so cleanly that it was virtually impossible to leave any evidence behind.

Even if he had used Susano'o, he could easily pin it on Tobi or Itachi; it's not like that'd be something extraordinary. 

Would Tobi and Itachi really tell Ōnoki that they can't use Susano'o because they don't possess both eyes? 

If it came to that, Kaito could simply have Shisui remove one eye and then demonstrate what one-eyed Susano'o looks like.

But Ōnoki, that old man, didn't follow any script. He straightforwardly concluded that Kaito was the perpetrator, and then brazenly signaled his intent to go to war with Konoha. 

This did make Kaito think, and not just Kaito—Nara Shikaku was also momentarily bewildered, before beginning to ponder the old man's thought process.

At this level, wielding significant authority over an entire ninja village, these Kages certainly had their own logic and thought processes behind every action.

Some things may appear foolish, but that foolishness is merely the surface. Its intrinsic meaning is worth deeper consideration.

Take, for example, Kaito's guess about Rasa's decision to instigate the third war, leaving Sunagakure in a terrible state. 

But how does Sunagakure's bad luck have anything to do with him? Rasa did effectively divert attention and eliminate unstable elements in the village, thereby consolidating his authority.

"So Ōnoki must have his own reasons for doing this, or perhaps these actions serve his own interests," Kaito quickly began to think through why Ōnoki might have acted this way. As a transmigrator, Kaito's skills might be lacking in other aspects.

If he were to micro-manage, his proficiency might be less than that of an ordinary ninja.

But Kaito had self-awareness; he knew his limitations and wouldn't mess around. He wouldn't emulate some 'island-dominating' transport captain.

"Such a pity, I didn't even get to see us land on the island, and next thing I know, I'm transmigrating."

What Kaito excelled at was actually overseeing the bigger picture and steering things in the right direction so they wouldn't go astray.

With this skill, he could also analyze a particular event or someone's specific actions based on the overall situation to figure out what really lies beneath the surface.

After only a moment of contemplation, Kaito pretty much guessed what Ōnoki was thinking.

"If I'm not mistaken, Ōnoki is currently in a tight spot, primarily because of us," Kaito chuckled as he spoke to Jiraiya and others.

His words made Jiraiya furrow his brows, while Tsunade caught on immediately, understanding the implications.

"Are you saying that the impeachment event caused by your seven families made him feel threatened, so he's using this Kitsuchi incident to divert attention?" 

I have to say, Tsunade is truly formidable. Despite her flaws in the original work—no, she still has the same flaws. 

For example, her love for gambling hasn't changed a bit, even though she's currently the head of the Medical Department.

It's quite understandable; in the original work, she didn't mend her ways even when she became Hokage, let alone now when she's just in charge of medical affairs.

But her abilities are unquestionable. Though she's had her fair share of questionable decisions—like the time when she tried to capture Sasuke.

Overall, however, she's a fully competent Hokage—hardly inferior to Sarutobi Hiruzen in his youth!

"Still, that's not enough. Ōnoki's prestige is incomparable, and his tactics are not something an ordinary person can withstand. 

Unless there's immense public pressure, someone as conservative as he is wouldn't make such a risky move," Tsunade shook her head rather quickly. Although she wouldn't call herself well-acquainted with Ōnoki, years of gathered intelligence meant that he was no stranger to her.

"Lady Tsunade, don't you know about that incident?"

Just as Kaito was about to speak, Nara Shikaku preemptively questioned Tsunade.

"This intelligence should have already been submitted to both you and the Hokage. It's about their attempt to capture Deidara. 

Deidara is Tsuchikage's disciple, and he has stirred significant public resentment in Iwagakure before leaving the village. 

It's precisely because of his departure that Kitsuchi led the mission to capture him, which then led to some unexpected events. 

You haven't... missed reading that report, have you?"

Nara Shikaku's words immediately caused a slight change in Tsunade's expression. Jiraiya too looked at Tsunade in puzzlement, and it took him quite some time before he sighed softly.

Kaito and the others couldn't help but look at Tsunade speechlessly. So she hadn't even read this intelligence report, huh?

"If that's the case, perhaps I get it now," Jiraiya shook his head, equally at a loss for words, but he also seemed to have caught on.

"So what you're saying is, your impeachment affairs had already put Ōnoki under pressure, and Deidara's situation only made that pressure greater. He then planned for Kitsuchi to capture Deidara to quell public resentment, but it led to even greater problems. Not only did Kitsuchi himself die, but I saw in the report that they also lost hundreds of ninjas. This puts him under even more public scrutiny, right?"

"Exactly," Kaito finally allowed a thin smile to appear on his face. He nodded seriously at Jiraiya, and then proceeded to speak softly.

"It's precisely because he is under such massive public pressure that he needs to divert these conflicts to better manage issues within his own village. As for why he chose us, I think there are only two reasons. The first is naturally the issue with the Susanoo. I've used Susanoo quite a few times in Konoha; their spies within the Leaf probably haven't been sparse in reporting this back. 

As for the second point," here, Kaito's eyes shifted subtly towards the window before he continued at a measured pace, "First, the Anbu suffered significant losses, and the three clans also suffered substantial casualties. Later, Asuma managed the three clans, with blood flowing like a river. Normally, at this time, the people of Konoha would be filled with apprehension, their will to fight hardly strong. 

If they were to act against us, in their eyes, we would have no capability to resist. They might even send troops directly into our territory in the Land of Grass, potentially stealing the interests of the Land of Grass. 

This would both bring benefits to Iwagakure and divert the conflicts, giving Ōnoki time to clean up internal troubles. 

So even if there's no evidence at all, even if he knows he's being framed, he would still go ahead and do it."

Kaito's words caused Jiraiya to furrow his eyebrows while Tsunade appeared lost in thought.

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