37 - Cold Tea and Colder Hearts

The sudden, fierce whirlwind left Kitsuchi utterly dumbfounded. Debris whirled around him, his heavy armor offering no protection against the invisible force that lifted him off his feet. What is this? I've ever seen moves like this! How can he still use this jutsu without hand signs?

His fingers desperately tried to form seals, but it was like his chakra was being scattered by the wind itself.

Without the ability to make hand signs, techniques like Body Flicker, Shadow Clone, and Substitution were out of reach; a ninja's proud agility was fully neutralized, leaving only the option to physically withstand the attack.

The wind cut into his skin like countless invisible blades, turning his own helplessness into a weapon against him.

The only thing he could do was shouting. "Hold formation! Don't let them—"

"Shinra Tensei!"

The second Shinra Tensei forced back all the Iwa ninjas who had tried to advance. Bodies flew through the air like leaves in a storm.

At the same time, several members of Akatsuki performed hand signs in unison.

"Earth Style: Mobile Core!"

This jutsu transformed the terrain, sinking the ground beneath the Iwa ninjas by a full six meters. A simple descent might not faze them, given their own expertise in manipulating terrain. But when they saw explosive tags plastered densely on the surrounding rock walls, even the fearless Iwa ninjas grew uneasy.

"What is this?!"

"The walls... they're covered in tags!"

"Run!"

But as they leapt up, they heard that same terrifying chant once more.

"Shinra Tensei!"

Anyone attempting to escape from the pit was immediately forced back by a powerful shockwave. Bodies crashed against the explosive-lined walls. Three times now. Even Nagato must be feeling the strain, Shin noted, watching his companion's subtle signs of fatigue.

After three repeated attempts, the Iwa ninjas finally realized they had no counter for this jutsu.

Meanwhile, Kitsuchi, who had been ravaged by the whirlwind and was covered in wounds, finally crashed to the ground. His sturdy body hit the ground, the impact creating small cracks in the earth.

Before he could even attempt to rise, Shin's boot slammed down on his back, driving him deeper into the dirt. His blade hovered over Kitsuchi, the tip pointed directly at his throat, drawing a single drop of blood.

"I wouldn't move if I were you," Shin said. "You can try, of course, but he'll be dead before you take a step. Are you really willing to let the Tsuchikage's son die here?"

The remaining Iwa ninjas froze, their eyes fixed on the scene before them. It wasn't just Kitsuchi's swift defeat that held them in place—the unlit explosive tags scattered around them and Nagato's presence left them with few options.

Had these challenges arisen individually, they would have had ways to cope. The explosive tags, although numerous, posed only limited threat to elite ninjas; Shinra Tensei, while unstoppable, couldn't be endlessly repeated by Nagato in his current state; and though Kitsuchi was captured, there were still other elite ninjas in their ranks.

But with all these threats concentrated and unleashed in such a short period, the Iwa ninjas' mental resilience finally crumbled.

Then Shin repeated his declaration from the beginning, "I've said it before: Akatsuki has no intention of making enemies with Iwa."

This time, his words were met with the respect they deserved. Several Iwa ninja exchanged glances. Power speaks louder than words. Now they'll listen.

"Anyone who acts out will be held accountable for inciting war and for causing the Tsuchikage's son's death."

Even the last few stubborn members of the Iwa ninja squad finally obeyed, their hands dropping from half-formed seals.

Kitsuchi lay on the ground. Blood and dirt mixed on his cheeks as he realized he'd become the enemy's hostage and weak point.

"Forget about me! Don't let them—" he tried to shout, but was immediately silenced as Shin plunged his blade into the earth inches from his face.

Sometimes mercy is more cruel than violence, he mused, watching Kitsuchi's shoulders shake with suppressed anger.

The Iwa ninjas could only watch while the Akatsuki members were invigorated by the sight. Their leader had triumphed and was now using the Tsuchikage's son to threaten Iwa. All they felt was pride as they stood taller. The rain-soaked warriors of a forgotten village finally felt the warmth of respect.

In that moment, ideals of peace and mutual understanding between people were forgotten. The taste of victory was too sweet, too intoxicating.

This was the confidence Shin instilled in them.

Fortunately, Shin himself remained clear-headed, even as the center of their admiration. The real battle wasn't won with fists or jutsu, but with words and leverage.

Seeing the Iwa ninjas subdued, he calmly revealed his pre-prepared negotiation terms, his voice carrying the weight of absolute authority.

"As I said, Akatsuki has no intention of opposing Iwa. You may send one of your men back to report to the Tsuchikage. Also, tell him that I have a deal to propose."

An Iwa jonin in the crowd retorted, "Iwa will not be intimidated! We are not some weak village to be—"

Shin only smiled. "This isn't a threat. It's a genuine offer—a fair transaction."

He gestured to Konan, as his left hand was injured, and his right hand held his blade. Understanding his intent, she stepped forward. She took a scroll from his waist and unfurled it.

With a puff of smoke, a slightly damaged but well-preserved body appeared before them.

It was the body of Torune.

"As you can see, this is the corpse of Torune."

"From his brain, we've extracted a wealth of intelligence, including information related to Iwa."

"If the Tsuchikage wishes to accept peace, we're willing to sell this information at a fair price. If not, you'll be left with only the corpse of his son at my feet." He pressed his boot slightly harder against Kitsuchi's back to emphasize his point.

The Iwa ninjas exchanged shocked glances, murmuring in disbelief.

"Is that really Konoha's Torune?"

"How could Ame..."

At first, there were many doubters. But gradually, those who doubted fell silent without encountering any rebuttal. The evidence of Ame's power lay bleeding and broken around them, too real to deny.

Was there really any room for doubt? Hadn't they just tested the Ame ninjas' strength firsthand?

Some experienced jonin raised a different concern. "As everyone knows, the minds of Root members can't yield any useful information—they're sealed with a special jutsu. What kind of intelligence do you really have?"

But Shin smiled confidently, the kind of smile that made even hardened warriors uncomfortable.

"Just because you can't extract it doesn't mean we can't. As for what information it is, that's something you'll have to pay to unlock."

Of course, this was a bluff—he couldn't break the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal. The complex seal work on Root members was beyond even the most skilled shinobi.

But he didn't need a dead man's brain to acquire intelligence. After all, there were things even Torune couldn't foresee that he already knew. His future knowledge was a far more potent weapon than any information they could extract from a corpse.

Seeing Shin's confidence, the previously steadfast Iwa ninjas felt themselves waver. In such a vast ninja world, there was little beyond belief. The impossible happened daily, and the unthinkable became reality with frightening regularity.

And this organization had already achieved so many incredible feats. The evidence of their power lay scattered across the battlefield—elite Iwa ninja trapped like genin, the mighty Kitsuchi pinned to the ground like a common thug, and Nagato's impossible jutsu that defied their understanding of nature itself.

If it had been before today, they would have sworn Hanzō was the only threat Ame could produce. How wrong they'd been about the Land of Rain's true depths. Each passing moment made their previous assumptions seem more foolish, more dangerous.

Now, even the idea of them breaking the cursed seal didn't seem entirely impossible. What was one more miracle from an organization that had already shattered their understanding of what was possible?

In the end, several Iwa jonin quietly discussed among themselves. A few glanced at Kitsuchi, still pinned beneath Shin's blade, before reaching their decision.

"Maybe we should return and let the Tsuchikage decide." The words came slowly, painfully, like pulling teeth. But they came all the same.

---

On the second day, when an Iwa ninja arrived at Ame with news, Ōnoki was still locked in a tense, silent stare-off with Hanzō. This salamander, still playing his games. Does he think I can't see through this act?

Hanzō was skilled in poison techniques, his toxins being a true large-scale weapon. Engaging him in a direct assault was futile; a larger force would only turn into a liability before the Salamander.

Thus, Ōnoki came alone, with no subordinates, to seek an explanation from Hanzō. His poison could fill the room. But he knows my Dust Release could reduce this building to nothing.

"The tea will get cold, Ōnoki."

"I prefer it that way."

The two men sat across a small tea table, seeming calm on the surface, while internally cursing each other. Each thought: "How long is he going to keep up this act?"

Their silent showdown was interrupted only when an Iwa ninja arrived in the courtyard outside.

Seeing it was his own man, Ōnoki raised his thick eyebrows, shooting a smug look at Hanzō. In his mind, as long as Hanzō didn't make a move, Iwa held a clear advantage over Ame.

However, the Iwa ninja entered the room with a troubled expression, hesitating as he glanced at Hanzō. The ninja's sandals scraped against the wooden floor as he shifted uncomfortably.

Unaware of what had happened outside, Ōnoki confidently stroked his mustache and said, "Don't worry about him; speak freely."

But in the next moment, the Iwa ninja struggled to speak, finally uttering a sentence that turned Ōnoki to stone.

"Tsuchikage-sama, Kitsuchi-sama was defeated and captured. Akatsuki claims they have no intention to start a war and only wish to negotiate with you."

A gentle breeze blew through the courtyard, swirling a leaf past the frozen Ōnoki.

Hanzō, who had been playing dead, came back to life upon hearing this and couldn't resist laughing with a dark, distorted sound filtered through his respirator: "Hehehehehe! It seems the winds of change blow strong in Ame."

Ōnoki's face flushed red as he stood up, and left Hanzō's place without a word. Not another moment could he stand being in that wretched courtyard.

Hanzō called after him, "Leaving so soon? The tea is still warm."

Ōnoki suppressed the urge to obliterate the entire table with Dust Release, refusing to acknowledge the mockery. Using his Lightened Boulder Jutsu, he rose silently into the air and departed.

Once out of the courtyard, he turned to the Iwa ninja and asked for a full report. "Tell me everything. Leave nothing out."

The ninja detailed everything. "It happened so fast, Tsuchikage-sama."

He explained how Kitsuchi had encountered a trap, attempted a counterattack, but was defeated by the Akatsuki within three moves.

Ōnoki's expression darkened with each word.

"This Akatsuki… Who exactly are they? Who defeated Kitsuchi?"

The ninja replied, shifting nervously under his leader's intense gaze. "It's unclear. We only know the individual appears to be the organization's leader. He looks to be a teenager, skilled in swordsmanship and genjutsu."

"A teenager, you say? The one who defeated Kitsuchi is just a kid? Dammit!" First Konoha's Yellow Flash, now this! Are we breeding nothing but rocks in Iwa?

Ōnoki's bitterness swelled. Konoha already had a young Minato that filled him with frustration, and now even Ame produced a genius who could defeat Kitsuchi in three moves. Meanwhile, Iwa was facing a severe generational gap, leaving him unable to find a successor.

Seeing Ōnoki's darkened expression, the Iwa ninja nervously asked, "Tsuchikage-sama, should we accept the offer? Kitsuchi-sama…is still in their hands."

Despite his frustration, Ōnoki couldn't abandon his son. "How is Kitsuchi?"

The ninja responded, "He is gravely injured, but Akatsuki's leader provided minimal treatment. He's in no mortal danger but is still detained by them."

Ōnoki's eyes narrowed as he picked up on a detail: Akatsuki's leader had medical skills.

"And they claim to have decoded Root's seals?"

"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama. They seemed quite confident," the ninja confirmed.

His hand trembled. Why couldn't someone like that have been born in Iwa?

His envy gnawed at him, along with his irritation toward Kitsuchi for not being as capable.

"Since he's alive, let him suffer a bit longer. No rush to bring him back." Let this be a lesson in humility for him.

The Iwa ninja was shocked, taking a step back at his leader's harsh words. "We're not agreeing to the deal?"

"No," Ōnoki replied, "we'll agree, but not yet. Relay to them that we'll negotiate in five days."

He placed a hand on the ninja's shoulder. "In the meantime, I want everything. Their movements, their connections, their real strength."

"I need you to gather as much information as possible on this organization. Find out if they truly possess intel from Root."

"Iwa can negotiate, but we won't be blackmailed without knowing the full picture."

Ōnoki, though ruthless, put the village's interests above all else. He was skeptical of Akatsuki's claim to have deciphered Root's seals, achievements long thought impossible given Konoha's expertise with Uzumaki seals.

It wasn't easy for him to accept that a kid could break a seal that had confounded other shinobi villages for years.

Moreover, he personally found it unbearable to believe. This teenager was already too exceptional—so much that it pained Ōnoki deeply. He didn't want to hear of further accomplishments by a young shinobi from another village.

The Iwa ninja nodded and departed.

Soon, news reached Akatsuki. Hearing that Iwa would only negotiate after five days, Shin smiled knowingly. The messenger's words had confirmed his predictions perfectly. Five days? Perfect. More than enough time to set everything in place.

"It seems the game must go on. It's my turn now."

---

Did any of you listen to the 'opening songs'? I'm not sure if I should write and create one for Volume 3 since no one seemed to listen to the previous ones.

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