Kin stood at the edge of the crater created by the Wood Dragon, raising his hand as vines sprouted from his body and pulled Ōnoki out of the ground.
Though his aura was weak, the Tsuchikage wasn't dead yet.
This meant there was still room for negotiation.
Kin watched as Ōnoki dangled upside-down from the vines, gasping for breath yet still seething with anger.
"Still want to fight?"
"If it weren't for your clones draining so much of my chakra, the outcome might've been different!"
Kin nodded, summoning wooden branches to tightly bind Ōnoki.
"I see. You still want a fight."
"Heavenly Demon Chakra Erosion!"
A fusion of the Heavenly Demon Art and the Six Treasuries Immortal Thief, this technique absorbed the enemy's chakra for personal use.
Ōnoki's chakra flowed relentlessly into Kin's body.
"Stop! Stop!!" Ōnoki thrashed violently. "I surrender! I give up, damn it!!"
He was on the verge of having his last breath drained away.
Only then did Kin halt the technique, releasing the wooden bindings but leaving Ōnoki hanging from the vines.
"Could you at least put me down?" Ōnoki wheezed weakly.
"You're fine where you are, old man."
Kin had no intention of letting him down. Instead, he stepped onto the air with Moonwalk, carrying the dangling Ōnoki toward Kusagakure.
"Bastard!! I hate being called short!"
Ōnoki suddenly regained his vigor, struggling fiercely.
"I didn't call you short. I said 'old man.'"
Kin sighed at Ōnoki's selective hearing.
"I'll kill you!!"
No one was allowed to call him short. Ōnoki continued to flail, ready to take this brat down with him no matter what.
"Should I let go?"
"You're magnanimous! I am short!"
Ōnoki decided there was no hardship he couldn't endure—as long as he lived.
He'd never admitted to being short before.
Kin was thoroughly done with this clown.
How did Iwagakure put up with him?
When they returned to the meeting room in Kusagakure, the atmosphere was oddly serene. Everyone sat quietly, sipping tea in silence.
"You're all getting along?"
Kin looked around in confusion. Given Kakuzu's temperament, he'd expected a brawl.
"After hearing your commotion, fighting seemed pointless."
Kakuzu replied calmly.
The shockwaves from their distant battle had even reached Kusagakure, and the destruction of entire mountains was visible from the village.
No one was in the mood to fight.
The whole village had fallen into a hushed stillness.
"Um…" Huangtu cautiously raised his hand.
"Could we have our Tsuchikage back?"
His father's lessons had been right. Seeing the state Ōnoki was in, Huangtu had learned his lesson—thoroughly.
It was terrifying.
A minor village like this had someone who could beat their Tsuchikage to a pulp.
He'd never underestimate anyone or any village again.
His father's "lesson" had been deeply effective.
Kin nodded and tossed Ōnoki to the two anxious subordinates. They hurriedly caught him.
"Damn brat!!"
Ōnoki floated in the air, kicking his son in frustration.
"Dad, stop!! That hurts!! I'm your son!! Your flesh and blood!!"
Huangtu felt wronged. He hadn't done anything, so why was he being kicked?
Blame the bastard who beat you, not me!
Ōnoki shot a glare at Kin, who was watching the spectacle with amusement, and grew even angrier.
After venting some of his rage by kicking Huangtu to the ground, Ōnoki finally calmed slightly.
Huangtu crouched on the floor, covering his head and shooting a pitiful, tearful look at the kunoichi who had accompanied them.
She couldn't help but chuckle.
At least spending time with these two was never dull.
"We're on foreign ground! Act dignified!"
Ōnoki scowled at her, and she quickly straightened her expression.
He then turned to Kin, who was sipping tea with utter calm.
"Let's talk."
Originally, he'd planned to seize Kusagakure by force, but as a backup, he'd also prepared for negotiations—money in hand.
"Kakuzu, your turn."
"Got it."
Kakuzu eagerly stepped forward to negotiate with Ōnoki.
He'd initially considered letting merchants handle the haggling, but out of respect for the Tsuchikage, he decided to do it himself.
Ōnoki, wary of Kin's presence, didn't bargain too hard.
Both sides reached a satisfactory agreement.
Ōnoki signaled the kunoichi, who produced a sealing scroll. Upon unsealing it, several chests appeared in the room.
"This should cover it for now."
"Please wait a moment, honored guest."
Seeing the money, Kakuzu became downright amiable. He clapped his hands, and soon Money Corps members entered with a cart.
"Everything you requested is here. Check it."
Ōnoki had his son and daughter-in-law verify the goods while his gaze drifted past Kakuzu to Kin.
"Does Konoha's Forbidden Scroll exist? Can its contents be acquired?"
He'd long coveted the techniques recorded there.
Kin shook his head. "Not yet. Konoha guards that scroll tightly."
In truth, Kin had memorized all those techniques—not just Konoha's, but also the closely guarded secrets of other villages.
But he couldn't sell them recklessly.
If he offered Ōnoki's Dust Release for sale, for instance, the Tsuchikage wouldn't leave peacefully—even after losing.
They'd face the full wrath of Iwagakure.
Kin carefully balanced his sales, ensuring the villages remained wary but not desperate enough to eliminate them.
The line was drawn at their most protected techniques.
Ōnoki was disappointed but still satisfied with today's haul—particularly the sealing techniques.
These would greatly aid their research into Basic Internal Energy.
Among the Five Great Nations, only Konoha possessed the complete sealing arts of the Uzumaki clan, making it the village with the highest mastery.
The only downside was the beating he'd taken.
"Everything in order?"
Kin smiled at Ōnoki.
His son and daughter-in-law finished inspecting the goods and nodded.
"If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave."
Ōnoki didn't want to stay. In his weakened state, he was at his most vulnerable.
This was Iwagakure's most precarious moment.
"Not so fast."
Kin raised a hand, and Money Corps ninja blocked their path.
Ōnoki turned, furious.
"What's the meaning of this!? We paid in full!"
The deal was done. Why stop them now?
Did they expect him to stay for dinner?
"Now, let's discuss compensation."
"You destroyed one of my valuable clones—and a mountain."
(Chapter End)