"This…"
Ōnoki stared at the pile of silver in astonishment and asked Naruto, "What's going on here?"
Naruto explained casually, "I've learned the Flying Thunder God Technique, and I have a bit of talent in space–time ninjutsu."
Kurotsuchi and Ōnoki were both experienced ninja.
They immediately understood that Naruto meant he had taken the silver out through space–time ninjutsu.
And Ōnoki quickly realized the terrifying implications of this ability.
If this were during wartime, with the Flying Thunder God Technique combined with space–time ninjutsu, what kind of efficiency would Naruto have in transporting supplies?
It would be absolutely terrifying!
So Ōnoki excitedly asked how much Naruto's storage space could hold.
Naruto's answer, however, disappointed him slightly.
Because Naruto didn't actually possess a large storage-type space ninjutsu, he replied that it could only store small items and that the space itself wasn't very large.
Ōnoki quickly regained his composure.
He understood that this money was meant as payment for Dust Release.
Although it felt a bit too formal, as the Kage of a village, Ōnoki would never miss an opportunity to secure funds for Iwagakure.
So he did not refuse.
The two sides chatted for a while longer.
Then Naruto brought up the topic of Tailed Beast Chakra.
"Tailed Beast Chakra?" Ōnoki asked, puzzled. "Naruto, what do you need Tailed Beast Chakra for?"
It must be known that Tailed Beasts are strategic weapons on the battlefield.
Under normal circumstances, the condition and emotions of a Jinchūriki can even affect the situation of the entire ninja world.
From this alone, one could see how important the state of a Tailed Beast was.
Naruto explained, "My Kurama can absorb the Chakra of other Tailed Beasts to strengthen itself."
"But don't worry, old man. After Kurama absorbs the Chakra, it will only weaken the Tailed Beast for a period of time. It won't endanger its life."
Ōnoki hesitated after hearing this.
As the Kage of a village, his considerations were naturally far more complicated than Naruto's.
Naruto quickly understood Ōnoki's concerns.
First, if the Tailed Beast were weakened, what if another country took the opportunity to invade? What deterrent would remain?
Second, the relationship between Tailed Beasts and their Jinchūriki was often poor.
What if this act planted seeds of resentment between them? What would happen then?
Because of these concerns, Ōnoki hesitated.
However, Naruto quickly offered his reasoning.
"Don't worry. The Hidden Cloud Village to the east probably won't start a war."
"And the Hidden Sand Village to the south has a good relationship with me. Konoha no longer has a Tailed Beast, and the Hidden Mist Village is an island…"
Ōnoki felt Naruto's analysis was somewhat simplistic.
He said seriously, "Naruto, what you said isn't wrong."
"But the most troublesome force in the ninja world isn't Konoha—it's the Hidden Cloud Village."
"They are ambitious and constantly looking for ways to suppress others. Although Hiruzen Sarutobi and I never formally corresponded, we reached a tacit understanding on international affairs and jointly restrained the Hidden Cloud Village."
"As for the Hidden Sand Village and the Hidden Mist Village… heh."
The Hidden Sand Village was extremely weak. Aside from having a slightly stronger Tailed Beast, there was nothing particularly outstanding about it.
If it weren't for Shukaku and a few veteran ninja supporting it, would it even deserve to be called one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages?
The Hidden Mist Village was even more problematic.
They were an island nation and had been in isolation for quite some time.
Although their military strength wasn't weak, their internal problems were even more severe.
The only true threats were Konoha and the Hidden Cloud Village.
Although Konoha no longer had Naruto as a Jinchūriki, nor any Tailed Beast, a lean camel was still bigger than a horse.
If war truly broke out, who knew how many Kage-level fighters Konoha might produce?
After all, Konoha's reputation as a cradle of geniuses was no exaggeration.
There had even been a legendary incident where a single Genin defeated several of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist, turning them into a laughingstock.
So even without a Tailed Beast, Konoha was not easy to provoke.
Moreover, Konoha enjoyed favorable conditions, and the Fire Daimyō heavily supported it, so funding was never an issue.
The Hidden Cloud Village was even more troublesome.
Between the Hidden Cloud Village and Konoha, Ōnoki actually believed the Hidden Cloud Village was stronger, since it possessed two Tailed Beasts.
More importantly, the Hidden Cloud Village was aggressive and would never miss an opportunity to grow stronger.
Because of this, Ōnoki dared not allow the condition of Iwagakure's Tailed Beasts or Jinchūriki to decline.
Naruto understood Ōnoki's concerns and shook his head slightly. "The Hidden Cloud Village won't start a war. They no longer have the qualifications."
"What?" Ōnoki asked in confusion. "Why do you say that, little Naruto?"
Naruto knew that if he told the truth outright, neither Ōnoki nor Kurotsuchi would believe him.
So he replied, "The news hasn't spread yet, so you don't know. In a few days, you'll understand."
Ōnoki realized it was likely related to the Hidden Cloud Village and said with interest, "Hmm. Then we'll talk about it later."
"Alright." Naruto smiled faintly, knowing in his heart that this matter was already settled.
Ōnoki was a smart man.
Once he learned that Naruto had single-handedly destroyed the Hidden Cloud Village, he would cherish his "grandson-in-law" even more.
Even if Ōnoki still refused to provide Chakra at that time, Naruto could simply lay everything on the table.
Then Ōnoki would realize that Naruto had no sense of belonging to Iwagakure, and a sense of crisis would naturally arise.
At that point, Naruto obtaining Iwagakure's Tailed Beast Chakra would only be a matter of time.
For the next few days, Naruto planned to stay in Iwagakure and study Dust Release with the provided materials.
To be honest, Naruto's Chakra control was excellent.
At the very least, without Kurama's interference, he was still a true master.
On top of that, Naruto possessed countless secret techniques and had extremely rich experience with ninjutsu.
After leaving Ōnoki's office, Kurotsuchi asked, "Naruto, what exactly is that news?"
To be honest, she was also quite curious.
Naruto had said that the Hidden Cloud Village probably wouldn't start a war—and might not even be capable of doing so anymore.
What did that mean?
Could it be… that Naruto had already obtained the Hidden Cloud Village's Tailed Beast Chakra?
Naruto didn't reveal too much and only said, "In short, I'm not lying. You'll know when the time comes."
"Oh, come on! You're killing me here!" Kurotsuchi said angrily, inwardly thinking: One day, I'll deal with all the people in the world who speak in riddles.
Naruto smiled slightly. "I didn't expect you to be this cute."
"What did you say?!" Kurotsuchi felt deeply insulted.
Being called cute—especially by Naruto—was unacceptable for someone with her tomboy image.
This was outrageous!
Seeing that she was genuinely angry, Naruto stopped teasing her.
He said casually, "If you need anything, come find me at the training ground."
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