The meeting didn't last long. Ultimately, it was because the Iwagakure ninja were currently outmatched in strength.
"You don't have to worry about the sentries. We'll act once the Cloud ninja make their move."
Ōnoki sent Nawaki out of the conference hall, making it clear that they had no intention of taking the initiative.
"Fine, then I'll head off first."
Since it wasn't his problem, Nawaki didn't waste energy worrying over it either.
Right now, he was only thinking about what tangible gains he could extract from Ōnoki.
Giving Ōnoki a few long, searching looks, Nawaki reluctantly left.
"That brat's up to no good," Ōnoki muttered under his breath before returning to the conference hall where several higher-ups still remained.
"Tsuchikage-sama, can we really trust this kid?"
It wasn't that the Iwagakure leaders looked down on Nawaki without reason; it was simply because the deaths of the Jinchūriki had left them too shaken.
"That's not for us to decide." Ōnoki glanced at the speaker, not pausing in his steps. "We'll know after seeing some battle."
"If this kid turns out unreliable and dies on the battlefield, it might not be such a bad thing for us." A thin man revealed a sinister smile on his lips.
"True. He is the Hokage's younger brother."
"If he dies, won't Konoha end up locked in an unending feud with the Cloud Ninja?" Another person chimed in, nodding in agreement.
"I never want to hear words like that again." With a glare from Ōnoki, the two fell silent.
If such things truly happened naturally, Ōnoki wouldn't mind. But if external forces were involved, did they really think Kawaki Hatake would just stand idly by and do nothing?
"The Cloud Ninja haven't made any moves yet. They're probably resting and regrouping too."
"We still have time to catch our breath."
Kazuko resumed the topic, avoiding dangerous thoughts.
"Mm, keep a close watch."
"Report any news immediately. Dismissed."
Rubbing his temples, Ōnoki was extremely annoyed recently.
If Konoha's reinforcements proved inadequate, he truly couldn't foresee the Land of Earth's future.
"Yes sir."
No one dared challenge Ōnoki's commands. One by one, they bowed respectfully before leaving.
Meanwhile, the moment Nawaki returned to the Konoha Ninjas' gathering place, Ginji and several other kids surrounded him.
"What happened? Uncle." Ginji rushed forward, bursting with questions.
"What's the rush? My mouth's gone completely dry already." Nawaki put on quite a show, behaving playfully without a hint of battlefield tension.
"Here you go." Kinoto dashed off and came back moments later with tea.
"Such a considerate boy."
"Now look at you two." After taking a sip, Nawaki couldn't help but tease Ginji and Aoi Tsukigami.
"Come on, tell us!" Aoi Tsukigami tugged at Nawaki's sleeve back and forth.
"Alright alright." Nawaki casually sat down on an empty patch of ground, with the children forming a circle around him.
"There's actually not much to say." He started speaking but instantly made people want to punch him, fortunate that everyone around was his junior. Otherwise, he'd have had a couple more lumps on his head by now.
"Ahhh!!!" The kids could only groan in exasperation as Nawaki burst into laughter.
"Okay okay, I'll stop teasing you."
"They're probably waiting for the Cloud ninja to make the first move before we step in."
"If I'm not mistaken, I'll be taking over the role previously held by the Five-Tailed Jinchūriki."
"A Cloud ninja who can take down a Jinchūriki? Honestly, that's kind of exciting."
Nawaki didn't feel pressured at all—it's just another Jinchūriki; how unbeatable could he be?
Even if he couldn't win, could he at least manage to escape?
"That sounds pretty thrilling."
"Can I...?"
Before Ginji could finish speaking, Nawaki cut him off.
[Lightning Release Armor] is off-limits.
Though he didn't say it outright, everyone knew he meant [Wood Release].
They were all truly allies in the room, so Ginji's secret wasn't a secret anymore.
"Why not?"
Ginji blurted out impulsively without thinking.
"What do you think?"
Nawaki didn't answer but instead shot Ginji a glance.
His nephew's brain just wasn't working well today.
"You're using something Uncle Kawaki stole from its original owner. Now you want to flaunt it in front of the real owner?"
"Looking to stir up some grudges for someone, huh?"
As Orochimaru's daughter, Aoi Tsukigami naturally understood how this secret technique, [Lightning Release Armor], had been obtained.
"Uh..."
After a beat, Ginji figured it out but stayed silent for a long while.
"What remains is more than enough for you. I'm not asking you to fight the Third Raikage or anything."
Nawaki watched his nephew amusingly. Finally, Ginji looked like a kid again—flustered and awkward.
"Fine, I understand."
Ginji shrugged helplessly, feeling a little foolish over his own recklessness.
"I know your abilities well."
"Since it's your first time on the battlefield, do your best to support the team."
"That way, I won't have to worry as much."
Nawaki reminded them one last time—they were little troublemakers, sure, but nothing could possibly go wrong.
"Got it."
The young ones didn't seem impatient, responding in unison.
"He treats us well; we all know that."
"Go ahead and have some fun. I'll take a quick walk."
Nawaki stood up, exited the encirclement, and walked outside the camp.
It wasn't distrust towards the Iwa ninjas—it was just that, as commander, he needed to check the surrounding areas to feel at ease.
As soon as Nawaki left, the kids started buzzing again, each one bragging about how many enemies they'd bag.
Three days passed, but the Cloud forces hadn't made their move yet. The Iwagakure side was growing restless.
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With the sword of war hanging over them, they grew resentful and afraid.
Two more days dragged on. Just as Iwa was preparing to strike first, Cloud finally moved.
"Tsuchikage-sama, the Cloud forces are gathering."
A sentry burst into Ōnoki's tent without so much as a warning shout.
"Send the order to assemble."
"Don't forget to notify Konoha as well."
Ōnoki's gaze darkened as he barked out orders.
"Yes."
The sentry obeyed and left, footsteps fading away outside the tent.
"Let's see what this kid's really made of today."
"If they're too weak to survive, don't blame this old man for refusing to save them."
Ōnoki muttered under his breath as he slowly walked away.
Once the Iwa and Konoha forces had fully assembled, Nawaki and Ōnoki hovered side by side in the air.
Ōnoki glanced at Nawaki, giving him a peculiar look before saying nothing.
"Tsuchikage-sama, shouldn't we be departing now?"
Nawaki showed no sign of embarrassment as he respectfully sought Ōnoki's opinion, an unusual display of politeness.
"Depart."
Ōnoki nodded slightly, then flew forward toward the Cloud ninjas first.
"Go."
At Nawaki's command, the Konoha ninjas followed closely behind the Iwa ninjas. They clearly weren't here to lead the charge.
A flood of Iwa ninjas surged out of the camp, and news of their movement quickly reached the Cloud forces.
"Father, the turtle has finally left its hole."
Fourth Raikage A wore a teasing smirk, while the Third Raikage remained as stoic as ever.
"Forming an alliance with Konoha? I have to admit, Ōnoki's thinking is surprisingly bold."
"Merely bargaining with a tiger for its skin."
News of Konoha sending reinforcements had reached the Third Raikage recently, and he struggled to make sense of it.
Cloud ninja are tough enough to handle, but do they really think it's that easy to summon and dismiss a god like Konoha?