After laying out the plan, Mui asked, "You've still got a few Konoha spies left, right?"
Kitsuchi gave a crisp reply, "Of course."
Spies weren't meant to be killed immediately upon discovery. At the right moment, they could be used to spread false intelligence.
Mui snapped his fingers, "Perfect! Let them send this information back. As for what happens next, it all depends on Konoha's reaction."
Hikka hesitated, "But... wouldn't 'destroying the world' sound too fake?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Such a claim sounded downright laughable. After all, the world wasn't something that could just be destroyed so easily.
Waving his hand dismissively, Mui said, "No, we must phrase it exactly like that. This is exactly the kind of thing Konoha falls for. The second you mention 'world peace,' they'll light up like fireworks."
Kitsuchi nodded thoughtfully, "Now that you mention it, that's actually true. Especially that Jiraiya—always rambling about how his disciple is the Child of the Prophecy and the savior of the shinobi world. Anything related to peace really gets them worked up."
"Let's go with Mui's suggestion," Onoki decided. "Even if they don't believe the 'destroying the world' nonsense, they still need to take this old man's existence seriously. They already hold the advantage, so they won't sit idly by while I pursue greater power."
"I understand," Kitsuchi slightly bowed his head before asking, "However, there's still one problem—how do we eliminate Seiki Shimaseki? With his Flying Thunder God Technique, even if he walks straight into a trap, he can easily escape afterward."
At Kitsuchi's words, everyone fell into deep thought.
That guy was simply too powerful. Ordinary ambushes would never work against him.
"What if we set up a toxic gas mixture in Hozuki Castle? Using two harmless gases that become deadly when combined?"
"With his medical jutsu, even mixed gases wouldn't affect him much."
"How about Genjutsu then? If we all use it simultaneously, surely he'll fall for at least one?"
"Are you nuts? That punk's Genjutsu skills are strong enough to even overwhelm Sanshouo Hanzo!"
"Dammitt! That bastard's abilities are just too comprehensive!"
"I actually have an idea," Mui quickly interjected as he sensed the growing frustration among the Iwa ninjas. "We should truly release the monster from the Wish-Granting Casket."
Onoki frowned deeply, "Release that creature?"
Mui explained, "Then, Tsuchikage-sama, please pretend you've been overpowered by the monster after I'm taken hostage. This will give Seiki Shimaseki the perfect opportunity to 'rescue' me!"
"While I can't guarantee he'll follow our plan exactly, if this works, I'll be able to use my clan's unique [Heaven Prison] Ninjutsu to penetrate his body."
"Still, I'm not strong enough to match him. I can only restrict him for a short period. Tsuchikage-sama, you'll need to seize that opportunity without fail."
Onoki's eyes lit up, "Your chakra-restricting Fire Release? Hmm, this just might work!"
"Alright, today's meeting ends here. Everyone return and prepare accordingly."
After everyone left, Onoki finally asked Kitsuchi, "Last night—everything went smoothly, didn't it?"
Kitsuchi lowered his voice. "Everything looks good."
Onoki nodded in satisfaction. "Although I believe Mui won't betray us, it's always better to be cautious."
In his opinion, unless Konoha somehow foresaw this and had already prepared before they even located Mui, there would be no way for him to pass on any information—even if he wanted to.
Afterward, Onoki added, "Still, we can't lower our guard. Before the plan begins, he must not be allowed any chance to communicate with the outside world."
Kitsuchi responded solemnly, "Understood."
...
That evening, a sudden roar echoed through Iwagakure.
"Absolutely not! You'll destroy the world!"
"Foolish! Do you even know what you're saying?"
"There are many ways to defeat Konoha; there's no need to covet..."
"Silence! Take him away!"
The commotion appeared as quickly as it vanished. Most villagers hadn't even figured out what was happening when the disturbance ended.
Among the crowd, an unremarkable passerby pulled down his hat brim slightly. He couldn't just ignore the mention of "Konoha."
"Destroying the world? Defeating Konoha? What exactly is Iwagakure planning?"
After activating the network he'd built over the years, he soon learned more details about that incident inside the Tsuchikage's building.
"Hozuki Castle? Mui? Kusagakure? What kind of threat could they pose to Konoha? Regardless, I should send this information back first."
...
The next day, intelligence regarding Iwagakure was already lying on the table.
Glancing at the report, Danzo scoffed, "So Onoki has finally started panicking, resorting to seeking power from Kusagakure."
Rasa contemplated, "This might be an opportunity. We could [launch a surprise attack] on Iwagakure while Onoki is away from the village."
Shikaku traced his finger across a map. "Hozuki Castle isn't too far from Iwagakure, but it would be difficult to move our forces without being noticed. By the time we got there, they would have already returned. In the end, we would've wasted this precious intelligence."
Choza spoke up, "Then let's stop them. Although we don't know their exact intentions, disrupting whatever plans our enemies have is never a bad idea."
Chiyo's tone was laced with skepticism as she lazily replied, "That remains to be seen. For all we know, this could be their trap."
Seeing the debate intensifying, Rasa sighed and looked toward the head of the room. "Seiki, what's your opinion?"
Upon hearing his question, everyone turned their gaze toward Seiki, who sat quietly in the corner.
Rather than answering directly, Seiki turned his head toward Inoichi. "Teacher Inoichi, surely you still remember what happened two years ago?"
Inoichi's expression grew serious. "You mean... the Wish-Granting Casket? The legendary artifact said to grant any wish—but at a terrible cost."
Calmly, Seiki continued, "A treasure of the Sage of Six Paths—an artifact said to grant any wish. Yet from my perspective back then, trained in Sealing Techniques, that casket contained only destructive and terrifying power!"
Everyone recognized Seiki's mastery of sealing techniques, so his words carried serious weight.
Danzo frowned. "So that bastard Onoki is really after the power you mentioned?"
Seiki gave a slight shake of his head. "Not entirely sure, but given how things are now, it's definitely possible."
Inoichi asked seriously, "Seiki, what are your plans? Are you going to try to stop them?"
"Of course," Seiki replied with a straight face. "Just like Senior Choza said, we should naturally sabotage whatever our enemies intend to do."
Rasa murmured thoughtfully, "I'll join you too. If our opponent is the Tsuchikage, we can't afford even the slightest carelessness."
"If even Onoki desires this power… If only I could master it myself…" Danzo's eyes gleamed brighter. He had always trusted Onoki's strategic vision.
Thinking this through, Danzo declared firmly, "We absolutely cannot let this go unchecked. Be sure to call for me when you go."
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