When Onoki laid out his demands, everyone around just stood there in shock. No wonder Anya was furious—it even felt excessive to his own granddaughter.
First came the village blueprints, which likely contained critical security information and were classified as top secret documents. Only the Kage had the authority to access them. Then there were the cars—extremely rare on the road. Just seeing Kankuro's pained expression over their damage suggested the cost must be astronomical. Whether Sunagakure even had a hundred was questionable, let alone several tens of billions; that was practically a fairy tale, no different from making a wish. Combined together, these conditions made Anya want to kill Onoki on the spot—and even others had the urge to punch him.
Onoki seemed to have anticipated Anya's reaction. Calmly, he said, "Young people are always so impulsive. Since this is a negotiation, I've stated my demands, and naturally you can haggle until both parties are satisfied."
"Hmph." Anya coldly snorted, "I don't want to waste time with you on this matter. First, the design blueprints are absolutely impossible. However, I will dispatch ten designers to your village to conduct on-site investigations and supervise the construction of facilities. You'll need to pay them wages for five years, after which we'll see if they're willing to return. Second, a hundred cars are pure fantasy. Their cost is far greater than you imagine. I'll personally give you one as a gift; whether you can take it apart and figure out how to make more is up to you. Third, borrowing money is possible—ten billion total, paid in installments of one billion per year. Repayment begins in the eleventh year, also at one billion per year, with an additional year's payment as interest."
Anya wrote down the above points on a scroll, handed it directly to Onoki, and issued an ultimatum: "Take a moment to read it. If you agree, we can proceed to sign. If not, then we'll just write our names on a Death Agreement together. It's been ages; I wouldn't mind experiencing your Dust Release firsthand again."
Onoki's face flushed red as he looked at the contract in his hands—not out of anger, but excitement. Truthfully, he'd only tossed those demands out casually, just to probe the other side's limits. He hadn't expected Anya to offer such a generous deal—so there was absolutely no need to hesitate.
"I'll sign." Onoki readily agreed, clearly afraid Anya might suddenly change his mind.
"Wait. It's not you who will sign." Anya pointed to someone beside Onoki. "Let her sign, with the other four Kages as witnesses."
"Me?" Clay exclaimed, surprise flashing across her face along with visible nerves.
Onoki's expression changed as he said, "I'm the Tsuchikage. What qualifications does she have to sign this?"
"No," Anya said with a light smile. "You're already old enough. You could kick the bucket any minute now. What if when the ten-year period ends, you suddenly pass away? What if the new Tsuchikage refuses to recognize it? Am I supposed to dig your coffin out of the grave?"
Actually, that wasn't such a bad idea. With the Serpent Master involved, it might actually work. But given Onoki's thick skin, he'd probably just deny it outright—he might even go as far as telling his granddaughter to scatter his ashes, leaving no way to recover them at all.
Onoki's expression was grim. To be honest, deep in his heart, he had never truly intended to repay this debt. Ten years is a long time—who knows what the Ninja World might look like by then? For politicians, contracts were always just scraps of paper—barely worth the ink, let alone wiping with.
But once his granddaughter signed it, everything would change. Eventually, the leadership of Iwagakure would pass into her hands. Ten years, maybe even twenty—it would be impossible to wriggle free then.
Seeing her eagerly preparing to sign, Onoki suddenly made an astonishing decision: "Deidara, you sign it."
The addressed Deidara was taken aback, reflexively responding, "Hey old man, aren't you mistaken? I'm already a rogue ninja from Iwagakure, you know…"
Onoki completely ignored what Deidara had said, speaking clearly and firmly in front of everyone: "Starting today, Deidara will be my designated successor as the next Tsuchikage. Now he qualifies to sign, right?"
Anya's brow twitched slightly—just enough to show she wasn't entirely convinced. It seemed Onoki had already pieced together various clues and made this bold decision. It was a bold gamble—one that even earned Anya's reluctant respect. Truthfully, Deidara was completely unsuited to be the Kage of a village—his personality alone made that clear. It remained to be seen how Onoki would train him.
After a brief pause, Anya replied: "Alright then. Sign it."
So saying, she lightly pushed the scroll forward until it reached Deidara.
Deidara's face twisted in clear reluctance, but under the gazes of these Kage-level experts, he gritted his teeth and signed his name.
Mabui, wearing a mask, stepped forward from the crowd: "Tsuchikage-sama, please come with me. We'll proceed with the handover now."
This efficiency surprised Onoki, who had originally thought it would drag on a bit longer. He quickly nodded and muttered, "Fine enough."
Seeing the old man preparing to leave, Deidara's face brightened with happiness. Just as he was about to sneak away, Onoki shot him a sidelong glance and said: "Deidara, from this moment on, you're not allowed to leave my side for half a step. I need to properly educate you to become a qualified heir."
Upon hearing this, Deidara let out a sigh and followed along dejectedly.
Anya turned to the others: "Feel free to look around."
So saying, regardless of others, she took Mei Terumi's hand and disappeared.
When they reappeared, the two found themselves standing within the heart of Sasori's hidden base.
Mei was quickly shocked by the massive mechanical army before her.
"Are all these capable of aerial combat?"
"Yes," Anya calmly replied with no change in expression: "Since my goal is to unify the Ninja World, in addition to diplomacy, I naturally have military strength as an alternative path to dominance."
Playfully, Mei asked: "If I hadn't agreed back then, would you have sent these machines to attack Kirigakure?"
"Definitely some fireworks headed your way—though not from them, more like sugar-coated ones," Anya said while holding Mei close: "Remember what I said when I left Kirigakure not long ago? When we meet again, I promised you a unique gift."
Mei's beautiful eyes sparkled slightly with anticipation: "What is it?"
"This one."
Anya approached the entrance of the enormous fortress at the center and performed a series of hand seals, opening its gates. A massive vessel gleamed before them, its surface cold and gleaming like polished steel.
Anya pulled out a deep blue gemstone, channeling her chakra into it. The ship began to move slowly forward. In an instant, the surrounding desert sands transformed into a vast Sand Sea, lifting the ship as it glided forward across the shifting dunes. At the tip of the ironclad bow, the vessel pierced through the sand with unstoppable force, carving a path ahead. Waves of golden sand sprayed up the sides of the hull before settling into powerful wakes at the stern, leaving behind a deep Mark and endless, undulating dunes that refused to still.
As Terumi Mei was still marveling at the overwhelming might of the vessel, Anya had already placed the deep blue gemstone around her neck.
"This necklace," Anya said, "is the Heart of the Ocean—it serves as the control center for this vessel. Now, it's yours."
Terumi Mei blushed softly, glancing down at the pendant resting gently on her chest. She gently stroked it and let out a radiant smile.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>