Silence filled the reception room.
Ōnoki, seated on a chair where Yuuki had placed him, did not get up but sat there, deep in thought.
Firstly, Uchiha Tomoki admitted to taking Deidara, which aligned with his suspicions and was indeed true.
Secondly, Uchiha Tomoki had belittled Iwagakure's heritage as worthless, claiming Konoha didn't care. The credibility of this was fifty-fifty.
It wasn't Ōnoki boasting, but if Iwagakure's Dust Release training scrolls were released, they would drive the entire Ninja World, including Konoha, into a frenzy.
After all, this was the only Kekkei Tota that had surpassed Kekkei Genkai to date.
Ōnoki thought about the content he had taught Deidara; he had only just begun to explain Super/Light-Weight Earth Release, and Deidara had been extremely impatient at the time.
The only other things he had taught Deidara were some basic Ninja knowledge, and in that regard, Konoha might indeed be superior.
Konoha's disdain for Iwagakure's heritage likely referred to this.
However, according to Uchiha Tomoki, Deidara would not give up, so it would depend on Deidara's own talent.
Iwagakure had the Explosion Release Kekkei, but Ōnoki knew Deidara's explosions were just a special type of Earth Release.
Konoha truly valued Deidara himself, not other Iwagakure inheritances in his mind.
Finally, Uchiha Tomoki had, in turn, threatened Iwagakure with war; Ōnoki both believed and disbelieved it.
He believed it because Ōnoki saw a hint of Madara's shadow in Yuuki; if Konoha were to face trouble now, it might truly not be afraid!
He disbelieved it because Ōnoki felt that Yuuki was not Madara after all, and as Hokage, Yuuki would not wage a meaningless war.
There was no benefit in initiating a war against Iwagakure; the Land of Fire also had abundant mineral resources, though not as many types as the Land of Earth. Such a strenuous war, yielding little benefit, was unnecessary.
In the Ninja World, only other countries coveted the Land of Fire; the Land of Fire simply didn't care for other countries. This was reality!
After analyzing each point, Ōnoki had an idea.
On the surface, Iwagakure hadn't suffered much, only losing a talented young Ninja.
But the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Iwagakure was not Konoha; after so many years, they had finally produced a genius, why should they give him to Konoha?
And he was a genius that even Konoha was unwilling to part with!
"Hokage, I was indeed a bit emotional just now. After all, my disciple was abducted, which led to some inappropriate remarks. If I misspoke later, please bear with me."
The feeling just now was terrible, and Ōnoki didn't want to experience it again, so he preemptively set the stage, though he also subtly accused Yuuki of being a trafficker.
Yuuki naturally understood the implied meaning and said with a beaming smile.
"Not at all. I also failed to control my emotions just now. After all, I am young and impetuous, unlike a steady person like your Excellency the Tsuchikage. If I offend you again later, please don't take it to heart."
Yuuki also set the stage, preparing for a potential move, and also implicitly indicated that Ōnoki, this old man, was truly patient.
Then, the two exchanged smiles, as if the atmosphere was incredibly harmonious.
Afterward, the two engaged in a heated discussion about Deidara's ownership.
Ōnoki wanted him back; Yuuki refused to let go.
In such situations, whoever had the bigger fist had the advantage.
Naturally, Yuuki was stronger.
Ōnoki was also unwilling to give up, even threatening that if Deidara wasn't returned, he would spread the word everywhere that Yuuki was a trafficker.
Yuuki tried to make a move to shut Ōnoki up, but Ōnoki was stubbornly insistent: if Deidara wasn't handed over, Yuuki's reputation would be ruined.
Yuuki, not a murderous maniac, couldn't possibly kill Ōnoki for such a trivial matter.
Ultimately, both took a step back.
Deidara would remain in Konoha, but the jutsu Deidara developed would be backed up in Iwagakure, and Iwagakure would keep this matter confidential.
After reaching a consensus, Yuuki didn't hold back, giving Ōnoki the original C1 to C4, including the conceptual C0 training scrolls.
Ōnoki's appearance, as he cherished the scrolls, made Yuuki inwardly scornful.
These things could no longer reflect Deidara's true strength; all of Deidara's bombs now were custom-modified.
Only you Iwagakure people treat these things as treasures!
And Yuuki's slightly smug expression, when it fell into Ōnoki's eyes, took on a different meaning.
Ōnoki carefully flipped through the scrolls. Deidara was indeed a genius; the jutsu's difficulty reached S-rank. However, after finishing, Ōnoki discovered a pleasant surprise.
No matter how miraculous Explosive Clay was, it was still a special Earth Release. Ōnoki, with just a rough glance, already had an idea of how to reduce the training difficulty: he just needed to create a Supporting facilities Earth Release secret jutsu.
Iwagakure would soon have a large number of Ninja who mastered this Explosive Clay!
Thinking about his previous arrangements, Ōnoki felt this was good. He had obtained what he wanted, and when Konoha was attacked, he could use this to clear Iwagakure's suspicion.
He just needed to contact the Akatsuki Organization again, assign a few more missions, and have them abduct a few more people.
Whether Deidara could truly be abducted was no longer important; Iwagakure had already obtained what it wanted.
Then let's see how many more days you can be smug, Uchiha Tomoki; those Akatsuki guys are not easy to deal with!
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