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"Hahaha..."
The mere thought of Ōnoki anxiously pacing after receiving the news made Kazuki burst into laughter:
"It seems someone has unexpectedly delivered us a pleasant surprise. Ōnoki would never have imagined that he'd be outmaneuvered like this. Send someone to inform the Anbu team. Have one squad remain to continue investigating Intel on the Hidden Grass Village and gather any valuable information. The rest are to return to the village immediately."
With Kurotsuchi and Deidara in hand, Kazuki could no longer be bothered with small fries like the Hidden Grass Village.
His real opponent was Ōnoki.
You made me run all the way to your Hidden Rock Village and back, and you enjoyed it, didn't you? Well, now it's your turn to run around, Ōnoki.
Considering Ōnoki's age, the fact that he would have to rush around, traveling to Konoha to plead for his granddaughter and disciple, made Kazuki's smile even brighter.
"Take good care of our 'guests.' We're returning to the village. We need to prepare for the Tsuchikage's arrival."
If not for Deidara and Kurotsuchi showing up on their own, Kazuki would have headed straight to the Hidden Grass Village to deal with their affairs first.
But since Deidara and Kurotsuchi had delivered themselves to him, the trivial matters of the Hidden Grass Village paled in comparison.
He could afford to delay—let the intelligence gathering continue for now. He'd deal with them later.
They were just grasshoppers tied together with a straw rope—they weren't going anywhere.
With Deidara and Kurotsuchi in his possession, Kazuki had no interest in the small fries from the Hidden Grass Village.
"Yes, sir!"
The group quickened their pace to keep up with Kazuki. They needed to leave the Land of Earth and the Hidden Rock Village's sphere of influence as soon as possible.
After all, Kazuki hadn't specifically gone out of his way to capture Deidara and Kurotsuchi. No matter how the Hidden Rock Village reacted, Kazuki was unafraid to confront them.
Your disciple and granddaughter came to provoke me and attacked me, a guest in your territory. How do you plan to account for this, Ōnoki?
Does that sound unpleasant?
Fine, let me rephrase: The future of your Hidden Rock Village is in my hands. What price are you willing to pay, Ōnoki, to redeem them?
If your words aren't pleasing and your actions aren't swift, I might just decide to keep them.
Coincidentally, both of them possess remarkable talent. With proper training, they could become capable figures in their own right.
As me, I have plenty of methods to control them and ensure they obediently become loyal members of Konoha. The only question is, can you bear to part with them, Ōnoki?
What a sudden turn of events.
Kazuki glanced back in the direction of the Hidden Rock Village, feeling more amused the more he thought about it.
Just you wait, Ōnoki. Our rivalry has only just begun.
Deidara and Kurotsuchi had left their village secretly, and no one in the Hidden Rock Village had noticed their absence.
Now that they were in his hands, Kazuki had no intention of making a spectacle of their capture.
He quickened the pace, aiming to return to Konoha as soon as possible, bypassing the Hidden Rock Village's border patrols. Let them remain in the dark for now.
Once he returned to the village, he would slowly break the news to Ōnoki, delivering him a well-deserved "surprise."
As for the Hidden Grass Village, there was no need to rush. Let the situation develop a little longer.
The Tsuchikage was a busy man. Ōnoki's work ethic was similar to the Third Hokage's in his prime.
The Third Hokage had been unwilling to delegate authority, while Ōnoki simply couldn't afford to.
As a result, he had little time to spend with his granddaughter, Kurotsuchi, or to personally instruct his disciple, Deidara.
Coupled with Deidara's rebellious nature and Kurotsuchi's tendency to follow him around, the two often disappeared for long periods without anyone in the village batting an eye.
No one even thought to inform Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage himself, of their absence.
Two days later, Kazuki and his team secretly returned to the village through a hidden Anbu passage.
Deidara and Kurotsuchi were directly placed in the Konoha Military Police Force's prison.
This was Uchiha territory, staffed entirely by Uchiha members, making it one of the most secure locations in Konoha, free from spies or traitors.
Moreover, the Military Police Force prison typically held only those with minor offenses. No one would ever expect Kazuki to imprison two such important figures here.
"Damn it! How sneaky! Using a genjutsu to control me right from the start!! Uchiha Kazuki, if you have any guts, release me and fight me fair and square!!!"
Even locked up, Deidara remained defiant. He had been caught off guard by Shisui's genjutsu and captured without even getting a chance to fight back.
Deidara was furious.
I didn't even get to make a move before I was controlled. This is so unfair! I refuse to accept this!
Watching Deidara's outburst, Kazuki gestured to someone at the door.
"Elder."
The person hesitated for a moment before quickly entering the prison cell.
"Take off your shoes."
Kazuki pointed at his feet.
"Huh?"
The clansman named Uchiha Seiryū looked confused, unable to guess what his elder had in mind.
But since Kazuki had ordered him to remove his shoes, he had no choice but to comply.
"Uchiha Seiryū, you're quite the character."
Seeing the socks inside the shinobi combat boots, Kazuki couldn't help but facepalm.
This was one peculiar habit—wearing socks inside combat boots. Seiryū was probably the only one in the entire Uchiha clan who did this.
Well, at least he had socks.
"..."
Elder, how am I a character?
Seiryū looked aggrieved.
"Don't look at me like that. Stuff your socks into his mouth and make him quiet down. Can you do that?"
"What?!"
A simultaneous exclamation of shock echoed through the prison.
Deidara looked horrified. He couldn't believe Kazuki would order someone to stuff stinky socks into his mouth just to shut him up. This was nothing short of humiliation!
A direct insult to his dignity!
Seiryū was equally shocked.
His elder reailly is isn't ordinary. Is it really appropriate to stuff socks into his mouth?
"Do it. Otherwise, I'll stuff them into your mouth."
Kazuki narrowed his eyes, staring at him.
The choice is yours: either stuff them into his mouth or into your own. Unless you have some special preference, in which case, forget I said anything.
In the next second, Seiryū lightning-fast stuffed his stinky socks into Deidara's mouth.
Worried that Deidara might push them out with his tongue, he quickly took off his other sock and stuffed it in as well.
Damn, these are really smelly. Good thing they're not going into my mouth.
Seiryū, well aware of his own foot odor, gave Deidara a sympathetic look.
Kid, just bear with it. I only wear socks because my feet stink. You're getting a taste of it now.
"Ugh... ugh... ugh!!!"
Deidara's eyes bulged, looking like they were about to pop out. His face turned red as he shook his head violently, making muffled noises.
Tears and snot streamed down his face, all caused by the overwhelming stench of the socks in his mouth.
"Not bad. Use some tape to seal it, so they don't fall out. I don't care what method you use, just keep him quiet. If he behaves, you can take the socks out."
Patting Seiryū on the shoulder, Kazuki strode out of the cell and made his way to the other holding room.
Kurotsuchi and Deidara were held separately to prevent them from scheming together.
Unlike the loudly protesting Deidara, Kurotsuchi remained calm.
She even sat leisurely in a chair, looking completely at ease—if not for her bound hands, she would have seemed utterly relaxed.
"Hey, hey, hey... you're not trying to start a war between our villages, are you? How dare you bring me to Konoha!"
The moment Kazuki entered, Kurotsuchi's mouth started running nonstop.
Kazuki glanced at her and asked with a smile,
"Your comrade wouldn't stop talking, so I had someone stuff a pair of stinky socks into his mouth. Would you like to try it too?"
"..."
Kurotsuchi's eyes twitched, and she immediately shut her mouth, making a zipping motion over her lips to indicate she would remain quiet.
"Good."
Kurotsuchi knew how to cooperate, and Kazuki nodded in satisfaction. He liked girls who knew how to play along.
Unlike Deidara, who had no sense of timing.
How dare he make a scene here in Konoha's territory? If I didn't let him taste a fresh pair of stinky socks, he'd never learn the meaning of quiet.
"Keep quiet, or I'll send you to the Third Hokage to be his little wife."
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! What gives?!"
Kurotsuchi couldn't stay calm anymore and exclaimed,
"Do you people in Konoha have some kind of weird fetish? I'm not even grown up yet! Besides, isn't your Third Hokage some old geezer? Why would you do that?!"
The thought of being married off to an old man made Kurotsuchi shudder. It was too horrifying.
"Many girls your age are already married. Isn't that normal in the shinobi world?"
Amused by Kurotsuchi's strong reaction, Kazuki couldn't help but laugh.
If the Third Hokage ever found out about this, he'd be deeply hurt. An old geezer?
Not a bad description.
"Tch, stop trying to scare me. Besides, you wouldn't actually do something like that. I still have value to you, so you won't harm me. I'll just keep quiet."
Most young girls would have been terrified by such a threat, but Kurotsuchi was no ordinary girl. She was clever and far more experienced than most her age.
She knew she still had value. As long as that value remained, Kazuki wouldn't do anything to her—at most, he'd just try to scare her.
"I like smart people."
Kazuki snapped his fingers and nodded approvingly.
Kurotsuchi grinned mischievously.
"How about this? Tell my grandpa not to take me back. I'll marry you instead. You're handsome, and you're an Uchiha elder and Konoha's Hokage Advisor."
"..."
What the hell?
Are girls these days always this wild?
Kazuki was momentarily stunned.
Looking at Kurotsuchi's smug, raised eyebrows, he gritted his teeth and poked her forehead.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Girls like you are a dime a dozen in Konoha. No chest, no hips."
"What do you mean?"
Kurotsuchi's smile vanished.
Even though she was still a young girl, she cared about the same things any woman would.
"Exactly what it sounds like. You're like a bean sprout. Get it? Besides, you're not even good-looking."
After delivering this biting line, Kazuki quickly left.
That'll teach you to be so cheeky!
There are ways to deal with you. Did you think you could act wild just because your grandfather is Ōnoki? How dare you tease me?
You've got some nerve.
"Uchiha Kazuki, get back here! Explain yourself! Who are you calling a bean sprout?!"
For a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl, such words were incredibly damaging. Kurotsuchi was furious.
I may not be fully grown yet, but that doesn't mean you can call me a bean sprout!
"Uchiha Kazuki!!!!"
She was so enraged. Kurotsuchi no longer cared about any warnings to stay quiet—she wanted Kazuki to come back and clarify his words.
But Kazuki had no time to entertain her.
After ensuring the prisoners were securely held, he left the Military Police Force headquarters and headed to the Hokage's office building.
The Anbu had already reported his return to Tsunade, who was waiting for him in her office.
"You captured Ōnoki's granddaughter and disciple?"
The moment he walked in, Tsunade couldn't help but ask.