"What did he even say?"
Ōnoki was still trying to wrap his head around it.
That damned Rōshi had come back from Konoha spouting nonsense — things like 'I have a dream' and 'I'll build a nation where every Jinchūriki is respected.'
It left Ōnoki completely speechless.
The worst part was…
The man's power had grown. His control over the Tailed Beast had improved significantly.
In the past, Rōshi had been constantly influenced by the Four-Tails' chakra — that was one of the main reasons Ōnoki rarely allowed him on high-risk missions.
But now, the difference was clear. Rōshi's chakra control had reached an entirely new level.
There was no question about it.
This was Kyoichi's doing.
No one else in the world had that many crazy ideas or ridiculous experiments. A "nation of Jinchūriki"? What utter nonsense.
Who's more numerous — Jinchūriki or ordinary people?
Obviously the latter.
Ōnoki didn't think he was wrong for being pragmatic.
Which was why his attitude toward Kyoichi wasn't exactly friendly. This conversation was really just his way of venting a bit of that frustration — in a half-joking, half-serious tone.
Because, frankly…
Kyoichi's power had grown so overwhelming that even talking to him now required careful timing.
Otherwise, if this guy ever got annoyed, Iwagakure would be the one to suffer for it.
Ōnoki was nothing if not flexible. He could bow when needed, and stand tall when the time came.
He'd endured this long.
But when faced with his pointed accusation and clear mistrust, Kyoichi merely gave him a calm, indifferent glance.
"This has nothing to do with me. Every village has its own problems. The oppression Jinchūriki face isn't exactly a secret — you can't just pin all of that on me."
"Oh? So you're saying Rōshi chose to run away?"
"Well, it's not impossible," Kyoichi said evenly. "Maybe he came to Konoha, saw how even prisoners were treated with more respect than Jinchūriki in Iwagakure, and decided he couldn't stomach going back."
"You—!"
Ōnoki's blood pressure spiked.
Was that even human speech?!
Prison life better than living in Iwagakure?
The nerve!
He took several deep breaths, forcing his temper down.
Then he sat back down.
Honestly, Kyoichi hadn't even noticed him standing up — the height difference was so negligible that whether the man was sitting or standing, he was still shorter.
"Alright, let's drop the pleasantries," Ōnoki said gruffly. "You tell me straight — what exactly have you been doing, secretly contacting Jinchūriki all this time? Don't play dumb. My surveillance unit noticed Rōshi and Han heading toward the Land of Fire. You expect me to believe you had no contact with them?"
His beard bristled as he glared.
Subtle probing clearly wasn't going to work anymore, so he came right out with it.
Kyoichi thought for a moment, then said calmly:
"You mentioned before that their goal was to create a world where Jinchūriki are respected. So tell me — is it possible that your people are actually coming to recruit our Jinchūriki to defect?"
"What?!"
Ōnoki nearly jumped onto the table, slamming his hand down so hard the dishes rattled.
"Be serious, damn it! I'm not joking here!"
Veins bulged on his forehead.
Talking with Kyoichi was infuriating. The man was infuriatingly calm, every word pushing his blood pressure higher.
Kyoichi waved a hand, unbothered.
"Relax. I'm just saying — this has nothing to do with me. But I can help you keep an eye on them. I'll make sure nothing happens to them on the road. After that, where they go and what they do… isn't something I can interfere with."
And he wasn't lying.
He really didn't care about Rōshi or Han.
Yes, Jinchūriki were strong — but for Konoha, their power was more of a luxury than a necessity. The trouble they brought often outweighed the benefits.
So, in truth, everything he'd said was the truth.
———
Ōnoki exhaled through his nose.
"Fine. I'm not that hung up on the Tailed Beast issue anyway. But I need to know — what exactly is Konoha trying to do? I heard you've been in contact with other villages too."
He wasn't going to beat around the bush either.
Kyoichi wasn't surprised.
Every major village had its own underground networks — and it was normal for them to trade intelligence to make sure no one got blindsided.
Tailed Beasts were no exception.
They'd all discussed the matter before… only to realize too late that Kyoichi already held samples of chakra from multiple Tailed Beasts.
Now, regret was pointless.
That's what had Ōnoki worried.
Kyoichi leaned forward slightly. "The Ten-Tails."
"…What?"
"The chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts can be combined to recreate an ancient creature — a monstrous being known as the Ten-Tails. That's likely Madara's ultimate goal. We've done some preliminary experiments — and it's possible."
His tone was solemn.
Ōnoki's heart lurched.
Ten-Tails?
He'd never even heard of it before.
Honestly, his first thought was that Kyoichi was bullshitting again. Iwagakure had already been scammed enough by this guy — their entire medical industry was now reliant on Konoha's pharmaceuticals. They weren't doing badly, per se, but being under someone else's thumb always stung.
And now here he was, throwing out another mysterious concept like it was nothing.
But then…
Kyoichi began explaining — not everything, but enough.
He spoke of ancient times, of a primordial creature that had once existed, long before the age of ninja.
Ōnoki's skepticism slowly gave way to disbelief… and then to a grudging belief.
And that was without Kyoichi even mentioning the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
Had he done so, Ōnoki probably would've dismissed the whole story outright.
After all — who could possibly believe in a godlike alien clan from beyond the stars?
You couldn't blame a frog for thinking the well was the whole world —
because that's all it had ever known.
Finally, Ōnoki sighed deeply.
"Alright, alright. Iwagakure will cooperate fully regarding Madara. Just tell me what you need — but one thing: don't drag us down with you."
"You have my word," Kyoichi said smoothly.
"Hmph. You're a crafty one, but I'll admit — you've never gone back on your word. And you're not that rotten inside, either. I'll trust you on this."
Ōnoki nodded firmly.
Kyoichi, at least, wasn't like Senju Tobirama — who, in his opinion, was pure venom disguised as a man.
He sat back, falling deep into thought.
Everything Kyoichi had told him was overwhelming — the kind of information an old man needed a whole day just to digest.
And even then, it made his head hurt.
By the next morning, they were back on the road — heading toward the location where Mifune had arranged the Five Kage meeting.
Midway there, Kyoichi excused himself, saying he had to go meet someone elsewhere — and disappeared.
It wasn't until Ōnoki was halfway down the mountain path that it hit him.
Damn it… I got played again!
That kid had only mentioned the "Ten-Tails Chakra" to bait him. Clearly, the nine Tailed Beasts weren't the real key — and Kyoichi had deliberately avoided explaining the method of fusing them.
He understood it was probably classified, but still—
That was the most important part!
"Lord Third, what's wrong?" one of his men asked.
"…Nothing. Mosquito," Ōnoki grumbled. "Keep walking."
He sighed.
It wasn't exactly being tricked — not this time.
He knew Kyoichi's type too well. That kid would never reveal something so critical.
And even if he did… it would be a lie anyway.
Better not to ask.