Jiraiya watched Ōnoki's expression and felt more and more that something was wrong. He was just about to open his mouth to stop him—
—but Uchiha Hikaru raised a hand.
Jiraiya turned to look at Hikaru, confusion clearly written in his eyes.
Hikaru, why are you stopping me? It's obvious this old bastard Ōnoki is plotting something. Are you really going to just sit there and let him keep going?
Hikaru lifted his hand and patted Jiraiya on the shoulder calmly.
"Relax, old friend."
"I can guess what that old man is thinking just by wiggling my toes."
"Just sit and watch."
At Hikaru's signal, Jiraiya forcibly suppressed the irritation boiling inside him, let out a long sigh, and sat back down.
Ōnoki and Nadeshiko Tsubaki returned to their seats. At this point, irritation was already evident on Tsubaki's face.
"If you have something to say, then say it now," she said coldly.
"Stop wasting time."
Ōnoki glanced at Jiraiya and Uchiha Hikaru standing nearby.
Jiraiya looked clearly displeased, but Hikaru's expression remained calm and indifferent—just as he had said earlier, as if he were truly here only to supervise the smooth completion of the commission.
If that's the case…
Does this mean Hikaru won't interfere in anything after the mission is over?
With that thought in mind, Ōnoki decided to gamble—turning his bicycle into a motorcycle.
"Lady Tsubaki," he said slowly,
"Your Nadeshiko Village isn't very large."
"The total population—shinobi and civilians combined—shouldn't exceed ten thousand."
"You can't possibly make full use of such a vast territory, can you?"
"So how about this—rent part of it to us?"
"Iwagakure only wants half. The price is negotiable. What do you say?"
The moment Ōnoki finished speaking, Tsubaki laughed—so angry she couldn't help it.
"Hah!"
"Tsuchikage, Nadeshiko Village paid you to carry out a mission."
"Now that the mission is finished, you open your mouth and ask for half our land?"
"You're really good at calculating."
"Why don't you just say you want all of it?"
Ōnoki stole another glance at Uchiha Hikaru—and when he saw that Hikaru still hadn't reacted at all, joy surged in his heart.
So it really is like I thought.
Hikaru only supervises the commission. He doesn't care about what happens afterward.
That night more than a month ago, I got a good idea for free and ended up frustrated. He probably doesn't want to get involved in anything else anymore.
With that thought, Ōnoki's confidence visibly swelled. He waved his hands with a smug smile, his tone righteous and sincere.
"How could you say I want it?"
"Didn't I say it's just a lease?"
"As you know, the roads in Iwagakure are in terrible condition. Trade with other countries is extremely inconvenient."
"I only want to rent it temporarily."
"A few years at most—five years!"
"By then, our roads should be mostly repaired. We'll naturally withdraw."
"I have no choice. This is only a temporary solution."
"Please be considerate and understand the difficulties faced by Iwagakure~"
Ōnoki spoke with such conviction that it sounded as if he truly intended to return the land after five years.
Tsubaki slammed the table and stood up, fury blazing in her eyes.
"Your roads being blocked—what does that have to do with Nadeshiko Village?"
"If you'd said this when you issued the commission, I might have understood."
"But now that the mission is over, you want to reap extra benefits?"
"I'm telling you right now—keep dreaming."
"It's one thing for shinobi to be shameless in battle."
"But I never expected Iwagakure to be just as shameless toward its employers!"
With that, Tsubaki stormed out of the tent in a fury.
Only Ōnoki, Jiraiya, and Uchiha Hikaru remained.
Ōnoki raised his hand and pointed toward Tsubaki's retreating figure, then shook his head helplessly and turned to Hikaru.
"Hikaru, look at this—aren't they treating Iwagakure like the villains?"
"I really just want a temporary trading location to solve an urgent problem."
"It was an idea I came up with at the last minute."
"People from small villages are all like this—short-sighted~"
Jiraiya couldn't hold back any longer.
He slammed his hand onto the table and glared at Ōnoki.
"I used to respect you and call you Tsuchikage."
"Now I see you're nothing but a hypocritical old man."
"Ptui!"
He spat hard onto the ground in front of Ōnoki, turned, and stormed out to follow Tsubaki.
Ōnoki's smile stiffened awkwardly. He looked toward Uchiha Hikaru beside him.
"Uh… Jiraiya really is something."
"He's already in his forties or fifties, yet he still can't control his emotions—just like a hot-blooded kid."
Hikaru turned his head and smiled faintly.
"Lord Ōnoki," he said softly,
"am I not a young man too?"
Ōnoki froze for a split second, then hurriedly corrected himself.
"No, no—Hikaru, you're different."
"You're far more steady than other young people."
Hikaru tilted his head, his expression curious.
"Really?"
"Or is Lord Ōnoki treating us like fools?"
The instant those words left his mouth, the atmosphere inside the tent plummeted.
Oppressive. Heavy. Suffocating.
Ōnoki felt it again—the same pressure he'd experienced during the Chūnin Exams.
"H-Hikaru, what are you talking about?"
"I… I didn't force you to rent the land, did I?"
"I was just asking—just asking…"
Hikaru nodded calmly.
"That's right. You were just asking."
"There's nothing wrong with that."
"As for what you were really thinking—no one knows."
"But now, I want to tell you something else."
Ōnoki's heart skipped. Annoyance flickered inside him, but Hikaru's strength was undeniable.
He could only ask cautiously, forcing a smile.
"And what would that be?"
The moment the words left his mouth—
Hikaru's pupils twisted violently, transforming into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Ōnoki felt the world around him shatter.
The scenery changed in an instant.
He looked down at his hands—then at the clothes on his body.
He touched his face in horror.
"I… I am—?"
Then a terrifying pressure descended.
When he looked up, his heart nearly stopped.
"U–Uchiha Madara?!"
But behind Madara's towering back, another figure slowly emerged, overlapping with him.
"What kind of expression is that?"
"Haven't you already experienced the gap between us?"
"Alliance? That's nothing but a lie told to children."
"Weaklings are only worthy of submitting to Konoha's power."
That unruly figure—
The scarlet Mangekyō.
The Konoha forehead protector.
The overwhelming presence burned itself deep into Ōnoki's soul, making his entire body tremble as cold sweat poured down his back (;;;ﾟДﾟ).
Ōnoki knew it was an illusion.
Even so, he forced himself to raise his head.
And when he finally did—
Madara was gone.
Standing there instead was Uchiha Hikaru, cold and merciless, gazing down like a god looking at ants.
"You can only take what Konoha gives you."
"As for what Konoha doesn't give…"
"Try taking it—if you dare."
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