After absorbing the Five-Tails, Naruto didn't immediately use his lottery draw. Instead, he turned to Ōnoki.
"Any idea where the Four-Tails is?"
Ōnoki slowly shook his head. "No clue. He left Iwagakure a long time ago."
Naruto stared at him for a few seconds, long enough that it made Ōnoki nervous.
He was terrified Naruto might do to him what he did to Kokuō—obliterate him with a mere glance.
His old bones wouldn't survive that kind of treatment.
Once Naruto confirmed Ōnoki wasn't lying, he withdrew his gaze.
"Ahem… it's getting close to dinner time," Ōnoki said with a complicated expression. "How about joining us for a meal in Iwagakure?"
He wanted to use the opportunity to strengthen their relationship—hopefully staving off the complete destruction of the village.
But he was also worried that something could go terribly wrong if Naruto stuck around.
Naruto thought for a moment and casually nodded.
He had just claimed the Five-Tails. It was good to balance action with rest.
…
At the top floor of Iwagakure's tallest and most luxurious building, a banquet had been prepared.
Ōnoki had instructed the staff to evacuate all other guests in advance.
Naruto sat alone at the round table, which was filled with local Iwagakure dishes.
Many of the items were unfamiliar to him—deep-fried scorpions, braised mule, and other local specialties.
"If you need anything, please let us know," the polite server said, bowing before exiting.
The entire top floor was now occupied solely by Naruto and a table full of food.
Through the windows, he had a panoramic view of Iwagakure.
As expected of a village renowned for its Earth Release, every structure looked solidly built.
Naruto picked up a crispy fried scorpion and popped it into his mouth.
The crunchy shell encased surprisingly tender meat.
To his surprise, it was delicious.
At that moment, in a nearby private room in the same building…
Kurotsuchi stared at her grandfather in disbelief.
"You want me to go seduce that Uzumaki Naruto?!"
Ōnoki sighed. "Not seduce. Just... engage with him. Besides, you're still single, right? You always say the boys in Iwa are plain and unimpressive. That Naruto kid—he's not bad-looking, wouldn't you say?"
"You're not getting any younger. You'll be an old maid before long."
"No way! I'd rather die alone than do something like that!" Kurotsuchi declared, propping one leg on a chair with fierce defiance.
…
Five minutes later, Kurotsuchi—now dressed in a fresh cheongsam-style outfit—stepped onto the rooftop.
In her hands, she carried a pot of wine, her head slightly bowed as she approached Naruto's table.
With each step, her long, snow-white legs flickered in and out of view.
When she reached the table, she tilted her head, as if reluctant.
"Ahem… my grandpa told me to bring you this wine."
Naruto replied, "Just set it down."
Kurotsuchi placed the wine on the table and sat down two seats away.
Her new outfit accentuated her already shapely figure.
"He also told me to have a few drinks with you," she added.
"But let me be clear—this was his idea. Don't get any funny thoughts."
Naruto caught on quickly.
Faced with someone this stubborn but clearly flustered, he had no intention of playing along.
"Oh, don't worry," he said. "I'm not interested. Aside from your legs, the rest… let's just say it's underwhelming."
As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at her rather flat chest.
That dismissive look instantly ignited Kurotsuchi's temper.
Her legs trembled in anger.
If she weren't so afraid of Naruto's strength, she might've already kicked him.
"I—I'm only wearing chest wraps for combat efficiency!" she snapped. "Don't underestimate me!"
For some reason, a strange sense of competitiveness had taken over her.
She had no idea why she even felt the need to argue about this with a man.
As the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage, she'd grown up basking in admiration.
This was the first time a guy had mocked her like this.
Naruto chuckled.
Messing with the future "Leg-Kage" was surprisingly fun.
"Oh? I don't believe it."
His tone was casual, yet aggravating.
"You…!"
She had never met a man this infuriating.
And the worst part was—she couldn't do a thing about it.
She couldn't beat him. Even her own grandfather had to treat him with reverence.
And now, she couldn't even win an argument.
Frustrated and impulsive, she stood up and undid the buttons of her cheongsam's collar.
She yanked the fabric down, exposing her snowy shoulders and collarbones.
Underneath, tightly wrapped white bandages confirmed her earlier claim.
Straightening her back, she declared, "See?! So stop looking down on me!"
Naruto couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Looks like Ōnoki had kept his granddaughter far too sheltered.
A total sweet summer child.
Seeing that she was about to lose it, Naruto decided to ease up.
"Alright, alright. You're not flat. You're… very well-endowed. Satisfied?"
As her emotions settled, Kurotsuchi realized how impulsive—and embarrassing—her actions had been.
She quickly redid her clothes and downed a big gulp of wine, her cheeks flushed.
Whether from intoxication or embarrassment, even she couldn't tell.
After a few more drinks, her mood finally lightened.
She looked up and met Naruto's gaze.
Her voice was serious:
"Can I ask you something? Could you… please not attack Iwagakure? I promise—we won't be your enemy."
Naruto met her eyes but slowly shook his head.
"I can't promise something like that. Who knows what will happen in the future? And what makes your promise worth anything?"
Kurotsuchi sighed internally. He had a point—who could really guarantee the future?
Still, she didn't want to see Iwagakure end up like Kumogakure.
After the meal, Naruto clapped his hands and used a Water Release jutsu to wash them.
Seeing him getting ready to leave, Kurotsuchi quickly stood up.
"You're leaving?"
She glanced out the window—it was already dark.
Naruto waved and flew straight out the window.
In the blink of an eye, he was gone from sight.
Staring in the direction he'd flown, Kurotsuchi felt a strange sense of melancholy.
It reminded her of when Deidara defected from the village.
…
The next day, despite Ōnoki's attempts to suppress it, the news that Naruto had taken the Five-Tails still spread like wildfire.
Every village inevitably had spies.
…
In the Land of Rain, inside a dim, damp structure—
Tobi, Nagato, and Konan—the core of the Akatsuki—gathered once more.
But unlike before, Nagato was now standing.
The once sickly man who relied on a wheelchair now stood tall and firm.
His previously dull red hair was now vibrant, his Rinnegan glowing with immense power.