Chapter 134: Nuclear Blackmail
Even though the Land of Grass bordered the Land of Earth, the distance between them was still far. The shinobi world was vast, so Kenichi had already prepared himself for a long trip.
He could have used a hot air balloon to save time, but he abandoned the idea after considering one simple fact.
Onoki could fly.
If the hot air balloon could stay hidden for just one more day, then Kenichi could keep his air dominance for one more day. Even if Onoki could take to the sky, it consumed chakra. For Kenichi, it was far easier.
When Kenichi and Sasori reached the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth, they spotted a group of shinobi waiting on the Land of Grass side. Then an old man descended from the sky, landing in front of them. There was even a trace of regret in his eyes as he looked at Kenichi.
Who else could it be but the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki?
This old man really wants to pry into my flying methods. Kenichi forced a smile, complaining inwardly.
He had already expected Onoki might come to investigate, but he did not expect him to rush out before Kenichi even crossed into the Land of Earth, and even take off before Kenichi had a chance to do anything.
Still, money was money.
"Lord Tsuchikage, you got here fast. You're too kind." Kenichi's smile remained warm and polite.
Making money was nothing to be ashamed of.
"Hahaha! The Heavenly Demon really is the Heavenly Demon!" Onoki laughed heartily. "One move and those Konoha brats scattered like frightened chickens. Of course I had to come welcome you!"
As he spoke, his eyes kept flicking toward Kenichi's back, again and again.
That made Kenichi frown slightly. He glanced behind him.
Nothing.
Sasori was still standing calmly at his side. There was no drone, no strange device, no obvious trick.
So what was Onoki looking at?
It was not like supernatural nonsense could suddenly appear in the shinobi world.
"You flatter me," Kenichi said, still puzzled but unwilling to linger on it. "It was business. I just want to know how you felt about the mission this time, Lord Tsuchikage."
He cared about one thing.
Money.
Onoki had offered four hundred million ryo for compensation. Kenichi had pushed the price higher, and Onoki had agreed, as long as he was satisfied.
Now that the explosion's power had increased that much, if Onoki tried to pay less, Kenichi would turn around and pin the blame right back on Iwagakure.
The Five Great Ninja Villages fought, schemed, and stabbed each other in the back often enough. Sooner or later, everyone paid a price. Kenichi did not care who handed him the bag, as long as the ryo was real.
"Oh, I'm quite satisfied," Onoki said, nodding. Then he sighed dramatically. "But Heavenly Demon, you know our Land of Earth is poor. Look at me. The Third Tsuchikage is still wearing patched clothes!"
He actually lifted his robe to show a large patch.
Kenichi's lips twitched.
Good heavens. He is really doing this?
Is a hundred million ryo worth going that far?
Then Kenichi thought about it properly. If he could save a hundred million, he would absolutely act pitiful too, and he would do it with a straight face. Suddenly, he understood Onoki a lot better.
The Iwagakure shinobi behind Onoki stood expressionless, giving nothing away. Only one of them looked slightly moved, eyes watering as if he had been touched by Onoki's "hardship."
"Lord Tsuchikage," Kenichi asked evenly, "you are not planning to back out of the agreement, are you?"
If Onoki wanted to renege, then he had better be ready to fight.
Kenichi was vindictive.
There was an old saying from Kenichi's previous life. Cutting off someone's income was like killing their parents. If Onoki dared to snatch away that extra hundred million ryo, Kenichi would make him regret it.
He would come to the Land of Earth every day to collect.
If that still did not work, he could go straight to the daimyo's residence and demand payment from the daimyo of the Land of Earth.
"No." Onoki waved his hand, his face turning serious. "Our Iwagakure can afford five hundred million."
That surprised Kenichi.
If he was not trying to back out, then what was the point of acting poor earlier? Did he think Kenichi would suddenly soften and forgive the hundred million?
Kenichi touched his chest.
Seeing Onoki's behavior, his heart did not ache at all.
Onoki's gaze shifted to Sasori for a moment, and Kenichi immediately understood. Onoki wanted to say something that involved Sasori too.
Kenichi did not hesitate.
"Sasori is my best friend," he said directly. "So speak frankly, Lord Tsuchikage."
He knew Sasori's temperament, and nothing too dangerous was likely to happen here. If anything, it could deepen Sasori's trust.
Why not?
Sasori's expression did not change, but Kenichi knew this would bring them closer. Sharing secrets strengthened bonds, as long as you were not careless about who you trusted.
Onoki nodded.
"Then I'll be direct, Heavenly Demon. Our Iwagakure is small, and our population is limited. Everyone struggles just to survive." His voice lowered. "If a shinobi dies, he might be someone's husband, someone's child, someone's father."
Kenichi listened quietly.
If this was not about lowering the payment, then what was this really for?
"So I hope the Akatsuki, or rather you, Heavenly Demon, will stop throwing your metal weapons at Iwagakure," Onoki said earnestly.
Kenichi fell into thought.
He understood immediately.
Onoki had seen the consequences of the thermobaric bomb on the battlefield. Now he wanted to prevent Iwagakure from becoming a future target of retaliation.
Kenichi had bombed Kumogakure at the battlefield between Kumogakure and Konoha, then turned around and bombed Konoha without hesitation. The message was obvious.
Akatsuki was a mercenary organization. Whoever paid, got results.
Onoki had lived through the era of war and witnessed the rise of Konoha's two gods. He understood better than anyone that one day, another village might offer a higher price, and Heavenly Demon's weapon would fall on Iwagakure instead.
Onoki had ambition, but he cared even more about Iwagakure's villagers and shinobi.
According to reports from the front line ANBU, Heavenly Demon's strike had caused heavy losses for Konoha. After the explosion, Konoha retreated to the border of the Land of Fire and dug in.
The chance of peace talks rose sharply.
So Konoha's problem was temporarily solved.
But Heavenly Demon's existence was a problem that did not disappear.
If Konoha retaliated, how would Iwagakure defend itself? Heavenly Demon flew too high. Iwagakure's proud mountain terrain, its natural defenses, became meaningless.
That was why Onoki wanted another solution.
Not a counterweapon, not yet.
A contract.
A request for Akatsuki to stop accepting missions aimed at the village itself.
Kenichi's mouth curved slightly. "So what is the price, Lord Tsuchikage?"
The shinobi world had already witnessed the power of the thermobaric bombs. Kumogakure, Konoha, and Iwagakure had all seen it with their own eyes. Until someone found a reliable method to deal with it, the question every Kage had to face was the same.
How do we keep the homeland from being attacked?
Losses on the battlefield were painful, but acceptable.
If a village was hit, the losses were catastrophic.
If Kenichi reached an agreement with Iwagakure, then Kumogakure and Konoha might follow next, paying him to stay out of trouble.
What was this?
It was nuclear blackmail.
Use overwhelming power and superior methods to force others to submit and make concessions.
Refuse to yield?
Fine.
Stand your ground and see if you can endure the consequences.
The Five Great Ninja Villages had developed to this point. They could not simply move their villages. They could not hide forever either, because they still needed missions to survive.
Right now, the villages did not truly understand thermobaric bombs. Some were even trying to defend against them with defensive ninjutsu. And there was no clear way to deal with Kenichi's attack methods.
If you fell behind, you got hit.
If you did not want your village bombed, your people killed, your development ruined, then you had to solve the problem.
Onoki hesitated, then spoke.
"Our Iwagakure will pay you two hundred million ryo per year."
It was embarrassing, but it was the best solution he could find to prevent greater losses until they developed a better answer.
He had considered keeping the Heavenly Demon close, but if Kenichi refused, then Onoki would have to face Heavenly Demon's revenge. The price for that would be far higher.
Better to compromise for now, then stop paying once a countermeasure existed.
A year was more than enough.
Onoki had learned more from the front line: Heavenly Demon's methods, Heavenly Demon's altitude, and even Konoha's countermeasures.
After hearing all of it, Onoki could not sit still. He rushed out, wanting to see how high Heavenly Demon really flew and whether he could catch him.
He had not expected Kenichi to be this slippery.
Kenichi raised three fingers. "Three hundred million. I will not make a move, and I will hand some over to the organization."
Two hundred million was already a lot, but he still had to give the organization a share.
He could refuse to pay it, but then he would have to hide it. And what would happen if Nagato ordered him to bomb Iwagakure anyway?
Kenichi could leave Akatsuki. The organization did not impose strict chains on its members, and even his own teacher had left before.
But Kenichi still wanted access to the Rinnegan, and the Gedo Mazo.
Once he left, it would be extremely difficult to get close to those things again.
"Two hundred million is enough. We cannot afford more," Onoki refused immediately.
Kenichi was not surprised.
Business always started with a price fight.
So he and Onoki pulled back and forth, arguing, pressing, retreating, and pressing again.
By the time the sun dipped and the afternoon negotiations finally ended, the number settled.
Two hundred and forty five million ryo per year.
That was the price that bought Onoki's "refusal to make a move."
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