A massive fissure split open in the ground in front of Tsunade's fist, stretching all the way toward the group of Takigakure ninja.
"Ah—!"
The physically weaker Taki ninja fell straight into the裂缝; only a handful managed to escape the attack.
They were simply too weak.
"Signal for help!"
The leading Taki ninja shouted. One of the ninja behind him pulled a flare from his clothes and lit it.
Kawamine did not stop them—this was exactly what he wanted. It saved him the trouble of searching for them one by one.
Tsunade also understood Kawafū's intent. She straightened up and stared coldly at the Taki ninja, confronting them head-on.
For a moment, none of them had the courage to launch another attack.
Soon, more Taki ninja poured out from deep within the village. Their leader was a middle-aged man whose presence alone was intimidating, even without anger.
He was most likely the current head of Takigakure.
"Konoha ninja,""You'd better not come to my Takigakure and hurt my people."
The village chief stood before Kawamine's group, his expression grave, barely concealing his anger.
If Takigakure were not so weak at the moment, he would likely have ordered an immediate assault.
"You were the ones who sent assassins to kill my grandfather."
Nawaki could not tolerate such double standards and retorted without hesitation.
"Your grandfather?"
The village chief frowned. Was Konoha here to seek revenge?
That incident had happened more than twenty years ago. At the time, he had only been a mid-level official.
He could not bear responsibility for it.
"Are you a descendant of Lord Hashirama?"
The chief still used the honorific title of the God of Shinobi, yet at the same time feared offending the people before him.
"Hmph."
Nawaki snorted coldly and did not reply.
"Alright," the chief said cautiously.
"You must be the village chief. We didn't come to Takigakure for revenge,"Kawamine finally stepped forward and spoke calmly."We just want to ask you for something."
"What?"
Before the chief could finish speaking, the leading ninja answered for him.
"He wants Nanabi."
"That's right," Kawamine said."I don't know if the village chief is willing to give her up. If you are, Konoha will no longer pursue past matters."
Kawamine felt no guilt invoking Konoha's authority. Once Tsunade became Hokage, everything would be perfectly legitimate.
Besides, Konoha had never truly cared about this issue. When an elephant is bitten by an ant, it doesn't bite back.
"Aren't you afraid of provoking public outrage?"
Since he had become village chief, he was clearly not foolish. His first instinct was to apply pressure through the other great nations.
"Don't worry. I have my own plan," Kawamine replied calmly."You only need to tell me whether you're willing to hand her over."
He didn't want to cause unnecessary bloodshed here. Persuasion was the best outcome.
"I'm sorry," the village chief said without hesitation."Nanabi is the foundation of Takigakure. I can't give her to you."
To do so would be to destroy the village's very lifeline.
"Then don't blame me for being rude."
The moment the words fell, Kawamine vanished from where he stood. When he reappeared, he was already behind the village chief, the octagonal Han sword pressed firmly against his throat.
The chief had no room to resist.
"Release the chief!"
The Taki ninja advanced nervously. The village chief was already the strongest among them, yet even he was no match for this man.
They had no opportunity to attack at all.
"As long as you hand over Nanabi, I won't kill you."
Kawafū whispered the words into the chief's ear. Tsunade and the two children watched silently, making no move—this was all part of their prior agreement.
"Sigh… it's not that I don't want to give her to you," the village chief said bitterly."It's that Nanabi's condition is extremely unstable. Once she leaves the sealed area, our sealing vessel won't be able to contain her."
"If the Seven-Tails goes berserk, Takigakure will be destroyed."
He let out a helpless sigh. This man was undeniably powerful, but the safety of the village mattered more.
"Oh? Then I'll help you."
The corner of Kawamine's mouth curled upward. There was still room for negotiation.
The village chief himself was clearly worried about Nanabi. After all, the power of the sealing vessel had been weakening day by day.
How can I trust you?
The chief acknowledged Kawamine's strength, but he believed the Seven-Tails was beyond their control. He could not gamble the lives of the entire village.
He still hoped that, within his lifetime, a suitable jinchūriki would appear, giving Takigakure a chance to reclaim its former glory.
After acquiring a tailed beast, Takigakure had grown complacent. They never expected Senju Hashirama to distribute the tailed beasts to the other major nations, stripping them of any real advantage.
Perhaps it was resentment, perhaps arrogance—but after consulting with the higher-ups, they sent assassins after Hashirama, never imagining the trouble it would bring.
Yet even after all these years, they failed to find a suitable jinchūriki. They could only rely on sealing vessels from the Land of Uzumaki to imprison the beast.
Originally, they might have hired experts to reinforce the seal.
But with the destruction of the Uzumaki clan, all they could do was watch helplessly as the vessel's power slowly deteriorated.
They constructed a sealed area of their own and placed the Seven-Tails inside it, slowing the vessel's decay.
Even so, after so many years, the container was on the verge of breaking. Once it left the sealed zone, Nanabi might immediately break free.
"I know the Flying Thunder God Technique," Kawamine said calmly."I can prevent the fighting from spreading to Takigakure."
"Even if we fail, your village won't be harmed."
"So? I'm willing to take on this risk."
The blade in Kawamine's hand pressed closer, drawing a thin line of blood across the chief's neck.
"Chief, give it to him. Nanabi isn't more important than your life."
One Taki ninja after another spoke up—it was clear the chief was deeply respected.
"…Fine. I'll give her to you."
The village chief felt both unwilling and relieved. With the sword at his throat, refusal was impossible.
He believed that even if he died, as long as Nanabi remained in the village, she would never escape Kawamine's grasp. He would find her eventually.
Human nature fears death. Only a rare few possess the conviction to face it calmly.
He knew he wasn't one of them. Being alive was good enough.
"If we had done this earlier, things wouldn't have become so ugly. Why ruin the harmony?"
The octagonal Han sword vanished from Kawamine's hand. If the chief dared to go back on his word, there would be a massacre.
"Come. I'll take you to her."
The village chief touched the wound on his neck, his expression calm, and walked deeper into the village.
The Taki ninja glared at Kawamine with barely concealed fury.
"Please wait by the lake before you leave."
Kawamine ignored their stares and told Tsunade and the two children to wait outside.
On the way here, he had scattered Flying Thunder God markers several times, preparing to transfer a tailed-beast battle elsewhere.
Now they could move the battlefield directly to that location without endangering innocent villagers. Otherwise, after a full-scale fight, the tiny Takigakure might cease to exist.
"That's good."
Tsunade nodded and led the two children as she leapt back through the waterfall. She had no concern for Kawamine's safety.
"Does your village still have Hero Water?"
Watching Tsunade leave, Kawamine caught up to the chief and casually asked about something that interested him.
He seemed to have completely forgotten that moments earlier, his sword had been at the man's throat.
"Enough—enough!"
The chief glanced back at Kawamine and shook his head vigorously, like a rattling bell.
Was this Konoha ninja here to strip Takigakure of all its secrets?
"Why do you want to take everything that's good?"
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