Onoki understood Deidara's personality better than anyone.
He knew that outside of blowing things up, the boy was practically innocent.
Deidara was incapable of lying with such natural, unadulterated arrogance—especially while shouting at the top of his lungs.
'So...'
'The enemy truly has my blood.'
As for how they obtained it? Onoki shifted his gaze toward the empty air where Makoto had spoken earlier.
They had companions skilled in infiltration.
Before today, before knowing about the existence of a nightmare like Death Controlling Possessed Blood, who would have cared about protecting their waste? No one guards a mere drop of blood unless they know it can kill them.
"What exactly do you want..."
"Wait, wait!"
Just as Onoki was about to grill Makoto on his intentions, Kurotsuchi jumped between them.
Her face was a mix of anxiety and conflict, her eyes fixed on Makoto.
"Um," she stammered. "Am I not included in the targets of this deterrence?"
"Of course you are," Makoto smiled pleasantly.
"I've been injured quite a few times over the years on missions," Kurotsuchi said, narrowing her eyes.
"Tell me, you collected my blood when I was injured, right?"
"Here's the thing," Makoto explained, waving a finger. "Male ninjas might not necessarily be deterred because collecting their samples requires specific opportunities. But female ninjas?"
He smirked. "Aside from elderly veterans like Chiyo of Suna, no female ninja can escape this. It happens once a month, after all. So... what do you think?"
"I think you can go to hell!" Kurotsuchi's face turned red.
She clenched her fists, shaking with rage. "Tell me! Which sick pervert in your organization came up with this idea?!"
"Kurotsuchi, don't be impulsive!"
Onoki grabbed his granddaughter and hauled her back.
Makoto had just snapped Chun's leg and let him fall to his death without blinking.
Onoki didn't dare gamble on whether Makoto would hesitate to kill Kurotsuchi if she attacked him.
"What exactly do you want to do?" Onoki stared at Makoto, his eyes hard. "With this kind of absolute deterrence... do you plan to rule the world? Are you another Uchiha Madara?"
"Didn't I just said it?" Makoto sighed, looking bored. "We are an organization that loves peace. Deterrence is only a tool to force the Five Great Nations to engage in equal dialogue with us."
"We are just an insignificant small force compared to you. If we stand and speak politely, you won't listen. If we kneel and beg, you still won't listen."
Makoto's eyes turned cold. "So, we have no choice but to make you kneel. Then, maybe you'll listen."
"By the way," he added casually, "our organization's Leader actually came to understand this painful truth indirectly because of your Iwagakure."
Makoto maintained his polite smile.
"Related to us?" Onoki frowned.
He quickly searched his mind, trying to recall any relevant military operations or conflicts that matched the description, but he drew a blank.
He turned to Kurotsuchi, hoping his granddaughter remembered something.
"I don't remember either," Kurotsuchi muttered, shaking her head. "Don't worry, old man, you're not senile yet."
After the initial shock of the "monthly blood" threat, Kurotsuchi had calmed down somewhat.
Since the enemy already had the leverage, panicking wouldn't help.
The best course of action was to extract as much information as possible.
Information was the only way to find a countermeasure!
"It's normal that you don't remember," Makoto said. "As I said, it's only 'indirectly related'."
"I might as well tell you the specific history," Makoto continued.
"Years ago, Danzo Shimura of Konoha sent his ANBU root operatives disguised as Iwa-nin to slaughter civilians in Amegakure. He then framed your village for the massacre. He played a game of 'driving a tiger to swallow a wolf,' aiming to ignite a war."
"That conspiracy," Makoto said darkly, "caused the death of our original Leader and the slaughter of our earliest members."
Makoto casually revealed the tragic origin story of the Akatsuki.
As for whether Iwagakure would deduce that the Akatsuki's headquarters was in Amegakure from this info? It didn't matter.
Ever since Makoto took over as Strategist, the organization no longer needed to hide like rats in the shadows.
"Konoha?!"
Onoki and Kurotsuchi exchanged glances, astonishingly.
So this was what "related" meant? They were framed?
"That old bastard Danzo is truly vile scum," Onoki cursed, spitting on the ground. "But if it was Konoha's doing, why are you targeting our Iwagakure? Shouldn't you be raining hell on Konoha instead?"
"We are here for one reason," Makoto said. "To save Deidara."
"Huh?"
"Is that all?"
Onoki and Kurotsuchi were both bewildered.
All these threats, the blood curses, the posturing... just to pick up the brat?
"Yes. As for Konoha, we naturally collected blood samples from them too," Makoto shrugged. "But as I said before, we're a peace-loving organization. Unless our plans specifically target Konoha, we won't proactively go there to start trouble."
"..."
Onoki's mouth twitched.
What kind of fucked up person goes around constantly claiming to love peace while threatening to voodoo-murder people via hemorrhoids?
"I can let you leave with Deidara," Onoki finally compromised, floating slightly lower. "But regarding this 'deterrent' of yours... I hope you won't let ordinary ninja know about it. If the common ninja's find out they can be killed remotely just by bleeding, it will cause mass panic and chaos."
Even if Onoki used Dust Release to vaporize Makoto right now, it wouldn't solve the problem.
The blood was somewhere else.
He had to fold this one for now.
"No problem," Makoto agreed.
"As for Deidara, you don't need to worry. I understand you see him as a grandson, or perhaps a successor, but we also consider him a companion."
Makoto's expression softened slightly, becoming more earnest.
"I can reveal one more thing to you: Our organization's ultimate goal is to confront a threat that endangers the entire Shinobi World. A threat far greater than village politics."
"We need to gather everyone's strength as much as possible. That inevitably requires cooperation with Iwagakure. So... despite this rocky start, we will still be allies when the time comes."
Makoto was painting a grand vision for the two of them.
And surprisingly, this vision resonated.
The perspective of the original story always centered around Naruto.
But stepping back to look at the bigger picture revealed a different world.
Deidara was to Onoki what Naruto was to Sarutobi Hiruzen—a headache, a rebel, but family.
When Naruto in Shippuden cheered that Sasuke had killed Orochimaru, he didn't stop to think that Orochimaru was to Jiraiya what Sasuke was to Naruto—a lost friend.
The joys and sorrows between people are never truly shared.
In the Shinobi World, the inability to understand one another has become the norm.
Even close friends fail to comprehend each other's pain.
Yet now, Onoki's innermost feelings about Deidara had been articulated by someone he had just met today—someone who was technically an enemy.
It was a peculiar sensation.
A bridge of understanding built over a threat of death.
"In that case," Kurotsuchi stepped forward, her eyes burning with a sudden decision. "May I join your organization?"
"Kurotsuchi! Wh-what the hell are you saying?!"
Onoki nearly fell out of the sky.
'Damn it! First Deidara—raised like a grandson and groomed as the Tsuchikage's successor—runs off to be a terrorist. And now his granddaughter wants to defect too? Was he running a Kage office or a revolving door?!'
Ignoring Onoki's panic, Kurotsuchi fixed her dark eyes intently on Makoto, awaiting his response.
"Sure," Makoto said, slightly taken aback but agreeing immediately.
"You're afraid I want to... NANII?!" Kurotsuchi blinked. "Sure? You agree?"
Hearing Makoto speak, Kurotsuchi had instinctively braced herself for rejection, preparing an argument about how useful she could be.
She didn't expect him to just say yes.
"Aren't you afraid I might be spying on you?" Kurotsuchi asked, bewildered. "That I'm trying to gather intelligence on you, or find a way to destroy the blood samples you've collected?"
Nearby, Onoki face-palmed.
'My foolish granddaughter... why do you wear your heart on your sleeve? Why tell the enemy your plan immediately?'
"Afraid of what?" Makoto laughed, shaking his head. "If you want to gather intelligence, you'll need to understand us. And if you understand us, you'll come to grasp our true intentions."
"You didn't actually think my statement about 'aiming for the safety of the entire Shinobi World' was just a lie to trick you, did you?"
Makoto shrugged confidently.
With rational and calm individuals like Kurotsuchi and Onoki, Makoto could always be open and honest. He invited them as allies because he knew they operated on logic.
In Makoto's plans, the Five Great Nations were forces that could be won over.
The only challenge was that people from the Great Villages were stubborn.
They wouldn't easily believe the things he and the Akatsuki spoke of.
Not easily convinced—but not never convinced.
These were minds that could be persuaded through words, actions, and logic.
The only ones beyond Makoto's reach were the idiots.
The ones who, no matter how logical your arguments, would cling to their entrenched beliefs, shouting about "friendship" or "bonds," crying "It hurts! It hurts too much!" or "The world discarded you, so I will return the pain!" while charging headfirst into a wall.
Those people—the Narutos and Obitos of the world—could never be reasoned with through conventional means.
"NO! Absolutely not! Strategist, don't agree to this! Un!"
Suddenly, a whiny, petulant voice echoed from the cave, breaking the moment.
"Kurotsuchi is so boring! And she's not even strong!" Deidara yelled. "Having her join would only lower our organization's artistic prestige! Hmph!"