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Onoki's paranoia was in full swing. If this wasn't clarified immediately, he would likely suspect Kazuki of conspiring with the Cloud Village – with Rasa and Mei Terumi as accomplices.
"This is Mabui, the Raikage's secretary. Since I was in need of a highly capable secretary, I paid a certain price to acquire her from the Cloud Village," Kazuki explained, spreading his hands in a gesture of amused exasperation.
Lacking a secretary, so you just... trade for one from the Cloud Village?! What the hell kind of trade was that?! Onoki instinctively didn't believe it.
"The Kazekage and I were also shocked when we first learned of it. After all, she's from the Cloud Village. An ordinary person wouldn't dare use someone like that," Mei Terumi added, Onoki's paranoia having genuinely amused her. Standing to the side with his arms crossed, Rasa offered a calm explanation.
"Tsuchikage, we have come with good intention. If we had truly sided with the Cloud Village, why would we travel such a distance to meet you? A decapitation strike would bring us no benefit whatsoever. On the contrary, it would only plunge the shinobi world into even greater chaos."
Finally, a reasonable explanation. Onoki stared at Kazuki suspiciously for several long seconds. Only after repeatedly confirming there were no hidden ambushes did his maximum-level alertness begin to ease.
Anyone would have been unsettled in such a situation. One couldn't blame Onoki for his deep-seated paranoia. Had it been the hot-tempered, impulsive Raikage, he would likely have been ready to start swinging immediately.
"Ahem!!" Noticing the peculiar look Kazuki was giving him, Onoki's weathered face flushed slightly. He coughed, though thankfully his dark complexion concealed the change. With his guard lowered, Onoki was still puzzled. He couldn't fathom Kazuki's thinking. Mabui was the Raikage's secretary, deeply trusted by the Raikage.
To bring such a person to his side and even make her the Hokage's secretary – did he have no concerns? If it were him, he wouldn't even want someone like that anywhere near him, let alone as his secretary. He'd constantly worry about whether she'd betray him, betray the village. But this was the Leaf Village's affair, none of Onoki's business.
After that minor farce, the conversation quickly turned to the main topic – for instance, the Stone Village's dire situation, which left Onoki no time to waste. The Stone Village simply couldn't hold out any longer. They had to win over the Leaf, Sand, and Mist Villages as quickly as possible and initiate the Five Kage Summit. Perhaps sensing the Stone Village's covert maneuvers, the Cloud Village's offensive had grown increasingly ferocious recently, granting the Stone Village no breathing room whatsoever. At this rate, the Stone Village would collapse on its own before the Five Kage Summit could even convene.
"Since the three of you have come here, it means you are willing to accept the village's goodwill," Onoki began.
"Don't lump everything together," Kazuki interrupted directly. "Although I've come here with the Kazekage and Mizukage, the Leaf Village's terms remain unchanged. What terms the three of you have proposed, I don't know. I simply hope the Tsuchikage won't drag the Leaf Village into your affairs." Negotiate separately. Don't make a hodgepodge stew. What happens between you three is none of the Leaf's business.
He truly refuses to take even the slightest loss. Onoki inwardly lamented. "Rest assured, Lord Hokage, the Leaf Village's terms have already been agreed upon by me." With that, Onoki produced a scroll and handed it to Kazuki, offering his guarantee.
"I swear on the village's honor that everything recorded within is genuine. I have held nothing back. As for whether anyone in the Leaf Village can master Dust Release after obtaining it – that, I cannot guarantee. What do you say, Lord Hokage?" The ugly truth had to be stated upfront. Otherwise, if no one in the Leaf could master Dust Release and they blamed Onoki for withholding secrets, that would be truly maddening.
"Understood," Kazuki said, accepting the scroll and briefly examining it before putting it away. "The village has records of many forbidden techniques that are incredibly difficult to master. Take the renowned Flying Thunder God Technique, for example – even those who could learn and master it were few."
The Flying Thunder God had a high threshold, and Dust Release's threshold was no lower. It wasn't as if knowing the process guaranteed mastery; otherwise, why would there be such a high barrier to entry? Kazuki also wasn't worried about Onoki playing any tricks. If that stubborn old fossil dared withhold anything, Kazuki could go find trouble with him anytime. And if he did, Onoki would have no choice but to grit his teeth and accept it, because he would be in the wrong.
Dust Release – Kazuki planned to glance at it occasionally. The main purpose of bringing this back was to have it recorded in the village's sealing scrolls. For a Hokage, this was a form of honor and merit. After all, very few people could learn it anyway.
Forget Dust Release or the Flying Thunder God – take a simpler example. Throughout the shinobi world, there were at least thirty or forty thousand ninja proficient in Water Style. And Tobirama Senju's Water Style was famously powerful, particularly his compression of Water Style, which made his techniques extraordinarily destructive. Compressing Water Style seemed simple enough, but how many had actually achieved it? Others' Water Style was just Water Style. Tobirama's Water Style was on a whole other level – like a high-pressure water jet, its attack power terrifyingly strong, capable of even severing the Divine Tree's branches.
A Water Style specialist didn't need to pursue anything else; just compressing their Water Style to Tobirama's level would make them one of the village's powerhouses. One should never underestimate learning even a single technique from Tobirama Senju. Although Kazuki didn't particularly like Tobirama – that prejudiced, petty, scheming individual – he had to admit, Tobirama's capabilities were truly formidable.
"I plan to record this in the village's sealing scroll archives. Consider it a kind of honor."
Onoki's mouth twitched involuntarily. Rasa and Mei Terumi regarded Onoki with a touch of sympathy. Nothing could be more demoralizing, and yet Onoki had no other choice.
"Lord Hokage, I would like to purchase some things from the Leaf Village." With the official business concluded, Onoki seized the opportunity to make an additional request: he wanted to buy a batch of supplies from the Leaf Village. Without material support, the Stone Village truly couldn't hold on. What would Onoki seek to purchase from Kazuki? One could guess with one's toes – war materiel.
Seated deeper within the cave reviewing documents, Mabui's hand paused for a moment before quickly returning to normal. Like a tool, she continued her work. It seemed the Stone Village's situation was truly dire. No wonder Onoki was in such a hurry. Rasa and Mei Terumi exchanged a glance. This would be advantageous for their upcoming negotiations. Even if Kazuki agreed to sell the Stone Village a batch of supplies, it wouldn't affect their negotiations.
After all, supplies wouldn't magically teleport to the battlefield. The Leaf Village needed to procure them, ship them out, and then the Stone Village had to receive and transport them to the front lines before they could be used. It wasn't as if buying them meant they could be used immediately.