Chapter 148: Look All You Want—But Keep Your Hands to Yourself

“He's dead. Finally... he's really dead…” The Iwa-nin were on the verge of breaking down. The Third Raikage alone had slaughtered more shinobi than all the other Kumo-nin combined. Ōnoki stood amidst the field of corpses, cold sweat trailing down his forehead. And that was with Kyoichi and Minato stepping in. If they hadn’t had Konoha’s help… just how disastrous would the battlefield have been? He couldn’t even imagine it. Now, staring at the blood-soaked ground, his heart was heavy with mixed emotions. They’d eliminated a major threat… but at the cost of so many Iwa-nin lives. Was it worth it? Ōnoki let out a quiet sigh. Whether it was worth it or not, did it even matter anymore? After all, it wasn’t like he had wanted to go to war with Kumogakure. Konoha had defeated them first—he just had no other choice. If they were going to lose something anyway, better to lose it in a way that had some value, right? That thought made the bitter pill a little easier to swallow. Though the Third Raikage had fallen, none of the Iwa-nin dared approach his body. They instinctively backed away, clearing a path and a wide open space. Ōnoki descended into it. Kyoichi and Minato approached from behind. “Tsuchikage-sama, what do you plan to do with the Third Raikage’s body?” Minato asked. “About that…” Ōnoki hesitated. Destroying the body completely might provoke Kumogakure too much, but sending it back… it’s not like they'd be grateful for it either. A dilemma. After a moment of silence, he turned to Minato and said, “I plan to return the Third Raikage’s corpse to Kumogakure. But it wouldn’t look good for Iwa-nin to do it directly… perhaps you two—” “No thanks. We were just asking,” Kyoichi cut him off. Ōnoki, that old schemer, always trying to squeeze everything he could out of people he thought were too nice. The two of them were pretty alike in that regard. Minato had just casually brought it up, and this guy immediately tried to push the whole job onto them, as if they hadn’t already risked themselves to take down the Raikage. Ōnoki was momentarily speechless. He knew this wouldn’t be easy. If he actually sent someone, there was a good chance A—still furious—might kill them outright. Unless he went himself. But… wouldn't that look even more like provocation? After a long pause, Ōnoki sighed. “Looks like we’ll have to leave the body here. Hopefully it won’t be dragged off by wild animals before the Kumo-nin arrive.” “That… doesn’t seem right,” Minato said hesitantly. Leaving the corpse exposed like this would be a sign of disrespect. Birds and beasts could destroy it—and beyond that, a Raikage’s body held many secrets. Someone of his level would be a prime target for all sorts of opportunists. If the corpse went missing, Kumogakure would likely blame Konoha without hesitation. “In that case… I must trouble the two of you to handle it. After all, your village’s Second Hokage died at the hands of Kumogakure. It’s war—tit for tat,” Ōnoki coughed lightly. His goal, of course, was to get Minato to go. With the Flying Thunder God technique, who could touch him? If Kyoichi hadn’t been here, he might’ve pulled it off. But with him… That kid doesn’t move without knowing there’s a rabbit in the bush. It should’ve been a win-win situation for everyone, and yet somehow, it had become awkward and tense. “Tsuchikage-sama, business is business. We’re on a paid mission. Killing the Third Raikage wasn’t part of our original contract. If we deliver his body back, doesn’t that count as a new job?” “And shouldn’t that job be S-rank at the very least?” Kyoichi said, ready to haggle. Did Ōnoki really think he’d get something for free? S-rank missions weren’t cheap! Ōnoki chuckled. “But Iwa-nin have already offended Kumogakure—we don’t mind doing so again. There’s no need to return the body. You’re the ones insisting.” “Fair point. Then if we deliver the body, it has nothing to do with Iwagakure,” Kyoichi replied, pulling out a sealing scroll. Ōnoki frowned. Sёarch* The Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He understood what Kyoichi was doing. That little brat was trying to publicly separate the act from Iwagakure—to earn goodwill for himself and Konoha. If Ōnoki offered payment, he’d probably be willing to go along. But… Like he’d already admitted—whether he paid or not, sent the body or didn’t, Kumogakure wouldn’t be reconciling with Iwa anytime soon. Whether war broke out now or later, conflict was inevitable. He said in a low voice, “If the Fourth Raikage wants a fight, Iwagakure won’t shy away. The body… you from Konoha can return it. Consider it thanks for your help.” “Fine.” Kyoichi nodded, sealed the corpse, and gave Minato a look before heading toward Kumogakure’s side. Behind them, Orochimaru frowned slightly. That brat… actually intends to return the body? What’s his angle? He didn’t understand. Kumogakure right now was a boiling pot of oil—any outsider would be splashed with scalding heat. Konoha was no exception. But more than that—Orochimaru just didn’t see the point. Would Kumogakure’s attitude really change? Even if the body was returned, once they regained strength, they’d still invade the Land of Fire. That was the nature of conflict between shinobi villages. And yet… those two idiots were actually going. After a moment of hesitation, Orochimaru quietly followed them. … “Kyoichi, I’m sorry. This was my idea… I’ll go alone. With the Flying Thunder God, I should be able to retreat safely if things go south.” Minato looked apologetic. It had been his suggestion, and now Kyoichi had to come with him—he couldn’t help but feel guilty. Kyoichi shook his head. “Even if you hadn’t said anything, I still would’ve returned the body. No matter what our history with Kumogakure is… the man is dead. Let that be the end of it.” “You really think that way?” “Sort of…” Only half true. Kyoichi wasn’t that noble. The real reason he wanted to return the body was to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. Like… a certain Zetsu. Or maybe Orochimaru. The Third Raikage’s body was worth a lot, but the type of research it enabled fell into the forbidden category. If Black Zetsu got hold of it, it would only strengthen Madara’s side. As for Orochimaru… The Third Raikage’s power came from mastering the Lightning Armor and his Hell Stab technique—both advanced jutsu. His physical strength came purely from intense taijutsu training. So the body itself didn’t hold much scientific value. For Orochimaru, it would be a waste of time unless he wanted it for Edo Tensei. Returning it to Kumogakure… at least that would plant some seeds of goodwill. Minato seemed relieved by Kyoichi’s words. Still… his opinion hadn’t changed. “One person is enough to deliver the body. You should stay outside and keep watch.” “No way we’re using our real bodies for something this dangerous—we’re both going in with shadow clones.” Kyoichi shook his head. Just as he was about to continue, he sensed a sudden chakra disturbance beneath them. A moment later… A figure emerged from the ground. “I knew you wouldn’t just charge in blindly, Kyoichi-kun,” came a raspy voice. It was Orochimaru! Of course he showed up… Kyoichi sighed internally. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if Black Zetsu would appear, but he’d been sure Orochimaru would. And here he was—proving him right. The guy had even followed them himself. Orochimaru licked his lips and said, “Kyoichi-kun, I have a small request.” “You want the corpse?” “No, no. I just want to look at it.” His voice was hoarse. Minato frowned, clearly disapproving—but Orochimaru was his elder. Then again… Orochimaru and Kyoichi… kind of treated each other like peers. Emmm… He twitched slightly and looked to Kyoichi. To his surprise, Kyoichi was quite straightforward. Without a word, he pulled out the sealing scroll and released the Third Raikage’s body. Orochimaru crouched down in excitement. “Look all you want—but no touching,” Kyoichi said flatly. He didn’t bother hiding his suspicions. Orochimaru chuckled and pulled his hands back. He examined the body carefully, then let out a sigh. “No wonder they called him Kumo’s strongest Raikage. His physique is terrifying. And yet… even someone like him couldn't escape death in the end.” “On land, there really aren’t many who could beat him,” Kyoichi said. Orochimaru picked up on the unspoken implication. Not on land, sure—but in the air, or underwater? That was another story. Thinking it over, he had to admit it made sense. In the skies, Ōnoki’s mastery of Light and Heavy Style gave him an overwhelming advantage. Unless someone came up with a way to match that speed and flight ability, they'd be left eating his dust. As for underwater… Ever since Tobirama Senju’s death, who could possibly match the current Kanda Kyoichi? “…Thank you,” Orochimaru nodded slightly, then lost interest in the Third Raikage’s corpse. As strong as the Third Raikage had been, he was still within the bounds of what a human could achieve. There were plenty of ways to deal with someone like him—difficult, sure, but not impossible. And if it’s not impossible to kill him… Then what’s the point in studying the body? With a quiet sigh, Orochimaru quickly composed himself and looked up. “At first, I was worried you two might be reckless. But now I see—I was overthinking things.” “Since you’re already here, Orochimaru-sama, why not come with us?” Kyoichi offered. “You two go ahead. I’ll stay outside to cover you,” Orochimaru declined with a shake of his head. After all, he had once released the Eight-Tails himself—if Gyūki recognized his chakra, things could get ugly. Kyoichi and Minato each created a shadow clone. Their clones carried the sealing scroll and made their way toward Kumogakure. Meanwhile, the real bodies stayed behind with Orochimaru, waiting for feedback. Orochimaru sat in thought, Minato looked like he wanted to speak but hesitated, and Kyoichi… Kyoichi glanced at the two of them, then broke the silence. “You guys noticed the Eight-Tails’ jinchūriki from the Kumogakure?” “When the Third Raikage showed up, I wasn’t really paying attention to the rest,” Minato muttered, frowning slightly. “But… I think that jinchūriki completely unsealed the tailed beast, didn’t he?” “When I arrived, the two of you were already fighting the Third Raikage… but the jinchūriki had clearly entered full release mode, drawing completely on the Eight-Tails’ power,” Orochimaru added. He wasn’t aware of the full context, so after giving his basic assessment, he looked to Kyoichi for clarification. “I’ve fought Roshi before—the Four-Tails’ jinchūriki. He’d been one for over twenty years and knew the tailed beast inside and out. But once he fully transformed, he still went completely berserk. That kind of thing is just expected. But the Kumo's Eight-Tails jinchūriki doesn’t seem to have that problem,” Kyoichi said pointedly. He was mostly aiming the comment at Minato—Orochimaru was more of an afterthought. “…Now that you mention it,” Minato had seen it, but hadn’t truly processed it until Kyoichi laid it out. The image became clearer in his mind— The Eight-Tails had used its tail to catch A and pull him to safety. There’s no way a rampaging jinchūriki could do something like that. Could it be…? “There’s only one explanation: after the seal was broken, the Eight-Tails chose to help him. Incredible! That kid… actually managed to get the Eight-Tails on his side?” Orochimaru, who had studied jinchūriki extensively, wouldn’t have been able to pull off the stunt of drugging Gyūki and releasing it undetected otherwise. So… All it took was a moment of thought, and the truth clicked into place.