Iwagakure – Tsuchikage's Office, Tsuchikage Tower
"Lord Tsuchikage, the bounty on Konoha's Princess Tsunade has increased by another thirty million ryō."
A rock shinobi wearing a red turban and a stoic expression knelt on one knee before the Tsuchikage. His name was Kitsuchi.
"Aside from a few shady outlaws, two S-rank rogue ninja have begun actively hunting her. Countless bounty hunters are also watching closely."
He paused, then added, "Our village has been working behind the scenes as well—cooperating with some of those bounty hunters to cut off Tsunade's escape, forcing her away from Konoha."
The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, sat cross-legged behind a long desk. His signature bulbous nose wrinkled as he listened.
"Two S-rank rogues?" he repeated, unimpressed. "Who are they? And with just two, how could they possibly take down Tsunade?"
"One is Sasori of the Red Sand. The other is Kakuzu, the rogue from Takigakure. Both are Kage-level in strength," Kitsuchi replied.
He hesitated briefly before continuing, "There are rumors that Kakuzu once tried to assassinate the First Hokage—but failed and barely escaped."
Ōnoki scoffed at that. "He tried to assassinate Hashirama Senju and lived to tell the tale? Ridiculous."
He thought of Uchiha Madara, whose strength had been barely contained by Hashirama. Even now, with all his battle experience and mastery of Dust Release, Ōnoki didn't dare claim he'd last long against the First Hokage.
"The claim reeks of exaggeration. Sounds like Kakuzu's reputation is all bark, no bite."
He shook his head. "And Sasori? He's supposedly skilled with poison and puppetry, right? His grandmother, Chiyo, wasn't even a match for Tsunade. You expect me to believe he's any different?"
He stared at Kitsuchi across the desk. "Are you sure there's no missing information?"
Kitsuchi furrowed his brows in thought. Sweat beaded beneath his red scarf. Then his eyes lit up.
"There's one more detail—Tsunade isn't traveling alone. A female ninja named Shizune is with her. She's the niece of Kato Dan, the Konoha ninja Tsunade once loved. If Tsunade's trying to protect her, her evasive tactics make sense."
"I see," Ōnoki murmured.
He already knew the story behind Tsunade's departure from the village. After a moment of thought, he said,
"Put a matching bounty on Shizune—equal to Tsunade's. That should stir the pot even more."
"Yes, sir!" Kitsuchi stood and turned to leave, ready to carry out the order.
But after a few steps, he stopped, then turned back with hesitation on his face.
"Father… I don't understand. Aren't we about to go to war with Kumogakure? Why provoke Konoha right now?"
"If one of those bounty hunters actually succeeds, Konoha and Kumogakure might ally against us."
Ōnoki's expression hardened, a flash of disappointment in his eyes.
"You think Tsunade can be killed so easily?" he asked sharply. "She inherited the First Hokage's bloodline. Her vitality is monstrous, and her medical ninjutsu is the best in the world. She can survive what most can't."
He continued, "And don't forget—the bounty is through the black market. You think Konoha doesn't know about it already? They're probably sending rescue teams as we speak."
"As long as Tsunade isn't dead, Konoha has no reason to attack Iwagakure," Ōnoki said calmly, tapping his fingers against the desk.
He added slowly, "Right now, what matters most is using Tsunade to test the resolve of Kumogakure. If it turns out the Fourth Raikage was seriously injured as the rumors claim… we'll strike Kumogakure directly."
Kitsuchi's eyes widened in sudden realization. "I see. I'll see to it immediately."
He gave a respectful bow and left the room.
Ōnoki watched him go with a brief look of warmth in his eyes, followed by a quiet sigh.
Compared to other villages, Iwagakure was more united. But that unity came at the cost of over-reliance—most decisions still hinged on his word alone.
There were many capable shinobi in the village, including his son. But few had the mind or strategy to lead. If anything were to happen to him, Iwagakure's future would be uncertain.
It was for that very reason he was determined to push forward the war against Kumogakure now, while he could still guide the village.
His eyes fell on the map of the ninja world sprawled across his desk.
Sunagakure was much like Iwagakure—isolated, struggling, and not a major threat. Kirigakure, constantly fractured by bloodline conflicts, was distant and mired in internal strife—not worth worrying about.
As for Konoha… the Nine-Tails attack had crippled them, taking many elite shinobi with it. They were still standing only because of their older generation. Their future, however, looked uncertain.
Of all the five great villages, only Kumogakure remained strong—full of rising talents and top-tier fighters in their prime.
Even though Konoha had beaten the Fourth Raikage's ambition in the last war, it wasn't enough. Kumogakure's strength needed to be further drained.
Ōnoki rubbed the bridge of his nose and flipped through the latest intelligence reports left by Kitsuchi.
"The Eight-Tails Jinchūriki was spotted in the Land of Sound…" he muttered. "Is Kumogakure making a desperate move—or is this a trap?"
He exhaled deeply. "No point in overthinking. Konoha and the bounty hunters will do the probing for me. After all… they're not exactly allies."
With that thought, Ōnoki leaned back in his chair and gradually drifted into sleep.
His snores soon echoed through the Tsuchikage's chamber.
---
Somewhere in the Iron Country – Jungle
Trees lay shattered, craters scarred the earth, and puppet remains littered the battlefield.
Leaning weakly against a tree was Kakuzu, the infamous rogue ninja from Takigakure who once attempted to assassinate the First Hokage.
His mask was torn, stitches on his face split wide, and countless black threads spewed from his gaping mouth.
"Khak… Only two hearts left," he rasped. "That girl's brutal."
He turned toward the puppet beside him. "Your poison didn't seem to work."
"The poison worked," Sasori's deep voice answered from within Hiruko. "But her body is different. She suppressed it quickly."
A pause.
"To defeat Chiyo multiple times in battle… Tsunade lives up to the stories. Her strength and healing are direct counters to puppeteers like us."
Kakuzu gave a dry, bitter laugh. "Then I'll engage her directly. You handle support—and deal with the one named Shizune."
"Don't worry, I'm not joking. I can stop her. I noticed something during the fight."
Kakuzu recalled the look in Tsunade's eyes when she crushed one of his hearts… followed by her frantic retreat.
"Heh," he sneered. "She's got a weakness. I'll exploit it."
"You really value money over your life," Sasori remarked.
"Before that," he added, "I need to rebuild my puppets. I lost a lot in that skirmish."
Kakuzu looked up at the treetops, where bounty hunters were beginning to gather like vultures.
"The usual deal," he said coldly. "I take the hearts. You get the bodies."