As he arrived, he noticed a small unit escorting a group of captured Iwa-nin.
From the hardened expressions of the captors, Mufasa could tell—these were not ordinary prisoners.
He watched as the squad's leader approached. "Lord Kazekage, this woman is Kurotsuchi, granddaughter of the Tsuchikage, Onoki. She's a Bloodline Limit user of Lava Release. We've taken extra precautions."
Mufasa's gaze landed on her.
Short black hair, dark eyes, a sharp yet striking face.
Kurotsuchi and the other Iwa-nin stared back at him.
'So… this is the Kazekage.'
Mufasa nodded. "Makes sense. With legs that long, it would be a waste not to add more restraints."
Kurotsuchi blinked.
(>﹏<)
Is this guy a pervert?!
She shivered involuntarily.
Mufasa grinned.
"Notify all troops—we return to camp."
"We'll rest, recuperate, and wait for the old man Onoki to make his move."
The Tsuchikage's granddaughter had been captured.
No way would Onoki let this go.
Finally, Mufasa would get to meet the legendary fence-sitter himself.
He smirked.
This was going to be interesting.
...
When Onoki heard that his granddaughter, Kurotsuchi, had been captured, his rage boiled over.
It reminded him of his grandson, Kozuchi, whom he had placed great hopes on—only to lose him tragically.
At that moment, the pain in his back didn't matter anymore.
"Mobilize the entire army!"
"The old man will lead the charge himself!"
"If Mufasa dares to harm Kurotsuchi—"
"I'll crush him into dust!"
More than three thousand Iwa-nin gathered, their forces assembling into formation before surging toward the Sand Village encampment.
Their march was uninterrupted, bringing them to the base of the mountain where Sunagakure's forces were stationed.
Onoki hovered in the air ahead of them, leading the way with grim determination.
"Halt!" Onoki commanded.
The Iwa-nin stopped in their tracks, spreading out and forming a battle formation.
From his vantage point, Onoki scanned the Sand Village encampment. His gaze landed on a tall metallic tower standing in the heart of the camp, its cold surface reflecting the light ominously.
Mufasa had set up a small prism-like structure, something that reeked of chakra-infused technology.
Onoki narrowed his eyes. He had lived long enough to know when something was dangerous, and that thing… felt dangerous.
Inside the Sand Village camp, Mufasa casually picked up a grilled chicken wing and held it out to Kurotsuchi.
"Here, fresh off the grill."
Kurotsuchi hesitated for a moment before taking it, still wary.
So far, the Kazekage had been oddly kind to her. He hadn't threatened her or tried anything strange.
In fact, he'd treated her more like an honored guest than a prisoner, offering food and drink.
"Go on, eat," Mufasa said, smirking. "Take another one. Give it to your grandpa later."
"Everyone loves chicken wings."
He clapped her on the shoulder as he spoke.
A faint spark crackled between them.
Kurotsuchi flinched as a subtle current of electricity ran through her body. Her magnetic field flared instinctively in response.
Before she could react further, Mufasa took her by the arm and lifted them both into the air, soaring toward Onoki.
Hovering above the battlefield, Mufasa called out, "Onoki, let's talk."
The elderly Tsuchikage's eyes sharpened as he watched Mufasa approach, carrying Kurotsuchi.
Without hesitation, Onoki flew up to meet them.
The three of them floated in mid-air, face to face, while below them, the armies of both villages stood still, waiting for the outcome of this exchange.
Not far away, atop a distant tower in Amegakure, Pain and Konan observed the encounter in silence.
Elsewhere, hidden in the shadows, Obito—disguised as Tobi—watched as well, intrigued by Mufasa's actions.
Onoki glared at the Kazekage. "Mufasa, return my granddaughter."
Mufasa waved dismissively. "Sure. Here you go."
He released Kurotsuchi, allowing her to float toward her grandfather.
"Oh, and here, take this too." He tossed over a chicken wing. "For you."
Kurotsuchi landed beside Onoki, confusion clear on her face.
Onoki was momentarily stunned by the ease of the exchange. He hadn't expected Mufasa to just… let her go.
Mufasa grinned. "See? That's my sincerity toward peace."
His bright, sharp teeth gleamed in the sunlight.
Onoki turned to Kurotsuchi. "Are you alright?"
She shook her head. "He didn't hurt me."
Onoki turned back to Mufasa with suspicion. "Hmph. You speak of peace, but all I see is you preparing for war."
"War?" Mufasa tilted his head. "Where's the war?"
"I mean, sure, I captured a hundred or so of your people… but I didn't kill them."
Onoki's face darkened. "You're toying with words, brat! If this isn't war, then why did you take them hostage in the first place?!"
Mufasa smirked. "Obviously, to show the power of peace."
Onoki scowled. "What nonsense—!"
"No, really," Mufasa continued. "With your stubborn personality, if I don't show my strength, you won't take my peace talks seriously."
Onoki scoffed. "Hah! Stubborn? That's the Will of Stone!" he declared proudly.
Mufasa chuckled. "Konoha has the Will of Fire. Iwa has the Will of Stone. Have you ever heard of the Will of Wind?"
Onoki blinked. "The what?"
Mufasa nodded. "Of course, it exists. I just came up with it."
Onoki and Kurotsuchi stared at him in disbelief.
"It's called the Wind of Freedom," Mufasa declared.
Onoki groaned. "Now you're just making things up…"
Ignoring him, Mufasa continued, "Tell me, old man, what do you think peace looks like?"
Onoki folded his arms. "Peace is when the villages protect their own lands and keep their people safe. That's true stability."
Mufasa tilted his head. "And yet… has there ever been a time when the world was truly at peace?"
Onoki hesitated before answering firmly, "Of course, there have been times of peace."
Mufasa smirked. "Yeah, if you measure peace in months. Even Iwa itself is never truly at peace."
Onoki clenched his fists.
"The real issue," Mufasa said, "is that the world is broken because of ninjas like us."
Onoki frowned, while Kurotsuchi listened intently.
"Think about it. Ninjas are stronger than ordinary people, but there are far more civilians than us. We take their wealth to fund our villages, but what do they get in return? When war breaks out, it's the civilians who suffer most."
Mufasa pointed at Onoki. "You're called 'Ōnoki of Both Scales' because you weigh everything in terms of power. But if one side of the scale is always heavier, how can the world ever be balanced?"
Onoki was silent, but his expression hardened.
Mufasa smiled. "Here in Sunagakure, technology is advancing. Ordinary people can drive faster than ninjas can run.
They can wield weapons that rival jutsu. Soon, they'll have power that doesn't rely on bloodlines or chakra."
"When that happens, the world won't need ninjas as much. And when people stop relying on us, ninja wars will become meaningless."
Onoki's nose twitched. "You're spouting nonsense!"
Mufasa's gaze remained steady. "I'm talking about the Will of Wind."
"The so-called Wind of Freedom can be summed up in ten words—"
"Be the wind of change, soaring freely across the sky!"
"One day, all will become the wind, rising unbound against the heavens."
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