31. New opponents.

At the same time, things were starting to heat up at ground zero. Konoha ninjas were looking at the castle on the opposite side of the crater. The stone symbol on the flag clearly showed its owners: Iwagakure. The castle was built by rock shinobi in an instant, indicating the presence of a formidable ninja. Kurenai had a talk with the leader of the force for a peaceful coexistence for now, both knowing it wouldn't remain that way. The rock shinobi started inscribing some words on the edge of the pit.

"What are they doing?" Kurenai asked the purple-haired Anbu.

"They seem to be writing a jutsu made by a chunin named Genji. He retired from being a ninja at the age of 17 and now owns a company specializing in mineral refining. He seems to have a kekkei genkai related to transformation, but to do that he needs to write a formula first. Why he is here, I don't know. There are some rumors about him, but none have concrete evidence..." the Anbu replied.

Kurenai: "What types of rumors?"

Anbu: "There have been some rumors about him kidnapping people in the Land of Grass. We investigated it but couldn't find any evidence."

Kurenai looked at the Iwa ninjas working around the pit. After she reported the unnatural growth of plants in the area, Konoha gave her an order to stay here to try and acquire at least some more samples from the beast. But the situation was becoming more and more problematic; having shinobi from two countries was bound to cause some trouble.

Hinata walked to the edge of the pit to repeat her daily inspection. Activating her Byakugan, she concentrated to see the bottom of the pit. Suddenly, she saw chakra flicker in the corner of her eye, so she turned and readied her kunai. Finding no one, she was confused. She was sure she saw someone there; her Byakugan had 360-degree vision, so she was sure it was not a mistake.

"What are you doing, kid?" an angry voice called out to her. Deactivating her Byakugan, she saw it was an Iwa ninja. Pointing to the ground, he continued, "You smudged my work. I will have to do it again."

Hinata bowed in apology and said, "Sorry!"

"Sorry? You must have done it on purpose. After all, destroying our work is your favorite thing to do, tree hugger." The guy raised his voice and started scolding her. Hinata could only start apologizing again and again. Hearing the disturbance, her comrades Kiba and Shino came to her rescue, but it only increased the dispute, making more people from both sides gather around.

"Stand down, all of you," Kurenai said in a commanding tone. The ninjas separated, but the Iwa were still raring to go.

"Why should we listen to you, tree-hugging bitch?" an Iwa ninja spoke, causing other Iwa ninjas to nod in agreement.

"Because you are far from home while Konoha is near. If I want, I can call for reinforcements and make sure none of you can reach home," Kurenai spoke in a cold tone.

Iwa Ninja B: "If you kill us, the Tsuchikage will avenge us, and Iwa will go to war."

"Your Tsuchikage's favorite disciple is ten feet under. He still hasn't declared war. Why do you think he will declare war just because of you?" Kurenai mocked their reasoning and continued, "Now go back to your work and stop wasting my time."

The Iwa ninjas were stunned and could only grit their teeth in anger. They looked at Kurenai, wanting to tear her apart since her words meant that their country was afraid to fight Konoha.

"Hmm," Kiba's smirk was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"You bastard...." With one Iwa ninja's shout, they all rallied, ready to fight. Suddenly, a wall grew from the ground in front of them, separating the two groups.

"Enough. All Iwa ninjas get back to work," Akatsuchi appeared from the castle. Seeing his glare, the Iwa ninjas could only grit their teeth and get back to work. He released the jutsu, making the wall merge back into the ground.

"Sorry about that. They feel grumpy due to all this heat and humidity," Akatsuchi told Kurenai to de-escalate the situation.

Agreeing to his sentiment, Kurenai said, "Don't worry about it. We are also at fault, but it would be better for both of us if we share what we are doing, so our teams don't get in each other's way. How about it? Do you want to share?"

"Well, I really can't...." Akatsuchi could only rub the back of his head.

"It can't be helped. We don't have enough trust. Why don't we start with what we are here for? I just need a few samples from the body," Kurenai tried to negotiate a deal.

"But I need to make sure to retrieve everything related to Su Chen," Akatsuchi replied.

"That's impossible. Even if you try to force your way, some parts will be lost in battle and they will find their way to us," Kurenai stated clearly she was going to get something one way or another. Akatsuchi nodded in response.

Kurenai: "How about this: you keep the body, just let me take a few samples. The result will be the same, but we both wouldn't suffer casualties."

Akatsuchi agreed to the proposal and told her his team's plan, "These markings will produce a jutsu that increases the rate of raining inside the circle. With that much water, I am sure the lava will cool down. Then we will drop down the hole."

Kurenai heard their plan and found it to be better than their own. She still told him her team's plan, "We were going to make a canal from the nearby river for the water. But it looks like we will have to go with your team's plan."

They both agreed to it and returned to their bases. Entering the tent, Kurenai gathered her team and Team Guy and explained Iwa's plan.

"Sorry Guy, looks like your work was wasted," Kurenai continued.

"Don't worry. We only dug 100 meters of canal. It was a good exercise," Guy replied, showing his determination.

Kurenai shook her head. She looked at her team and said, "The instant the Iwa enters, we will enter with them. Team Guy will secure the entrance, making sure all of us make it out alive. If not, Team Guy will blow the entrance, burying everything."

On the other side, Akatsuchi entered the castle to see Genji drawing another circle on the ground. Genji had already made an escape tunnel from the castle using this type of circle. Akatsuchi told him about the deal.

"That's good. They won't think we have the ability to instantly make a tunnel to Su Chen," Genji smiled while continuing to draw.

"But will they be able to sense this circle activating? Why don't we follow the deal? It is good enough," Akatsuchi said. He didn't want to bet the life of his comrades for a dead body.

"You understand me and them. I will activate the two circles simultaneously, so they won't even be able to sense them. As for your deal, there is no guarantee Konoha won't change their mind. It won't be long before they know of the situation at our Kumo-facing border," Genji said grimly, making Akatsuchi remember the reports of the so-called Kumo's Lightning God's terrifying powers, due to which Onoki had to go to the border instead of coming here.

But it only increased his worry, making him want to go back home faster. Sensing his worry, Genji assured him, "By the time they get suspicious, we will have reached home."

What they both didn't know was the presence of another person in the room. He was standing beside them, but they weren't able to notice. He carried a sword, had brown eyes and hair, and also wore square glasses, giving him a scholarly air.

Pushing his glasses up, he muttered with a smile, "Interesting."

.....

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32. Who will be Kazekage?

33. World Wide Situation.

34. Genji's Sob Story.

35. Five Kage Summit's Invitation.

36. Another One.