Chapter 299: Clearly, It’s a Person

Chapter 299: Clearly, It's a Person

Hearing Ōnoki's answer, Hyuga Fuji nodded thoughtfully and shifted the topic.

"So, Lord Ōnoki, what is it you wish to discuss with me?"

Ōnoki didn't want to linger on the subject of the Daimyo. The latter's downfall was partially due to his own actions, and even more so to the roles played by Hyuga Fuji and Yagura.

Speaking positively of the Land of Earth's Daimyo now seemed hypocritical, like a cat mourning a dead mouse. Better to let history record his deeds. Perhaps one day, he could pay his respects at the Daimyo's grave with a drink.

Sighing inwardly, Ōnoki finally spoke:

"I want to know how you convinced Lord Mu to join you. As his disciple, I understand his character well. Without a compelling reason, he would never have aligned himself with you."

This was the thing he found most puzzling—and perhaps what the Land of Fire struggled to comprehend as well.

Mu, despite being fully resurrected and free from the constraints of Edo Tensei, had chosen to side with Hyuga Fuji. Why?

Had Mu, like Roshi, entered some sort of rebellious phase after resurrection?

Hyuga Fuji raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't seem like something I need to explain to a prisoner."

Ōnoki, believing he understood the deeper meaning behind Fuji's words, frowned. "Just say it. What must I do for you to tell me? I'll warn you now—betraying the Alliance or the Land of Earth is out of the question."

Hyuga Fuji gave Ōnoki a peculiar look.

"A man in his fifties, lacking stamina, struggling even in battle—what exactly do you think you're capable of doing, Lord Tsuchikage?"

Hyuga Fuji's blunt words were so cutting, they might as well have been an outright declaration: once you strip away your political connections, you're just an old man who should be enjoying retirement. Who would count on you for anything?

Ōnoki's eyelid twitched.

Has anyone ever told you that your words are unnecessarily harsh? You disrespectful youth!

Despite his frustration, Ōnoki chose not to pull rank. Accepting his current "captured" status, he suppressed his pride and said,

"As a former Kage, my knowledge and experience are still valuable."

Hyuga Fuji pondered for a moment, then smiled.

"As Lord Mu's disciple, and with your son, Kitsuchi, as your successor, the two of them combined should represent everything you've learned, no?"

He paused, observing Ōnoki's stunned expression, his smile unwavering.

"If you have no better proposal, then I suggest you fulfill your role as a prisoner and refrain from overthinking."

"A man of your age should focus on enjoying your twilight years. Don't concern yourself with matters beyond your grasp."

Ōnoki was momentarily dumbfounded.

What did he just say? Kitsuchi? Why mention him now?

Kitsuchi had already withdrawn from the battlefield, hadn't he? Was he captured by Hyuga Fuji's forces?

But no, Ōnoki knew his son well. Even if captured, Kitsuchi would never surrender so quickly.

Unable to unravel the mystery, Ōnoki was left bewildered. Hyuga Fuji, however, showed no intention of clarifying. He ordered Ōnoki to be escorted away, leaving the confused Tsuchikage to mull over his unanswered questions.

One day, when Ōnoki visited the Land of Snow, he would understand.

As Ōnoki's figure disappeared from the room, Yagura turned to Hyuga Fuji with a faint smile.

"He doesn't qualify, but do I have the right to know?"

"You do," Hyuga Fuji replied.

The Mist and the Land of Water had demonstrated both their strength and sincerity in this war. There was no need to withhold certain truths.

Hyuga Fuji's gaze sharpened as he began to reveal some of the most deeply hidden secrets of the shinobi world.

…

Meanwhile, Ōnoki, still baffled, was led out of the room. An unsettling thought weighed on his mind.

What had happened to Kitsuchi? Could Hyuga Fuji have used some means to control him?

That accursed Hyuga brat, deliberately dropping vague hints and then leaving him hanging!

With his expression shifting between gloom and suspicion, Ōnoki felt the full weight of a prisoner's plight.

Then, he noticed a figure standing by the roadside—Kaguya Yuko.

This was the eastern district of the capital, an area that had been thoroughly evacuated. The Mist shinobi who had entered were all busy with their assigned tasks.

As a result, Kaguya Yuko, the former head of the Kaguya Clan, stood out starkly.

He was standing by the roadside, his brows furrowed, his head slightly tilted, seemingly conversing with the empty air beside him.

Of course, logic dictated that the "empty air" was unlikely to be truly empty.

Clearly, there was someone there.

Ōnoki gestured toward Yuko and spoke to the Hozuki shinobi escorting him.

"I'd like to speak with him."

The Hozuki shinobi followed Ōnoki's gaze, his expression turning slightly strange before he nodded.

He hadn't expected to meet the former Kaguya clan leader again—and not as an Edo Tensei summon, but fully resurrected.

This true miracle had him wondering if he might one day convince Hyuga Fuji to perform such a feat for him.

After all, who in the shinobi world didn't harbor regrets?

"Lord Mizukage has stated that as long as you don't try anything suspicious or attempt to release your chakra seals, you're free to move about within a one-kilometer radius."

"Yagura is surprisingly generous," Ōnoki muttered, unclear whether it was sarcasm or self-mockery. He then approached Kaguya Yuko.

"Well, if it isn't Ōnoki! Barely minutes apart, and look at the sorry state you're in now!"

Yuko paused his silent conversation, his gaze falling on the sealing script emblazoned on Ōnoki's forehead. With a grin, he added, "Sealed up like that—did it mess with your brain, too? You're acting senile!"

"Turn left," came a familiar voice from the air.

Embarrassment flickered across Ōnoki's aged face. Clearing his throat, he turned left as instructed, meeting a pair of black eyes.

"I maintain the Dustless Bewildering Cover for an experiment," Mu said flatly. "Since I've been revived, there's no reason to stagnate."

Without waiting for a response, Mu cut to the chase:

"What do you need?"

"Kitsuchi. What happened to him?"

How should he answer that?

Tell him that his future heir had defected to the Land of Snow?

Mu hesitated briefly before responding,

"…You'll find out when you visit the Land of Snow."

"Snow…" Ōnoki asked, almost conversationally, "What's your day-to-day life like there?"

Mu shot him a sidelong glance, his tone indifferent.

"Stop wasting energy fishing for intelligence. Even if you glean something trivial, you'll have no way to pass it on."

"I'm not fishing for anything," Ōnoki replied evenly. "I'm merely curious about the nation that defeated us. As a captive, surely I'm allowed to understand the environment I'll be living in?"

Noticing the wary glance from his Hozuki escort, Ōnoki maintained his composure.

Mu shook his head.

"By sending Kitsuchi away, you've already revealed your intentions. At least for now, you haven't truly given up."

"But have you ever wondered why no spy has ever infiltrated the Land of Snow's military? Why you've never been able to grasp their inner workings?"

Ōnoki's hand twitched imperceptibly at his side. His eyes flickered.

And with that, he abandoned some of his lingering hopes.

(Chapter End)