Saving Uchiha, Starts by Flipping The Table

"They're just kids…" 

Oonoki blurted out without thinking. 

"Cough, cough!!!" 

Yan almost choked. Even in the ninja world, he never expected to hear this kind of excuse. 

Kids? 

Do you even think before you speak, Oonoki? 

Yan was caught off guard by that response, while Oonoki's face turned slightly red. 

Luckily, his skin was dark enough that it wasn't too obvious. 

Even he didn't expect himself to say something so… embarrassing. 

Calling someone a "kid" doesn't mean much in the world of Hokage. 

It's common for children to graduate from school at just a few years old and head straight to the battlefield. 

Countless ninjas have died because they underestimated someone just because they looked like a child. 

The bottom line is, in the world of Hokage—especially once you leave the village—never underestimate anyone. 

Even a small child could take your life the moment you let your guard down. 

Yan's expression turned a little strange. 

"If we spread what you just said, how do you think people would react?" 

"..." 

Oonoki. 

The old man would die from laughter! 

"Deidara and Kurotsuchi sneaked out of the village. I had no idea about it. If I had known, I wouldn't have let them leave." 

"Mm-hmm." 

And? Do you really think one sentence is enough to brush this whole thing aside, Oonoki? 

Like hell it is!!! 

Oonoki was so frustrated he wanted to punch Yan and smash his smug face. 

"What price do I need to pay to take Deidara and Kurotsuchi back?" 

No more messing around. Getting straight to the point was the best approach. 

"That depends on what Iwagakure Village is willing to offer." 

Yan immediately kicked the ball back into Oonoki's court. 

Since you care so much about your granddaughter and student, why don't you tell me what price you're willing to pay to get them back? 

And don't try to fool me—I, Uchiha Yan, am not that easy to trick. 

Cunning little brat. 

Oonoki couldn't help but curse in his mind. 

Whoever starts talking conditions first is at a disadvantage. 

Yan refused to make the first move. After all, the two were already in Konohagakure. If Oonoki wanted them back, he had to name his price first. 

Once you tell me what you can offer, then I'll decide whether to let them go. 

"Yan, there's no point in dragging this conversation on. Just tell me—what do I need to pay to take them back?" 

Negotiating wasn't an option. If he let Yan keep dragging him along, he'd be completely under his control, and that wasn't something Oonoki could allow. 

Deidara and Kurotsuchi were important, but as Tsuchikage, he couldn't let himself be led around like this. 

If he wasn't careful, Iwagakure Village could suffer a serious loss. 

"What do you think Iwagakure Village can offer Konohagakure?" 

Yan chuckled. 

"People? Sorry, but Konohagakure already has plenty of people. 

Your village, on the other hand, has a much smaller population. Not even worth mentioning. 

Money? I'm guessing Iwagakure Village isn't exactly rich. Same goes for supplies." 

Even though Iwagakure Village is one of the top military forces among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, its economy isn't actually that strong. It's just a little better than Sunagakure and Kirigakure. 

Iwagakure's development has always been closely tied to how much of its budget is spent on the military. 

Konohagakure and Kumogakure might invest a portion of their earnings into military growth, but Iwagakure is different—they put in more than half, sometimes even more. 

Besides, after years of recovery and growth, Konohagakure's economy has stabilized, and the village's finances aren't as tight as when Tsunade first became Hokage. 

With that in mind, Yan wasn't interested in money or supplies. 

"I can let them go, but Iwagakure has to do something for Konohagakure." 

Yan raised a finger and waved it slightly. 

"What is it?" 

It wasn't hard to guess that it wouldn't be anything good. 

Oonoki would rather have Yan demand a huge sum of money or a shipment of supplies—just like before—than agree to any kind of favor for Konohagakure. 

This was a deep pit. Once he stepped in, it would be hard to climb out. 

The problem was, Yan didn't want money or supplies, which made things much trickier for Oonoki. 

"So, Tsuchikage, are you agreeing?" 

That was quick—not really like Oonoki at all. 

"Are you talking nonsense, Uchiha Yan?" 

Or are you just mocking me? 

Oonoki snorted. 

"If I don't agree, would you really let Deidara and Kurotsuchi go?" 

"No." 

Yan shook his head without hesitation. 

They walked right into this. How could he just let them go? 

Catching them fair and square, waiting for Oonoki to come begging—what a perfect situation. Why waste it? 

It's not like Uchiha Yan went to Iwagakure to kidnap them. 

They were the ones responsible for this, so no one could say a word against him. 

"Go ahead, tell me what you want. As long as it's within my power and won't hurt the village, Iwagakure will help Konohagakure." 

"It's not about whether you can do it—you have to do it." 

Still trying to find a way out? 

Yan wasn't buying it. 

"I can guarantee it won't harm Iwagakure's development or put you at a disadvantage. You don't have to worry about that, Tsuchikage." 

Like hell I'd believe you. 

Oonoki wasn't in the mood to argue. Either he agreed, or Konohagakure wouldn't release the hostages. He had no choice but to nod. 

Seeing the deal settled, Yan grinned, showing off his white teeth. 

"I need Iwagakure to publicly condemn Kusagakure on Konohagakure's behalf, then wipe out their higher-ups and replace them with a new group." 

"What?" 

"Impossible!!!"

"Iwagakure would never do something like that!!!" 

Damn, this guy is ruthless! 

Oonoki almost jumped out of his chair. So that's what this was really about—no interest in supplies or money, just waiting for this moment. 

Iwagakure had just teamed up with Kusagakure to try and pressure Konohagakure. 

Now Yan was turning the tables, forcing Oonoki to publicly condemn Kusagakure and then send people to openly attack it, wiping out its leadership. 

 What kind of move was this?! 

Iwagakure staying out of Kusagakure's mess was already a bad look, but if they went a step further and actively took them down, their reputation would be in the gutter. 

From then on, any small country or village thinking of siding with Iwagakure would have to wonder—would Iwagakure betray them too? 

Yan's move was brutal. 

If Oonoki agreed, Iwagakure would forever be seen as unreliable in the eyes of smaller villages. 

"Alright then, since that's the case, we have no choice but to keep them here. But don't worry, Tsuchikage—I'll make sure Deidara and Kurotsuchi know that you abandoned them for Kusagakure." 

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