All or Nothing

Kakashi could choose either way, and Shiba Seika would still come out ahead.

If Kakashi truly insisted that the mission came first, then Seika could take Nohara Rin without a scratch, effectively securing a key that could control a future big shot!

And if Kakashi came to his senses in time, Seika still wouldn't lose. Just forcing his opponent to acknowledge the importance of a hostage was enough to give him the upper hand in all the negotiations to come.

Either way, he stood to gain.

Not to mention, this was fun!

But while pursuing his own amusement, Shiba Seika wouldn't forget to give himself a safety net.

This was all part of the plan!

He subtly shifted position, moving away from all the trees and obstacles around him, while emphasizing the point aloud.

"My companion can turn into paper at any moment. She has no vital spots, so you can't take her out with a single strike. Don't think you can easily get your companion back."

He wasn't just saying this for Kakashi to hear. More importantly, he wanted to reach Minato Namikaze, who might be hiding nearby!

Kakashi looked about ten years old. He wasn't a Jonin yet, and probably didn't have the ability to lead a team on his own.

In other words, their teacher, Minato Namikaze, was probably somewhere close!

But perhaps it was fate. Once again, Minato Namikaze was late.

Not long after Shiba Seika finished speaking, a figure suddenly appeared behind Kakashi.

Just as expected, there had been no warning at all! Shiba Seika's pupils instantly contracted. He tensed up and focused every last bit of his attention.

Fortunately, it seemed his subtle warning had worked. Minato Namikaze had deliberately appeared behind Kakashi instead of attacking them right away to take Nohara Rin back.

Konan, who had no vital spots, was in some ways a natural counter to a one-hit-kill ninja like Minato Namikaze.

Shiba Seika had also chosen his position carefully. There were no obstacles within ten meters that could block their line of sight, so Minato Namikaze had no choice but to throw a Kunai if he wanted to get close.

The instant he landed, Minato Namikaze couldn't help wondering: did this pair of young Ame ninjas know about his abilities and take precautions against him? Or was it just a coincidence?

Setting aside his suspicions for the moment, he placed a hand on Kakashi's trembling shoulder and spoke gently.

"Ame ninja, we have no intention of starting a war. Our mission this time is simply to confirm your stance on the current war.

"We haven't harmed anyone here on our way, so please return our companion to us."

Minato Namikaze had been as restrained as he could. He wouldn't have been so polite if he were dealing with ninjas from another small country.

But Shiba Seika wasn't impressed. Instead, he looked at Kakashi with a hint of mockery.

"Oh? You're giving away details of your mission so easily? That doesn't seem to match the mission-first attitude this white-haired brat was insisting on earlier."

Kakashi clenched his fists.

The hand Minato Namikaze had on his shoulder tightened slightly, and his expression grew more serious.

"Ame ninja, please stop saying strange things to my student. We've shown our sincerity, so please—"

But Shiba Seika suddenly scoffed, raising his voice to cut him off.

"Sincerity? You freely cross into another country, entering with a map to scout someone else's territory without even notifying them. Lord Minato Namikaze, is that what you call sincerity?"

Minato Namikaze was taken aback. "You know who I am?"

The Third Great Ninja War had only just begun, and Minato Namikaze's fame had yet to reach its peak.

If this had been the Cloud front in the northeast, it wouldn't have been surprising for people to know him. He had already clashed with the AB Combo of Kumogakure several times and made a name for himself.

But this was the Land of Rain, on the western side of the Shinobi World!

Since when had Ame's intelligence-gathering abilities become so formidable?

Was this really the same Ame that people had always thought of as submissive, barely able to protect itself amid clashes between the great nations?

"Yes, I know you. You're the Yellow Flash of Konoha, Lord Minato Namikaze, an elite Jonin with the best chance of becoming the Fourth Hokage."

Shiba Seika followed his lead and openly identified Minato Namikaze.

This startled Konan, who was standing nearby.

We just stopped a Konoha Juvenile Squad that crossed the border. How did we end up running into the Jonin with the best chance of becoming the Next Hokage?

Seika, do you have to make things this high-stakes every time?

Yet Shiba Seika kept questioning the future Fourth Hokage, leaving Konan increasingly alarmed.

"The Land of Rain is an independent, neutral country, and Amegakure isn't a vassal of Konoha. You came in to scout without even notifying us. Can you really call that sincere?

"Your actions are arrogant, and your attitude is even more unpleasant. You're not even willing to address our leader as the Demi-God! Konoha shows not the slightest respect for the Land of Rain!"

For a moment, Minato Namikaze was left speechless.

As the saying went, a gentleman could be taken advantage of through his own sense of decency. Shiba Seika knew Minato Namikaze was a good-natured man, and that was precisely why he dared to take such a forceful stance and seize the moral high ground first.

But all that had been mere preamble. Now he would reveal his true purpose—

"So stop talking about sincerity, Lord Minato Namikaze. You can't put something that doesn't exist on the negotiating table as a bargaining chip. Let's talk about what you're willing to trade for your companion.

"She looks like a medical ninja, too. That makes her a high-value target, and a very rare one in the Land of Rain."

Minato Namikaze's expression turned extremely grim.

At that very moment, his other student, Obito Uchiha, was helping Shiba Seika out.

"Minato-sensei, you have to save Rin!"

Minato Namikaze felt a massive headache coming on.

He wanted to threaten them with force, but his opponent had made it clear from the start that he knew who he was, and still remained calm and unflustered. Minato couldn't get a read on the other side's strength.

He wanted to appeal to their feelings, but his opponent's words were far sharper than his own. Seika had already secured the moral high ground, leaving him helpless.

And even if he tried to negotiate normally, the initiative was entirely in the other side's hands. Obito had already made it completely clear how much they cared about the hostage.

They might have been able to use Kakashi's attitude to offset that, but unfortunately, Shiba Seika's few earlier remarks had been as effective as a verbal jutsu. Kakashi was so confused that they couldn't count on him at all.

Minato Namikaze, who had always moved freely across the battlefield and seemed capable of anything, had now been stymied by a fourteen-year-old from a small ninja village. For the first time, he felt the pain and helplessness of looking after children.

"Ame ninja, what do you want?" he finally asked, though the words clearly didn't come easily.

Shiba Seika smiled, a genuine smile.

His gamble had paid off!

Provoking Minato Namikaze had been a huge gamble. At any moment, he could have died without a trace. If he lost, he would lose everything.

But he had won!