Iwagakure, Tsuchikage's Office.
Ōnoki stood behind his desk, staring fixedly at the letter from the Land of Rice on its surface.
"Uchiha Kou... Land of Rice..."
His face darkened as he snorted coldly.
"Hmph, I was wondering why a tiny place like the Land of Rice Fields had developed so rapidly these past few years. So that brat was behind it again!
"First came the Land of Lightning, making a fortune off that ridiculous book industry. Now there's the Land of Rice, quietly taking the seat as the leading minor nation in the Ninja World...
"Other than the Mist Village, how come every single thing that has happened in the Ninja World these past years has something to do with that brat?!"
The more Ōnoki spoke, the angrier he became. He unconsciously floated into the air.
"Why doesn't Iwagakure have a genius like that... Damn it--!!"
"Crack."
"Ah! My old back..."
Ōnoki's face instantly turned pale. One hand clutching his waist, he trembled as he descended back into his chair.
Seeing this, Kitsuchi, who had scarcely dared to breathe at the side, hurried over.
"Old man, are you okay?!"
"Hmph, I'm not dead yet."
Ōnoki forced himself to say it, but his hand, shaking like a leaf, was far from convincing.
Looking at the stubborn old man who would rather suffer than lose face, Kitsuchi habitually sighed. He silently withdrew the hand he had extended to support him and lowered his voice.
"Old man, this Six Nations Summit... Is Iwagakure still going?"
He paused, his tone becoming even more cautious.
"After all, with the Land of Rice, the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Waterfalls forming an alliance, the minor nations around the Land of Earth have been rather restless lately.
"If Iwagakure, one of the Five Great Nations,