Your Granddaughter, So Smooth!

"Yo! Ōnoki, are you tired from fighting?"

Natsume shook the backpack on his back, which contained the seventy million.

He smiled and called out to Ōnoki, who was preparing to leave in the distance.

I have to admit, even setting aside the combat aspect.

This Flying Thunder God Technique is truly outstanding just for traveling!

A distance of over ten kilometers, covered in an instant.

It saves so much time!

It's just that the chakra consumption is a bit high; based on my current chakra levels, two or three round trips would drain me dry.

It seems I still need to increase my chakra limit.

On the other side.

Hearing the mockery from behind.

Ōnoki turned his head abruptly.

Only then did he realize that the main body of the enemy he had been fighting had suddenly appeared!

"This is? A Body Flicker Technique?"

"No, there was clearly no one around just a moment ago."

"Even the fastest Body Flicker Technique couldn't cross a thousand meters in an instant! Arriving in the blink of an eye!"

"Wait, what is that under his feet? A kunai?"

"Could, could it be..."

"Is it, is it the Flying Thunder God Technique?!!"

Ōnoki exclaimed suddenly.

Even though nearly ten years had passed, he still could not forget.

The sight of that Konoha Yellow Flash emerging, suppressing an entire era.

Relying on the extreme speed brought by the Flying Thunder God Technique, he was almost invincible!

Throughout the entire Third Shinobi World War, the number of Iwagakure ninja who died at the hands of that one man alone was no less than a hundred.

Among them were Iwagakure elites like Tōshito and Mahiru.

It was precisely because of that war that the hatred between Iwagakure and Konoha, which remains unresolved to this day, was forged.

It was even because of the existence of that Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.

That Ōnoki was forced to stay in Iwagakure, not daring to go out and participate in the war.

He was terrified that the opponent would use a 'Flying Thunder God' to raid his home base.

This is enough to show the threat posed by a ninja who masters such a powerful S-rank space-time ninjutsu!

That is absolutely the nightmare of all enemies!

And now, eight years later.

Could it be that Konoha has produced another terrifying ninja who has mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique?!!

Ōnoki dared not think too deeply.

But, looking at that kunai, looking at that speed.

Nine times out of ten, it really is the Flying Thunder God Technique!

"If the opponent is truly a Konoha ninja, I fear he will be the future Fifth Hokage!"

"By then, the entire shinobi world will once again be unable to lift its head under his pressure..."

"Such a great enemy must be eliminated as soon as possible!"

"If I launch a surprise Dust Release, there might be a chance for a one-hit kill..."

In an instant, Ōnoki's wrinkled old face shifted through several expressions.

He struggled internally, weighing his options.

In any case, he did not want to see another 'Yellow Flash' emerge in the shinobi world. Especially since it was highly likely to be from Konoha.

"You, who exactly are you?"

Ōnoki roared angrily, secretly preparing a lethal blow.

"Old man, you're currently considering how to kill me, aren't you?"

"Don't waste your effort."

"I'm leaving, see you again if fate allows!"

"Oh, right, I forgot to mention. Your granddaughter is very smooth! The Vault of your village is even smoother!"

"Hahaha..."

Natsume let out a hearty laugh.

Without hesitation, he gave his body a slight shake and instantly activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, vanishing from the spot in a blink.

Everything that needed to be done had been done.

He had no desire to remain here any longer and face Ōnoki's Dust Release head-on.

Even though there was a ninety percent chance that the technique wouldn't even be able to hit him...

Watching the enemy depart in an instant, yet finding himself powerless to stop it, Ōnoki felt a surge of frustration and had no choice but to cease the ninjutsu he was preparing.

At the same time, the words the intruder had spoken before leaving echoed in his mind.

"Oh no!"

"Could it be that Kurotsuchi and the Vault Attic back at the village have already met a tragic fate?!!"

Ōnoki's expression shifted instantly.

He hurriedly carried Kitsuchi on his back and flew toward the village, not daring to delay for even a second.

Whether it was his granddaughter Kurotsuchi or the village's treasury, both were precious to him; he could not afford to lose either!

And so, twenty minutes later.

The Tsuchikage Guard tracked Ōnoki's chakra signature, circling around the outskirts of the village before finally winding their way back inside.

They discovered Ōnoki at the entrance of the Vault Attic...

At this moment, the Third Hokage was clutching his granddaughter Kurotsuchi with one arm while holding his aching lower back with the other.

His eyes were hollow, and he leaned against the gate with a dazed expression on his face.

Before him stood the treasury, which had been almost entirely emptied out.

Fortunately, it was only the treasury that had been robbed.

His granddaughter Kurotsuchi seemed to be unharmed.

Otherwise, the Third Hokage would surely have been angered to death on the spot this night...

Even so, the losses suffered by the entire Iwagakure tonight were significant.

Especially with the treasury being looted and the majority of their funds stolen.

If this news were to spread, the village's already fragile economy would likely plummet by several more percentage points!

Consequently, mustering his last bit of energy, Ōnoki had no choice but to order the Tsuchikage Guard to seal off the treasury and suppress the news, while rushing Kitsuchi, Kurotsuchi, Deidara, and the others off for medical treatment.

The night grew deeper.

Fortunately, the vast majority of the fighting had taken place outside the village, so there were not many casualties within Iwagakure itself.

The entire village remained relatively quiet.

Of course, many high-ranking ninjas in the know began a night of frantic activity.

An hour later, having rested briefly, Ōnoki once again summoned the village's high-ranking officials.

He hurriedly recounted the series of major events that had occurred that night.

"Kitsuchi, little Kurotsuchi, how are their injuries?"

Ōnoki's face darkened.

"Kitsuchi's injuries are severe; his bones are fractured throughout his body, and large areas of muscle are damaged. Fortunately, his life is not in danger, but he will need at least a month or two of recovery..."

"As for Kurotsuchi and the others, they didn't suffer any real injuries; they were merely knocked unconscious..."

"Did the intruder show mercy?"

An advisor pressed.

Ōnoki nodded, "It would seem so. But we cannot rule out that it was intentional. After all, killing them would only serve to further enrage us, Iwagakure."

"To think that not only did the spy escape, but the village's Vault was also robbed!"

"Third Hokage, the losses this time are not insignificant!"

Ōnoki: "I know! The top priority is to seal the news and replenish the Vault's missing funds as quickly as possible..."

"Shouldn't we immediately dispatch troops to recover the stolen silver?"

Ōnoki shot a disgruntled glance at the Daimyo's envoy and said indifferently: "The opponent has mastered the space-time ninjutsu, Flying Thunder God Technique! Do you think anyone can catch up to him?"

"Ah! Flying Thunder God Technique?!! How, how is this possible?"

"Isn't Konoha's Yellow Flash already dead?"

"Could it be that another one has appeared?"

Ōnoki: "It is still unconfirmed. That person was wearing the robes of the rogue organization Akatsuki, possessed the Sharingan, and had formidable strength..."

Hearing this, the other high-ranking officials of Iwagakure were shocked and quickly began to argue.

"Could it be that Akatsuki did all of this?"

"Impossible! A mere third-rate rogue organization, where would they get the guts to attack one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages?"

"Besides, the spy had just escaped, and the other party rescued him with such coincidence."

"If it were just a rogue organization, they could never maintain such a tight intelligence network!"

"Behind this incident, it must be one of the other great villages pulling the strings."

"The so-called Akatsuki is nothing more than a smokescreen!"

"It cannot even be ruled out that Konoha commissioned Akatsuki to retrieve that spy!"

"After all, apart from Konoha, none of the other great villages possess the Flying Thunder God Technique!"

"And don't forget, that Akatsuki member possesses the Kekkei Genkai known as the Sharingan!"

"Looking across the shinobi world, Konoha is the most suspicious!"

"In that case, wouldn't the Uchiha Clan who recently defected from Konoha also be highly suspicious?"

"Hmph! What a joke. Those guys defected from Konoha and are fleeing for their lives across the shinobi world; they probably can't even look after themselves."

"Where would they find the energy to scheme against our Iwagakure?"

"So, it really was Konoha?"

Ōnoki watched the group's argument quietly, enduring his back pain while feeling helpless.

However, he had to admit it.

From every angle, Konoha was the most suspicious!

The spy, the Sharingan, the Flying Thunder God Technique... everything was related to Konoha.

To say that Konoha had no hand in this would be unbelievable to anyone.

After a long while, Ōnoki finally spoke up to interrupt them:

"Quiet down, all of you!"

"Even if it is related to Konoha, without direct evidence, we cannot easily act."

"This matter must be investigated further. It will not be too late to discuss it once we find conclusive evidence..."

"In any case, whoever dares to scheme against me is looking for death!"

Ōnoki tugged at his long beard, puffed out his mustache, and made the final decision in a huff.

"Then, the plan for a surprise attack on Konoha..."

"The spy has already escaped, and the plan has been exposed, so we have no choice but to abandon it for now."

"Do you have any other objections?"

Ōnoki scanned the crowd and questioned them.

Iwagakure is different from Konoha; Ōnoki, who possesses strength, status, seniority, and prestige all in one, holds absolute decision-making power.

It is much better than the fragmented leadership of Konoha.

"No, no..."

"Then let's leave it at that. Meeting adjourned..."