The Defeated Ōnoki

As one of the top three among the Five Great Nations, Tsuchikage Ōnoki had a tremendous psychological advantage over a small country like the Land of Rain.

Since Konoha and Sunagakure weren't including him, he would strike first himself, swallowing up the profits before they could make a move.

While negotiating business deals with Konan like the other envoys, Ōnoki arranged for the shinobi in his delegation to begin gathering intelligence.

Nearly all the members of Ōnoki's delegation were shinobi from Iwagakure's intelligence division.

At Ōnoki's command, these shinobi began probing for information throughout Amegakure.

To Nagato, who knew what was going on, the Iwagakure shinobi's actions were nothing short of brazen criminality.

Planning to make an example of Iwagakure, Nagato showed no tolerance. In just half a day, he had captured every one of those Iwagakure shinobi.

That sent Ōnoki into a rage.

A mere Amegakure, led by some nobody who had appeared out of nowhere and taken over from the aging Hanzo, dared to arrest Iwagakure's shinobi?

The Shinobi World had been at peace for little more than ten years, and some people had already forgotten the might of Iwagakure?

Such a provocation was an outright insult to me, Ōnoki!

Of course, beneath Ōnoki's furious exterior, he was secretly delighted.

He'd been fretting over not having a suitable excuse to pick a fight with Amegakure, and now one had fallen right into his lap!

Without delay, Ōnoki brought along his only two subordinates who hadn't taken part in the intelligence-gathering and challenged Nagato in front of the other envoys.

"Long ago, Nagato, what does Amegakure think it's doing? Why have you arrested Iwagakure's shinobi for no reason? Are you trying to declare war on Iwagakure?" Ōnoki accused Nagato first, completely ignoring his own men's spying.

"Tsuchikage, your Iwagakure