"What do you mean, this is our attitude toward peace talks?"
Rather than showing any fear, the Sunagakure envoy raised his chin even more arrogantly:
"Giving you a chance to withdraw now is an act of mercy from Sunagakure. Don't throw our goodwill back in our faces, Konoha!"
Before he had finished speaking, Xuandou had already lost interest in listening.
He cast a slight sideways glance at Shisui.
The next second, Shisui flickered out of sight, then appeared beside the Sunagakure envoy.
He gripped the envoy's shoulder with one hand and activated the Body Flicker Technique again, bringing them both back to Xuandou's side in an instant.
Immediately afterward, Hizashi Hyuga stepped forward in tandem, his Byakugan clearly revealing the envoy's entire chakra network.
His hands moved like lightning, delivering several palm strikes. His Gentle Fist precisely sealed every chakra point before he threw the man at Xuandou's feet.
Xuandou crouched down and took hold of one of the man's fingers.
The man finally realized something was wrong, his voice trembling:
"W-wait... We can negotiate the terms-"
Crack!
The crisp sound of breaking bone cut him off.
His agonized scream had barely begun when Xuandou took hold of his second finger.
"No... You can't do this! We're envoys-aaah!!"
The second finger snapped.
The excruciating pain sent spasms through the Sunagakure ninja's body, nearly making him pass out.
Xuandou remained expressionless.
From the man's high-and-mighty attitude when he walked in, Xuandou had known this was no peace negotiation, but a threat.
Since the other side had dropped all pretense first, why should he show mercy?
Then he took hold of the man's third finger.
Fear immediately appeared on the Sunagakure ninja's face, and he begged:
"No! I know I was wrong! We shouldn't have been so arrogant."
Yet Xuandou merely lowered his head and said:
"I preferred that defiant look you had earlier."
Then.
Crack!
The third finger broke.
The man finally could not take any more. His eyes rolled back, and he passed out.
Only then did the other four Sunagakure envoys recover from their shock, alarmed and furious:
"You bastard! How dare you treat our Sunagakure ninja like this!"
"Just wait until you face Sunagakure's wrath!"
With that, they moved to leave and return to Scorpion Sand City.
As far as they were concerned, these Konoha ninja must have gone mad.
"Konoha will pay for your arrogance!"
Before leaving, they even remembered to turn back and deliver a threat.
But Xuandou's cold voice came from behind them:
"Did I say you could leave?"
"What?"
The four turned back to look at Xuandou in disbelief.
Thinking of what he had done, they immediately felt a sense of foreboding.
They hurriedly quickened their steps.
But Xuandou's voice continued behind them, like the voice of death.
"What makes you think you can threaten me and still walk away unharmed?"
"Who gave you that confidence?"
After a pause, Xuandou gave a direct order:
"Keep them here!"
"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!"
Yuhi Shinku, who had been waiting for this, let out a furious shout.
Immediately, the four Sunagakure ninja trying to escape were dragged underground with Earth Release, leaving only their heads exposed.
Xuandou walked back to the unconscious man, drew his Ninja Blade, and drove it viciously through the back of his hand.
"Aaaah!!!!"
The intense pain jolted him awake.
Xuandou raised an index finger to his lips:
"Shh."
But the pain of having his hand pierced made it impossible for the man to stop screaming.
Xuandou shook his head regretfully:
"Still not listening..."
He pulled out the blade and stabbed it through the back of the man's other hand.
An even more agonized wail rang out through the surroundings.
"What did I just say?"
Xuandou's tone was calm.
The Sunagakure ninja on the ground bit his lip desperately, cold sweat pouring down like rain, no longer daring to make a sound.
"Very good."
Only then did the faintest trace of a smile appear on Xuandou's face.
"Wouldn't it have been better to do that from the start?"
Carrying his still-dripping Ninja Blade, he walked over to the four Sunagakure ninja whose heads alone remained exposed.
"Watch closely."
"Your companions angered me, so their fate is..."
The blade flashed repeatedly.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
Four heads stared with wide eyes, their expressions frozen in terror.
The surviving Sunagakure ninja shook like a leaf, his teeth clenched tight, not even daring to breathe hard.
Xuandou nodded in satisfaction:
"You should have died too. But I need someone to deliver a message, so you don't have to die for now."
He crouched down and looked straight into the man's terrified eyes:
"Go back and tell Iron Sand two things."
"First, my name is Uchiha Xuantou. Tell him to remember it well. Sunagakure will regret crossing me."
"Second, tell that defeated dog Iron Sand that since a spineless cur like him dared to provoke me, I'll attack Scorpion Sand City in one hour. Tell him to stay put and wait to die."
"Do you remember?"
Seeing Xuandou look his way, the Sunagakure ninja on the ground hurriedly nodded as hard as he could.
"Get lost!"
The Sunagakure ninja on the ground felt as though he had been granted a pardon.
Just as he was about to struggle to his feet.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bone rang out clearly.
Xuandou suddenly raised his foot and stomped down hard, shattering both his shins.
"Aaaaaaaaaah!!!"
Piercing pain shot through him.
Xuandou's voice rang out again, like the voice of death.
"If you're not gone within one minute, you'll never leave."
The Sunagakure ninja nearly broke down, but dared not hesitate in the slightest.
With both hands pierced and both legs broken, he could only writhe laboriously across the ground like a maggot, inching his way out and dragging a bloody trail through the sand.
Xuandou watched him go, a smile appearing on his face.
"Looks like my medical skills have improved again. I can even get someone so badly injured to move. A true medical miracle."
Silence fell all around.
Many Konoha ninja watched Xuandou's back with complicated looks in their eyes.
There was awe, fear, and even a faint fervor.
Inside Scorpion Sand City.
After hearing the tearful account of the envoy who had escaped back, Iron Sand's entire face turned purplish red, and he smashed the wooden table before him with a single punch.
"Uchiha... Xuantou!!"
He ground his teeth, every word seeming to squeeze out between them:
"That bastard!"
"How dare he abuse our Sunagakure ninja like this!"
"You'll pay for this!"
Hearing this, a nearby Sunagakure ninja immediately asked:
"Sir, are we going to fight the Konoha ninja and make them pay?"
Iron Sand snorted coldly:
"I'll make them pay, but not now!"
"Pass on my orders. All ninja are to return to the village with me immediately."
"Once the village sends reinforcements, I'll make sure Uchiha Xuantou dies in the Land of Wind!"
An hour later, Xuandou launched his attack right on time.
Yet Scorpion Sand City offered almost no resistance.
Iron Sand had already withdrawn with his men, leaving behind only a garrison of ordinary people and panicked, helpless civilians.
The Konoha ninja advanced as though no one stood in their way, spending a full half day looting the city clean.
Their final haul reached a staggering two billion ryo.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the mission: Blood for blood! Reward: Lottery draws ×1]
Hearing the system notification announcing the mission's completion, Xuandou's face filled with a smile.
He stood high atop the gate tower, watching the ninja below busily hauling away valuables, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"No wonder there are always people who yearn for war..."
"With war bringing in profits this great, who wouldn't like it?"