Chapter 48: Ōnoki's Fury
"Since that's the case, you will remain here for a while longer," Mito stated. "The trouble you caused this time is simply too great. Releasing you now would not satisfy public opinion. Stay here and reflect. I am leaving." With that, she turned and left.
"Understood. Thank you for your visit, Lady Mito." Seeing that his release wasn't imminent, Tenchi didn't argue. He would bide his time.
After Mito departed, Hiruzen and the others re-entered the cell.
"Tenchi, are you alright?"
"Young Master, are you unharmed?"
"I'm fine, Tsunade," Tenchi said, then turned to the elder. "Great Elder, why are you running around at your age? You should be at home resting." His tone was serious. The elder had always treated him well, but he was old and frail now.
"Young Master, when I heard you were in trouble, how could I stay home peacefully? I could never face Lord Madara's memory if I failed you," the elder insisted, his loyalty unwavering.
"Alright, alright. I'm perfectly fine. Great Elder, please go home. Don't run around unnecessarily. Enjoy your retirement. And in the future, don't mention that man in front of me again." Tenchi then shifted his gaze to Hiruzen.
"Listen, boy," Hiruzen began, a mix of exasperation and concern in his voice. "The Great Elder came because he was worried about you. We heard there was a fight in the prison and thought you might have done something drastic. We rushed over, only to find out you'd beaten up Danzo. Can't you even stay out of trouble in a jail cell?"
Tenchi waved a dismissive hand. "I didn't start it. He was the one who came in here, taunting me non-stop. He even tried to lay a hand on me. Was I supposed to just stand there and take it? I was forced to defend myself."
"What?! That old ghost Danzo dared to try and hit you? On what grounds?! Lord Sarutobi, you have to do something about this!" Tsunade exploded with anger upon hearing that Tenchi had been threatened.
"Calm down, Tsunade. As you can see, Tenchi is perfectly fine. I will deal with Danzo's actions separately."
"Tenchi," Hiruzen continued, his voice softening into a plea, "just bear with it here for a little while. Don't cause any more trouble. Once the reparations to Iwagakure are settled, I will release you. I promise."
"Reparations? If they have a problem with the amount, they can come to me directly. Let's see if I don't blow their village to smithereens. They can dream about getting compensation from me," Tenchi retorted, shaking a fist. He wasn't afraid of a fight; if it came to war, so be it.
"Enough of that! You were the one who stormed into their village and caused havoc! Some compensation is warranted. Peace is fragile. But if they make excessive demands, we won't simply roll over." At this stage in his life, Hiruzen still had a firm backbone, unlike the indecisive leader he would become in his old age.
"Fine, fine. You handle it. But if a war does break out, I'm confident I can reclaim all the Land of Earth's territory for the Land of Fire." Tenchi's confidence was absolute, backed by his very real power.
"Alright, that's enough. Just stay put and behave. I have a mountain of paperwork waiting for me. I'm leaving now."
"Young Master, I shall take my leave as well."
Tenchi waved them off. Hiruzen and the elder left, leaving only Tsunade and Tenchi in the cell.
"Tsunade, you should head back too," Tenchi said gently, ruffling her hair. "I'll be out soon. In the meantime, you should start practicing that ninjutsu I gave you."
"Mmm-hmm..." Tsunade nodded, her face flushing pink, before she turned and hurried out of the prison.
*'Senju and Uchiha... combined at last. Things are getting more and more interesting,'* Tenchi mused to himself. He lay back down on his cot, a faint smile on his lips.
***
A few days later, with Mito's influence, the village council raised no further objections to the reparations. The Fire Daimyo, out of respect for Mito, also agreed to fund the payment.
With consensus reached, Hiruzen drafted a letter, assembled the compensation, and dispatched a small team to deliver it all to the Land of Earth.
When Ōnoki received the letter and the money, he flew into a rage.
***SMASH!***
"Damn Konoha! Damn Hiruzen Sarutobi! This paltry sum isn't even enough to repair a single building! And he dares to threaten me?!" Ōnoki roared, slamming his fists on his desk.
A senior Iwa official picked up the fallen letter and read it aloud.
*"To the Honorable Tsuchikage-sama,*
*Our village expresses its deepest apologies for the rogue actions of the ninja who attacked Iwagakure. What is done cannot be undone. As a gesture of goodwill, our village has decided to compensate yours with three million ryo for reconstruction.*
*We do not seek conflict, but we are not afraid of it should it come. We trust your village will consider this matter carefully."*
The senior official now understood Ōnoki's fury perfectly.
"Lord Tsuchikage... our current strength is insufficient for a full-scale war. We must swallow this insult from Konoha for now. We will clench our fists, bide our time, and build our strength. Our day will come," the official advised, trying to calm his leader.
"I know all that!" Ōnoki seethed. "It just galls me! Damn Konoha! I will remember this humiliation! They will pay for this someday!"
***
In stark contrast to Ōnoki's rage, Tenchi was currently enjoying a meal brought to him by Tsunade.
"Mmm, this is so much better than the slop they serve in here. I was starting to get sick of prison food," Tenchi said between large, grateful mouthfuls.
"Just be patient a little longer," Tsunade said with a smile, watching him eat heartily. She had prepared the food herself and was delighted to see him enjoy it. "Lord Sarutobi has sent the compensation. You should be out soon."
"They sent it already? How much did Brother Hiruzen end up giving them?" Tenchi asked, his mouth still full.
"Eat slowly! I'm not too sure about the details," Tsunade admitted. "But I overheard Grandma Mito say it was something like three million ryo."
"Three million? Hahaha!" Tenchi burst out laughing. "If they really only sent three million, Tsuchikage Ōnoki's face must be purple with rage right now!"
"Why do you say that?"
"Think about it," Tenchi explained, still chuckling. "Based on the damage I caused that day, plus compensation for their injured, it should have been hundreds of millions. Hiruzen sending only three million is an insult. It's not even enough for repairs."
"Hahaha! Iwagakure won't be causing any trouble for the next ten years, that's for sure!" Tenchi said, thoroughly pleased with himself.
"I see... But will the Tsuchikage really let it go at that? If it were me, I certainly wouldn't accept such a small amount," Tsunade mused.
"He has no choice," Tenchi stated confidently. "Iwagakure's current strength is no match for Konoha's. It wasn't before, and it's even worse now after the damage I did. If Ōnoki tries to fight Konoha now, it would be suicide. He has no option but to swallow his pride and take the loss."
"If that's the case, and it was for the village's benefit... why did you really have to go to Iwagakure? And now you're stuck in jail for it," Tsunade asked, her tone softening.
"You don't understand, Tsunade," Tenchi said, his expression turning serious and noble. "The Land of Fire is richer and more fertile than the other nations. They've been coveting our lands for a long time. Rather than wait for them to grow strong and attack us, it was better for me to weaken them preemptively. I did it for Konoha. For the Land of Fire." He struck a righteous pose.
"Yes, yes, you always have your reasons. I can never win an argument with you," Tsunade said, shaking her head fondly. "Now hurry up and finish eating. I need to take the dishes back. I have a mission to go on in a few days." She began to urge him.