Ye Zi temporarily set aside his thoughts on sealing techniques and the idea of sealing Shokui as if it were a tailed beast.
After informing the people in his base, he departed alone for the Land of Rain. His goal was to convince Nagato to gather all the tailed beasts within a year.
One year, this was the deadline Ye Zi had set for himself. The plan had to be completed within this timeframe. Given Nagato's cautious and calculating nature, he likely wouldn't provoke Kumogakure in the current situation.
Four tailed beasts were still unaccounted for. Two of them: Matatabi (Two-Tails) and Gyūki (Eight-Tails) were heavily guarded in Kumogakure.
Capturing these two required nothing short of an all-out assault on Kumogakure. Similarly, capturing Saiken (Six-Tails) and Kurama (Nine-Tails) would also require invasions. Furthermore, the Nine-Tails had to be sealed last.
To achieve this, Ye Zi proposed handling the captures of the Two-Tails, Six-Tails, and Eight-Tails himself, leaving Nagato to focus on the Nine-Tails at Konohagakure.
If successful, the plan would proceed smoothly. If Nagato succeeded in capturing the Nine-Tails, he would likely be severely weakened afterward. If he failed, he would either die or retreat gravely injured.
No matter the outcome, it would be Ye Zi's opportunity to strike Nagato and seize the Rinnegan.
With the framework of the plan solidified in his mind, Ye Zi began his solitary journey to the Land of Rain.
...
Iwagakure
Ye Zi's assault on Konoha had sent shockwaves through Iwagakure's leadership. The village council convened, once again urging Ōnoki to abandon his vendetta against Ye Zi.
Many Iwa ninja had already perished at Ye Zi's hands in the past. Now, with the news of his devastating attack on Konoha, the council was unanimous in their resolve: they couldn't afford to risk becoming Ye Zi's next target.
For all their schadenfreude over Konoha's losses, the Iwa leadership didn't want to find themselves in the same position.
The council stormed into Ōnoki's office, bypassing formal procedures.
"The motive behind Ye Zi's attack on Konoha is still unclear," one senior council member said gravely, "but the fact remains: he inflicted tremendous damage and escaped unscathed. You must cease all actions that provoke him."
Ōnoki's expression darkened like storm clouds. Known for his stubbornness, he dismissed their warnings with disdain.
"A mere rogue like Ye Zi has frightened you all to this extent?" Ōnoki scoffed.
"Don't forget," a gruff-voiced elder interjected, "the Hokage himself was defeated by Ye Zi. If he decides to attack our village, can you stop him?"
The words hit Ōnoki like a punch to the gut. During the Third Great Ninja War, he had been defeated by Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. Now, they were pointing out that Ye Zi had defeated Minato.
The implication was clear: if Minato couldn't stop Ye Zi, Ōnoki certainly couldn't either.
Grinding his teeth, Ōnoki held back his anger. "If Ye Zi dares to attack our village," he said coldly, "I will ensure he never leaves alive, even if it costs me my life."
"Is it worth putting the entire village at risk over a personal grudge?" another council member demanded.
Enraged, Ōnoki slammed his desk, splintering it into pieces.
His outburst didn't faze the council. They had grown accustomed to Ōnoki's temper tantrums over the years.
"Are you denying it?" the gruff elder pressed.
Ōnoki glared at them, his lips pressed into a thin line, unable to refute their accusations.
In peacetime, all the great ninja villages were focused on strengthening their forces, knowing full well that peace was fleeting. When war inevitably broke out again, the weaker villages would be the first to fall.
Iwagakure's resources couldn't be squandered on unnecessary conflicts. While Ye Zi had once seemed like a minor nuisance, his overwhelming power had forced the village to reassess the threat he posed.
The council's current stance was firm. This was no longer a matter of compromise.
In the past, Ōnoki's obstinacy had often overridden the council's concerns. But this time, the stakes were too high. The possibility of Iwagakure becoming Ye Zi's next target loomed like a shadow over their deliberations.
For the first time, even Ōnoki's unyielding will might not be enough to sway them.
However, things were different now. Because of someone like Ye Zi, the Iwagakure leadership had resolved to confront Ōnoki's stubbornness head-on, not only to challenge him but to win.
"Are you telling me you're afraid of Ye Zi just because he inflicted heavy losses on Konoha and escaped unscathed?" Ōnoki stood before his shattered desk, glaring coldly at the gathered elders.
The council members were silent for a moment. Finally, one of them stepped forward and answered bluntly:
"Yes, we're afraid."
In matters of such gravity, pride was irrelevant. With Konoha's devastation as a cautionary tale, how could they not be afraid of the same fate befalling Iwagakure?
This was the terror of an overwhelmingly powerful individual. Ye Zi's ability to wreak havoc on Konoha proved his immense destructive power. His escape, despite being surrounded by Konoha's elite forces, demonstrated unmatched mobility.
If not for Nagato's Shinra Tensei causing damage to his own body and lifespan, he too could have become the nightmare of every major village with enough time.
Faced with such a lone powerhouse, no village could withstand the strain if he were to launch sporadic raids, especially in this critical era where every village was focused on rebuilding and strengthening its forces.
Once one council member voiced their fears, the others followed suit, sharing their concerns. They all feared the possibility of Ye Zi targeting their village next.
Konoha's suffering served as a sobering example, planting deep seeds of anxiety among Iwagakure's leadership.
Among the Five Great Nations, perhaps only Kumogakure was immune to such worries. After all, the current Raikage was widely regarded as the strongest among the five Kage, he was a true powerhouse in his own right, capable of standing against Ye Zi.
Ōnoki, seeing the council members unabashedly express their fear and concerns about Ye Zi's potential threat, trembled with anger.
Yet it was precisely because of this unified front that he realized he could not overpower the council this time.
Ōnoki's stubbornness had been defeated, not by the council but by the looming shadow of Ye Zi.
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