hotmtlnovel Chapter 10 All, or Nothing
Chapter 10 All, or Nothing
Chapter 10 All or Nothing
Regardless of Kakashi's choice, Shiba Kiyokawa would never lose out.
If Kakashi truly prioritizes the mission above all else, then he can recruit Rin Nohara without any loss, which is equivalent to holding a key that can control the future big boss!
If Kakashi realizes this in time, he won't lose out either. Just forcing his opponent to acknowledge the importance of the hostages would be enough to give him an advantage in subsequent negotiations.
Either way, he's making a profit.
Not to mention it's also very fun!
However, while pursuing pleasure, Shiba Kiyokawa never forgets to add an insurance policy for himself.
This is all part of the plan!
He moved his position discreetly, away from all the surrounding trees and obstacles, while emphasizing it in words.
"My companion can turn into paper at any time, and has no vital organs. You can't take her down in one hit, so don't think you can easily take her back."
He wasn't just saying this to Kakashi, but more importantly, he was saying it to Minato Namikaze, who might be hiding in the shadows!
Kakashi looks to be only about ten years old. He's not a Jonin yet, so he probably doesn't have the ability to lead a team independently.
In other words, their teacher, Minato Namikaze, is very likely in the vicinity!
Perhaps it was fate, but Minato Namikaze was late again this time.
Not long after Shiba Kiyokawa finished speaking, a figure suddenly appeared behind Kakashi.
As expected, it appeared without any warning! This caused Shiba Kiyokawa to instantly shrink his pupils, tense up, and become extremely alert.
Fortunately, it seems his subtle reminder had an effect—Minato Namikaze deliberately stayed behind Kakashi instead of launching an attack on them right away to retrieve Rin Nohara.
Konan, who has no vital organs, is indeed somewhat effective against ninjas like Minato Namikaze who can kill with a single blow.
Shiba Kiyokawa's positioning was also very strategic, with no obstacles within ten meters of him that could block his view. If Namikaze Minato wanted to get close, he could only resort to throwing kunai.
The moment he landed, Minato Namikaze even had some doubts: Did these two young Rain Ninja know his abilities and were intentionally guarding against him? Or was it just a simple coincidence?
Suppressing his doubts for the moment, Minato Namikaze reached out and pressed down on Kakashi's trembling shoulder, speaking gently.
"Rain Ninja, we have no intention of starting a war. Our mission this time is merely to confirm your attitude towards this war."
We haven't harmed anyone here on our way here, so please return our companion to us.
Minato Namikaze had already restrained himself as much as possible; he wouldn't have been so polite if he were facing ninjas from other small countries.
However, Shiba Kiyokawa did not appreciate the gesture and instead continued to look at Kakashi with a hint of mockery.
"Oh? You revealed the mission information so easily? That doesn't seem to align with this white-haired brat's consistent insistence on mission supremacy."
Kakashi clenched his fists.
Minato Namikaze tightened his grip on his shoulder slightly, and his expression became more serious.
"Rain Ninja, please stop saying strange things to my disciple. We have already shown our sincerity, please—"
Unexpectedly, Shiba Kiyokawa suddenly sneered at this moment, raising his voice and sternly interrupting him.
"Sincerity? Entering and exiting other countries' borders at will, venturing in with maps to scout other people's territory without warning—is this what you call sincerity, Lord Minato Namikaze?"
Minato Namikaze was slightly startled. "You know me?"
At this time, the Third Shinobi World War had just begun, and Minato Namikaze's reputation had not yet reached the peak of his career.
If he were in the Cloud Hidden War Zone in the northeast, it wouldn't be surprising if others knew him. He had already fought against the Cloud Hidden AB combination many times there, and his reputation had risen rapidly.
But this is the Land of Rain in the western part of the ninja world!
When did the Rain Ninja's intelligence gathering ability become so strong?
Is this still the Rain Ninja they traditionally perceive as submissive and only able to barely protect themselves in the clash of great powers?
"Yes, I know you, Konoha's Yellow Flash, the most promising elite Jonin to become the Fourth Hokage: Lord Minato Namikaze."
Following the other person's words, Shiba Kiyokawa openly revealed Namikaze Minato's identity.
This startled Xiao Nan, who was standing nearby.
We just randomly intercepted a small group of Konoha's junior students entering the country, how did we end up running into the Jonin who has the best chance of becoming the next Hokage?
Qinghe, do you always have to go this far?
But Shiba Kiyokawa kept questioning the future Fourth Hokage, making Konan tremble with fear.
"The Land of Rain is an independent and neutral country, and the Hidden Rain Village is not a vassal of your Leaf Village. Can you really call it sincerity for you to come in and inspect without a word?"
Your behavior is arrogant, and your attitude is even more disliked. You still refuse to address our leader as "Demigod"! Your Konoha has absolutely no respect for our Land of Rain!
Minato Namikaze was speechless for a moment after being refuted.
As the saying goes, a gentleman can be deceived by his principles. It was precisely because Shiba Kiyokawa knew that Minato Namikaze was a kind-hearted person that he dared to so aggressively seize the moral high ground.
All of the above was merely a prelude; he was about to reveal his true purpose—
"So stop talking about sincerity, Lord Minato Namikaze. You can't use something that doesn't exist as a bargaining chip on the negotiating table. Let's talk about what you're going to offer in exchange for your comrades."
She appears to be a medical ninja, a highly valuable and rare asset in the Land of Rain.
Minato Namikaze's face immediately turned extremely ugly.
At this very moment, Obito Uchiha, who was also his disciple, was helping Kiyokawa Shiba.
"Mr. Minato, you have to save Rin!"
Minato Namikaze immediately felt an immense headache coming on.
He wanted to use force to threaten him, but the other party made it clear from the beginning that they knew his identity and remained calm and composed, leaving him unable to figure out their true intentions.
He tried to reason with them, but their words were much sharper than his own, and they had already firmly established their moral high ground, leaving him helpless.
In the end, even if they wanted to negotiate normally, the initiative was completely in the hands of the other side. Obito had completely revealed how much they cared about the hostages in the other side's hands.
They could have used Kakashi's attitude to counter him, but Shiba Kiyokawa's previous words had an effect comparable to incantations, confusing Kakashi to the point of confusion, so they couldn't count on him at all now.
Minato Namikaze, who used to be able to come and go freely and do everything on the battlefield, was now at a disadvantage against a fourteen-year-old boy from a small ninja village, and experienced the pain and helplessness of raising a child for the first time.
"Rain Ninja, what do you want?" he finally asked reluctantly.
Shiba Kiyokazu smiled, a genuine smile from the heart.
His gamble paid off!
Provoking Minato Namikaze is a high-stakes gamble; one could lose their life at any moment, or lose everything.
But he won!
(End of this chapter)