Living in the World of Naruto, Marrying Tsunade

Ōnoki's response had to be said—it was very rational. It fit their current predicament and showed proper respect for Arata's overwhelming strength. Under the circumstances, this really was the best choice.

If Ōnoki understood Arata's personality well enough, he would realize just how correct this decision was.

Arata had always lived by one principle: as long as others didn't provoke him, he wouldn't provoke them. Most of the time he was practically a laid-back slacker. Unless necessary, he preferred quietly training on his own and enjoying the feeling of growing stronger.

Even when it came to women, he mostly just admired from afar and rarely made real moves. Even now that he was married to Tsunade, if she didn't agree, he wouldn't take that final step.

This showed that while he wasn't some saintly paragon of restraint, he was at least a normal, decent person.

Under these circumstances, if Iwagakure chose to withdraw on their own, Arata would naturally be too lazy to pursue them. The Land of Lightning had been the same—after being beaten badly by him, they stopped provoking the Land of Fire, and Arata didn't chase them further.

It wasn't just laziness; it was confidence. He knew that if he wanted, he could march into the Land of Lightning anytime in the future—or even force them into submission.

However, when Ōnoki announced his decision, the Iwa leadership exploded in protest. Voices overlapped in a storm of objections:

"What!? Retreat before even fighting? Other nations will look down on Iwagakure!"

"Tsuchikage-sama, please reconsider! Even if Arata is strong, we shouldn't withdraw without a fight!"

"We have two Jinchūriki and you, Tsuchikage-sama. Even if we lose, we can retreat safely like the Land of Lightning did!"

"At least try! Retreating without battle is too humiliating!"

"Tsuchikage-sama, I request permission to fight! If we capture Tsunade, we might be able to threaten Arata!"

"That's right! Isn't Tsunade his wife? She's probably already been defeated by Hanzō. If we seize her now, let's see if Arata still dares to act arrogantly!"

...

Hearing the noisy arguments, Ōnoki didn't immediately silence them for once.

He knew this decision was humiliating and would damage the Land of Earth's prestige. But when national survival was on the line, he had no choice. The power of a super-Kage was something these people simply couldn't comprehend.

That was power beyond imagination—power that could potentially devastate the entire shinobi world. It wasn't comparable to ordinary Kage-level strength at all.

Still, a few of the suggestions caught Ōnoki's attention.

He seriously considered whether the plan involving Tsunade was feasible.

According to intelligence, Arata and Tsunade had been childhood companions and had grown up together. Their bond was extremely deep—they were comrades who had faced life and death together even before marriage.

In that case, Arata likely cared about Tsunade greatly. If Iwa acted now, they might be able to control her.

And if they grasped Arata's weakness, they might gain leverage. If they could even persuade Arata to side with the Land of Earth, their situation would completely reverse. They might even surpass the Land of Fire and become the number one nation in the shinobi world.

A peak super-Kage powerhouse could crush everything. If such a person belonged to the Land of Earth, it would carry them to the top of the world.

With that thought, Ōnoki cut off the arguments and looked at the silent Han.

"What do you think? If we capture Tsunade, what are the chances of controlling Arata?"

Everyone turned toward the Five-Tails Jinchūriki. By now they all recognized Han as one of Iwagakure's best strategists. Many already expected him to become one of Ōnoki's trusted aides, so no one dared interrupt his thinking.

Nearby, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki Rōshi also watched him curiously. They were about the same age, yet Han was far calmer and more analytical. Even Rōshi, normally hot-headed, had begun to respect him.

After a moment of silence, Han spoke slowly:

"The chance of success is zero. If I remember correctly, Arata's title is the Blue Lightning. Is anyone here faster than lightning?"

His words were simple, but everyone immediately understood.

Arata held the title of Blue Lightning and had even taken the title of fastest shinobi from the Third Raikage. If Iwa managed to capture Tsunade but couldn't outrun Arata, and he caught up before they escaped the Land of Rain, they would be forced into a direct encounter.

And in such an encounter, they had no chance. Even the most ignorant among them knew that a peak super-Kage couldn't be defeated head-on.

The tent gradually fell silent. Han's cold reasoning doused their reckless enthusiasm. Against the fastest man in the shinobi world, their schemes were meaningless.

But Han wasn't finished.

"Based on Arata's speed, he's probably already near the Land of Rain—maybe even at the border. If we don't retreat now and he marks us as enemies, you all know the consequences."

If his earlier words shattered their fantasies, this fully woke them up.

Nearly two days had passed since the Land of Whirlpool battle. With Arata's world-class speed, he could already be close to the Land of Rain.

Konoha's forces here were struggling, so they would certainly send for help. Hiruzen Sarutobi, who valued his life highly, wouldn't rush to the front lines himself. The most likely reinforcement would be Konoha's Blue Lightning—Arata.

If they went to capture Tsunade now, they might run straight into him. Whether Hanzō lived or died would be uncertain—but if Iwa dared lay a hand on Arata's wife, they would almost certainly pay a terrible price.

Seeing the room finally subdued, Ōnoki stopped delaying and declared:

"Then we retreat. All units, move out immediately!"