Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

The moment Onoki's words left his mouth, the surroundings instantly fell silent. The previous tense atmosphere vanished, and at this moment, no one knew what to say.

Rasa stared at Onoki with wide eyes, his mouth slightly agape, looking as if he had just been punched in the face.

Onoki completely ignored the bizarre expressions on everyone else's faces. His gaze was locked onto Uchiha Taiga, his eyes burning with intensity.

"As long as you agree to join Iwagakure, I will have Han give you his Tailed Beast chakra."

He paused, as if remembering something, and added, "Ah, and Roshi's as well."

Standing nearby, Rasa's mouth twitched upon hearing this.

Roshi was Iwagakure's Four-Tails Jinchuriki. This fact was no secret among the higher-ups of the Five Great Nations. With just one sentence, Onoki was giving away the chakra of two Tailed Beasts—an even more direct move than Rasa's own.

The others on the battlefield all wore peculiar expressions. The Sunagakure shinobi stood on the side of the street, looking back and forth between Onoki and Uchiha Taiga with subtle, complicated looks.

Chiyo stood at the back of the crowd. She looked at Onoki, gently shook her head, and whispered to Ebizo beside her, "This old geezer has completely let go of his pride."

Her voice was soft, but her tone carried genuine admiration.

Ebizo nodded in deep agreement.

Standing next to Onoki, Rasa's expression shifted from shock to a blank stare, and then to an indescribable complexity.

He looked at Onoki's wrinkle-covered face, only one thought echoing in his mind: *'No way, are you really being this straightforward?'*

He had just whispered so much into Onoki's ear, warning him about how strong Uchiha Taiga was, advising him not to clash head-on, and suggesting it was best to play along.

After all, it was the period of the Five Kage Summit. It wouldn't do to lose a Kage here before the meeting even began.

He thought Onoki would, at most, drop the matter or take a step back and let Uchiha Taiga negotiate with Han.

But he never imagined that Onoki would directly try to poach the boy, offering the chakra of two Tailed Beasts right off the bat.

Rasa opened his mouth to speak but didn't know what to say. He looked at Onoki as if he were staring at a complete stranger.

Pinned beneath Uchiha Taiga, Han finally snapped out of his daze and fury.

He lifted his head from the ground and stared at Onoki with wide eyes, his pupils filled with disbelief.

"Lord Tsuchikage, are you crazy!?"

His voice was so loud it echoed down the entire street. His chest heaved violently, his breathing even more ragged than when he was first slammed into the ground.

Onoki turned his head and glanced at Han, his expression completely unchanged.

"Shut up."

The two words weren't loud, but they carried immense weight.

Onoki ignored him after that, turning back to look at Uchiha Taiga.

"As long as you agree." His voice was even steadier than before, every word carrying weight. "Besides the Tailed Beast chakra, I will also give you my granddaughter's hand in marriage."

The moment those words were spoken, the air on the street seemed to freeze.

Standing next to Onoki, Kitsuchi reacted as if he had been struck by lightning, whipping his head around.

"Father!!?"

His voice was so loud it cracked. His eyes were wider than Han's, his mouth hanging open as his expression shifted from shock to utter devastation.

Onoki didn't even turn his head. He merely raised a hand to stop Kitsuchi from saying anything else.

"You shut up too."

Kitsuchi stood with his mouth open, his lips trembling. His Adam's apple bobbed several times, but he couldn't force a single word out.

Onoki looked at Uchiha Taiga again, staring unblinkingly at the young man. The fervor in his eyes hadn't diminished in the slightest despite his son's interruption.

The atmosphere at the scene was incredibly bizarre.

The Sunagakure shinobi stood to the side, their faces plastered with expressions of *'Did I hear that right?'*

Maki's mouth was wide open, his jaw practically hitting the floor. His eyes darted back and forth between Uchiha Taiga and Onoki, his mind completely blank.

Standing in the back, Chiyo's mouth twitched slightly.

She looked at Onoki, then at Rasa, and back at Onoki. Her lips moved as if she were saying something, but her voice was too soft for anyone to hear.

Ebizo finally opened his eyes completely. He looked at Onoki, then at Uchiha Taiga, and gently shook his head.

Yugito Nii stood by a pillar, her mouth twitching.

It didn't look like a smile, but rather an expression caught between anger and exasperation. Her hands unconsciously clenched into fists as she glared at Onoki, looking like a protective cat staring down someone trying to steal the fish from her bowl.

Uchiha Taiga was also taken aback.

He had expected Onoki to remain stubborn, throw out a few harsh threats, or simply fire off another Particle Style jutsu. He never expected the old man to pull a stunt like this.

His mouth twitched, his half-smile morphing into a weirded-out expression.

He glanced down at Han, who was still pinned beneath him. Han's face was full of resentment and anger, but he had stopped struggling. He just lay there on the ground, glaring at Taiga, then at Onoki, and then back at Taiga.

Uchiha Taiga withdrew his gaze and looked back at Onoki.

"By the way, old man, how old is your granddaughter?"

His tone was casual, but it carried an obvious hint of teasing.

Hearing this, Onoki puffed out his chest even further.

"She's almost three years old."

His voice carried a distinct sense of pride, as if he were introducing his greatest masterpiece.

"She is incredibly adorable. In the future, she will absolutely be the number one beauty in Iwagakure!"

"Pfft..."

A soft chuckle echoed from the side of the street.

Uzumaki Yumiko stood behind a pillar, her nerves having been taut the entire time. Ever since Uchiha Taiga started fighting the man in red armor, she had been terrified, thinking someone was going to die.

But she never expected things to turn out like this.

A Tsuchikage, the leader of one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, standing in the middle of the street offering to marry off his toddler granddaughter.

She couldn't hold it in and laughed out loud.

The sound wasn't loud, but on this quiet street, everyone heard it clearly. The moment the laugh escaped her lips, she startled herself. She quickly covered her mouth with her hands, her face flushing bright red as she lowered her head, not daring to look at anyone.

Baby Karin in her arms had no idea what was going on, but hearing her mother laugh, she started giggling too.

"Hehehe..."

The little one's voice sounded exceptionally crisp amidst the tense atmosphere.

For a moment, the heavy tension in the area was significantly diluted.

Kitsuchi's face was pulled into a long, miserable grimace.

"Father, Kurotsuchi is only two!"

His voice was full of grievance, sounding like someone who had something stolen from him but didn't dare ask for it back.

Onoki didn't even spare him a glance.

"I know." His tone was perfectly calm. "But this is the best choice."

As he said this, his gaze remained fixed on Uchiha Taiga, never wavering, his expression completely serious.

Kitsuchi stood with his mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.

Rasa let out a long sigh.

It was a drawn-out breath, as if he were exhaling all the pent-up frustration in his heart.

He looked at Onoki with a complicated expression.

"Lord Tsuchikage, I feel like I don't even know you anymore."

He was speaking from the bottom of his heart.

He had known Onoki for years and had never seen the stubborn old man act like this.

The old Onoki was as stubborn as a mule, refusing to yield to anyone.

The current Onoki was offering his granddaughter's hand in marriage in front of everyone without even blinking an eye.

Hearing this, Onoki's mouth twitched slightly; it was hard to tell if he was smiling or not.

He didn't look at Rasa, keeping his eyes locked on Uchiha Taiga.

Uchiha Taiga stood in the center of the scene, one hand still pressing down on Han's shoulder and his knee still driving into Han's chest. His expression was more than a little strained.

"I'm speechless."

He spoke just two words, his voice not loud, but everyone heard him clearly.

Then, he released his grip on Han's shoulder and stood up from the man's body.

Lying on the ground, Han felt the pressure on his body suddenly vanish, but he didn't get up immediately. He just lay there, feeling as if he had been completely broken.

Uchiha Taiga dusted off his pants and shoved his hands back into his pockets.

"So, if I refuse all of this, I won't get the Tailed Beast chakra, is that it?"

At the mention of this, Han's eyes instantly sharpened, and he scrambled up from the ground.