Hakitara, who as a neutral was able to remain in the camp overnight, overheard Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata planning to attack Kaiapoi, and was able to warn the Kaiapoi chiefs of their visitor's treacherous intentions. He had also discovered that some of the Ngāti Toa had desecrated the grave of Tama-i-hara-nui's aunt. The arrival of fugitives from Omihi confirmed the suspicions of the Kaiapoi chiefs, who decided to break the truce that had been observed during the previous day, and to strike the first blow. Meanwhile, to keep up the appearance that his visit was solely for the purposes of trade, Te Rauparaha had allowed several of his leading chiefs to enter the fortress, where they traded muskets and ammunition for greenstone. Among them was Te Pēhi Kupe, Te Rauparaha's uncle, a notable warrior who only a few years previously in 1824, had made a voyage to England mainly to obtain European weapons. An altercation began as Te Pehi tried to take off a block of greenstone that the owner wished to keep. Then Rongotara, one of the Kaiapoi chiefs, noticed that Pokitara, one of the leading Ngāti Toa, was about to enter the pā. In anger at the fact that his daughter, captured at Omihi, had been allotted to Pokitara as a slave, Rongotara killed Pokitara as he stooped to come under the gate. Then followed a general slaughter of the Ngāti Toa within the pā. Eight chiefs — including Te Pehi Kupe — were killed. Te Rauaparaha had not expected such an attack, but with a small force at his disposal he could not undertake a direct assault on so strong and populous a fortress. In fact, had the Ngāi Tahu taken the initiative outside the pā, as they had within it, they might readily have destroyed his whole force. As it was he retreated quickly up the coast to the Waipara River, re-embarked in his canoes, and returned to Kapiti. The capture of Tama-i-hara-nui Te Rauparaha then began to plan how he could take revenge upon the Ngāi Tahu, and particularly upon Tama-i-hara-nui, who as their paramount chief, was held responsible for the massacre of Te Pehi Kupe and other Ngāti Toa chiefs at Kaiapoi. It was known that Tama-i-hara-nui at this time lived for the most part at Takapūneke, in order to be more accessible to the European flax traders who during the 1820s were