Intelligence wasn't about what was said. It was about what it meant.
Sasori's throwaway comment—"going to Waterfall Country for dinner"—landed on Shikaku Nara's desk like a lit fuse. Within an hour, the entire Konoha-Takigakure joint staff had reached the same conclusion.
The Wind-Cloud Alliance was pivoting northwest. Straight for Takigakure Village.
Amemiya looked like he wanted to vomit blood.
What the hell was I thinking? His internal scream had been building for hours. Why did I wade into this mess? I could've stayed home. Watched the waterfalls. Lived a nice, quiet, BORING life where my village didn't get invaded by twenty thousand psychopaths—
Because that's what was coming. Kakuzu—S-rank missing-nin, immortal bounty hunter, the man who'd tried to assassinate the First Hokage and lived—was leading the assault personally. Twenty thousand battle-hardened killers from two of the Five Great Nations.
Takigakure's garrison? Maybe two thousand. Mostly chūnin. A handful of jōnin.
They were fucked.
"Lord Hokage." Amemiya's voice came out steady despite the panic clawing his throat. "I'm formally requesting Konoha join forces with us. Immediate relief of Takigakure Village." He leaned forward. "We committed our entire military to help you. Our home is about to burn. If Konoha stands by and watches..." His eyes hardened. "The whole ninja world will know what your alliance is worth."
Danzō's visible eye flickered toward him.
Oh, you did NOT just try that.
Internally, Danzō was cackling. Moral blackmail? Him? The man who'd ordered the Uchiha massacre, stolen Shisui's eye, and sent children to their deaths without blinking? Morality was toilet paper. Useful once, then flushed.
But outwardly, his expression remained grave.
"Lord Takikage." Danzō's tone was almost gentle. "We've discussed this. The Wind-Cloud Alliance will set ambushes along every mountain pass between here and Waterfall Country. That terrain is made for guerrilla warfare." He spread his hands. "If we march to your rescue, we lose Takigakure and twenty thousand allied troops."
His eye narrowed.
"You admired Jinghang's philosophy, didn't you? 'War is the great matter of state.' So why are you acting like a panicked genin right now?"
Amemiya's face went through several colors. Red. White. Purple.
"Does this represent Konoha's final decision?"
"It represents reality." Danzō's posture was perfect—back straight, chin level. The picture of reasonable authority.
Go ahead. Threaten me. I fucking dare you.
Amemiya's sleeve snapped as he stood. "Fine. I'll take Takigakure's eighty-six hundred back myself. This alliance is over."
He turned toward the door. His inner circle—Jūri and the others—rose to follow.
Danzō didn't move.
Neither did anyone else.
Amemiya made it three steps. Five. His hand touched the door frame.
...Why isn't anyone stopping me?
Ten steps. Door in sight. Not a single Konoha-nin had shifted position.
Danzō watched the man's shoulders tighten with every second of silence. Beautiful.
"Lord Amemiya." His voice was mild. Almost concerned. "Forgetting something? We'd be happy to help you look."
You want to play chicken? Kid, I invented the game.
Because here was the thing Amemiya had apparently forgotten: this wasn't a business partnership. You didn't just leave a military alliance mid-war. The second Takigakure troops entered Konoha territory, the second they'd raised weapons against Suna and Kumo, they'd painted a target on their backs.
Jinghang and A weren't going to shrug and say "no hard feelings" if Takigakure bailed. They were going to end them.
Eighty-six hundred ninja who'd never seen real combat, marching back through hostile territory, with no support, no intelligence network, no supply lines?
They'd be corpses before they reached the border.
Amemiya stood frozen in the doorway. Danzō could practically hear the gears grinding in his head.
Finally, Fugaku Uchiha cleared his throat. "Lord Hokage... perhaps Lord Amemiya spoke in haste. The stress of hearing his village is under attack..." He glanced at Amemiya. "I'm certain he understands the strategic reality. Our alliance remains strong."
The lifeline dangled.
Amemiya's jaw worked. Swallowing pride tasted like poison.
But Danzō wasn't done. He turned his head, eye boring into Amemiya's back.
The room held its breath.
"...Yes." The word came out strangled. "Fugaku-san is correct."
"Wonderful." Danzō's smile could've cut glass. "Sit down, Lord Amemiya. Let's discuss our actual strategy." His tone softened—barely. "And for the record? Konoha values Takigakure as an ally. We're not abandoning your village."
Amemiya's head snapped up. "Then—"
"You have messenger hawks, correct? Communication with your village?"
"Yes. Mountain hawks. Five-day flight time."
"Perfect." Danzō slapped the armrest. "Send word immediately. Full evacuation. Every civilian, every non-combat ninja. Leave Kakuzu an empty village."
"But—our homes, our property—"
"Property?" Danzō waved dismissively. "You can rebuild property. You can't rebuild corpses." He leaned forward. "Besides. Our next target is Yuexi Peninsula. The richest city in the ninja world." His smile widened. "Cooperate fully, and I'll personally fund Takigakure's reconstruction. New buildings. Better than what you had. My word."
Amemiya blinked. That actually sounded... generous?
Then his brain caught up.
Oh, you clever bastard.
"Build new houses"—sure. Houses cost what, a few million ryō? Yuexi Peninsula's total wealth was in the billions. Danzō was offering table scraps while planning to pocket the entire feast.
"Very generous, Lord Hokage." Amemiya's voice was carefully neutral. "And how, exactly, would we divide Yuexi's spoils?"
"Divide?" Danzō's eyebrow rose. "We already paid your military contract. Two point five billion ryō. What more do you want?"
"Our ninja will bleed for that city same as yours. We deserve a share of the victory."
"That's unreasonable—"
"What's unreasonable is expecting us to fight for free—"
The argument escalated. Back and forth. Voices rising. Two men haggling over the corpse of a city that wasn't even dead yet.
Finally, Danzō raised a hand.
"Sixty-forty. Konoha takes sixty percent. Takigakure gets forty. Final offer."
Amemiya wanted to argue. Knew he should argue.
But forty percent of Yuexi's wealth would rebuild Takigakure three times over.
"Excellent." Danzō stood. "Reorganize your forces. We march west together."
As Amemiya left—truly left this time—Danzō allowed himself a small, private smile.
Hook, line, and sinker.
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