"Lord Akatsuki Shadow, the goodwill from our Cloud Ninja Village is plain for all to see."
"How about giving us a definite answer today?"
Inside a secret meeting room of the Akatsuki Village, a young muscular man with dark skin stared at Yahiko sitting in the seat of honor.
His pale yellow hair was neatly combed back, and his heavy armor made it clear he wasn't someone to mess with.
"This matter is extremely important. We still need more time."
Yahiko replied as if on instinct, keeping his smile unwavering throughout.
"Tsk tsk, that same old song and dance again."
"Hell yeah! I'm damn tired of hearing it."
...
The moment Yahiko finished speaking, a boy around thirteen years old chimed in beside the strong man.
Wearing tiny sunglasses and carrying two long blades strapped across his back, his tone had an unmistakable rhythm to it.
"Use proper language, brat!"
Before the boy could finish singing, the young man grabbed him by the head, but shot a furious glare toward Yahiko.
Truthfully, hadn't this been bugging him too?
Yet due to their respective positions, he couldn't express his frustrations openly. Now, having heard them voiced aloud through the boy, he actually felt strangely relieved.
"Pfft~"
Konan couldn't help herself and burst into laughter at the ridiculous scene before her.
Then she turned to Yahiko, her face full of teasing amusement.
This idiot—can't even come up with new excuses anymore.
"Cough cough~ It's fine."
"Since all the higher-ups are gathered here today, allow us to discuss further."
"Why don't you both go rest first?"
Yahiko didn't feel right arguing with a child. His meaning was also quite clear—he just wanted to keep stalling.
"Thank you kindly for your offer, Lord Akatsuki Shadow, but we aren't tired yet."
"As this concerns both our sides, I believe it would be better to discuss together."
The Fourth Raikage A sat firmly in place without the slightest intention of leaving.
Today, no matter what, he needed a real answer. Otherwise, there'd be hell to pay when he got back home—he had been sent with a do-or-die mission.
"I suppose that won't work out so well?"
Yahiko hadn't expected this much persistence from The Fourth Raikage this time.
"What do you mean it won't work? Just name your conditions."
"Whatever I can decide on, I'll agree to."
"Isn't this more efficient than discussing separately?"
It had to be said, The Third Raikage A truly showed great goodwill, granting his son unusually high authority this time.
Since establishing contact with the Akatsuki Village, the two sides had already developed cooperation in many areas.
Let alone the commercial benefits alone, which brought the Land of Rain a significant economic boost.
More importantly, they had even shared some ninjutsu techniques freely.
Though not any major secret jutsu, such generosity was rare enough.
After all, the number and quality of ninjutsu techniques formed the foundation of every ninja village. And frankly, the greater beneficiary had been the Land of Rain—the Akatsuki Village itself.
"And what if you really can't make decisions?"
Before Yahiko could reply, Kakuzu's voice sounded. His green eyes glowed with piercing intensity.
"You haven't even asked for my conditions yet, how can you assume I can't decide?"
A responded calmly with a smile.
He certainly wasn't the naive kid he used to be. He knew how to play the game of passing the buck pretty well.
"This is getting interesting."
Kakuzu rubbed his chin, already thinking about what he could squeeze out of this situation.
"What you say isn't without merit. Let's discuss it together then."
After exchanging a glance, Yahiko and Nagato agreed.
"Thank you, Lord of the Akatsuki Shadow."
The Fourth Raikage A inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
If they had really decided to chase them away, there was absolutely nothing he could do.
At least, he had little confidence in his current strength.
Right now, he was nowhere near the power level he once had as the Fourth Raikage in the original plot.
"There's been something I've wanted to ask regarding forming this wartime alliance."
"After all, this is supposed to be a time of peace in the ninja world."
Nonou furrowed her brows, feigning ignorance with a seemingly naïve question.
In truth, she already understood everything but wanted to see if she could fish out more information.
The Cloud Ninja Village had always been vague on this issue, never giving a direct response.
Today just might be a good opportunity.
"Peace is only temporary. When has the ninja world ever truly been at peace?"
"My father has his sights set on vast tracts of land inland."
A made it crystal clear—the Cloud Ninja Village was ready to ignite a new war.
"Then what do we stand to gain?"
Yahiko responded quickly, perfectly in line with his role.
What benefit does the Akatsuki Village gain from allying with you?
"Don't you think the Land of Rain is far too small?"
"How can such a small nation match your immense power?"
A spread his hands wide, flattering each person present by offering them a grand vision of their future.
Even Yahiko and his companions were almost swept up in the rising excitement.
Which man hasn't dreamed of dominating the world?
"Then what else?"
Yahiko leaned forward, resting one elbow on his knee, eyes shining greedily.
"Wealth, status, land, people."
"As long as it's what you desire, anything is possible."
There's nothing wrong with greed—it's better than indifference.
A smirked, feeling like success was already halfway assured.
"Kid, that... isn't quite enough."
Kakuzu interjected again, while Yahiko sat upright, smiling mysteriously.
When it came to squeezing every last benefit, better to leave it to the Chief Financial Officer—after all, different trades have their own expertise.
"So tell me then, what exactly do you want?"
A dropped his smile.
Knowing exactly what kind of man Kakuzu was, he steeled himself for painful concessions.
"I want..."
"One tailed beast."
Kakuzu raised one finger in front of him, then fixed A with a sharp stare.
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"Impossible!"
B shot to his feet, shock written all over his face.
"Don't worry, we're not saying we want yours."
Slowly lifting his head, Nagato spoke, his Rinnegan glowing sharply beneath his bangs.
Even though B hadn't exposed himself, could he truly escape notice from those piercing eyes?
"Do you want the Two-Tailed Beast?"
Even though A had braced himself mentally, he still jumped in surprise, his face turning pale.
This wasn't something he could decide on his own.
Truthfully speaking, even the Third Raikage might hesitate to make such an independent decision.
That's a Tailed Beast—a supreme weapon of war.
"Matters of postwar gifts can wait—we need our demand fulfilled now."
"Also, our Akatsuki Village doesn't have any Tailed Beasts."
"When the time comes, we might be outmatched facing other Jinchūriki!"
Kakuzu had never been the type to fall for grand promises.
"I can't make that decision on my own."
The Fourth Raikage A quickly regained his composure after his initial shock. He accepted it with surprising calmness.
"I understand. You can return and consult with Lord Third Raikage."
Kakuzu feigned indifference. He would only feel surprised and annoyed if The Fourth Raikage A really agreed.
"So you'll agree if we hand over the Two-Tails?"
The Fourth Raikage A didn't lose his cool despite Kakuzu's bold request.
After speaking, he turned his gaze toward Yahiko again, waiting for a response.
"Yes. As long as we get the Tailed Beast, we'll certainly do everything in our power."
Yahiko replied without hesitation.
Ordinary people require a Jinchūriki to harness a Tailed Beast's power, but we have no such limitation.
He hadn't expected Kakuzu to ask the Cloud Ninja Village for a Tailed Beast either.
In any case, Kawaki's promise to stall for time couldn't be avoided now—the issue wouldn't be resolved anytime soon.
They could always talk to Kawaki about it later.
He believed his teacher wouldn't hold it against him—it was, after all, about a Tailed Beast.
"Good, I feel reassured hearing that from you."
"I'll definitely report everything truthfully to my father when I return."
There was still no joy evident on the Fourth Raikage A's face. This matter could indeed be considered both good and bad news.
The good news was that progress had finally been made on forming the wartime alliance.
The bad news concerned the great importance of the Tailed Beast.
Although the Two-Tailed Beast hadn't found a suitable new Jinchūriki since its previous host's death, it didn't mean the Cloud Ninja Village would willingly hand it over.
It would undoubtedly prove to be a difficult decision.
"We'll wait for your good news."
Seeing that the Fourth Raikage A had already risen to leave, Yahiko knew their discussion had concluded.
"Then we'll take our leave first. The sooner we return, the sooner we can deliver your answer."
"Bi, let's go."
The Fourth Raikage gave a slight bow before saying goodbye, then strode toward the door with B, not sparing a single glance behind.
The two picked up speed as they walked, each step quicker than the last.
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