"It's not a question of fairness. It's because we're worth that much."
Kakuzu hit the nail on the head. If it weren't for Akatsuki Village's overwhelming display of strength, they probably wouldn't even have had the qualifications to sit at the negotiation table.
Konan, uncharacteristically, remained silent. She knew that fairness in the Ninja World was decided by strength.
"There's no use going back and forth guessing."
"Let's just wait. After all, we're not the ones who should be worried."
Yahiko smiled. Whether things moved forward or stalled, they were always in control.
"Yeah, that makes sense."
Nagato and the others nodded. In the end, it all came down to waiting.
If they obtained it, that was fortunate. If not, that was simply fate. Tailed Beasts weren't crucial to Akatsuki Village anyway.
"I'll head out first. You contact… you-know-who."
Kakuzu stood up, preparing to leave.
He could already guess what Nagato and the others were planning next. Anyway, he had no intention of spending more time with Kawaki than absolutely necessary.
"Alright then. Take care."
Yahiko made no move to stop him. They all knew how particular Kakuzu could be.
"I wonder if Teacher is available right now?"
As he spoke, Nagato swiftly formed hand seals while speaking.
As the smoke cleared, a small slug appeared before Nagato.
"Slug Sage, could you please help us contact Teacher?"
Nagato spoke respectfully toward Katsuyu Sage, showing full courtesy.
"Sure."
The gentle voice of the slug echoed softly, its two horns quivering slightly.
[Visual Sharing Ability] had already been activated, startling Kawaki in Konoha as an unexpected image flickered into view.
"I've got something urgent. Let's talk later."
Kawaki greeted Hidetada Onoda briefly in the principal's office before vanishing from the spot.
"He left so suddenly?"
Before Hidetada could even process what happened, Kawaki had vanished from sight. All he could do was turn and leave, full of unanswered questions.
When Kawaki appeared in the Hokage's Office, Tsunade and Shouta were deep in discussion.
"How did you get here?"
Tsunade showed some surprise upon seeing Kawaki; it had been ages since he'd last used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear directly in her office.
"Save your conversation for later. I've got something urgent."
Kawaki hurried forward, interrupting their dialogue.
Somehow, two tiny slugs had appeared on his shoulders without notice. He casually passed one to Tsunade.
As soon as the little slug reached her hand, another image appeared before Tsunade.
"Teacher, Teacher's wife, people from the Cloud Ninja Village just left."
Nagato had witnessed every moment since Kawaki entered the Hokage's Office.
He didn't waste time with pleasantries or reminiscing. He dove straight into the topic.
"How did the talk go?"
Tsunade looked at the familiar faces on Nagato's side. Her furrowed brow slowly eased.
"Not bad. Although this time, they took a rather hard stance."
"They offered plenty of benefits, but they were all vague promises about the future."
"So we made a bold move—we asked for a Tailed Beast."
Nagato phrased it tactfully, avoiding placing sole blame on Kakuzu. It had been a collective decision.
"What?"
Tsunade was utterly stunned. That definitely was asking a lot.
Back then, Kawaki and Orochimaru had fought a real battle against the Cloud Ninja Village just over the Two-Tailed Beast.
"You seriously asked for one?"
Kawaki frowned, instinctively feeling that things wouldn't go this easily.
Shouta watched Tsunade and Kawaki's expressions with growing curiosity, instantly feeling as if he'd become an outsider.
"No, let's discuss it back home."
Nagato shook his head, answering honestly.
"Your appetite is really huge, you guys."
Tsunade lightly chuckled, having grasped the key point, her tone slightly teasing.
"Haha… Haha…"
"We might not even get it in the end."
Nagato gave an awkward laugh, clearly embarrassed.
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