"Refreshing. I like dealing with smart people."
Uchiha Ran clapped his hands, clearly satisfied with Genji's response.
"Last time, your envoy offered five hundred million, while I proposed two hundred million plus the Three-Tails. Each Tailed Beast was valued at one hundred million, but you rejected that deal."
"This time, the price is 1.5 billion. Tailed Beasts can be used to offset the amount. The Three-Tails counts for three hundred million, the Six-Tails for six hundred million. I'll be generous and round it up—one billion total."
"When this war is over, the Three-Tails and Six-Tails will belong to Konoha."
"That means you only need to pay five hundred million to reclaim a complete Hidden Mist Village."
Uchiha Ran smiled. "Isn't that a bargain?"
He looked almost moved by his own generosity. After all, he could have taken everything by force—but instead, he was offering them a choice.
Ao's face turned livid. Just as he was about to curse Uchiha Ran for his shamelessness, the office doors were kicked open.
Kakashi Hatake entered first. Behind him followed Hyuga Hiashi, his expression dark and icy.
The moment they stepped inside, Kakashi pointed straight at Ao.
Without a single word, Hyuga Hiashi struck out.
"Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm!"
An invisible blast of chakra slammed into Ao's chest with a deafening boom. His body was sent flying, crashing hard into the wall as blood sprayed from his mouth.
Ao was completely unprepared. He had never imagined that Konoha would attack so directly—without warning, without courtesy.
Mei Terumī's expression changed sharply.
"Hokage-sama, let's set the negotiations aside for now. May I ask—does Konoha really attack foreign envoys so casually?"
Uchiha Ran leaned back calmly, a faint smile curling at his lips.
"You didn't ask why they attacked him. Before accusing others, shouldn't you first understand the reason?"
In the next instant, Uchiha Ran's eyes turned crimson, both transforming into Mangekyō Sharingan.
Mei Terumī tried to step forward—but her body refused to move.
Uchiha Ran stood up and walked past her, stopping beside her shoulder.
"Lady Mei Terumī, just watch quietly," he said softly.
"We're not done negotiating yet."
Then his gaze shifted to Ao, killing intent overflowing.
Stealing a Konoha bloodline—this man was courting death.
Hyuga Hiashi spoke coldly, his eyes locked onto Ao.
"Ao. During the Third Great Ninja War, you led forces to ambush a Hyuga main family squad."
"You stole our Byakugan—and still dare step into Konoha?"
"Today is the day you pay for it."
Chakra surged through Hyuga Hiashi's body as he vanished, closing the distance in an instant.
Ao's face twisted. He hurriedly formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
A roaring water dragon burst forth and lunged toward Hyuga Hiashi. Ao had already recognized him—the current head of the Hyuga Clan. There was no chance this matter would be let go.
If that was the case, he would fight with everything he had.
Hyuga Hiashi remained calm.
"Rotation."
Blue chakra erupted around him, forming a perfect rotating barrier. The Water Dragon smashed into it—and was instantly dispersed.
Uchiha Ran clicked his tongue.
"Ao, if you dare use large-scale ninjutsu again inside the Hokage Office, I'll kill you on the spot."
"You think this is a battlefield?"
Ao nearly cursed out loud. The hypocrisy was infuriating—but he didn't dare challenge Uchiha Ran directly.
He abandoned hand seals and instead condensed chakra into his fists, throwing a punch glowing with blue light.
To Hyuga Hiashi, it was crude.
With a cold smile, Hiashi met the punch head-on. His right fist collided directly, while his left hand—formed into a blade—stabbed into one of Ao's chakra points.
In an instant, Ao's chakra flow collapsed. The glow vanished.
A sharp cracking sound echoed as bones fractured.
Ao clenched his teeth, forcing himself not to scream, and tried to retreat—only to realize it was impossible.
The Eight Trigrams formation had already spread beneath his feet.
Hyuga Hiashi's voice was icy.
"You possess the Byakugan, yet lack the skill to use it properly."
"What a waste."
"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!"
His palms struck again and again,精准而冷酷. Each blow sealed another pathway, disrupting Ao's body completely.
Blood spilled from Ao's mouth as his limbs lost all strength. He could do nothing but endure.
After the final strike landed, Hyuga Hiashi grabbed Ao by the hair, removed the eyepatch covering his stolen eye, and retrieved the Byakugan with practiced precision.
Ao let out a hoarse, agonized scream as he collapsed to the ground.
Hyuga Hiashi turned away without a second glance, carefully placing the reclaimed eye into a prepared container.
Only then did he exhale slowly, as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted.
Ao curled on the floor, clutching his face, trembling in agony.
Hyuga Hiashi stepped in front of Uchiha Ran and bowed.
"Hokage-sama, thank you—for giving me the chance to reclaim what belonged to the Hyuga Clan."
Uchiha Ran shook his head lightly.
"I didn't do anything. You handled it yourself."
But Hiashi understood. Without Uchiha Ran's information, without his control of the situation, this opportunity would never have existed.
"You may return, Hiashi," Uchiha Ran said. "There are still matters here that need to be settled."
Hiashi nodded and left.
Uchiha Ran turned back toward Mei Terumī.
The negotiation… was far from over.
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