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Kazuki certainly wasn't going to indulge the people from Kirigakure. He would only see Terumi Mei. Either let her come in alone, or they could all get lost. No pointless haggling.
"Alright, it's your call." Jiraiya had no intention of getting involved in these matters. Since Kazuki was here representing the village, he could handle it.
Someone's approaching.
The night watch at the makeshift Kirigakure camp alerted the others. Soon, all the Mist ninja were roused.
An ANBU operative stepped openly out of the shadows and announced from a distance, "Our Lord Advisor requests that Lady Terumi Mei come to the camp. No others are permitted to accompany her."
"Only I am allowed to enter the camp?" Terumi Mei pointed at herself. Such a rule was unreasonable. If they weren't going to receive them, fine. But if they were, not even allowing a protective guard was unusual. Normally, at least one or two guards were permitted, even when visiting a hostile village.
"That is correct. The Lord Advisor's orders are clear: only Lady Terumi Mei may proceed. Others are not to approach or cross the border line."
"On what grounds? We are responsible for Lady Terumi Mei's safety! Why can't we go?" The statement was immediately met with fierce questioning and opposition.
Unfortunately, the ANBU ninja was there to deliver a notification, not to negotiate. His tone turned cold. "This is Lord Advisor's directive, not a topic for discussion. If you have objections, you may withdraw. No one compelled you to come here."
"Furthermore, the Lord Advisor instructed me to remind everyone to think twice before acting. Do not do anything that might be... misunderstood." The threat was phrased rather diplomatically. If it had been Kazuki himself, it would have been more direct: "Pissed off? Then leave! Nobody begged you to come. Dare to set one foot inside the Land of Fire, and you'll all be treated as prisoners of war."
"How dare you threaten us!!!" The Kirigakure ninja were furious, starting to shout and protest.
"Enough! All of you, quiet!" Terumi Mei massaged her temples, calling for order amid the uproar. "You will all remain here. I will go to the Konoha camp alone. I believe even if Konoha refuses our request, they won't harm me. If I do not return in a timely manner, you are to immediately relay the news back to the front-line camp or the village."
Since this was Konoha's demand, she had to comply. With anyone else, there might have been room for negotiation, but Kazuki was not an easy man to deal with. At least, Terumi Mei didn't think he was the accommodating type.
After calming her companions, Terumi Mei followed the ANBU ninja across the border toward the camp.
"After you."
They soon reached the camp. The Konoha ninja in the camp showed no signs of hostility, which allowed Terumi Mei to relax slightly. The two villages were not at war; Konoha had no reason to set a trap for Kirigakure here. There was simply no need to stir up such trouble. Provoking Kirigakure now would bring no benefits, only a heap of trouble.
Following the ANBU ninja to the command tent, the operative stopped at the entrance. Terumi Mei entered alone.
Inside the command tent, Kazuki sat in the main seat, with Itachi standing not far behind him. There was no third person present; even Jiraiya hadn't come to join the discussion.
"Have a seat." As Terumi Mei entered, Kazuki gestured to the chair opposite the desk.
"Lord Advisor." Terumi Mei bowed respectfully before sitting down.
Kazuki saw no need for pleasantries and got straight to the point. "Your purpose here is known to the village. However, unfortunately, this is a matter in which Konoha cannot assist."
"Why not?" A somewhat anxious Terumi Mei rose to her feet.
Itachi, standing behind Kazuki, activated his three-tomoe Sharingan, fixing an unwavering gaze on her. If she made any suspicious move, he would act without needing a command from Kazuki.
"Because Konoha has no desire to become entangled in the war between Sunagakure and Kirigakure. Is that reason sufficient?"
"But Konoha sold large quantities of strategic supplies to Sunagakure, didn't you?" Terumi Mei couldn't understand. "Why can you sell supplies to Sunagakure but refuse our request for aid? Kirigakure can also offer compensation."
"No, those are two entirely different matters. Moreover, their nature is different." Kazuki shook his head and raised two fingers. "While both are requests to Konoha, the key distinction lies in the timing. When Konoha sold strategic supplies to Sunagakure, the war had not yet begun. In other words, it was a pre-war sale—a normal, legitimate transaction. At the time, I even told your village's envoy delegation that if needed, Kirigakure could also purchase supplies from us. The situation is different now. The war has already started. For the village to accept your request for aid would be equivalent to involving ourselves in this conflict. Furthermore, poison is one of the primary combat methods of Sunagakure's Puppet Corps. If Konoha helps develop antidotes, what would Sunagakure think?"
"But—"
"There are no 'buts'." Kazuki cut her off. "If Kirigakure has a need, you may purchase some standard antitoxins from the village. However, these will be older formulations. As for new, specific antidotes, Konoha will neither develop nor sell them. That is our firm bottom line, and it can be considered a form of support for your village."
Selling strategic supplies to Sunagakure, selling some antitoxins to Kirigakure—that was fair and reasonable. As for whether these antitoxins were outdated or how effective they might be, that was not something Konoha could guarantee. Accept the terms, and the transaction proceeds. Reject them, and you're free to leave.
"This..." Kazuki hadn't completely shut the door, offering a glimmer of hope. However, what Kirigakure needed wasn't just some standard antitoxins. While they were indeed short on general-use antidotes, what they desperately wanted were the latest, tailored antidotes to counter the new poisons.
Konoha was unwilling to help directly but was willing to sell some antitoxins. Terumi Mei fell into deep contemplation.
Why was Konoha willing to sell antitoxins? The intention was quite clear. Aside from maintaining a semblance of balance, they wanted to profit from the war. After all, Konoha itself was a major producer of medicinal herbs. To put it bluntly, they could mass-produce standard antitoxins as needed. Selling a batch to Kirigakure wouldn't provoke serious repercussions from Sunagakure, especially since the Sand had just purchased significant supplies from Konoha themselves.
The bottom line, the line Sunagakure could accept, was this: as long as Konoha didn't help Kirigakure crack the latest poisons and develop new, specific antidotes.