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"It seems the Hokage Advisor doesn't trust Kirigakure's people very much, otherwise, you wouldn't have followed them all this way."
"Don't try to bait me. I know exactly what kind of person you are, Chiyo." Kazuki wasn't falling for it. Out of ten sentences from Chiyo's mouth, you'd be lucky if one was true. He wouldn't take such bait. It didn't matter how many truths she mixed in; treating everything she said as a lie was the safest approach. It was like dealing with telecom fraud—no matter how eloquently they spun their tale, if you persistently treated them as scammers, they could talk until the sky fell and still not get a single coin from you. Distrust prevents deception. By steadfastly holding to that principle, any scammer would be left high and dry.
"I followed them simply to ensure they didn't deliberately detour and infiltrate the Land of Fire. It was pure coincidence that I ran into an old acquaintance, so I came over."
"Hmph!" Do you think this old woman believes that? Chiyo chuckled with deep meaning. Just as Kazuki didn't trust her words, she, in turn, didn't believe his explanation. They were two of a kind. After all, Kazuki had followed them all the way into the Land of Wind. That excuse didn't hold water.
"For Terumi Mei to lead the team personally, she must have had something important to request from Konoha," Chiyo said, her face all smiles, but her heart was drumming with anxiety. The reason she was here, having rushed over so urgently, was simple: she was afraid Konoha might actually agree to help Kirigakure. Other villages might struggle to decipher the poisons she developed, but Konoha could. Because Tsunade was famously known as Chiyo's natural counter, the "Puppet Master Breaker." These titles were earned through real combat. Sunagakure was clearly worried.
But Kirigakure really is careless, having their movements detected. Serves you right for getting ambushed. Going on official business with a whole entourage in tow was practically announcing to the enemy, "We're up to something!" Well, now they got a taste of it. They didn't accomplish their goal and instead walked into an ambush, losing a number of people in the confusion.
"Enough with the probing," Kazuki said with a click of his tongue. "Kirigakure wanted the village's help in cracking the poisons you developed, Chiyo. But I refused. Konoha will not get involved in the war between Kirigakure and Sunagakure. However, I stated we could sell them some standard antitoxins. Whether Kirigakure will buy them remains to be seen. If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way. Oh, and one more thing: do not, under any circumstances, allow Sunagakure personnel to infiltrate the Land of Fire. Consider that a friendly warning."
Having made his and his village's stance clear, Kazuki had no interest in further banter with Chiyo and promptly withdrew.
After Kazuki left, one of the guards protecting Chiyo couldn't help but remark, "Lady Chiyo, for Konoha to sell antitoxins to Kirigakure... it goes against convention."
"And us buying strategic supplies from Konoha follows convention?" Chiyo glanced at the speaker.
"Well..."
"They're just standard antitoxins. They won't significantly impact the war. Whether Kirigakure buys them is still unknown. Konoha simply wants to profit from the war. Why obstruct them?" For Chiyo, as long as Konoha didn't help decipher the poisons or develop new antidotes, everything else was negotiable. Antitoxins? Sell all you want. Maybe Kirigakure would be willing to play the fool. Transporting their own was too troublesome anyway.
The failure of the two sides to reach an agreement allowed Chiyo to finally breathe a sigh of relief. The weight lifted from her mind.
With that matter resolved, Kazuki returned directly to Konoha the next day. As for Terumi Mei, there was no follow-up. Clearly, Kirigakure did not want to be taken for fools, even though they genuinely needed the standard antitoxins. They chose to refuse purchasing from Konoha. Probably their pride couldn't bear it after being rejected.
On this point, Kazuki had guessed incorrectly. It wasn't that Kirigakure's people didn't want to buy; it was that Yagura had vetoed the idea. Yagura's reasoning was that the village's finances were tight, and there was no need to purchase ordinary antitoxins from another village when their own production would suffice. As long as the front lines could hold for a while, the antitoxins would be delivered. Samples of the new poisons had also been sent to Kirigakure, where researchers were working around the clock to analyze them. How long it would take to produce effective antidotes remained a question mark.
Without sufficient antitoxins, Kirigakure would have to fight Sunagakure head-on. Head-on conflict would inevitably lead to heavy casualties, which perfectly suited the Akatsuki's interests. Therefore, the proposal to purchase antitoxins was scrapped. Moreover, Yagura had a perfectly reasonable justification that no one could find fault with. Finances are strained, and you still want to spend money on antitoxins? Where do you get the nerve? Go fight with your lives instead.
Kirigakure wasn't buying? Konoha didn't particularly care. After all, it was Kirigakure ninja doing the bleeding, which had little to do with them.
"Is this the place?"
While Kirigakure and Sunagakure were embroiled in their fierce conflict, several uninvited guests arrived at a remote valley within the Land of Earth.
"According to our gathered intelligence, Iwagakure's Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Rōshi, is hiding in this valley." Zetsu, with his half-black, half-white head, emerged from the ground.
"I really don't understand you people," Kakuzu grumbled discontentedly. "The organization's plan is to capture all the Tailed Beasts. So why are we capturing Rōshi only to deliver him back to Iwagakure?" He wasn't fond of missions that didn't involve making money. But Pain had given the order, and he had to comply. What irritated him even more was that he was merely on lookout duty. The one responsible for the actual capture was Kisame Hoshigaki, who had recently joined the organization.
"Because directly taking the Four-Tails doesn't serve the organization's interests," Obito explained from his perch on a nearby rock, idly swinging his legs. "What the organization needs is for the ninja world to descend into complete chaos, for the Five Great Shinobi Villages to be plunged into war, draining their strength."
"Kisame, this is your first mission since joining the organization. Consider it a test. Don't disappoint the leader." Kisame glanced at Obito, bared his sharp teeth in a grin, and without a word, headed into the valley with his massive sword, Samehada, slung across his back.
Kisame Hoshigaki was a man of action. Unless he encountered someone worth talking to, he had no interest in idle chatter. Actions spoke louder than words; completing the mission flawlessly was what mattered.
Kisame's path into the Akatsuki differed from others. Most were village traitors, rogue ninja forced to join. Kisame, however, had been suspected and targeted by his superior, only to discover that his superior was the actual traitor. He ended up killing his superior and, guided by Obito, joined the Akatsuki. The ironic part was that after joining, Kisame realized the whole thing had been a setup—a conspiracy specifically targeting him, all to smoothly recruit him into the Akatsuki.
His former superior, Fuguki Suikazan, was inherently paranoid. With Obito and Zetsu skillfully redirecting suspicion, they successfully made Fuguki distrust Kisame.
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