Chapter 463: What Are They Worth?
Kei raised an eyebrow as he looked at the four people who had just stepped into his home.
Out of the four, three seemed vaguely familiar. If he remembered correctly, the three trailing behind the leader would go on to achieve considerable status in Kumogakure in the future.
So what were these people doing here?
Kei pondered silently. He had been keeping an eye on the negotiations, but not nearly as closely as those directly involved. On top of that, he had just returned from a trip outside Konoha, spent a day resting, and hadn't even come home last night.
His gaze drifted briefly to the bite mark on his hand. Shaking his head, he still couldn't figure out what these people wanted from him.
Iori soon brought over freshly brewed tea. Her expression was calm—no visible hostility, yet devoid of warmth. That alone made her stance clear. As far as she was concerned, these Kumogakure shinobi—members of a village that had started the war—were not welcome.
"You have ten minutes."
Kei took a sip of tea and spoke before Osoi could even begin.
Of the four, only the leader was unfamiliar to him; the other three he at least recognized. But no matter what they might become in the future, right now—at this moment—they were simply the defeated.
And with Kei's current status, spending even an extra minute with them would only bring unnecessary complications. Even if he personally didn't care, he still valued his reputation.
"Th-this…" Osoi's expression stiffened.
Behind him, the three young shinobi—roughly Kei's age—also frowned. This guy was far too arrogant.
Samui, Atsui, and C were all in the same generation as Kei. Some slightly older, some younger—but still peers.
Yet the presence Kei exuded completely shattered their expectations.
They had heard of his status. They knew of his strength. They even knew of the Uchiha clan's pride.
But facing him in person, they realized they had underestimated those rumors.
Uchiha Kei didn't just look down on them—he didn't consider them worth acknowledging at all.
To him, they were nothing more than defeated soldiers.
They had felt something similar upon entering Konoha—but never this directly, this overwhelmingly.
"Kei-sama, we mean no harm," Osoi said, taking a deep breath and speaking quickly. "We simply wished to pay you a visit—"
"You now have nine minutes."
Kei cut him off, setting his teacup down slowly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"You and I both know your intentions aren't so simple. I agreed to see you only because your timing happened to be convenient… and because I'm in a decent mood today."
He leaned back slightly.
"So remember—your time is limited."
"Kei-sama, we do have a purpose," Osoi continued, not even daring to touch the tea. "The conditions Konoha has proposed are excessively harsh. We don't believe this benefits either side—"
"Are you sure you came to the right person?"
Kei interrupted again, lightly tapping the table, that same unreadable smile still on his face.
"The negotiation representatives are two highly respected elders—Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. I'm just a junior. You've come to the wrong place."
At this point, Kei had already figured out their purpose.
In simple terms, they had noticed something off about the negotiations.
Neither the Hokage nor the head of Police Force was directly involved. Instead, Konoha had sent figures who, politically speaking, represented a weaker faction.
That alone revealed deeper issues—internal political dynamics, factional balance, and power struggles within Konoha.
Every village had its own think tank.
Even though both decision-makers and executors were shinobi, standing at different levels demanded entirely different mindsets.
If a leader acted recklessly or arrogantly, it could ruin the entire village.
If they pursued endless war without restraint, it could bring disaster upon their people.
History—from the Warring States era to conflicts between nations—had proven this time and again.
That was why advisory groups existed: to guide decision-makers, to provide analysis, and when necessary—even to intervene.
At times, they even had to exercise their authority—overturning the current leadership or even the entire decision-making body to restore order.
Of course, that only happened when those in power were incompetent.
Under capable leadership, however, a think tank's role was simple: analyze, advise, and support.
And clearly, in this round of negotiations between Kumogakure and Konoha, they had drawn quite a few conclusions.
Based on those conclusions, someone like Osoi would take action.
They would attempt to approach Konoha's true power holders—especially those close to the Hokage—to obtain the information they needed.
Though calling it "intelligence" might not be entirely accurate.
After all, from what they had already gathered, they could more or less infer what Konoha was trying to do.
What they wanted now was exchange—practical, tangible exchange.
To quietly settle what needed to be negotiated, to transfer what needed to be handed over.
Even at a higher cost, it would still align with their current interests.
The idea that "waiting it out will solve everything" was dangerously naive. In a confrontation between nations or villages, the longer things dragged on, the worse it became for the defeated side.
Just look at Iwagakure—they were already stirring the moment Kumogakure faltered.
Without a powerhouse like the Fourth Raikage to hold things together, how could Kumogakure remain stable?
"Kei-sama, you are hardly just a junior," Osoi said with a quiet sigh. "And we can tell that Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura are not, in the strictest sense, the true negotiators."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Even if your position suggests you wouldn't directly participate in the negotiations, as someone the Hokage trusts deeply… you must know more than others."
"Oh?" Uchiha Kei shook his head slightly. "So you came all this way to gather intelligence from me?"
He glanced at Osoi with faint amusement.
"You're originally a combat-type shinobi, aren't you?"
"Yes, Kei-sama."
"Then you should know—last time a combat shinobi handled negotiations, it left quite a bad impression on me."
Kei lifted his teacup again.
"You have eight minutes left. Drink your tea… or leave."
Pure combat specialists meddling in negotiations often turned what should be diplomacy into disaster.
The gap between decision-makers and executors was real—undeniable.
Kei could barely even remember the name of the last battle-oriented shinobi who came to Konoha as a negotiator.
But it didn't matter.
To him, that person had never been worth remembering.
Even if that man had sacrificed his life for Kumogakure, as a loser—and worse, as someone from the side that initiated the war—he was destined to carry blame after death.
Simply put, the dead made the best scapegoats—and the easiest targets for public outrage.
After all, once someone was dead, squeezing every last ounce of value from them was only natural.
Still, that incident had left a lasting impression—whether by chance or deliberate narrative shaping.
That impression was simple:
When pure combat shinobi handled negotiations, their intentions were never simple.
Of course, in Kei's view, no negotiation was ever truly simple.
The only difference was how well the true intent was concealed.
Osoi's purpose in coming here was obvious to Kei.
He just didn't feel like engaging.
Maybe it was because the name "Osoi" meant nothing to him. Or perhaps it was simply his bias against Kumogakure's battle-first mindset.
To Kei, his attitude was perfectly natural.
But to Osoi and the three behind him, it was nothing short of blatant arrogance.
They were elites of Kumogakure—especially the three younger ones.
Even if they hadn't fully grown into their potential yet, the village's investment in them was obvious.
They were furious.
But they held it in.
Because they had lost.
And losers had no right to negotiate on equal terms.
They could only lower themselves—standing before someone of roughly their own age, yet towering over them in status and power.
The humiliation burned, but they endured it.
That was precisely why Osoi had brought Samui, Atsui, and C along.
The future of Kumogakure needed to understand this reality.
"Kei-sama… Konoha doesn't actually intend to cripple Kumogakure completely, does it?" Osoi took a deep breath and looked up, his gaze steady. "Otherwise, why propose a military assistance plan?"
"Or maybe," Kei replied casually, "they just want an easier way to invade your territory."
His tone was light, almost dismissive.
"You started this war. Now that you've lost, you pay the price. Settling it at the negotiation table seems fair enough, doesn't it?"
"Perhaps," Osoi said, unfazed. "But the collapse of Kumogakure wouldn't benefit Konoha either."
He continued calmly.
"If Kumogakure falls, smaller nations will carve it up. Konoha may gain something, but Iwagakure would likely gain more."
"And weakening Kumogakure too much would only breed resentment—"
"Resentment?" Kei cut him off without hesitation. "Resentment is just a convenient excuse for war—manufactured for the sake of profits. I don't need to lecture you on that."
He tapped the table lightly.
"You have seven minutes left."
At this point, Kei was beginning to find Osoi mildly interesting.
This man clearly wasn't just a simple combat shinobi.
After all, the three behind him—Samui, Atsui, and C—would one day become key figures under the Fourth Raikage.
If these three were future elites, then the one leading them couldn't be ordinary.
Osoi… the name rang no bells.
But that didn't matter.
What mattered was that this man—and Kumogakure as a whole—had figured out quite a bit.
And more importantly…
They were desperate.
"You're right," Osoi admitted with a quiet sigh. "Hatred is just a tool—to rally morale and justify war."
He raised his head again.
"Kei-sama, we believe we understand Konoha's intentions. Whether it's stalling for time or something else, we are willing to cooperate fully. We won't make things difficult—and if necessary, we're prepared to pay a higher price."
"Can you make that call?" Kei asked with a faint smile.
"…No," Osoi admitted. "But I understand the process. I will report upward."
"Hmm."
Kei tapped the table again, his tone calm and measured.
"Kumogakure still has value among the Five Great Nations. At the very least, you draw attention away from others."
"And with that mysterious organization causing trouble lately…"
He leaned forward slightly.
"As fellow victims, shouldn't we consider working together to deal with them?"
"…Agreed." Osoi lowered his head, his fists tightening. "They've gone too far."
He hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"Though their recent operation seems to have failed… we still need to protect our jinchūriki. Or at least have someone strong enough to guard the village. There's still another jinchūriki within Kumogakure."
"The one in Konoha will be protected," Kei said plainly. "They've attacked us too, after all—that's our concern, not yours."
He paused, then added with a faint smile:
"As for assigning someone strong to protect your remaining jinchūriki… that's possible."
"But the price won't be low."
Osoi's gaze sharpened.
"Then what does Kei-sama propose?"
Kei's smile deepened slightly.
"The Raikage… and the one currently in our prison."
He tapped the table once more.
"What do you think they're worth?"