Chapter 464: A Private Meeting
"It seems their sense of urgency is even stronger than we expected."
Minato sat in the Hokage's office, a faint smile on his face as he looked over the report in his hands.
Inside the room were Kei, Kakashi, Kenta, and Shikaku.
Fugaku had already departed, leading the main force to the front lines.
While negotiations with Kumogakure were ongoing, Konoha had already laid out its "military assistance plan," effectively forcing Kumo into a difficult choice.
They hated the idea—Konoha troops stationed at their borders, especially under Fugaku's command.
But reality left them no room to refuse.
They needed help.
And after this war, Fugaku's reputation alone was enough to shake an entire nation. Even without lifting a finger, his mere presence at the border was a deterrent Kumo could no longer ignore.
Reluctantly, they agreed.
But the pressure didn't end there.
Fugaku wasn't alone.
His aide was none other than Hiashi Hyuga.
Hiashi had personally requested to accompany him—an unusual move, and one whose details remained unclear, especially since Kei hadn't been in the village at the time.
Still, the combined presence of those two figures was enough to suffocate Kumogakure.
"Of course, they've misunderstood part of our intentions," Kei said casually, shrugging. "Though to be fair, that misunderstanding isn't entirely wrong."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"They brought their village's young elites with them. That alone tells you their motives aren't exactly pure."
The appearance of Samui, Atsui, and C in Konoha had initially escaped Kei's attention—he simply hadn't cared.
But their purpose was obvious.
To make the next generation remember.
To engrave this defeat into their bones.
To turn humiliation into resolve.
Still, such a method only worked on those absolutely loyal to Kumo. If doubt existed, exposing them like this could just as easily plant seeds of distrust—seeds that would eventually grow into something uncontrollable.
"No matter their intentions," Minato said with a light smile, "the terms they're offering aren't bad."
He turned to Shikaku.
"They approached you as well, didn't they?"
"Yes," Shikaku nodded calmly. "I understood what they were after, but I didn't negotiate. Still, it's clear—they've guessed our strategy."
He folded his hands.
"Fortunately, we hold the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki. Even if they know, they won't act rashly."
"Their only options now are to conclude negotiations quickly… or cooperate with us on the surface while arranging exchanges behind the scenes."
"Which is exactly what they're trying to do with me," Kei added.
"My asking price isn't low. Whether they accept it is another matter. But I've already set two key conditions."
His discussion with Osai had been brief—but dense.
Subtle, layered, and fully understood on both sides.
The first point was alliance.
Konoha and Kumo had both suffered attacks from that mysterious organization. A limited cooperation against that threat was entirely reasonable.
But Kei's version of "alliance" carried a clear imbalance—one that placed Kumo in a subordinate position.
Whether they would accept that remained uncertain.
Still, a restricted alliance was feasible. A full partnership was impossible—both villages were too powerful, too wary, and too recently at war.
Unlike Sunagakure, whose history of opportunism had already eroded trust across the shinobi world.
Until Gaara rose to power—and with the influence of Naruto Uzumaki and alliances like Temari's marriage to Shikamaru—such instability had been the norm.
But that was the future.
Right now, Suna's position was far more fragile.
The second issue was far more critical:
The return of prisoners.
Kumo desperately needed stability.
With Konoha forces at their borders and smaller nations growing restless, their situation was precarious—especially with an immature Two-Tails jinchūriki still within their village.
They needed strong figures to restore order.
And those figures—were in Konoha's hands.
The Fourth Raikage.
The Eight-Tails' jinchūriki.
Their return alone could stabilize the entire nation.
Kumo was willing to pay heavily for it.
But Kei had no intention of making it easy.
Still, absolute pressure had its limits.
Push too far, and the enemy might snap before you realized you'd crossed the line.
That wasn't a risk worth taking.
So his approach was simple:
Release selectively.
Among those considered were the Fourth Raikage—and Dodai.
The Raikage's return would be a massive morale boost. His capture might have dented his prestige, but given the circumstances—facing an unknown monster-level opponent—few would truly blame him.
Especially one who had fought the Eight-Tails at full power… and still won.
A being whose battle aftermath alone annihilated an entire army.
Who could claim they would have fared better?
Exchanging him for resources and cooperation time was more than worthwhile.
As for Dodai—
His strategic value was immense.
Not in combat, but in decision-making.
Frankly, Kei would have preferred to eliminate him entirely.
But at that level, individuals were no longer disposable.
Politics demanded restraint.
This was no longer about personal preference—it was about playing within the rules.
Unless one chose to break those rules entirely.
And Kei had no such intention.
"Returning the Fourth Raikage is fine," Minato concluded after reviewing the report. "As long as the compensation is sufficient."
He glanced at Kei.
"But Dodai… I'm hesitant. Since you specifically included him, do you have a plan?"
"Not really," Kei replied calmly, shaking his head.
"I just want to get rid of a nuisance. Someone like him… his value is obvious."
"But right now, we simply don't have the time or energy to extract everything we could from him.
Dodai is valuable—extremely so—but only under the premise that we truly fear Kumogakure. And at the moment…"
Kei paused briefly before continuing in a calm tone.
"…keeping him alive is actually more valuable than killing him."
Only when you fear someone—when you see them as a real threat—do you go to great lengths to uncover everything about them, just to avoid unnecessary risks.
That logic applied just as well to entire villages.
Kumogakure was undeniably powerful, but that didn't mean Konohagakure truly feared them.
A sense of crisis was important—but to turn that awareness into real momentum, there had to be a tangible threat. Someone capable of making you uneasy.
Dodai, in his own domain, was exactly that kind of person.
Within the boundaries of conventional rules, the pressure he could exert would never allow Konoha to feel at ease.
Eliminating him would certainly remove a lot of trouble.
But keeping him alive meant Konoha would remain vigilant—constantly aware of the danger he represented.
So why not maximize his value?
Turn him into leverage. Convert his existence into tangible benefits—resources, concessions, and strategic advantage.
And then send him back.
Let Konoha remember his threat.
Let Kumogakure, still reeling from the shadow of defeat, become even more driven to change its fate.
That way, Konoha would also maintain a strong sense of urgency—never growing complacent, always wary that such a disaster could one day befall them as well.
Kei's reasoning was straightforward, but grounded in reality.
Minato and Shikaku both fell into thoughtful silence.
"I agree with Kei," Shikaku said after a moment, nodding seriously. "It's a bit risky, but it pushes us forward instead of letting us grow complacent. That alone makes it worthwhile."
Minato, however, still had some reservations.
"If we send him back, could he interfere with our reform plans?" he asked. "You understand—if he actively accelerates negotiations…"
"If that happens," Kei cut in calmly, "I'll go to Kumogakure myself."
He added after a pause, "Of course, that's a last resort. Realistically, they won't act rashly. Don't forget—Fugaku is stationed at the border of the Land of Lightning.
Even if that wasn't our original intention, the pressure alone is enough. And we still have the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki."
"…Alright," Minato said after some thought, nodding. Then he turned to the others. "What about you two?"
Kakashi and Kenta exchanged a glance before answering almost in unison:
"We agree with Kei."
Minato let out a quiet sigh.
It wasn't that the two lacked ability. If anything, they were more than capable. But on one hand, they were still holding back—reluctant to fully engage in these kinds of discussions.
On the other hand… they trusted Kei too much.
If he proposed something, they rarely opposed it. And if it sounded reasonable, they simply supported it outright.
Minato didn't press further. Some things required time and experience.
After all, not everyone could be like Kei.
Kei glanced at the two of them and gave a faint smile, saying nothing more.
But soon, he noticed something off.
Kenta looked exhausted—as if he hadn't slept at all.
While Minato and Shikaku continued discussing the finer details, Kei leaned slightly closer and spoke in a low voice.
"What happened to you? You look like you didn't sleep all night."
Kenta shot him a sideways glance, clearly unimpressed.
"You don't look much better yourself. Went a bit too far last night? Even got bitten?"
Kei's expression stiffened slightly.
Kenta, meanwhile, let out a long sigh and slumped back into his chair.
In his mind, an image surfaced—
Himself, sitting alone in the laboratory the night before… dozing off while waiting… and staying there until morning like an idiot.
He closed his eyes briefly, looking utterly drained.