The next day, the Third Hokage once again convened a meeting with Tsunade, Orochimaru, and the others.
"Danzo, Orochimaru, I have reviewed your proposal. It's quite good. We'll proceed as you've suggested. However, this must be kept confidential and conducted in secret."
The Third Hokage made the declaration as soon as the meeting began.
Tsunade, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu remained expressionless, raising no objections. They had clearly been briefed beforehand.
"Excellent. We will not betray the village's trust!" Danzo lowered his head, hiding the smile that curled his lips.
Just then, Orochimaru suddenly raised his hand. "Lord Hokage, there is one more thing I wish to report."
"What is it?"
"That boy, Kaito, whom Tsunade and I brought back... he claims he has a method for controlling a Tailed Beast and hopes to make a deal with Konoha."
"He has a method for controlling a Tailed Beast?" Utatane Koharu was the first to express disbelief. "That's a power that even the Second Hokage failed to master. How could a mere boy possibly possess it?"
"Elder Koharu, there are vast differences between individuals," Orochimaru said bluntly. "When the Second Hokage was fifteen or sixteen, his personal strength probably couldn't have contended with Kaito's."
"Aren't you two overestimating him?" Mitokado Homura said.
"No," Tsunade shook her head. "We've fought him. We know how formidable he is. Besides, he was the one who single-handedly brought a rampaging Nawaki back to his senses. Perhaps that was the very method he used."
"Hmm, that is indeed very likely," the Third Hokage nodded. "So, what are his terms?"
Orochimaru replied, "He wants all of the Second Hokage's remaining research materials."
"What? Out of the question! That is a treasure of Konoha! How could we possibly hand it over to an outsider?!" the elders immediately protested loudly.
Danzo narrowed his eyes and added, "This Kaito appeared suddenly in the Land of Rain, his origins are unknown. I don't believe he could have become so powerful entirely on his own. There must be a large, unknown faction behind him. Therefore, I believe we must be cautious. What if he plots something using the Second Hokage's notes and turns it against Konoha, against the entire shinobi world?"
"Hmm, Danzo has a point," the Third Hokage mused. "The most critical issues are his identity and his allegiance. We still don't know if he is friend or foe."
"Heh. Lord Hokage, are you deliberately testing us?" Orochimaru said with a smile. "Isn't our relationship with the other four great nations constantly shifting between enemy and ally? There are no eternal friends, only eternal interests."
"So, why should we concern ourselves with his identity? Shouldn't we just focus on whether this deal is beneficial to Konoha? Right now, rather than letting the Second Hokage's research notes gather dust in the archives, it would be better to put them to good use. Don't forget, the war is not yet over. And everyone here knows full well how powerful the Nine-Tails is. If we can effectively harness that power, victory in this war will be within our grasp."
Beside him, Tsunade frowned but said nothing.
The Third Hokage and the others were swayed, but they still had their doubts. "The Second had a wide range of interests, and his research covers many sensitive areas. Some of it is probably not suitable for outsiders."
"Only you, Lord Hokage, know what notes the Second left behind; even we are not privy to the details. You can decide what to give and what not to give. Furthermore, to prevent Kaito from deliberately deceiving us, we can give him the materials in installments. We only provide the next batch when we see clear progress with Nawaki. How does that sound?"
The group exchanged glances and slowly nodded. "In that case, it's not entirely out of the question."
"Very well. We will proceed with a two-pronged approach for the Nine-Tails situation. On one hand, Orochimaru, you and Danzo will begin your research on Wood Style and sealing jutsu. On the other, we will try letting Kaito teach Nawaki," the Third Hokage concluded. "Orochimaru, you may inform Kaito that we accept the deal. You will negotiate the specific terms, following the model we just discussed."
"Yes, sir!"
After the meeting, Tsunade stepped outside and said to Orochimaru in a low voice, "I never knew you could be so devious. That Kaito kid probably won't see this coming, haha."
"If I didn't frame it that way, the old-timers would never have agreed," Orochimaru replied.
"So you were lying to them?"
"No. This is what's most beneficial for Konoha, so why not do it? No matter what, Kaito is an outsider."
"Ugh, I still feel a little bad about tricking him like this," Tsunade sighed.
"Don't feel bad. My intuition tells me that those materials aren't what he's truly after. You should be more worried about whether he has designs on your brother."
"? What kind of designs could he have on Nawaki?" Tsunade quickly caught on. "You mean, Kaito's target is the Nine-Tails? Why didn't you mention that to Lord Hokage and the others just now?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "It's just a guess. I could be wrong. Just keep a close eye on things. Nothing major should happen while he's here in Konoha."
Talking as they went, the two returned to Tsunade's residence. However, they didn't find Kaito anywhere in the house. After asking a maid, they learned that he had gone out early in the morning.
"Where did that guy run off to?" Tsunade wondered. "The gambling den? The bathhouse?"
"He's not you or Jiraiya," Orochimaru sighed. "He has Anbu following him. We just need to ask them."
At that moment, in a small forest on the outskirts of the village, Kaito was chatting happily with a man in a green jumpsuit and a bowl-cut hairstyle.
That's right, it was the man Kaito had seen before, Konoha's eternal genin—Might Dai.
However, no one in Konoha knew that after years of arduous training, Might Dai had become a master of taijutsu and had even created his own powerful forbidden technique—the Eight Inner Gates.
In the original timeline, after opening the eighth Gate of Death, he burned away his life force to turn the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist into the "Three Swordsmen," illuminating the shinobi world like a brief, brilliant meteor.
Kaito had always admired those who worked hard, so he had deliberately created an opportunity to "run into" Might Dai. The simple-minded Dai was thrilled that someone took the initiative to talk to him, and it wasn't long before the two had become fast friends, sharing their innermost thoughts.
"Dai, I've actually done a little research on taijutsu myself. Why don't we have a friendly spar?" Kaito said with a smile.
"Really?!" Might Dai was ecstatic, immediately giving a thumbs-up. "Let's do it! Let's feel our passion together!"
With that, he immediately leaped into the air, spinning his body and whipping out his long leg.
"First, taste my Mighty Steel Leg!"
Kaito took a deep breath and, not to be outdone, jumped up and extended his own long leg.
"Take this! High Jump Kick!"
Under the blazing sun, two figures crossed in mid-air.