"So, the Raikage didn't end up buying Yugito's nonsense after all, right?"
In the main office, Yuto listened to the Ragdoll cat's report, the corner of his mouth twitching.
This Ragdoll cat was none other than the Two-Tails Matatabi, its Ragdoll form, a transformation it had chosen for itself in the Meow Meow House.
"He didn't believe it; he saw right through it, meow." Matatabi spoke in human tongue, its voice soft. "Yugito asked me to seek your advice on what she should do."
Yuto let out a short, sarcastic laugh. "She throws me under the bus with some ridiculous lie, and now she wants my advice on how to clean up her mess?
"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing!" Matatabi protested, its soft voice pleading. "She panicked, meow! She probably didn't think it through…"
"Didn't think it through, or was it premeditated?" Sitting at the desk, Kushina raised an eyebrow and chimed in "Trying to become our leader's concubine, huh? Has she paid the entrance fee?"
Mikoto, standing beside her, nodded in agreement, a playful glint in her eyes. "Exactly. The main wife hasn't even given her approval."
Kushina waved a hand dismissively, her tone dripping with mock solemnity. "Oh, don't look at me. There's still the Ancestral Grandma in the house. She's the one you'd really have to worry about."
'Ancestral Grandma…'
The title made the little Ragdoll cat freeze. Its blue eyes darted fearfully toward the potted plant on the windowsill.
'Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.'
The name sent a shiver down its spine—a primal fear shared by all the Tailed Beasts. They were, in essence, fragments of her. And if she ever decided she wanted those pieces back… with her connection to Yuto, who could stop her?
"I—I'll just go tell her to figure it out herself!" Matatabi squeaked, thoroughly spooked. With a soft poof, it vanished in a puff of smoke.
Kushina snorted in triumph.
"Hah! Some little wildflower from Kumo thinks she can scheme her way in here? If she wants to queue up, she can get in line behind little Mei-Mei!"
"Little Mei-Mei?" Mikoto blinked in confusion.
"Mei Terumī, of course. Our family's exclusive bedchamber maid," Kushina said with a smile.
"Huh? Since when?"
"Back when I went to capture them! She agreed! Hehe!"
Yuto tuned out the rest of their banter, his attention shifting to the surveillance screen focused on the detention block.
—
Danzō and Hanzo sat facing each other, a small tea table between them.
Danzō's expression was grim, his face dark. "Given how things stand now, what are you coming to me for?"
"Although our allegiances oppose each other, I don't believe that should affect the friendship between us," Hanzo said with a smile, raising the cup of light tea and draining it in one go. "My friend Danzō, I've always admired you."
"Admired me?"
"Your resilience, your tenacity—your ability to persevere despite repeated setbacks. Many people today lack that quality!"
"Are you complimenting me, Hanzo, or are you mocking me?"
"It's genuine admiration! Why, our leader himself said… 'The only true heroes in this world are you, Danzō, and me'."
Danzō's stern expression faltered for a split second. A complex mix of pride and suspicion flashed in his eye.
"…He said that?"
"I swear on my honor!" Hanzo's face turned solemn, and he sighed. "Our leader also said that the happiest days of his life were the time he spent working under you."
A faint trace of emotion flickered across Danzō's face. "If Hayashi Yuto is willing to surrender to the Allied Shinobi Forces, I will permit him to return to Root."
'What state of mind must this guy be in to spout such shameless nonsense?'
Hanzo nearly lost his composure, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. "My friend, isn't that stretching it a bit? Our leader respects a hero like you, but his resolve to eliminate shinobi is unshakable!"
"Does he mean to recruit me, then?" Danzō raised an eyebrow.
"Ahem, ahem… Our leader has no such delusion," Hanzo coughed several times, calming himself slightly. "We all know how deeply you love Konoha!"
"Hmph." Danzō's mouth curved into a smile, his expression becoming pleased.
Those words hit right at the heart of his feelings; it was the greatest affirmation he could receive!
'To think, The one who truly understands me is actually my enemy!'
'How truly–'
"Therefore, our leader hopes you can act as a mediator," Hanzo took a breath and said earnestly. "Put in a good word for the Land of Waves, help ease the tensions between our two sides."
"A mediator?" Danzō frowned.
He wasn't sure what Hayashi Yuto was trying to do, but his instincts told him something was off.
Given the Land of Waves' current strength, what need did they have for a mediator?
"Our leader only wishes to eliminate the existence of shinobi, not to destroy humanity itself," Hanzo said, pulling a small box from his robes and handing it to Danzō. "Ultimately, it's for the sake of this shinobi world."
Danzō opened the small box and glanced inside, his expression freezing. "This is…"
"The key to perfect Hollowification," Hanzo lowered his voice. "This is a special gift from our leader to Konoha. He only asks that you agree to the terms we propose."
Danzō stared at the small, purple-glowing sphere resting in the box. "Everything I do is for Konoha!"
"Of course," Hanzo nodded in agreement.
—
The setting sun gradually sank lower.
Danzō, carrying the small box, returned to his cell to find Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others all wearing expressions of indignation.
"What happened?" Danzō asked, puzzled.
"Those bastards from the Land of Waves have issued us an ultimatum. They'll only let us go if we agree to sign their terms," Ōnoki said coldly.
Terms?
Danzō's expression blanked for a moment before he realized these must be the conditions Hanzo had mentioned.
"Lord Danzō probably doesn't know what the terms are yet. The people of the Land of Waves are going too far!" Even the usually mild-tempered Yagura couldn't help fuming.
"There are two main points," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, his eyes narrowed, devoid of joy or anger. "First, they demand the introduction of that computer game 'Valley of the End.' They insist each village must guarantee ten thousand participants per season for its ranked matches!"
Danzō was also stunned. 'What the hell kind of term was this?'
'A computer game?'
He'd been in the Land of Waves long enough to have some understanding of computers, but a computer game? And requiring each village to provide ten thousand people for ranked matches?
It felt absurd!
"The second point is the real issue" The Fourth Raikage, A, snorted coldly, furious. "The four great shinobi villages must admit to their acts of aggression and each pay forty billion ryō in war reparations!"
Forty billion ryō!
Even Danzō, who had been mentally prepared, couldn't help suck in a breath.
"Forty billion ryō? Haha!" Yagura let out a cold laugh, gritting his teeth in anger. "Even if we sold every single person in Kirigakure, we couldn't scrape that together!"
"Danzō, what do you think?" Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his gaze to his old friend.
Danzō was silent for a moment before gritting his teeth and saying, "I believe… we can accept it…"
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