"Danzo!"
Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock as he stared at his old comrade.
"You… you do realize what you're saying, right?"
Did he seriously not understand what kind of number forty billion is? Even if Konoha's mission list had expanded a lot lately (thanks to the wind Daimyo), forty billion was still a jaw-dropping number!
Across the room, the Fourth Raikage let out a harsh, grating laugh.
"Konoha's pockets must be bottomless," he sneered, his massive arms crossed over his chest. "Forty billion in reparations and elder Danzo doesn't even blink. Is it really that easy for you?"
"I'm more curious about something else" Onoki narrowed his eyes, voice dripping with suspicion. "Where exactly did Lord Danzo disappear to earlier?"
"I heard the prison warden—what was her name again, Lady Chōmei?—dragged you off. Went to meet some bigshot from the Land of Waves, did you?" Yagura asked coolly.
"Danzo, don't tell me you actually—" Even Homura frowned deeply, staring hard at him.
"You people still don't trust me?" Danzo swept his gaze across the room, flung his sleeve with righteous indignation, and declared "My innocence speaks for itself. Say what you will!"
Plop.
Something shiny tumbled out of his sleeve and clinked onto the ground.
Onoki bent down, picked it up, and squinted at the words engraved on it:
"Friendship Ambassador of the Land of Waves."
Silence.
The silence that followed was so thick you could choke on it.
"D-Danzo?" Hiruzen's voice quivered.
"Don't misunderstand," Danzo snatched the medal back, keeping a straight face. "This was just a… souvenir. From when I was kidnapped last time and had to pay ransom. I carry it with me as a reminder. A scar of shame! A lesson never to be forgotten!"
"Danzo… I misjudged you." Hiruzen's eyes misted slightly with guilt. Back then, he'd been in the dark, fooled by that damned Yuto, and had wrongly blamed his dearest friend.
Maybe he was the one who'd wronged Danzo all along!
"Heh. Touching story, very convincing," the Raikage sneered, arms still folded.
Clack. Clack.
Footsteps echoed and a giant bug-like figure. Wearing a maid outfit walked in.
"Dinner time, everyone~" she sang out.
The prison block, which moments ago had been buzzing with heated arguments, instantly went dead quiet. The sight was… overwhelming.
—
Each of the kage and konoha elders received their plate of food, sat cross-legged on the floor, and began eating in silence.
And to give credit where it's due—the Land of Waves knew how to feed people. Even prisoners were getting full-course feasts, meat, fish, everything seasoned and plated like something out of a five-star restaurant. Honestly, better than what most chefs in the Five Great Nations could pull off.
Hiruzen and the others ate with grease dripping down their chins, completely oblivious to the smirk tugging at the corners of the giant bug's mandibles.
"So," Chōmei's elegant voice broke the silence after everyone had eaten, "have you gentlemen reconsidered our negotiation this afternoon?"
"Never!"
"Impossible!"
"Tell Hayashi Yuto to drop dead!"
Everyone shouted in unison—except Danzo, who wisely kept his mouth shut.
"Really now?" Chōmei tilted his head, unbothered, her voice still smooth and polite.
"What do you mean by that?" Hiruzen's tone dropped an octave, sensing danger. "You're not thinking of putting on a little 'kill-one-to-scare-the-rest' performance, are you?"
"Hah!" The Raikage sneered again. "Whatever you're planning, it won't work. I'll never bow down!"
"But of course." Lady Chōmei smiled pleasantly. "After all, you're the Kage and elders of the five Great Hidden Villages. Men of iron will. Threatening you with death would be pointless."
"Then why waste our time with this charade?" Onoki snapped.
"You're correct," Chōmei nodded lightly. "Which is why… we never intended to use death as leverage."
Danzo's gut clenched. He had a bad feeling.
"The meal you just enjoyed was generously spiced with our special… Rejuvenation Elixir." Chōmei bared her forked mandibles in a grin. "I'm sure you all know what that does."
"You—you didn't!" Danzo gasped, clutching his stomach in horror.
"Shameless!" Hiruzen's face went crimson, veins bulging on his forehead. "Y-You, is there no bottom to your depravity?!"
"Uh… what's Rejuvenation Elixir?" Yagura blinked, genuinely confused.
"It's… an aphrodisiac," Onoki muttered darkly, looking like he'd just bitten into poison.
"W-what?!" Yagura's eyes went wide as the truth sank in. A bunch of old men, locked in a cell together…
Damn it. This was evil. Pure, sadistic evil!
"Oh, and I forgot to mention," Chōmei added cheerfully. "You've all been given the extra-strengthened version. Have a lovely evening~"
She turned to leave.
"W-wait!" Onoki growled through gritted teeth. "We… we can negotiate! Forty billion is too much! Cut it down a little!"
"How about fifty billion, then?" Chōmei's smile widened.
"F-Fifty—?!" Onoki's face went purple. "You bastards, have you no shame?!"
"Correction—fifty-five billion. Goodbye now." Lady Chōmei gave a jaunty wave of her claws and left.
Boom!
The Raikage punched the wall, snarling. "Unforgivable! This is beyond insult!"
"Please, Raikage, don't lose your temper," Hiruzen whispered urgently. "The more agitated you get, the faster the Elixir spreads through your bloodstream!"
"You seem… awfully knowledgeable on this subject, Hiruzen," Danzo muttered.
"We are shinobi!" Onoki suddenly bellowed, veins throbbing on his forehead. "We've endured war, famine, betrayal! Do you think we'll be defeated by a pill?!"
"Lord Tsuchikage speaks the truth!" Homura took a deep breath, gritting his teeth. "We are ninja. We will not be broken by some… pharmaceutical trickery!"
"Lord Homura!"
"Lord Tsuchikage!"
"…You smell nice, Homura."
"…You too."
The two of them locked eyes, a dangerous glimmer of mutual "understanding" sparking between them.
Seeing this, the others broke into a cold sweat.
"They're already compromised," Hiruzen whispered, swallowing hard. "We need to separate them—fast!"
"How?" the Raikage barked.
"Bedboards! Use the bedboards!" Danzo shouted.
"Brilliant! That's why you're my old friend, Danzo!"
"It was nothing… just a small contribution, my old friend!"
"Danzo!"
"Hiruzen!"
As the two of them slowly inched closer together, the Raikage's eye twitched.
"GUARDS! Where are the guards?! Fine! Fifty-five billion—we'll talk! We'll talk!"
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