"Konoha Ninja, what kind of jutsu did you use on Bee-sama?!"
C, who had been diligently treating Bee for a while, lifted his head and looked at Shinji with a furious expression, shouting loudly.
Shinji glanced at the Kumo ninjas, completely ignoring him.
Kakashi watched for a while, then came to Shinji's side and quietly asked, "What's going on?"
Shinji rubbed his chin, responding in a low voice, "It's because of the move. If Kumogakure isn't anxious by now, then there's no need to pay attention to it."
Kakashi understood. Once the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki woke up, it would not benefit Konoha, who was still in the midst of tense negotiations.
Thinking of this, he said no more. Instead, he pulled out a book from his ninja tool pouch and began to read it.
Only...
Kakashi, with his one deadpan eye, looked at Shinji speechlessly.
Shinji was on his tiptoes, his eyes slanted over, looking at him.
Shinji: ─━ _ ─━ ✧
"What is it?" Kakashi took a deep breath and asked.
"I have a question." Shinji touched his nose, his gaze wandering as he asked.
"Why are you still reading a perverted book when a beautiful woman from Kumogakure is standing in front of you?"
Kakashi: "..."
He first turned to look at Samui, who was waiting for the Raikage's response, then turned back to Shinji, who was full of curiosity.
"It's not my aesthetic..." Kakashi feigned calmness as he put away his Icha Icha Paradise, saying.
Shinji's lips twitched. There was no credibility in that statement.
"Samui-sama, Raikage-sama's message!"
The ninja nearby, facing the finally connected communication device, quickly handed it to Samui. Samui quickly took it and began to report.
Her gaze occasionally fell on Shinji, who, on the other hand, was completely unconcerned.
Just a glance, it's not like he'd lose a piece of flesh.
Instead, C, who was treating Bee, was now drenched in sweat.
There was nothing he could do. Shinji ignored him, and he couldn't really cause a fuss.
Did he really think the Konoha ninjas standing beside him were just freeloading?
He could only look anxiously at Samui, who was still on the call, praying that the Fourth Raikage had some method. Otherwise, Bee would really die.
"Are you really not going to pay attention?" Kakashi, with his deadpan eye, asked Shinji.
Seeing Bee's dark face gradually turn pale, Kakashi was worried that the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki would die here.
"Don't worry, he won't die anytime soon, don't underestimate a Jinchuriki's vitality." Shinji waved his hand.
Bee was only suffering from a bit of blood loss right now. Eight-Tails was maintaining his core life fluctuations well within his body.
Moreover, based on his understanding of Hiruzen, that old fox...
The more critical the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki's situation became, the more advantageous position he would occupy in negotiations with Kumogakure. After all, he had just spoken to him on the phone.
He would try to delay as much as possible, and Hiruzen only needed to stick to his demands.
Seeing Shinji so confident, Kakashi said no more.
Since the last Jonin test, he knew that although Shinji looked gentle, he was dark if you cut him open.
— — —
Inside Kumogakure.
A listened to Samui's narration, veins bulging on his forehead.
He wished he could rush to Moon Ring Gorge right now and give Shinji, who had knocked his younger brother unconscious, a good thrashing.
"I understand." A, after hanging up, took a deep breath.
Mabui lightly stepped up behind him and said, "Raikage-sama, the communication with Konoha has been connected."
A turned and walked towards the control panel, seeing Hiruzen with a pipe in the image.
He roared, "Hokage! Your people injured a Kumo ninja, do you want to start a war?!"
On the other end of the image, Hiruzen took a deep puff from his pipe, the sparks on the pipe flickering.
After slowly exhaling a puff of smoke, he said indifferently, "If Raikage doesn't want to talk, then so be it."
With that, he reached out to hang up.
"Wait!"
Hiruzen's lips curved into a smile. When talking to someone who seemed like a brute, there was no need to shout back at him. Just let that person get anxious himself.
Hiruzen raised his eyes, his gaze sharp, and said, "Raikage, politics is not child's play."
"You Kumogakure were the first to conduct the exercise, and it was your Kumo ninja who trespassed into Konoha's borders."
"Do you really think I, Hiruzen, am old! Or has Kumogakure prepared to start a war?!"
Seeing Hiruzen act like this, A's pupils constricted.
Bang!
A dull sound rang out as A crushed the edge of the control panel.
After a long while, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice, suppressing it, "State your conditions, but don't even dream of Kumogakure bowing to Konoha."
Hiruzen picked up the conditions Shikaku had already prepared nearby and slowly said, "It's very simple. This Konoha exercise's military expenses will be borne by Kumogakure, compensating Konoha 8 billion ryo."
"The Land of Hot Water has also sent us a demand for Kumogakure to compensate 1 billion ryo."
"Furthermore, a treaty must be signed, stating that Kumogakure shall not cross the strait line again."
Listening to Hiruzen's conditions, A burst into laughter, then slammed his hand on the table and spat, "Old man! Are you dreaming?! If you want to start a war, just say so directly!"
8 billion ryo for exercise military expenses? Listen, is that a human thing to say?
8 billion ryo was enough for Kumogakure to buy ten million explosive tags.
Moreover, this price was not calculated at wholesale prices. A medium-scale war might not even use that much.
Hiruzen lowered his eyes, the smoke from his pipe obscuring his face.
The initiative was with Konoha. The Raikage's posture was merely an attempt to bargain.
Without further ado, Hiruzen directly hung up. Since he wasn't in a hurry yet, he would let this wind blow for a while longer.
He turned to Shikaku behind him and said, "Shikaku, inform Kakashi and the others that they can apply some pressure appropriately."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
...
"Damn Konoha monkey! How dare he hang up on me!" A punched the control panel.
A few billion ryo was nothing to Kumogakure. However, once paid, it would be a complete insult to the Raikage's dignity.
Mabui appeared behind A and said, "Raikage-sama, Samui just communicated again, saying that C cannot treat Bee's injuries."
"That Konoha ninja's methods are somewhat special. If we drag this out any longer, Bee might be in life-threatening danger."
Hearing this, A's fists clenched tightly, Lightning Chakra constantly surging around him.
"Reconnect to Konoha."
After a long while, A finally said in a hoarse voice.