Shikaku Nara stood by the desk, watching the handwritten letter Minato had just finished. His mouth couldn't help but twitch.
"Lord Hokage..."
Shikaku rubbed his brow, looking overwhelmed. "This letter... isn't it a bit too 'direct'?"
The content of the letter was simple, even blunt.
The gist was as follows:
Your village's delegation committed a crime in Konoha last night, attempting to kidnap a child of a noble clan. They were captured on the spot, and the evidence is irrefutable.
However, the entire Fourth Squad of the Konoha Anbu, responsible for escorting your delegation, has disappeared. They are nowhere to be found, dead or alive.
We have reason to suspect that while your village sent a delegation, you also set an ambush on the border of the Land of Fire and abducted our personnel.
We request that Lord Raikage return our personnel within three days and pay compensation for the delegation's criminal actions (list attached).
If our people are not seen within three days...
Our Fourth Hokage will personally visit your village to search for our missing comrades.
Do not say you were not warned.
"Direct?"
Minato put down his pen, blew on the wet ink, and turned to look at the purple toad sunbathing on the windowsill. "What do you think, Mr. Gamakon?"
"Ribbit."
Gamakon rolled over and let out a lazy yawn. "I think it's great. It's polite and reasonable. Especially that last line, 'Do not say you were not warned.' It's the finishing touch that perfectly captures the prestige of a Great Nation."
"Polite?"
Shikaku looked at the long list of compensation—the materials and amount listed were enough to buy half a small country—and couldn't help but complain. "This is practically highway robbery. And that so-called 'Anbu Fourth Squad'... we don't even have such a unit in our roster, do we?"
"Shikaku, you're being too rigid."
Gamakon hopped onto Shikaku's shoulder with an air of earnest wisdom. "Politics is about turning lies into truth. Besides, the Hidden Cloud sent that squad to cause trouble before, and we haven't settled the score yet. This is just the right time to settle old and new debts together."
"But will this really push the Raikage to the edge?"
Shikaku was somewhat worried. "The Hidden Cloud's hawkish faction is very stubborn. If they really choose to start a war..."
"I am here."
Minato's voice suddenly rang out, cutting off Shikaku's concerns.
He stood up and walked to the window, looking down at the bustling streets of Konoha, his back straight as a pine tree.
"The Sannin are all present, and the Uchiha Clan's fighting spirit is high."
Minato turned around, analyzing the pros and cons. "Conversely, the Hidden Cloud believes we are weak, which is why they dared to test us. If we show even a hint of weakness, that's when they'll truly pounce."
"Only when a blade is at their throat will they sit down and talk properly."
"This is deterrence."
Minato picked up the letter and handed it to the Anbu who had been waiting nearby.
"Send this to the Hidden Cloud with the fastest messenger hawk. Tell the Raikage my patience is limited."
"Yes, sir!"
The Anbu took the letter and vanished in a Body Flicker.
Watching Minato's strategic composure, Shikaku couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
The once gentle, sunny youth had finally grown into a capable, perhaps even terrifying, politician.
"By the way, Shikaku."
Minato suddenly remembered something, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "Regarding that 'missing' Anbu Fourth Squad... please forge a file for them. As for the names, just pick a few from our fallen unsung heroes. We have to play the part fully so the Hidden Cloud can't find any flaws."
Shikaku could only offer a speechless stare.
"Gyahaha!" Gamakon cackled. "Minato, you're starting to look more and more like me."
...
Land of Lightning, Hidden Cloud Village.
In the top-floor office of the Raikage Building, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.
CRASH—!!!
With a loud bang, the new office desk, which had been replaced less than three days ago, once again turned into a pile of expensive wood chips.
"Bastard! Bastard! BASTARD!!!"
The Fourth Raikage, Ay, was like an enraged lion. Lightning surged through his body, his hair stood on end, and the terrifying waves of chakra shattered every window in the office.
He clutched the letter from Konoha, veins bulging on the back of his hand, nearly grinding the thin paper into powder.
"He's gone too far! Minato Namikaze! How dare he?!"
Ay roared in fury, his voice booming throughout the Hidden Cloud Village. "Kidnapping? Missing? He dares to pin this crap on me?!"
Standing to the side, his secretary Mabui and advisor Dodai also had grim expressions.
They had imagined many outcomes.
Perhaps the delegation would be deported, or perhaps Konoha would protest.
But they never expected Konoha to not only detain their people but also strike back with such a resounding slap in the face.
"Dodai!"
Ay turned his head sharply, his bloodshot eyes wide. "Our delegation! What exactly were they doing? How could they be caught red-handed?!"
Dodai wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and picked up an intelligence scroll from the floor.
"Lord Raikage... according to reports from our sleeper agents in Konoha, One-Eye and his team... did indeed try to move against the Hyuga Clan."
Dodai's voice trembled slightly. "But they were baited. Konoha seemed to have known our plan all along. The Uchiha and Hyuga clans joined forces and laid an inescapable trap. One-Eye and the others... they didn't even get a chance to resist before being captured alive."
"Useless!"
Ay punched the wall, blasting a massive hole in it. "What about the 'missing Anbu'? Did our people make a move?"
"Absolutely not,"
Dodai said firmly. "Our orders were infiltration and reconnaissance. We never told them to intercept and kill Anbu outside the village. Besides, with One-Eye's strength, if they had really killed four Anbu, there's no way it wouldn't have caused a stir."
"Then it's a frame-up!"
Ay was shaking with rage. "That guy Minato Namikaze! He actually dares! Not only does he want us to pay, but he wants us to take the fall for him!"
"It's not just a frame-up."
Mabui, who had been silent, pushed her glasses up and coolly pointed out the core of the problem. "Lord Raikage, please look at the last line of the letter."
Do not say you were not warned.
"Their stance is so aggressive because they have the confidence to back it up."
Mabui's expression was grave. "Minato Namikaze is telling us that he is prepared for war. If we don't agree to his terms, he really will attack."
"Then let's fight!"
Ay roared. "Do you think I'm afraid of him?!"
"Lord Raikage, please reconsider."
Dodai quickly intervened. "The current situation is very unfavorable for us. Our delegation was caught; we are in the wrong. Moreover, Konoha is currently united like never before. The threat of Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God Jutsu on the battlefield is too great. Without the perfect coordination of Lord Killer Bee, it would be difficult for you to contain him."
"More importantly..."
Dodai sighed. "The Hidden Stone and Hidden Mist are both watching. If we and Konoha fight to a bloody stalemate, they will be the only ones to benefit in the end."
Dead silence fell over the office.
Only the sound of Ay's heavy breathing echoed.
Though he was hot-headed, he wasn't a fool.
As the Kage of a village, he had to consider the interests of the entire village.
In this probe, they had lost completely.
They lost in intelligence, they lost by underestimating Minato Namikaze, and they lost the moral high ground.
Being caught in the act and then being counter-accused of 'murdering diplomatic escorts' was like falling into a mud pit—even if it wasn't filth, everyone would see it as such.
If they didn't pay compensation or 'return' the non-existent personnel, Konoha would have every reason to start a war—a 'war of revenge' fought from the moral high ground.
"Huff... huff..."
The lightning on Ay's body gradually faded.
He slumped back into his chair, looking as if he had aged several years in an instant.
"Pay it."
"But not that much."
Ay spoke through gritted teeth, every syllable laced with resentment. "Send word to Konoha... we will only pay half of what's on the list!"
"And... what about the 'missing' personnel?" Mabui asked cautiously. "Where are we going to find four Konoha Anbu to return to them?"
Ay's face twitched violently several times.
This was the most disgusting part of it all.
The people weren't in their hands, so how could they return them?
"Go to the prison!"
Ay gritted his teeth, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. "Find four death row inmates with similar builds, disfigure their faces, and dress them in Konoha Anbu uniforms... say we 'rescued' them at the border, but they died of their injuries!"
"Send the bodies... back to them!"
Dodai and Mabui looked at each other, both seeing the shock and helplessness in the other's eyes.
The grand Raikage was actually forced to use such a method to 'cover up a lie.'
In this round, the Hidden Cloud had lost everything, right down to their pride.
"Minato Namikaze..."
Ay glared at the southern sky through the window, his fists cracking as he clenched them.
"I will remember this debt!"