Threat

Sakura Haruno withdrew her aggressive stance and leaned back in her chair.

It was as if the old man's threat had worked.

The old man watched with satisfaction as the girl lowered her eyes and sat comfortably in her chair, and the tense atmosphere eased for a moment.

A subtle smile played on his lips, and he was about to speak when the girl in front of him interrupted him, "Your so-called number one clan of the Mist Ninja, the same clan that elder from this morning belongs to? Very powerful? What do you want with me?"

She lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers as if she had developed a strong fascination with them, and spoke casually.

The old man's absent-minded attitude and the feeling of being interrupted stirred a flicker of anger within him. Suppressing his turmoil, he calmly replied, "That's right, our Suikazan Clan is the strongest clan among the Mist Ninja..."

As the old man spoke of his family, the two young men behind him beamed with pride and arrogance. Just as the old man was about to continue boasting about his family, Sakura Haruno interrupted him again, "What brings you here?"

As she spoke, she still didn't raise her head, concentrating on fiddling with her hands; from the perspective of Tomoaki Aono standing behind the old man, the pale yellow Amaterasu on the girl's hands, giving her fair skin a faint glow, and her slender, straight fingers had a kind of exquisite craftsmanship: they were hands especially suitable for Hand Seals and performing Ninjutsu.

It's as beautiful as a work of art.

He could understand Sakura's disrespectful attitude; if it were him, he would have focused on appreciating the beautiful scenery before him, rather than looking at that withered old face and that condescending gaze.

The old man, however, lacked such empathy. He frowned slightly, suppressing a rising anger, and said in a calm tone, "You should already know our clan's position. The Grand Elder made it very clear in this morning's meeting... When Pakura took you out, he was representing the Mizukage in trying to win you over, wasn't he?"

Sakura Haruno paused for a moment. It seemed that everyone had laid everything bare, and there was no hidden information. Indeed, ninjas didn't like to hide their actions, whether it was Pakura or the elder of the Suikazan Clan in front of her, especially since the two sides had reached the point of being irreconcilable enemies.

The old man raised his voice slightly and continued, "I think you can also hear our terms."

Judging from the old man's tone, he seemed to have the air of "How much did the Mizukage give you? Our Suikazan Clan will give you three times that amount!" However, if he really thought that Mei Terumi had won her over with favors, he would be sorely mistaken. Pakura's efforts to win her over used the interests of the entire village, while giving Sakura Haruno herself zero benefit.

She was helping entirely voluntarily, solely to preserve some of the Mist Ninja's strength, hoping it would be helpful in the fight against Akatsuki.

Sakura stopped what she was doing and pretended to listen attentively; but in her heart, she had already made up her mind. No matter what conditions the other party offered, none could be more attractive than the fact that Kirigakure and Konoha would stand together and fight Akatsuki with all their might.

"Training notes, Ninjutsu scrolls, Secret Technique, special ninja tools, gold and silver treasures, and even a portion of the spoils from a certain passage between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water," the old man said loudly, his eyes burning as he gazed intently at the girl before him. "You can choose whatever you like."

"We can guarantee that our terms will be far more generous than anything the Mizukage could offer. We've never been stingy with the Hokage's disciples or highly skilled ninjas." He smiled slightly. "We can even explore deeper cooperation..."

Really...

Sakura Haruno shook her head inwardly.

The other party didn't even hide their family's smuggling activities from her, and even hinted that she could cooperate with them in smuggling. They were probably absolutely confident that they could win over Sakura Haruno, just like they had won over other ninjas in the past.

But to say that would be to underestimate her.

Even assuming they offered something truly valuable, Sakura wouldn't be interested in their terms, including things like Secret Technique and Ninjutsu scrolls—if they really had anything good, why didn't they make one of their own people the Mizukage?

Sakura Haruno lowered her hand, looked up, and asked, "What about the Mizukage and Kirigakure?"

"Lord Mizukage..." the old man sneered, "If she's willing to live a solitary life, then all is well; otherwise, what happened to the previous Mizukage might unfortunately have to repeat itself..."

"As for Kirigakure, of course we should continue to close the borders; otherwise, wouldn't our passage become meaningless overnight?"

"Has the country stopped establishing diplomatic relations with Konoha? What about Akatsuki?" Sakura picked up her cup, took a small sip of tea, and asked.

The old man chuckled, "Of course we won't establish diplomatic relations, otherwise our route with the Land of Fire would be useless! As for Akatsuki... what do the events on the continent have to do with the Mist Ninja?"

Is Akatsuki's affair unrelated to Mist Ninja?

Sakura Haruno raised an eyebrow. They seemed to have completely forgotten that the previous Mizukage had been controlled by Akatsuki.

No... perhaps they are now reminiscing about the era of the Bloody Mist Village, and maybe even hoping that Akatsuki will come back to control the Mizukage once again. After all, the policy of the Mist Ninja back then was one of isolationism, while the current Mizukage wants to implement a policy of peace and openness.

Comparing the two, the current Mizukage is probably more detestable in their eyes!

At this point, Sakura Haruno had fully understood what the other person meant.

They're just a bunch of scoundrels who enrich themselves at the expense of the public. Expecting them to have a broader perspective on the world, to discover the undercurrents beneath the calm surface of the Shinobi World, and to realize the dangers brewing within is nothing short of wishful thinking.

Two or three years from now, the entire Shinobi World may face the threat of Akatsuki, and Mist Ninja will not be spared either, but they turn a blind eye; these people only care about their own interests.

There's no point in talking to people you don't click with. Sakura Haruno has absolutely nothing in common with these people.

Her initial assessment was accurate; she should have kicked them out long ago instead of patiently listening to their nonsense!

Sakura Haruno took a deep breath and said coldly, "Yourse clan is the strongest, so why hasn't anyone from the Suikazan Clan become the Mizukage?"

Her clear eyes stared directly at the old woman, a cold smile playing on her lips, "You really think the Mizukage is a pushover you can easily bully? Mei Terumi was able to kill the previous Mizukage, so you think you can too?"

The old man frowned.

"Why not?" a young man behind him couldn't contain himself and shouted, "We, Suikazan, are the strongest Mist Ninja clan in Kirigakure! Mei Terumi is just a woman, what's so great about her! We can easily take her down by sending out a few skilled fighters!"

The old man sat still, not stopping the arrogant young man, but his expression revealed a hint of anger.

Sakura Haruno found it laughable. It's hard for a clan to understand the difference between Elite Jonin and a Kage if they don't have a Kage-level ninja. After all, she had walked that path herself.

Furthermore, they seem to have some kind of prejudice against female ninjas; perhaps the reason the Mizukage and Sakura are looked down upon by these people is because of their female identity?

"Please leave. I have no interest in cooperating with you," Sakura said indifferently, showing no interest in arguing with them.

They're finished after this, she thought, too lazy to pay attention to the howling of a stray dog.

The old man slammed his hand on the table. "What do you mean? Do you think our offer isn't enough? Don't think you can make exorbitant demands just because you're the Hokage's disciple. We can accomplish anything without a mere envoy!"

"Don't I understand what you mean?" Sakura Haruno snorted, slamming her cup on the table, and said, enunciating each word clearly, "Get lost!"

Her face hardened, and a sharp, imposing aura emanated from her eyes; only then did the elder realize that her previous docile demeanor was merely a facade, a pretty face masking her domineering arrogance!

"Young man, I advise you to think carefully before you speak..." Having dropped the pretense of politeness, the old man's voice was extremely cold and menacing. "I don't want to repeat myself. This is Kirigakure, not Konoha where you can run wild!"

"You think you can cover up the entire Kirigakure?" Sakura sneered. "You think you can threaten me with a bunch of ugly bastards like you?"

"A deformed melon or a cracked date?" Upon hearing this, Tomoaki Aono, standing behind the old man, flew into a rage and drew his long sword from his waist.

His actions this time were much more decisive than yesterday. Perhaps it's because people with dogs on leashes are more likely to bark loudly. He gets hot-blooded at the slightest provocation. It's unclear whether he was genuinely angry or just putting on a show of bravado.

But Sakura Haruno had already seen through his true intentions.

She wouldn't tolerate this person's bad habits. With a slight twitch of her right fingers, a wisp of Blue Water seeped from her fingertips, transforming into several water snakes that shot out instantly.

The three Mist Ninja saw a flash of dark light on the table, and in the blink of an eye, the water snake shot out, coiling around Tomoaki's body and binding him tightly, making him unable to move.

Before the three could react, Tomoaki had drawn his long sword, was already subdued by Ying.

The expressions on the faces of the three members of the Mist Ninja were suddenly shocked!

"Tomoaki!" Another young man drew his long sword and slashed at the water snake, trying to cut it to free Tomoaki Aono. However, how could he possibly handle the blue Water Release used by Sakura?

The elder was startled. Although Tomoaki Aono was not among the top in the clan, he was still a standout among the younger generation. Yet, he was subdued in one move by Konoha Ninja was much older than him! He could clearly see the difference in strength between the two. Subduing in one move was actually just a euphemism for being killed in one move. In other words, Tomoaki couldn't last a single move against that girl!

That's a powerful Water Release!

He suddenly remembered that a temporary report from the clan that afternoon mentioned the girl's strength, suggesting that her Water Release were extremely powerful, based on the way she passed the waterfall; he had initially thought it was just an exaggerated report meant to sensationalize, but it turned out to be true...

Sakura Haruno only punished him slightly and warned Tomoaki Aono withdrawing her Ninjutsu. Tomoaki Aono landed on the ground, several bruises from the restraints clearly visible on his body. He coughed a few times and looked at the girl with suspicion and uncertainty. This was the second time he had been defeated by her, and he was even more wary of her now. His expression was unpredictable, showing both anger and a reluctance to be angry.

The old man stood up, glancing sideways at Sakura Haruno, his face so dark it seemed like it could drip water. Their biggest mistake on this trip was underestimating Sakura Haruno's strength, mistakenly believing she was just a pretty face!

"What a fine Hokage disciple! Truly deserving of the title!" He said in a dry, cold, and emotionless tone, "No wonder you're so confident, no wonder those things didn't attract you. It's us who are watching you..."

Indeed, wealth couldn't entice her, low-level Secret Technique were no longer of much use to her, and cooperating in smuggling was absurd... Sakura Haruno, with her status, strength, and bright future, certainly wouldn't choose to collude with them!

Her feigned weakness just now seemed like a deliberate attempt to extract information...

"Traveling long distances with children is unsafe; please be mindful!"

His cold gaze swept over Konohamaru and the others sitting not far behind Sakura, then he spoke to Sakura Haruno.

When threats failed, she resorted to threatening her subordinates...

After what she heard tonight, she felt she understood somewhat why the Uchiha was wiped out.

Sakura Haruno slightly closed her eyes, concealing the sharp killing intent hidden in them, keeping it to herself, but said aloud.

No need to see me out.

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