Perhaps there was no need to explain at all. In the face of absolute power, any words seemed feeble and pointless.
A sat slumped in the corner. After briefly regaining consciousness, he had passed out again, overcome by his injuries and fury. Perhaps that was a blessing for him; at least he didn't have to personally endure this endless humiliation.
Jin seemed to enjoy having everything under his control. He leisurely took the seat that had belonged to the Hokage. His pale fingers tapped lightly on the desk, each soft knock seeming to strike at Ōnoki and Rasa's hearts, leaving them in agony.
They had thought this "meeting," which would decide the future of the Shinobi World, was finally over. All they wanted now was to leave this suffocating place as quickly as possible, return to their own territories, lick their wounds, and then... submit completely.
But just as they were preparing to bow and take their leave, Jin's lazy voice rang out again.
"Wait. I'm not finished."
Ōnoki and Rasa froze, a sense of foreboding rising in both their hearts.
Jin's fingers stopped tapping. He raised his eyelids, and his dark, fathomless eyes settled calmly on them, like two ancient wells with no visible bottom.
"Now that the Divine Court has been established, I need some... special materials to better consolidate the strength of the Shinobi World and support my upcoming 'research.'"
"Materials?" Rasa's heart lurched. He asked cautiously, "May I ask what Lord God needs? Though Sunagakure is poor, we do have some rare ores and medicinal herbs..."
"I'm not interested in those." Jin cut him off impatiently, a cold smile curling his lips. "What I need is each village's most important strategic weapon."
His gaze swept between the two men. Then, word by word, he spoke the