"Please, continue."
In the end, the Third Raikage couldn't just storm out. Konoha having obtained information about Kinkaku and Ginkaku was completely unexpected, so all he could do now was sit back and wait for Sanshao to explain further.
On the surface, this seemed to require a major shift in Cloud Village's front lines. In practice, however, it was simple: all they had to do was redirect the forces stationed in the Land of Fields and the Land of Sound to the Land of Grass. Once the two countries formed an alliance, neither location would need so many troops.
Sanshao made it sound so simple. She clearly understood the essence of political negotiations: say whatever you need to get your way.
Cloud Village already had defenses in place in the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Frost. If they extended those defenses to the Land of Grass, they could completely cut off Konoha from Iwagakure. It was such a small move—who would have thought it could help Konoha so much?
However, one part of Sanshao's proposal differed from Hanyu's original suggestion: she wasn't insisting that Cloud Village send forces into the Land of Rain. For one thing, that would stretch Cloud Village's front line too thin and make resupply far too difficult. For another, the Land of Rain was unlike other small countries. In recent years especially, it had shown signs of rising in power.
Though Amegakure couldn't compare with the Five Great Shinobi Villages, it was far stronger than ordinary minor villages. The village was now fighting a two-front war against Iwagakure and Konoha, so Iwagakure couldn't infiltrate the Land of Fire by way of the Land of Rain.
After thinking it over, the Raikage said, "If we really redeploy our defenses as you suggest, what about supplies? Will Konoha provide them to us free of charge, or let our supply convoys pass through the Land of Fire?"
"How could that be?" Sanshao replied. Would she let Cloud Village's supply convoys pass through the Land of Fire? What if they planned to do something there? Never mind anything else—what if Cloud Village "accidentally" dropped the Eight-Tails or the Two-Tails Jinchuriki into the Land of Fire? The Jinchuriki might happen to lose control and transform while passing through. What could anyone say?
Even if something like that happened, Konoha would have to swallow its anger for the sake of the greater picture. It would have to bear all the losses itself. After all, the Hidden Leaf Village no longer had Senju Hashirama.
"However, in an emergency, we could sell supplies to your front lines at cost. We could even deliver them," Sanshao added, backing down a little.
The Raikage shook his head. The supply question had just been an offhand remark, meant to curb Konoha's confidence at the negotiating table. It didn't matter if Konoha offered supplies at cost—even if they delivered them to Cloud Village's doorstep for free, would Cloud Village dare eat them? Who would take responsibility if they were poisoned?
Forget all that talk about scheming and deception, and don't accuse the Raikage of being narrow-minded or paranoid. If there really were a chance to exchange supplies, Konoha would poison them without hesitation... That was just how one village dealt with another. If there were a good opportunity like that, what kind of Konoha shinobi would pass up the chance to poison a few Cloud Village ninjas?
"If you're worried about Mist Village's movements, we can monitor them for you in exchange. We could even establish a joint surveillance organization so that both sides can share intelligence on the Mist Village front." Seeing that the Raikage still wanted to say something, Sanshao immediately added this.
The Raikage's excuse had been shut down before he could voice it. Only now did he realize that Konoha's "suggestion" wasn't some spur-of-the-moment idea. They had planned it all in advance, intending to make Cloud Village shift its forces toward Iwagakure. They had even come up with a way to address Cloud Village's "concerns" about Mist Village... If the Raikage kept putting them off now, people would easily doubt his sincerity about forming an alliance. After all, Konoha's proposal benefited them, but it didn't harm Cloud Village.
The Raikage could only take things one step at a time. "In principle, we can adopt the front-line arrangement you've proposed. But we can't make a decision on the specifics until you explain what happened with Kinkaku and Ginkaku."
Sanshao glanced at Mitokado Homura and Kagami Uchiha. When they slowly nodded, she prepared to reveal what had happened to the two defectors. "This is confidential. It would be best to tell only the Raikage."
That request made the Raikage realize there was something complicated about Kinkaku and Ginkaku. So he kept one person by his side and sent all the other Cloud Village ninjas out.
This was Cloud Village. He wasn't worried that the Konoha shinobi would try anything against him.
"Before the Second died, he had already killed your village's defectors, Kinkaku and Ginkaku," Sanshao said once most of the others had left.
Cloud Village had already expected the Hokage to be dead. After all, he had little chance of escaping the pursuit of a large force of elite Cloud Village ninjas led by Kinkaku and Ginkaku. What the Raikage hadn't expected was that Kinkaku and Ginkaku were dead too.
The Third Raikage was beside himself with fury. So Konoha's seemingly serious negotiations had just been a way to toy with him. "I. Wanted. The. Defectors. Alive! Their deaths mean nothing! What are we even negotiating for?"
His gaze turned savage and murderous. He had to be the one to kill Kinkaku and Ginkaku. Only then could his position as Raikage and Cloud Village's stability be secured. But now he was being told that those two pawns had already died at the hands of the Second. What the hell was Konoha even negotiating for?
"Wait!" Sanshao hurriedly reached out to stop the Raikage as he turned to leave. Kagami Uchiha rose at the same time, his scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan opening.
The Raikage's bodyguard quickly stepped in front of him, staring at Kagami Uchiha with murderous intent.
But Kagami Uchiha hadn't revealed his eyes to start a fight. He wanted to prove that Konoha was capable of making certain things happen. He said to the Raikage, "Kinkaku and Ginkaku are already dead. There's no point arguing over how they died. But if we can prove they died at your hands, then they died at your hands... As long as you bring their bodies and those powerful ninja tools back to your village, no one will doubt that you truly punished the defectors. Then your problems—and Cloud Village's problems—can all be resolved."
Kinkaku and Ginkaku had died at the hands of the Second, but there was still a way to make others believe they had died at the hands of the Third Raikage. For example... the Sharingan before them, and the Uchiha's genjutsu.
The Raikage could no longer suppress his anger. High-intensity Lightning Release crackled across his body... These outsiders from Konoha were asking him to claim credit for the Second's achievements? No proud, powerful man would accept that.
"Raikage!"
But before he could act, the bodyguard standing beside him placed one hand on his shoulder. His companion's clear gaze instantly snuffed out the Raikage's towering fury.
That single call of "Raikage" made Third A realize who he was. He wasn't a warrior devoted to glory, nor was he merely a shinobi. He was the leader responsible for the rise and fall of an entire village. A country's military chief was an important political figure, and sometimes he had to endure humiliation for the good of his village.
It seemed it was now the Third Raikage's turn to endure humiliation.
He slumped back into his chair and said to Sanshao and the others, "Let's end today's negotiations here. I'll give your proposal serious consideration."
He had never imagined that Konoha's negotiating team would corner him this badly.
Before you continue