Although the Ibuse ' attitude leans towards Sunagakure, they clearly still want to continue negotiations with Konoha.
Chiyo and Ebizo exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of bitterness in each other's eyes. Sunagakure's finances were tight, and supplies were scarce. Konoha couldn't afford to drag this war out, and Sunagakure's resources couldn't be delayed either. If they didn't fight to the death, they would definitely be stuck in a stalemate.
One must exert their full strength at the first attempt, then weaken it, and finally exhaust it. Even if they can hold out until the other three countries make their move, the longer they fight Konoha, the more their strength will be depleted, and the more difficult it will be to maintain their logistics. Moreover, Konoha of the Land of Fire is a behemoth, so it cannot be easily defeated.
To minimize losses in this battle, we need to make a decisive move and strike without hesitation!
" Hanzo, how about this? We, the Sunagakure, will back down." Chiyo's face, with its worm-like wrinkles, creased as she spoke, her lips parting slightly as she said, "We don't need the Amegakure to declare war on Konoha. You just need to help us secretly... by leasing our ninjas to us as mercenaries. That way, you won't be involved in this war. What do you think?"
"Using mercenaries in the war? That seems like a good idea... Our Amegakure certainly doesn't want to participate in wars between major powers. If we use Amegakure ninjas to participate in the conflict with Konoha, then how should we calculate the battlefield compensation, casualty pay, and management methods?"
A glint of light flashed in Hanzo the Salamander's eyes, and his tone was slightly trembling as he said that the condition he had been waiting for had finally appeared... He could join the war as a mission, without having to join the battlefield under the guise of starting a war against Konoha.
Although the two seem similar, there is actually a great deal of knowledge involved. If we directly declare war on Konoha, we will have to bear the losses after the war and it will also cause panic among the people in the Land of Rain. Once the war begins, it will not be so simple after it ends.
The internal and external conflicts could even directly affect Hanzo the Salamander's dominance in Amegakure.
By hiring them as mercenaries for Sunagakure, all potential threats would be reduced!
Chiyo glanced at Ebizo, then sighed and said, "In addition to the terms we agreed upon earlier, besides Iwagakure's recognition of your Land of Rain, I will pay one-third of the regular mission fee, and the remaining two-thirds will be paid according to the battle results."
" Elder Chiyo's sincerity is truly remarkable," Hanzo the Salamander of his heart.
The conditions that Sunagakure had just proposed were already enough to make Hanzo consider having Amegakure join the battle. The additional conditions he had just made up were unexpected; Sunagakure would actually receive mission rewards, which would be considered extra revenue!
Beneath Ebizo long, white eyebrows, Ebizo's cloudy eyes looked at Hanzo the Salamander, who wore a mask and had an expressionless face. He instantly saw the gleam of interest in Hanzo's eyes, and said calmly, "The situation at the front is urgent, Fourth Kazekage has already begun urging us to join the battle... Since Lord Hanzo also agrees to this treaty, let's sign the contract today."
With a slight wave of his right hand, Ebizo's Sunagakure attendant behind him took out two treaty scrolls from his ninja bag and handed them to Ebizo. Ebizo quickly wrote down the entire treaty in a few strokes and then handed it to Hanzo the Salamander.
Hanzo the Salamander carefully read through the two treaty scrolls twice. Seeing the generous terms inside, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. After pondering for a moment... he finally picked up his pen and, under the gaze of Chiyo and Ebizo, wrote down the treaty.
If this contract is signed, then the cooperation between Sunagakure and Amegakure will be officially successful!
However, just as Hanzo was about to sign his name, the plate on the square table suddenly burst out with a "bang," sending countless plumes of white smoke billowing out, startling everyone present.
The Rain Ninja guards hidden inside the house suddenly appeared, Chiyo and Ebizo's Sunagakure also drew their weapons. The sudden appearance of colored smoke made them momentarily think that the other side had changed their minds and that they had fallen into an ambush.
But they immediately dismissed this idea, because the negotiations had just concluded, and even if the contract hadn't been finalized, it wouldn't warrant a complete breakdown in relations; doing so would benefit neither side. So, who was behind the sudden appearance of the smoke...?
The dark figure gradually emerged from the smoke—a short figure wearing a yellow trench coat and Monkey Mask —the insignia of Konoha Anbu Ninja!
"With this outfit, are you a ninja from Konoha's Anbu?"
Upon seeing the figure at the dining table, Hanzo the Salamander's expression suddenly turned extremely ugly.
After gradually enjoying the benefits of power, Hanzo the Salamander had lost his former courage. He enjoyed the power in his hands and feared death... Yet now, someone had actually dared to enter his heavily guarded building.
They even walked right through his personal guard and came right up to his dining table!
Chiyo's eyes widened in shock upon seeing the figure before her. She quickly retorted to Hanzo, " Hanzo, why are there Konoha Anbu Ninja infiltrating the negotiating table? Your defenses are far too lax."
"Damn it, kill this Konoha Ninja!" Hanzo the Salamander looked at the figure on the dining table, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes, and commanded the Amegakure ninja around him with murderous intent.
Upon seeing this, Chiyo and Ebizo's eyes flashed with joy. They quickly withdrew from the area, leaving the battlefield to the Amegakure ninjas inside the room. In fact, based on Chiyo's understanding of the person in front of her, she recognized him at a glance— Konoha's strongest new generation Sato Hideaka.
However, the intention behind her words was to provoke Hanzo the Salamander, causing him to react against Sato Hideaka. Even if she couldn't actually kill Sato Hideaka, merely injuring him would be enough to ruin their mission, given Tsunade Senju's protective nature and volatile temper.
However, Hanzo the Salamander's actions were also very impressive. Countless Shuriken and Kunai, like swarms of locusts, flew densely towards Sato Hideaka, who was sitting on the table with the exquisite dishes. Many of the Kunai had a bright yellow tinge on their backs, which was the color of the Explosive Tag!
[ Light Release: Laser Kusanagi Sword ]
Sato Hideaka Chakra clenched his right fist, his thumb covered with a layer of bright red transparent crystal. He poured his Light Release chakra into this transparent and bright crystal, and through the principle of light refraction, it was concentrated into a thin, three-meter-long golden lightsaber, which was extremely dazzling.
With a slight tremor of his left hand, a flash of red light streaked through the air. Sato Hideaka, gripping the lightsaber, used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport away, instantly disappearing from the square table and arriving among the Sunagakure crowd. Next up was the Konoha Taijutsu Style [ Dance of the Crescent Moon ].
Three identical figures, wielding golden lightsabers, darted through the ranks of Amegakure ninja. Their exquisite swordsmanship was like a graceful dance, flashing with golden light as they instantly sliced Amegakure ninja into pieces, splattering blood everywhere...
This is an art of perfectly executed bloodshed and death! (To be continued.)