A Gamble, Progress Is Within Reach

After discerning the opponent's elaborate layout, Hayato and his group did not act rashly. Instead, like wise men, they silently prepared their countermeasures.

Subsequently, the group set out on their journey, traversing winding paths and overcoming hardships until they finally reached the agreed-upon location.

The envoy from the Land of Snow stepped forward, standing before the others, his voice as resonant as a bell.

"We have arrived."

Before the words had even faded, the sound of soft footsteps echoed from nearby.

Immediately after, eight figures appeared in their line of sight, accompanied by two bound youths.

Though the two youths had their mouths gagged, their eyes shone with excitement. They struggled desperately, but bound tightly by hemp ropes, they could only squirm in vain.

Witnessing this, Hayato could not help but knit his brows, thinking to himself, The numbers are wrong. It seems the other side had the same idea.

When he had come here to scout earlier, he had discovered that the opposition had deployed ten ninjas to this location.

Hayato exchanged a subtle glance with Sakumo, their mutual understanding unspoken.

At this moment, the envoy from the Land of Snow also sensed that something was amiss, but he remained calm, continuing to act according to the original plan: "As agreed, let us proceed with the exchange."

The other side nodded in agreement and began to move forward slowly, escorting the two youths.

The envoy from the Land of Snow waved his hand, signaling the researchers behind him to follow. They looked nervous, yet they had no choice but to steel themselves and move forward.

Hayato quietly reached for his ninja tool pouch, and Sakumo also stealthily moved his right hand toward his back.

Just as the two parties were only ten paces apart, a low and firm "Now!" rang out simultaneously from both camps.

Following this, a sudden storm swept through the area.

The eight ninjas from the Land of Arc charged toward the Land of Snow group like tigers descending from a mountain.

Meanwhile, the two youths, who had appeared to be completely defenseless, suddenly erupted in a puff of smoke, instantly transforming into ninjas wielding ninja blades.

However, there was not a hint of surprise on their faces, for the enemy ninjas were already charging toward them like arrows released from a bow.

"What is going on? Are you not worried that we might strike at these talents?" a ninja with a scar on his face roared.

They had originally planned to use these researchers as bargaining chips to force the other side into hesitation, never expecting that the opposition would launch an attack without a second thought.

Seeing this, the envoy from the Land of Snow immediately retorted, "You were the ones who broke the agreement first!"

A flash of ruthlessness appeared on the scarred ninja's face. "I don't believe you don't care about the lives of these people. Do it!"

As he spoke, he lunged forward and grabbed one of the researchers.

However, at that very moment, the researcher in his grasp suddenly turned into a puff of smoke and dissipated without a trace.

Immediately after, the surrounding researchers also vanished into smoke, one after another, like falling dominoes.

"Damn it, we've been played." The scarred ninja's expression turned ugly.

Both sides had actually thought of the same thing.

Shadow Clones combined with the Transformation Technique, I see.

"Since the sneak attack failed, it seems we have no choice but to use force."

The Land of Snow side did not slow down, charging straight toward the enemy.

Knowing that the opponent had made preparations here, they had arranged for the original researchers to be in another safe location.

They then had the Land of Snow ninjas each create four or five clones, which were then transformed into the researchers to attend the meeting.

The battle was on the verge of breaking out, and the two sides quickly clashed.

Hayato was the first to engage a blue-haired youth. Seeing that Hayato was still young, the youth could not help but show a look of contempt.

"Kid, are you in such a hurry to die?"

However, before he could finish his sentence, Hayato vanished from his spot like a ghost.

In an instant, he appeared to the youth's left, delivering a flying knee strike with his right leg that slammed into him with immense force.

"You talk too much."

The blue-haired youth felt a massive impact and went flying to the right, sliding a long distance and kicking up layers of dust.

Hayato pressed his advantage, appearing instantly before the youth and driving his kunai into the man's neck like a bolt of lightning. Blood splattered everywhere.

Kunai, first kill, Hayato murmured to himself.

He had not expected that the first person he killed in this world would be with a kunai.

Furthermore, he estimated that this ninja was likely only a Genin.

The commotion here quickly drew the attention of the Land of Arc side.

The scarred ninja frowned; he had not expected casualties on his side so quickly.

"Damn brat!" he roared, swinging his ninja blade at the Snow Ninja blocking his path.

After shaking off his opponent, he flashed forward, lunging straight at Hayato.

"Hayato, watch out!" Sakumo, who had been keeping a close eye on the battlefield, immediately warned him.

"Too late!" The scarred ninja gripped his blade with both hands and brought it down in a fierce, overhead strike: "You stinking brat, don't get too cocky—die!"

However, the ninja blade sliced through nothing but air.

Hayato's voice drifted eerily into the scarred ninja's ear: "Tell me, are you really a ninja?"

"When... when did you?" Before the scarred ninja could even turn his head, he felt a heavy punch slam into his abdomen.

Before he could react, a sharp pain erupted in his gut, and the scarred ninja was sent flying backward.

"Ugh."

Hayato's hands moved in a blur, weaving hand seals.

"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

Three fire dragons roared as they lunged at the scarred ninja, swallowing him in a sea of raging flames.

The battered scarred ninja gazed at Hayato, fear surging in his heart.

He couldn't help but feel anxious; why hadn't the others come out yet? Could they not see that they were completely outmatched?

They were ninjas hired by the Land of Arc, acting as cannon fodder for the vanguard.

On the other side, the Cloud Ninja hidden in the shadows witnessed everything.

"Konoha really did send someone. Captain, what do we do? Fight or retreat?" a dark-skinned Cloud Ninja with navy hair asked anxiously.

"Captain!" The others began to urge the Cloud Ninja captain as well.

After a moment of silence, the Cloud Ninja captain finally muttered, "Damn it, why would Konoha send him?"

This remark left the other Cloud Ninja on the scene confused.

"That weapon, and that silver hair—I can't be mistaken. That man is the White Fang of Konoha," the Cloud Ninja captain explained slowly.

Upon hearing this, the other Chunin stiffened, while the Genin remained completely bewildered.

As fresh recruits who had never experienced the Second Shinobi World War, these Genin naturally did not know the great name of the White Fang of Konoha.

"Then, Captain, should we abandon the mission?" a Chunin asked tentatively.

The Cloud Ninja captain shook his head. "It seems we have no choice but to negotiate for now."

He knew full well that they were no match for the White Fang of Konoha. Therefore, he decided to change tactics and seek a peaceful resolution.

After waiting for Hayato and his group to finish off all the ninjas from the Land of Arc, the Cloud Ninja finally revealed themselves.

They wore cloaks, hoods, and masks, presenting a mysterious and inscrutable appearance.

However, for Hayato and his party, who had already identified the people behind the scenes, their appearance caused little stir.

"Is this your sincerity?" The envoy from the Land of Snow stepped forward, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction.

The Cloud Ninja captain replied coldly, "Didn't you fail to follow the agreement as well?"

Neither side would yield, and the atmosphere reached a stalemate.

"Let's renegotiate," the Cloud Ninja captain broke the silence. "You bring our demands, and we release the hostages. How about that?"

"Furthermore, to show our sincerity, we can release one hostage first, and once the transaction is complete, we will release the other."

The envoy from the Land of Snow pondered this. He looked toward Sakumo, hoping for some advice.

However, Sakumo simply sheathed his blade with a calm expression. "The envoy may decide for himself. We will do our best to ensure the safety of the hostages."

He was playing it completely safe.

Hayato, standing to the side, sighed inwardly: A man's reputation is like the shadow of a tree. He knew the enemy was only holding back because they feared Sakumo's strength.

Since the enemy was in a weak position, why should they be so honest?

He quietly walked over to the envoy from the Land of Snow and whispered in his ear.

"We have the upper hand now. We can push for more demands to test their limits—for instance, reducing the number of personnel we provide."

"Will that work?" the envoy from the Land of Snow asked, skeptical. What if they just snapped?

"Give it a try. Haggle a bit. If we can cut down the number, it'll be a great achievement when we get back," Hayato continued to push.

The main reason Hayato wanted to get involved was to see if he could keep the Kazama brothers. If he could convince them to go to Konoha, it would be a huge win.

Besides, the bargaining chips had nothing to do with him; he had nothing to lose either way.

At that moment, it was as if two tiny figures had appeared in the mind of the Land of Snow envoy.

The black figure whispered, "Take the risk; progress is right before your eyes."

The white figure pointed at the black one and said, "Yes, he's right."

Fine, let it be.

The envoy from the Land of Snow took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said, "Our side is very dissatisfied with this transaction. To avoid this happening again, we have decided to provide only technology, not personnel."

The Cloud Ninja captain's face turned grim instantly. "That's impossible!"

The envoy from the Land of Snow did not back down. "Then there is nothing to talk about? Lord Sakumo, let us leave and reconsider." With that, he turned to walk away.

Seeing this, the Cloud Ninja captain felt a pang of panic and gritted his teeth. "We can agree to let you provide ten fewer people."

The envoy from the Land of Snow curled his lips into a cold smirk. He turned back, his tone laced with mockery: "No! We can provide ten at most. They are all vital talents for our country."

The Cloud Ninja captain was incensed upon hearing this. "That is going too far, Your Excellency!"

However, the envoy from the Land of Snow turned to leave once again. Seeing this, the Cloud Ninja captain hurriedly shouted, "Half! It cannot be any less than that!"

The envoy from the Land of Snow stopped in his tracks and turned around. A warm, genial smile graced his face, as if he were not the same man who had been ready to flip the table just moments before. "Very well! It's a deal!"

The Cloud Ninja captain inwardly cursed himself for offering such a low price, but he had no choice but to accept.

On the other side, Hayato calculated in his mind: A fifty-fifty chance, is it? Then it will depend on the luck of the Kazama brothers.