It's late at night, but the lights are still brightly lit in the newly listed Joint Command Center.
Baishi was sitting in the commander's position. The tea in front of him was already cold. He did not move.
His fingers scratched silently on the table, as if he was playing out an invisible chess game. The encrypted emergency report from Kakuzu on the table was scrawled with ink, and there was a smell of burning money between the lines.
Shikaku Nara stood beside the sand table, frowning.
"It goes beyond the scope of the agreement and requires additional remuneration or technical support." Shikaku repeated the key content of the intelligence in a low voice, with a hint of solemnity in his voice, "This is a typical commercial kidnapping. Kakuzu is sure that we cannot let this operation fail."
The atmosphere in the command center is a little depressing. The dirty work that was outsourced is now biting the employer back.
Baishi's fingertips stopped.
"Reinforcement?" He finally spoke, his voice was very calm, "How can we have troops to reinforce? The border guards of Konoha are responsible for guarding the national border, not to shed blood for a commercial dispute of a 'civilian security contractor'."
His words were very soft, but like a ruler, he clearly drew a red line.
Of course Shikaku understands. Once Konoha's regular troops cross the border, all the previous political foreshadowing and legal packaging will be in vain. The nature of this operation will change from a "commercial liquidation" with blurred boundaries to a complete armed invasion by Konoha against Land of Wind.
The "Joint Law Enforcement Memorandum" that just took effect will immediately become a piece of waste paper.
"But if there is no reinforcement and only more money, Kakuzu's appetite will become bigger and bigger." Shikaku pointed out another dilemma, "This time it is Autonomous Puppets. Next time he can say that he has met Impure World Reincarnation. This transaction will become a bottomless pit."
There was a brief silence in the office.
Kakuzu's abacus was very precise. He used the battle damage as a bargaining chip to force Konoha to make a choice: either pay a higher cost, or bear the consequences of failure of the operation and all the initial investment being in vain.
Baishi picked up the cup of already cool tea and took a sip.
"So, we will neither provide reinforcements nor increase money."
Shikaku raised his head and looked at Baishi, with questioning eyes.
Baishi put down the tea cup, stood up, and walked to the huge sand table. His eyes fell on the red mark representing "Withered Cicada Workshop" on the Land of Wind border line.
"Shikaku, who is responsible for this battle damage report?"
Shikaku thought for a moment and answered cautiously, "According to the contract, it is the contractor, that is, Kakuzu's own business risk."
"No." Baishi shook his head and tapped his finger lightly on the sand table, "This battle damage occurred on Land of Wind's territory. So, whose responsibility is it to ensure the security of its territory?"
Shikaku's eyes suddenly lit up.
He instantly understood Baishi's intention.
"According to the accepted rules of Shinobi World, it is Sunagakure."
"That's right." Baishi's mouth curved with an almost imperceptible arc, "Our 'private security company' was attacked by large-scale illegal armed forces while conducting legal commercial activities in the territory of Sunagakure, causing serious casualties. As the owner of this land, shouldn't Sunagakure be responsible for this?"
Shikaku felt a chill rising from his back.
This is no longer simply shirking responsibility. This is creating responsibility, and then using this responsibility to leverage a Ninja Village, one of Five Great Nations.
"But... Sunagakure will not admit it." Shikaku said the most critical issue, "They will say that this is a dispute between us and the contractor and has nothing to do with them."
"It doesn't matter whether they admit it or not." Baishi turned around and sat back down in his seat, "What matters is that our procedures must be legal and our official documents must be impeccable."
He looked at Shikaku.
"In the name of 'anti-transnational biological smuggling Joint Command Center', send an urgent official letter to Sunagakure."
Baishi doesn't speak fast, but every word carries undoubted weight.
"First, the battle damage report and on-site intelligence submitted by Kakuzu are notified to Sunagakure as attachments, pointing out that a large-scale, high-intensity, self-evolving illegal armed organization has been found in the territory of Sunagakure. This organization has caused heavy losses to 'Konoha-Certified Security Company', which conducts legal commercial activities in the area."
"Second, emphasizing that the existence of this illegal armed force has seriously violated the terms of the "Fire and Wind Bilateral Border Joint Law Enforcement Memorandum" on jointly maintaining border security and stability, and poses a potential threat to the national security of the Fire Nation."
"The third and most important point." Baishi's eyes became sharp, "Sunagakure is formally required to immediately fulfill the ally obligations stipulated in the memorandum and send troops immediately to assist and ensure that 'Konoha-Certified Private Security Company' completes the cleanup of the illegal armed forces. All costs will be borne by Sunagakure."
Shikaku was completely stunned.
He looked at the young Hokage in front of him and was speechless for a moment.
Kill someone with a borrowed knife.
Moreover, he held official documents and made the other party willingly hand over the knife to kill his own people.
If Sunagakure sends troops, he will pay for Konoha's suppression operation, fight the hardest battle and shed his own blood.
If Sunagakure refuses to send troops, it will be a blatant violation of the "Memorandum" just signed. Konoha will gain full legal initiative and can legitimately escalate the situation.
This is a conspiracy. A conspiracy that puts Sunagakure in a dilemma, and no matter what choice he makes, he will lose.
"I understand." After a long while, Shikaku took a deep breath and bowed down to accept the order, "I will personally draft this official letter to ensure that every word complies with the regulations so that they cannot find any faults."
Shikaku turned around and left quickly, with a trace of excitement and trembling on his back.
Baishi sat alone in the office and poured himself a cup of hot tea again.
He knows that Kazekage Rasa is not a fool. If this official letter is handed over, the other party will definitely become furious.
But what he wants is the other party's anger.
Because anger will make people lose their calmness, thus exposing more flaws at the negotiation table.
On the afternoon of the next day, the official letter was delivered to Sunagakure through the most formal diplomatic channels.
Just three hours later, an encrypted reply letter from Highest Level from Kazekage Office was placed on Baishi's desk.
Shikaku personally untied Scroll, glanced at it quickly, and his face became a little strange.
"Lord Hokage, Rasa... reply."
"What did he say? Refusing to send troops?" Baishi asked, as if he had expected it.
"No." Shikaku shook his head with a complicated tone, "He did not refuse. However, he made a condition."
"Oh?"
"Rasa said in the reply that Sunagakure is willing to fulfill its obligations as an ally and can even send out elite Puppet Corps led by elder Chiyo himself. However, the Autonomous Puppets technology of 'Withered Cicada Workshop' has an unknown source and is too strong. In order to ensure the operation is foolproof and avoid causing greater casualties..."
Shikaku paused, raised his head, and looked at Baishi.
"He requested that Konoha must share 'Deep Tailed Beast Chakra Stabilization Technique' as a technical guarantee for this joint operation."