The Land of Lightning.
Kumogakure, Raikage's Chamber.
Ai's face was incredibly gloomy, his entire face like a dark cloud churning with molten lava, as if only a spark would be needed to completely detonate this giant powder keg.
Killer B has been missing for a week.
Current intelligence confirms that Bi was captured by Konoha.
With so much time having passed, it's impossible to predict what might have happened.
Ai was consumed by deep self-blame and regret.
If he hadn't been so overconfident, he wouldn't be in this situation now.
"That bastard Uchiha Mirai... and those three villages..."
Ai gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with resentment.
He had already seen through the shamelessness of the Three Great Shinobi Villages.
It's simply impossible to expect them to rescue Bi.
They will only take the opportunity to weaken the Kumogakure's strength and maximize their own interests.
This brat is not capable of any scheme!
Ai cursed the Three Great Shinobi Villages in his mind!
What time is it now?
If Konoha continues to grow, where will they find room to survive?
These guys have such a narrow perspective!
Just as they were filled with resentment, the door to the Raikage's room was suddenly knocked open.
"Lord Raikage, this is a letter from Konoha..."
The messenger tremblingly handed over a scroll.
"A letter from Konoha?"
Upon hearing the words "Konoha," Ai's eyes instantly turned red!
"What's that bastard Uchiha Mirai doing sending a letter at this time? Is he trying to mock me?"
Despite his anger, Ai knew this was not the time to act rashly, so he took the scroll and began to read it.
His pupils contracted sharply when he saw the first line of text on the scroll!
'Lord Raikage, you wouldn't want your brother to suffer, would you?'
Ai took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in her heart, and continued reading.
'It's not impossible to get your brother back, but prepare the following ransom!'
What follows is a long list of material requirements.
It contained a series of items including Ninjutsu scrolls, knives, and minerals; A even found a training method for Lightning Release Chakra Mode among them.
"Damn it! Does this guy think I'm an idiot?!"
Ai Qi trembled all over, and the scroll was kneaded into various shapes in his hands.
The Cloud Ninja kneeling below trembled with fear, not daring to utter a sound.
After thinking it over for a while, Ai gradually calmed down.
The Raikage Chamber fell into dead silence.
Until one moment, Ai broke the silence, speaking in a hoarse and unwilling voice.
"Reply to the letter and change it!"
A few days later.
Ai received a reply from Konoha, which mostly praised Ai for his love and care for his younger brother. Then, the letter changed the subject, saying that the previously agreed ransom was too small and needed to be increased.
"Hateful!!!"
Ai crushed the scroll, his muscles bulging and veins throbbing, his eyes bloodshot.
Is Uchiha Mirai taking him for a fool?
Although the letter was unsigned, there is no doubt that it was signed by Hokage Uchiha Mirai!
He has already delivered a portion of the supplies according to the agreement.
If you back out now, you'll lose all the supplies along with them!
The loss of two Jinchuriki in quick succession is already an extremely terrifying price to pay; if we add the previously acquired supplies...
Ai's eyes were unpredictable.
He could not afford this price, nor could the Kumogakure.
"Change!"
The reply was still a brief one-word message.
If Ai had received an education from another world, a familiar term would immediately come to mind...
Sunk costs.
His sunk costs are too high; there's simply no way he can turn back!
A few more days passed.
Ai received a reply from Konoha, which also praised Ai's courage in his eagerness to save his brother and expressed understanding and approval.
Then the conversation shifted again.
They indicated that the previously agreed ransom was too low, and that the Jinchuriki's status warranted a higher price.
The last line of the letter stated that if A agreed to the new ransom terms, Konoha could send Yugito and Killer B back together.
Ai is going crazy.
His hand trembled slightly as he clutched the letter. The torment of the past few days had brought him to the brink of mental collapse. His bloodshot eyes were filled with exhaustion and madness.
He felt like a clown walking on the edge of a cliff, one wrong step and he would fall into an abyss!
While increasing the ransom, Konoha also brought out the Yugito.
Both risks and returns have increased significantly.
Konoha also faces the risk of breaking the agreement, but what if they do?
What if Uchiha Mirai keeps his promise? What if he really releases Killer B and Yugito?
Does he have any other options now?
After a long, deathly silence, a hoarse voice emerged.
"Change..."
As a result, scouts from various ninja villages discovered a strange phenomenon: for more than a week in a row, the Kumogakure secretly transported a terrifying amount of supplies to the Konoha.
These supplies were like dung balls pushed by dung beetles, being transported to Konoha one after another without stopping.
This caused widespread panic among the high-ranking officials of the various ninja villages, who wondered if the Kumogakure Konoha.
Then, a scout relayed a message.
The Raikage of Kumogakure let out a heart-wrenching roar from his room, his voice hoarse and echoing throughout the village.
This continued for several days in a row, every single day.