Zhengye asked,
"How many Seawater Desalination Bases have we built so far?"
Pakura turned serious. "We planned more than a hundred, enough to use up all the Thermally Conductive Crystal Ore."
"But just as the bases at Gourd Mouth and here were completed, Iwagakure posted a job on the Black Market. Construction everywhere else stopped."
"Now that Gourd Mouth has been blown up, the Seawater Desalination Base at Sea Mountain Cliff is the only one still operating openly."
Zhengye rubbed his chin. "So you came here to wait for them?"
"I arrived a little too late to catch Deidara and Sasori."
Pakura sounded displeased at first, but a hint of pride soon crept into her voice.
"But we won anyway."
Zhengye considered that. "So what are you planning to do next?"
"You came to discuss a battle plan with me. Why am I the only one talking?"
Pakura sat on the nearby desk, bracing herself with both hands behind her while her legs swung over the edge.
"I wanted to see whether you had a good idea." Zhengye also wanted to see what sort of strategist Pakura was.
Pakura rested one hand on her knee and propped her chin on the other.
"I'm certain that whatever I suggest, you'll come up with something better."
"So let's do it your way."
Zhengye laughed. "All right. Let's go."
"Huh?" Pakura stood up, bewildered. "Where?"
"You said you'd follow my lead, didn't you? So come with me."
Zhengye wore a half-smile, as though he were joking.
Pakura hopped down from the desk and followed him.
"Fine. Let's go."
Seeing that she really had followed him, Zhengye narrowed his eyes slightly.
When he and Pakura stepped outside, they saw Itachi, Aikawa, and Xianghu standing a short distance from the tent.
Zhengye gestured to Itachi.