He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
After a long time, he opened his eyes.
"... Okay." His voice was hoarse, as if he had exhausted all his strength, "As long as they follow you voluntarily, I won't stop them."
Minato's eyes widened.
"Lord Third--"
Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his hand to stop him.
He looked at Shaoyu, his eyes full of bitterness.
"You should know that when Uchiha Madara defected, not many people were willing to follow him."
He said, as if to comfort himself.
"Uchiha Clan... It's not that easy to leave their homeland. They have lived here for decades, have relatives, friends, and memories. They won't leave with you just because of your words."
Shaoyu smiled.
That smile made Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart sink.
"Third, you are right." Shaoyu said, "Uchiha Madara defected back then, and indeed not many people were willing to follow him. But do you know why?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen said nothing.
"Because Uchiha Madara didn't take anything with him when he left."
Shaoyu said, "He left Konoha alone, full of anger and disappointment. He did not make any promises to the tribe, did not give the tribe any hope, and did not tell the tribe that he would live a better life after leaving."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out the window at the Kumogakure military camp.
"But I'm different."
He turned around and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"I have Kumogakure as my backing. I have eight thousand troops as my backing. I have several years of business as my guarantee. I can tell every Uchiha clansman."
"Follow me, you will have a new clan, you will have a new life, you no longer need to be monitored, you no longer need to be on guard. Your descendants can do what they want to do openly, and they don't need to be looked at differently just because their last name is Uchiha."
"And..."
Shaoyu said.
"You dagger really don't understand the injustice Uchiha Clan has suffered at Konoha over the years!"
"Cao!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen was scolded by Shaoyu, but he couldn't say anything at this moment.
After all, they are telling the truth.
Uchiha Shaoyu sorted out his emotions.
He walked back to his seat and sat down again.
"Third, how many people do you think... will be willing to follow me?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face became extremely ugly.
He didn't dare to think about it.
Because he knows the answer.
Shaoyu didn't give him much time to think.
"This is the first condition." He said, "Now let's talk about the second condition."
Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his head.
"I want Nine-Tails."
????????????
This sentence was like a bomb that exploded in the room.
"What?!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up suddenly, his face turned livid. His hands were trembling, and his whole body froze in place as if he had been struck by lightning.
Minato's pupils suddenly shrank, and the young face lost all color in an instant. His body instinctively took a step forward, blocking in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, staring at Shaoyu.
Orochimaru's snake pupils also widened, and for the first time, a shocked expression appeared on his always calm face.
He even forgot about the injury on his chest and leaned forward, as if to confirm whether he heard correctly.
"Nine-Tails?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was trembling.
"Are you crazy? Nine-Tails belongs to Konoha, it is the foundation of Konoha! It is Tailed Beast that Master First Hokage gave to Konoha! Why do you--"
"I know." Shaoyu interrupted him, his voice as calm as if he was saying Tenten is feeling good today, "But what I want is Nine-Tails."
"Impossible!" Minato couldn't help but rush forward, his fists clenching loudly, and veins popping up on his forehead, "Absolutely impossible!"
Shaoyu looked at him, not angry, but smiled.
"Minato Namikaze, I know you are anxious." He said, "But don't be anxious yet."
Minato Why are you not in a hurry?
Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is Kushina Uzumaki.
It's his wife.
It's the person he loves most.
They had just gotten married and were still looking forward to their future life.
If Tailed Beast is removed from Jinchūriki's body, Jinchūriki will die.
This is the common sense of Shinobi World. From ancient times to the present, no one can survive after Tailed Beast is extracted.
"If you want Nine-Tails, you want Kushina's life!"
Minato's voice was trembling, and his eyes were a little red.
"I will never allow it! Even if I risk my life, I will never allow it!"
"Minato, don't get excited."
Sarutobi Hiruzen said.
Shaoyu looked at him and was silent for a moment.
There was no mockery or joking in those eyes.
Then he nodded.
"You're right." He said, "It's really not good to kill someone's wife in front of them."
Minato was stunned.
What does this mean?
Shaoyu continued, "Let's do this, I will give you two guarantees."
He held up a finger.
"First, Kumogakure is exchanged for Two-Tails."
Minato frowned.
Two-Tails of Kumogakure?
Shaoyu said.
"Two-Tails, the same is Tailed Beast. If you exchange Two-Tails for Nine-Tails, you will not lose. If you exchange one Tailed Beast for the other Tailed Beast, Konoha will not lose its combat power."
Minato said nothing.
Two-Tails is not a big loss if you exchange it for Nine-Tails.
Although Nine-Tails is stronger, Konoha is not a big loss.
But the question is, what should I do if Tailed Beast is exchanged for Jinchūriki?
Will Kushina die?
Shaoyu noticed his doubts and raised a second finger.
"Second, I have a way to ensure the safety of Kushina Uzumaki."
Minato's eyes widened.
"How is it possible?!" He blurted out, "If Tailed Beast pulls away, Jinchūriki will die. This is common sense! From ancient times to the present, no one can break this rule!"
Shaoyu smiled.
"Common sense?" he said, "Common sense is meant to be broken."
He stood up and walked to Minato.
The two of them were less than three steps apart. Minato could clearly see his eyes. There was a kind of confidence in those eyes that no one could question.
"I, Uchiha Shaoyu, never lie to others. I will definitely do what I say."
Mei Terumi:???????
Aren't you going to lie?
Minato is thinking.
If rejected, is Kushina safe now?
No.
What will Shaoyu do if rejected?
He said that Nine-Tails can be obtained in other ways.
For example, wait for the next war.
In the next war, will Konoha lose?
In the next war, can Kushina escape?
How many people will die in the next war?
Minato Countless thoughts flashed through his mind. He wanted to refute and argue.
But he couldn't say it.
Because he knows that it is useless, if he exchanges Two-Tails for Nine-Tails, Third Hokage will definitely agree.
"Of course." Shaoyu added, "You can also refuse. If you refuse, I won't force you."
His tone was calm, but Minato felt a chill.
"I will kill all the prisoners and lead the army to directly attack Konoha. Maybe Konoha, a behemoth that has been established for decades, will be eaten by me?"
Minato knows that this is not a threat, but a fact.
Konoha has lost.
Lost miserably.
Now, they have no chance to bargain.