Before long, a group of ninja had gathered inside the tent. A gap separated them, marking them as two distinct factions.
Kitsuchi stood in the middle. Opposite him was a young man. None of the ninja present underestimated him; after all, he was Ōnoki's son and represented Iwagakure in discussing a plan against Kumogakure.
Facing the gazes of so many powerful fighters, Kitsuchi showed no fear. He merely repeated the Tsuchikage's original words to those present:
"Lord Hatake, Iwagakure will join this battle, but we need a clear division of responsibilities. We will only be responsible for the Third Raikage, so the troops the Raikage brings must be dealt with by you."
The moment those words were spoken, Sarutobi Hiri, standing beside Uchiha Yuu, immediately objected:
"That is impossible. We have to handle the frontline troops and the army the Raikage brings as well. The losses would be far too great for us. You are only targeting one person. Even if he is extremely powerful, we are already at a complete disadvantage in this hunting operation!"
Sarutobi Hiri snapped back on the spot. They were both sons of Kage and close in age, so he was the best person to raise such objections.
This was also what Uchiha Yuu had privately instructed him before the meeting. Even if he said something wrong, it would not matter. Young people made mistakes!
He had told Sarutobi Hiri to watch his hand signals. Whenever Uchiha Yuu raised his hand, it meant the other side's demands were excessive and Konoha could not possibly agree to them. Sarutobi Hiri would need to play the bad guy.
Just as Sarutobi Hiri finished speaking, Kitsuchi, who was still standing, replied without hesitation:
"Our greatest concession is that we can send troops to assist Konoha in eliminating Kumogakure's