Once the intelligence exchange was over, the people in the Hokage Office who had still been smiling immediately turned serious and focused.
"Hokage, aside from obtaining information on the Perfect Jinchūriki, I came to Konoha to handle another important matter. I believe you have already guessed what it is."
Matters like an alliance were best discussed sooner rather than later.
The Third Raikage did not beat around the bush and directly expressed his intention to form an alliance.
"Raikage."
After giving it some thought, the Third Hokage said, "Jingyi mentioned your intentions to me when he returned to the village. Coincidentally, I was also considering forming an alliance with your village."
"It seems the alliance talks between our two villages will proceed quite pleasantly."
The Third Raikage smiled.
Kumogakure wanted to find a reliable and powerful ally. Coincidentally, Konoha wanted the same thing. They had hit it off immediately.
Originally, Kumogakure had not intended to form an alliance.
After all, Kumogakure was already strong enough on its own. An alliance did not mean much to them.
But as Konoha displayed increasingly greater strength, the Third Raikage began to take the matter seriously.
Before the First Shinobi World War, Tobirama Senju had wanted to form an alliance with Kumogakure. Why could Konoha not form one with Kumogakure now?
Both villages were powerful, and Sunagakure had even become half of Konoha's little brother. More importantly, the two villages were separated by a vast distance. The principle of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones applied in any world.
Without direct conflicts of interest, an alliance between the two villages would only be a union of powerhouses.
The Third Raikage said:
"The Land of Fire has abundant resources and a well-developed commercial sector. Kumogakure is not lacking in those areas either. After forming