Keep the music playing, keep dancing!

After seeing Ebizo and his party off, Hatake Sakumo immediately turned and returned to the inner room.

Kakuzu was leaning comfortably back in his chair. When Sakumo entered, he lifted his eyelids.

"Well? What is Sunagakure planning?"

Sakumo looked grave as he said, "Ebizo has taken it upon himself to invest all two hundred million ryō in Sunagakure's treasury into the Angel Plan."

"What?!" Kakuzu bolted upright, nearly sending his sunglasses sliding off. Disbelief covered his face. "Two hundred million ryō?! Has being poor driven him mad?"

He paced back and forth, muttering, "For a place as poor as Sunagakure, I'd estimate their entire annual military budget at a billion ryō, tops. They've actually forked over two hundred million in one go. I reckon that's the last of their reserves."

Kakuzu's brows knitted tightly as he looked at Sakumo. "This is no small matter. We can't decide on our own. We need to send word back and ask Lord Hokage what he wants—whether we stop here or keep reeling them in."

Sakumo nodded solemnly. "Understood. I'll send someone to deliver the intelligence to Konoha immediately."

Meanwhile, in the Land of Fire Capital.

Inside a grand hall, strings and flutes played softly as wine cups passed back and forth.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire and Kagami Uchiha sat facing each other, sharing drinks and chatting about affairs of state. The Daimyo spoke with deep satisfaction about the current situation and delight at bringing the Land of Grass under their control.

Just as the drinking was in full swing, Hayama Shirakumo strode into the hall. Holding a confidential letter in both hands, he bowed and presented it to Kagami Uchiha.

Kagami Uchiha took it, opened it, and quickly scanned its contents. His expression shifted slightly.

The Daimyo raised his