"Forgive my presumption, but on behalf of all the bewildered ninja and villagers of Kusagakure, I dare to ask..."
Mui deliberately worked just the right amount of "confusion" and "hurt" into his voice as he looked straight at Naruto:
"As far as we know, Kusagakure has always kept to its place. We have never deliberately offended the mighty Konoha, nor have we ever had any direct conflict with you or personally offended you, sir."
It was at this moment that Mui stepped forward.
Their survival or destruction now depended on a single whim of the man before them. Even though Mui had spent years secretly charging the Box of Ultimate Bliss with chakra from the ordinary people imprisoned in Hozuki Castle, it still had not reached the threshold required to open it.
All I can do is stall.
Mui quickly made his decision.
He shot a meaningful glance at the Monkey Mask Elder, who lay slumped on the ground beside him.
The meaning of that look was clear: Stay calm. Don't say anything reckless. Let me handle this. Find a way to buy time!
Meeting Mui's gaze, the Monkey Mask Elder seemed to seize upon his last lifeline. He managed a nod, curled up, and dared not make another sound.
After that tiny gesture, Mui drew a deep breath, suppressed the terror churning inside him, and took another two steady steps forward.
He raised his head and looked toward the white figure atop the Nine-Tails' head on the hill. Even while looking up, he maintained a peculiar, restrained composure, neither servile nor overbearing.
He spread his hands slightly in a gesture that asked, "Why?"
"Then might we ask you... to tell us why you have mobilized such force, even going so far as to unleash the Nine-Tails, to attack a