Hearing this, Mito had a rough idea of what Nai Hyuga wanted to trade for.
She sighed and said thoughtfully, "You want me to give you the Nine-Tails, then use its power to protect the Land of Whirlpools, don't you?"
At that, Nai Hyuga's lips curled into a smile. "I'd expect nothing less from you, Lady Mito. You figured out what I was thinking so quickly."
Hope stirred in her heart as well. If she really could obtain the Nine-Tails this easily, she wouldn't have to go to all that trouble with her little schemes.
"You? Do you really think you can control the Nine-Tails?"
Mito suddenly said, "The power of a tailed beast is terrifying. Just look at the nations that possess them. How many people can fully master a tailed beast's power?"
It wasn't that Mito looked down on Nai Hyuga. Completely controlling a tailed beast and using its power was simply too difficult.
"Even I can't control the Nine-Tails, can I?"
"You..."
Nai Hyuga was at a loss for words, but Mito had a point. Whether she herself could fully control a tailed beast was still unknown.
In the end, she had been too impatient.
"If I don't try, how will anyone know?" she could only reply feebly. "Besides, it'll probably take those ninja some time to invade the Land of Whirlpools!"
"I believe I can master the Nine-Tails' power while there's still time."
Mito froze for a moment. She hadn't expected Nai Hyuga to be so determined.
"Phew..."
She let out a deep breath, torn over whether to agree to Nai Hyuga's request.
Strangely enough, her former self would probably have refused without a second thought. Yet now, she was actually hesitating.
She tightened her grip on her sleeves and paced back and forth along the