The Raikage ultimately agreed to the alliance.
He had no choice. After being beaten so badly in his own home, even with all his pride, he had no confidence that he could bring back the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki and Killer B with his strength alone.
In fact, the Raikage was growing impatient.
The Two-Tails' Jinchūriki was one thing, but Killer B was his younger brother!
They were not related by blood, but they were closer than blood brothers. Their brotherly bond was entirely genuine.
Every extra second Killer B spent in their hands was torment for him.
What was more, according to Konoha, the Akatsuki was capturing Jinchūriki for their Tailed Beasts, and once a Tailed Beast was extracted from its Jinchūriki, there was only one outcome: death!
After telling the Raikage that he would be notified of the meeting time later, Shikamaru Nara and his two companions headed for Kirigakure, their feelings a contradictory mixture of relief and heaviness.
But as soon as they arrived in Kirigakure, they keenly sensed that something seemed wrong with the village's atmosphere...
And that atmosphere felt somewhat familiar. After all, they had just experienced it in Kumogakure...
The three exchanged glances, an ominous suspicion forming in all their minds.
When they met the Mizukage, that ominous suspicion was confirmed.
Mei Terumi's expression looked as though she wanted to devour someone, leaving them alarmed and allowing them to roughly guess that Kirigakure's casualties must have been considerable.
And once Mei Terumi learned why the Konoha ninja had come, she agreed outright without much hesitation.
Had there been no opportunity, that would have been that. After all, the Three-Tails merely resided near Kirigakure.
But now that a chance for revenge had delivered itself to her doorstep, if she failed to seize it, she would lose the