No wonder Akatsuki had returned empty-handed from both invasions of Kirigakure, without gaining so much as a scrap.
After seeing off two groups of uninvited visitors, Gekkō Raito finally welcomed his third guest of the day.
Sasuke Uchiha.
Raito sized up Uchiha Sasuke before him. The kid had finally deigned to change his clothes instead of wearing those torn rags from Orochimaru's snake den.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Raito was a little puzzled.
Sasuke felt uncomfortable under his gaze. "What are you looking at?"
"Where's that flashy ragged outfit you wore before?"
"It was torn into strips. Do you think I could still wear it out?"
All right, you've got a point.
"Coming to see me at a time like this-need something?"
Sasuke raised his eyebrows. "Didn't you earnestly invite me to join Kirigakure before?"
Raito slapped his forehead in realization. "Oh, right, right! There was something like that. I've been too busy lately. My head's a little muddled."
At those words, dark lines appeared on Sasuke's forehead. Was this guy reliable at all?
"Did you genuinely want me to join, or were you just saying it?"
Sasuke now seriously doubted Raito's sincerity.
Raito shrugged. "Of course I meant it. But whether you join is up to you. I like to let things take their course. Kirigakure's doors are always open to you."
With that, Raito lowered his head again to deal with the seemingly endless paperwork.
Although he had the Great Sage cheat to assist him, far too much official business had piled up over the past few days.
Many crucial decisions required his personal approval.
For example, the Land of Tea had applied for navigation rights in the Land of Water's waters. No one dared decide such major matters involving diplomacy and territorial waters