"There's nothing to talk about between us. Let me go now, or you'll be in deep trouble when the elite of the Kirigakure Anbu arrives."
Mei Terumi had no sense of being at the mercy of the vines; she struggled incessantly as they bound her.
Perhaps because she saw no hope of victory, Mei Terumi lost her alluring charm and the desire to feign weakness; after all, she was now as weak as she could possibly be.
Naoki Senju watched with a smile Mei Terumi struggled helplessly. The alluring, thorny rose that had been so captivating just moments before was now, without the protection of its thorns, beginning to feel fear and unease...
" Lord Mizukage is right. We could be discovered by the Kirigakure Anbu at any moment. How about we talk somewhere else, like Konoha Ninja Village in the Land of Fire?"
Mei Terumi all the Mizukage of Kirigakure, some died in battle, some died of old age, and some were manipulated for half their lives and eventually killed by their subordinates, but none of them were ever captured alive by other ninja villages.
And it was his first day as Mizukage!
This day was destined to be unforgettable for Mei Terumi...
What do you want to talk about?
Mei Terumi twisted her head, freeing her chin from Naoki Senju's fingers. Although Mei Terumi's eyes were still full of resentment, at least she didn't explode at the slightest touch like before.
"It's good that the Lord Mizukage is willing to cooperate. Don't worry, as long as the Lord Mizukage meets my requirements, neither Kirigakure nor Konoha will know about what happened today."
Mei Terumi fell silent. This was indeed an offer she couldn't refuse. Being captured alive by the enemy wasn't the worst outcome. As long as the ninjas of Kirigakure didn't know she had been captured, she would never have been defeated!
"Tell me, what exactly do you and Sannin, one of the Princess Tsunade, want by going through all that trouble to personally infiltrate Kirigakure?"
Unbeknownst to her, Mei Terumi had already placed Naoki Senju on an equal footing with the Sannin. Although Naoki Senju's methods were somewhat insidious, that's how battles between ninjas are—victory is the only pursuit.
"It's nothing serious. I just wanted to borrow the Three-Tails from Kirigakure." Naoki Senju wanted to casually touch Mei Terumi's smooth face, but remembering the deal wasn't finalized and he hadn't secured the Tailed Beast tenant, he decided to hold back for now...
As expected... Mei Terumi's heart sank. The only things Kirigakure that could be valued by Kirigakure, Tsunade the Sannin, and Naoki Senju, who possessed Kage Level strength, were those two Tailed Beast.
The Six-Tails Jinchuriki is quite strong, and with the Tailed Beast inside him, he is the lifeblood of Kirigakure, a trump card that cannot be used until the very last moment. No matter how bold you are, you would never dare to target the Six-Tails.
On the contrary, the Three-Tails, whose Jinchūriki had just died and which had become a wild Tailed Beast, was naturally the most coveted prey for these people. Iwagakure's main target this time was the Three-Tails, which had lost its Jinchūriki.
" The Three-Tails is too important; I don't have the authority to decide. This matter needs to be decided through an internal vote within Kirigakure."
Mei Terumi was spouting nonsense with a straight face. If she were released back into Kirigakure, she could immediately gather the elite of Kirigakure's Anbu, or even mobilize the entire village of Kirigakure to hunt down him and Tsunade at any cost.
Naoki Senju's expression gradually turned serious, like an interrogator about to inflict torture on a prisoner. Mei Terumi subconsciously squeezed her legs together, several interrogation methods commonly used in Kirigakure flashing through her mind...
"Wait!" Mei Terumi interrupted Naoki Senju's 'casting animation' with a hurried tone.
Naoki Senju maintained his serious expression, his sharp, hawk-like eyes sweeping over Mei Terumi, the gist of which was: You'd better agree quickly and save yourself some face, otherwise, things won't be so dignified later...
"That was just normal negotiation procedure. Although your offer is very tempting, I can't just hand over the Kirigakure's Tailed Beast so easily. In short, the Kirigakure needs other forms of compensation."
Mei Terumi was on the verge of tears. She had assumed that Naoki Senju, with his immense strength, must hold a confidential and important position in Konoha and be well-informed about these negotiations. But who could have known that Naoki Senju had never even been to Konoha...
"Oh? What kind of benefits?"
Mei Terumi breathed a sigh of relief; it was good that they could talk. She was terrified when they threatened to torture her without saying a word.
"Since Kirigakure implemented the ' Bloody Mist ' policy, trade with the other four countries has stagnated, and we now have to start from scratch. However, the other four countries still have very low trust in Kirigakure. Therefore, I hope that Konoha can take the lead in trading with Kirigakure, exchanging Kirigakure's seafood and Ninja Blade for Konoha's sealing scrolls, Explosive Tag, and other ninja tools."
When it comes to the development of trade between Kirigakure and Konoha, Mei Terumi, as the Mizukage, shows no awareness of her status as a prisoner and instead becomes extremely confident and aggressive.
However, Naoki Senju was somewhat uninterested. He had no concrete idea of the value of the Kirigakure's Ninja Blade, and if he casually agreed to Mei Terumi, he might very well cause Konoha to lose everything.
While it's possible to break the contract, it would severely damage Konoha's glorious image. It's better to leave this kind of negotiation to the Nara Clan.
"Let's talk about that later. Now, take me to see the Three-Tails."
Mentioning the Tailed Beast, Mei Terumi, who had been speaking eloquently, hesitated again. Even if she couldn't seal the Three-Tails for the time being, it was still Tailed Beast of Kirigakure. How could she easily hand it over to the people of Konoha...?
Seeing that Mei Terumi was trying to stall for time again, Naoki Senju acted decisively this time, controlling the trees to change their shape, binding only Mei Terumi's limbs and exposing her alluring figure to the air.
" Katsuyu, leave a few small clones behind. There's no need to fight anymore. Go back to Shikkotsu Forest."
Hiding behind Naoki Senju, the Katsuyu on the edge of the field obediently split into two smaller individuals.
"Yes, Lord Naoki."
With Naoki Senju's current strength, he naturally doesn't need Katsuyu to assist in battle. In fact, he even needs to spare some attention to protect Katsuyu, since Katsuyu ' main ability is to heal and support, not to be a warrior-type summon.
Seeing two limp Katsuyu covered in an unknown slime slowly crawling towards her, Mei Terumi instinctively felt a sense of foreboding, but it was too late...
In the Katsuyu's long lifespan, today's experience is quite unique...
Mei Terumi shook her head, feeling both itchy and strange. She never wanted to experience that feeling of soft-bodied creatures crawling over her skin and leaving behind a sticky liquid again.
Regarding the ownership of the Three-Tails...
" The Tailed Beast were all captured by your village's First Hokage, and the Three-Tails was no exception. Now it's simply being returned to its rightful owner, Kirigakure guarantees they will have no objections!"
Mei Terumi cooperated fully and conciliatoryly, finalizing the ownership of the Three-Tails. One wonders if Three-Tails Isobu, would be so enraged by being traded as an object that it would flood Kirigakure...