- Yes, we did it! - Yahiko exclaimed, raising his fist upwards in a victory gesture.
Nagato gave a barely audible sigh, and Konan smiled - they had long been used to the character of the leader of their trio and organization. All the time since the meeting had ended, he'd been holding back the feelings that had been simmering inside him, and it was only when the three of them were at the base, gathered together and hidden from the gaze of their subordinates, that he'd allowed himself to relax and shed the mask of the serious shinobi.
- We are finally close to the fulfillment of a long-held dream," the kunoichi, usually reserved even in ordinary life, allowed herself to be genuinely happy, "although at one point it seemed to me that Hanzo Salamander would not accept our terms and everything would end in battle.
The negotiations were very tense and difficult, each side was waiting for the other to attack, despite the fact that it was simply not beneficial for anyone to start a battle - the forces of the contracting parties were roughly equal and they all wanted the same thing.
- Hanzo-sama may be one of the strongest fighters in the shinobi world, but his golden years are long gone, despite his monstrous fighting power even now," the red-haired boy said rationally, "and with the onset of old age, he needs an heir to whom he can pass the burden of power and not worry about the safety of his family, relatives and supporters in Amegakure.
The gradual integration of Akatsuki, which had quickly become a formidable force even by the standards of full-fledged ninja villages only a few months after its founding, was scheduled to take place in a couple of weeks, when their base would be prepared to move into Hanzo's specially designated building complex.
Naturally, only after a certain shinobi had checked them out with his miracle eyes against unplanned construction surprises.
- I'm afraid if you hadn't demonstrated your strength to rival the Salamander's, the result might have been quite different," Yahiko shook his head, "the vast majority of shinobi respect only strength, and the poisonous old man is no exception.
The training battle they had proposed, where Akatsuki would pit its strongest fighter against Hanzo, demonstrating the seriousness of its claim to power in the Rain Country, proved to the latter that the brash youth was a force to be reckoned with, no matter how much Yahiko was disgusted by it.
To achieve his goal of protecting his native country from the fate of an eternal battlefield between powerful neighbors, he had to play by the rules and show his teeth.
- And because of that, I'm the one who has to fulfill the agreement to marry one of the Salamander's granddaughters," the scarlet-haired shinobi grinned, glaring menacingly at his comrades, "even though the real leader of the three of us is Yahiko!
- I'm sorry," the aforementioned smiled embarrassedly, casting a quick glance at his girlfriend.
Nagato rolled his eyes - the look on the couple's faces, full of relief that such a fate had fallen to the other, made it clear even to an outsider, not just a close friend who had known them for years.
- Your sacrifice will not be forgotten! - Conan solemnly folded her hands in a gesture of prayer, breaking out of the usual image of a cold beauty.
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