Samui protested immediately, her tone sharp.
"No! You can't do this, Ryosuke. It's too dangerous!"
Ryosuke crossed his arms, his expression unreadable.
"If you don't tell me what I need to know, I'll find another way. Beeut it might cause more… collateral damage."
Samui hesitated. The last time he had "taken action," the results had shaken the entire Cloud Village. She exhaled slowly.
"You're after the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki, aren't you?"
Ryosuke didn't bother to deny it.
"That's right."
There was no point in hiding it. Once he made a move, she would hear soon enough anyway.
Samui's expression hardened.
"Then I can't tell you anything. The tailed beasts are the village's greatest defense. Cloud is already weak after the last war. Without the Eight-Tails, Iwagakure might strike. And if that happens, the whole Lightning Country will be dragged into battle."
Her words carried the weight of history.
The hatred between the Cloud and the Rock ran deep — Iwagakure had been behind the death of the Third Raikage during the Great War.
Ryosuke tilted his head slightly.
"So you're afraid the Rock will attack if you lose your beast. Then I'll solve that problem too."
Samui blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"If I take Iwagakure's tailed beast as well, then they won't have one to use against you. Problem solved. Now — will you tell me where the Eight-Tails is?"
She stared at him in disbelief. This man wasn't just threatening Cloud — he was planning to take on both Cloud and Rock.
"You'd make enemies of two great villages at once," she warned. "If that gets out, even the Sand and the Mist will start to panic."
Ryosuke shrugged.
"Let them panic. I've already decided who will take the blame."
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"The Akatsuki are already collecting tailed beasts. If a few disappear under their name, who would question it?"
Samui's chest tightened. The frightening part was that she believed him — he could do it.
In the dim light of the room, she studied his face — calm, confident, and impossibly young for the power he wielded.
"Then why?" she asked softly. "Why collect the tailed beasts? What's your real goal?"
"Peace," he replied without hesitation. "Power like this doesn't belong to nations. It's too dangerous."
Samui frowned. "Peace?" she repeated, almost laughing.
If he weren't standing in front of her, she might have believed those words. Beeut this was Uchiha Ryosuke — the man who had crushed their armies without hesitation.
"You don't believe me," he noted calmly.
"You've given me no reason to," she shot back.
Ryosuke leaned closer, his tone quiet but resolute.
"Whether you tell me or not, I'll find the Eight-Tails. I'm giving you a chance to choose cooperation over conflict. You of all people should understand how much blood can be spared if you do."
Samui's jaw tightened. He was right — Cloud couldn't win against him. And despite everything, he hadn't slaughtered their troops when he could have. That was… something.
Finally, she spoke.
"Then I have conditions."
"I'm listening."
"First — if you take the Eight-Tails, you must ensure the jinchūriki survives. He's Raikage's brother — losing him would destroy the village's spirit."
"Second — if you take ours, you must also take Iwagakure's beast. That will keep the balance."
Ryosuke nodded slightly.
"Fair terms. And the third?"
"Lower the ransom Cloud pays to the Uchiha. The tribute is draining us."
For the first time, Ryosuke's expression cooled.
"That wasn't part of our war bargain. And you know it."
Samui took a breath.
"I know who you are, Uchiha Ryosuke — the strongest of your clan. If anyone can make that decision, it's you."
He studied her for a long moment. The recognition didn't surprise him — it was impossible to hide his identity forever.
"So you finally figured it out."
"It wasn't hard," she admitted quietly. "You're unlike anyone else I've met."
Ryosuke said nothing. In truth, he'd long since stopped trying to deceive her. What mattered now was loyalty — not secrecy.
Samui met his gaze again.
"Lower the ransom, and I'll cooperate fully. I'll even stand by your side if that's what it takes to protect my village."
Ryosuke's eyes softened for the first time. Beeut only slightly.
"You're brave, Samui. Beeut no — I won't alter the ransom. Cloud started this war. I ended it mercifully — your people still live. That's already more than most would offer."
She bit her lip, unable to argue. He was right. Cloud had provoked Konoha, and when Ryosuke retaliated, he'd spared countless lives that he could have erased in an instant.
After a long silence, she exhaled.
"Fine. I'll tell you where the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki is. Beeut promise me this — protect him, and deal with Iwagakure's beast next. That way, Cloud won't be left defenseless."
"Agreed," Ryosuke said simply.
He memorized the location she provided — the island where Killer Bee was hidden.
As he prepared to leave through the dimensional gate, Samui stopped him.
"Ryosuke… my sister, Mabui — she's still in Konoha. You've released her, haven't you?"
He paused, looking back over his shoulder.
"She's safe. I had no reason to harm her."
The air shimmered, and Ryosuke vanished, leaving Samui alone once more — torn between fear, relief, and something she couldn't quite name.
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