Doing business means asking a sky-high price and settling for a lower one. Negotiation happens when there's give and take.
There's no such thing as walking away the moment you disagree, giving no room for bargaining.
To Chiyo, Orochimaru's words and actions were completely unreasonable.
But what Orochimaru said next was even more baffling. Why could he be sure that the Akatsuki would change their target?
"The Akatsuki's only goal is to prevent Konoha from greatly increasing its strength. However, if they possess this surgery, they can achieve the same goal."
Orochimaru's lips twitched, his smile turning sinister.
"To form an alliance with Sunagakure, I've already shared the surgery details with Sunagakure Village. Guess who they'll choose to attack between Konoha and Sunagakure Village?"
Everyone present was shocked and angered. Only then did they realize Orochimaru's malicious intent. It was truly venomous!
Granny Chiyo frowned. "If you spread this enormous lie, Sunagakure will sever its alliance with Konoha afterward. How could the Akatsuki…"
"It's just a diversion,"
Orochimaru spread his hands and laughed. "Who would believe it?"
As he spoke, he pointed to the corpse in the hall, held up by earth spears and spikes.
"Look, their only spy just died. And before that, news of our deal had likely already spread."
Everyone glanced at the completely dead White Zetsu and suddenly understood. Orochimaru's previous actions had this hidden meaning.
"Moreover, everyone in the ninja world knows my reputation and deeds. If a deal hadn't already been struck, why would I have helped Sunagakure with the Tailed Beast rampage for no reason?"
Orochimaru winked, his smile becoming more unrestrained. "Or do you think I, Orochimaru, am a benevolent hero in the eyes of the Akatsuki?"
The inn echoed with Orochimaru's sarcastic laughter, which sounded quite jarring to the ears of the Sand ninjas.
Granny Chiyo and the others were furious, but at the same time, a sense of helplessness arose. They understood that Orochimaru was now clinging to Sunagakure Village.
Before, they thought Orochimaru had reformed, or was trying to be nice in advance for a future deal. They never expected it to become a bargaining chip for his threats.
As expected, Orochimaru's favors were not easily taken.
Granny Chiyo glared at Orochimaru, a malicious thought arising in her mind, a killing intent igniting.
Sunagakure would not be threatened so easily. If they fought Orochimaru here, paying a heavy price, there would be no reason for the Akatsuki to believe they were colluding.
The elite ninjas present had all fought on the battlefield and were highly sensitive to killing intent. The Konoha ninjas instinctively prepared for battle.
No matter how old she appeared now, she was still the poison master who had caused immense casualties to Konoha in two ninja wars. No one would underestimate her.
The Sand ninja Anbu also gripped their weapons, the atmosphere in the inn's hall becoming heavy, battle imminent.
Orochimaru, however, remained unfazed, a relaxed smile still on his face.
Meanwhile, Ebizo placed his hand on Granny Chiyo's shoulder and gestured with his eyes towards the lower part of Orochimaru's seat…
There lay an unconscious child, their village's One-Tail Jinchuriki.
Granny Chiyo loosened her grip, her expression somewhat bitter.
Let alone Orochimaru's own strength, the mere act of Shukaku breaking free from its seal would throw Sunagakure Village into chaos.
If war truly broke out, the consequences would be no less severe than an attack by the Akatsuki. The village simply couldn't afford it.
Every step, whether to advance or retreat, its initiative was calculated by Orochimaru. Sunagakure Village was in a difficult dilemma.
Orochimaru lowered his head, idly playing with the teacup in his hand.
In reality, Chiyo's thoughts were still too simple.
Even if they decided to show defiance and fight to the bitter end, Orochimaru wouldn't give them that chance.
Using Gaara, the One-Tail Jinchuriki, as leverage, he would immediately present the next option.
He would return the Jinchuriki to them, in exchange for Sunagakure Village ensuring that Konoha's group could leave Sunagakure Village unharmed.
Fighting back was not impossible, but overall, it would be too wasteful.
The purpose of coming to Sunagakure Village was to minimize the impact of war on Konoha. Shifting the disaster to Sunagakure was a very good option.
Orochimaru didn't care whether the Akatsuki obtained the "Body Enhancement Surgery," but simply handing it over to them lacked credibility and seemed too peculiar.
But by using Sunagakure Village as a sacrifice, and having the Akatsuki personally conquer a ninja village, with the "Body Enhancement Surgery" as the spoil of war, although there were still many loopholes, it made sense logically.
The Akatsuki obtained a strengthening surgery equivalent to Konoha's, and the two powers re-entered a state of opposition. Neither Konoha nor the Akatsuki would have any objections.
As for Sunagakure Village being destroyed because of this, Orochimaru didn't care. They chose their own path. He had given them a chance.
This nonchalant attitude made Granny Chiyo's lips tremble with anger. She immediately understood what the Hokage's advisor, Utatane Koharu, must have felt.
But at this point, there was no other way.
No matter which choice they made, Sunagakure Village would suffer unavoidable losses. Among them, bowing down in submission was the least severe.
After a long silence, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, suddenly spoke, his expression solemn. "Even if I agree today, what then? Can you Konoha guarantee you won't stab us in the back?"
Between the two choices, choosing the path of submission would avoid immediate losses, but Orochimaru could still carry out his previous plan at any time. Moreover, because Sunagakure Village accepted the proposal, the presence of a few more wooden ninjas in the village would further enhance the credibility of the story.
Whether Sunagakure Village served as Konoha's sacrifice depended entirely on Orochimaru's whim, something Rasa, as Kazekage, could not accept.
Orochimaru's series of actions had already proven that his favors were not easily obtained.
"That, well, would require your cooperation. We can discuss that later."
Orochimaru licked his lips. "Regardless, if you agree, I will officially begin the surgery for you today…"
It was a joke. This move was a fatal trump card. How could Orochimaru easily let it go? What if Sunagakure Village reneged on its promise afterward?
Under normal circumstances, it would be fine. No one dared to owe Orochimaru a debt. But now was not the time. He had to deal with Nagato's situation with all his might.
Sunagakure Village actually had no choice but to accept passively. By choosing the latter, they could at least gain some tangible benefits.
As the weaker party, to still try to maintain their dignity and fight to the death would make Orochimaru's previous schemes and his own power a joke.
However, after all, they were one of the five great ninja villages, on par with Konoha. Simply forcing them would not work. They had to be given some face.
After pondering for a moment, Orochimaru chuckled, breaking the tense atmosphere.
"Trust is mutual. In a short period, if we say our two sides are closely trusting each other, and Konoha will never betray its allies, that's naturally impossible."
"However, to show sincerity, I can take a step back first…"
Orochimaru pointed to Gaara, who was still unconscious. "Within these few days, as long as you decide on a suitable candidate, I will help you replace this incompetent Jinchuriki."
This move was a step back in the negotiation. After all, once the Tailed Beast was handed over, with this increase and decrease, Sunagakure would have some ability to resist, rather than being completely dominated as they were now.
Granny Chiyo and Ebizo exchanged glances. Both Kazekage advisors were somewhat moved. No matter what, getting the Jinchuriki card back into their hands was the priority.
But the Kazekage himself looked at Orochimaru, remaining silent, showing no sign of agreement.
Orochimaru asked with interest, "What, Your Excellency the Kazekage, do you not think this sincerity is enough?"
"I am just very curious why you are so determined to replace the Jinchuriki," Rasa said in a deep voice. "What you said earlier was from Sunagakure's perspective. What are your own thoughts?"
"Oh, this question is actually very simple," Orochimaru laughed. "We might have to fight the Akatsuki later, and naturally, I hope Sunagakure will also contribute. A capable Jinchuriki is very important."
Rasa countered, "But he only became a Jinchuriki one or two days ago. His combat power might not be as good as Gaara's."
"It's only a matter of familiarity. I have my ways."
Orochimaru smiled. "At least teaching them half-Tailed Beast transformation isn't too difficult."
Rasa's face was cold as he taunted, "Your Konoha's Jinchuriki died five or six years ago, and you still haven't introduced the next one. How can you prove your words are trustworthy?"
"Heh, that's a bit much," Orochimaru's lips curved. "Can the One-Tail and the Nine-Tails be compared?"
As soon as he said this, leaving aside the Sand ninjas' expressions, the unconscious Gaara trembled as if something was roaring and howling in anger.
As fellow Tailed Beasts, Shukaku had always been dissatisfied with the Nine-Tails, which emphasized "tail count as a measure of strength."
But what could dissatisfaction do?
The One-Tail Shukaku was not the weakest, but the Nine-Tails and Gyuki were the two strongest.
And in a real fight, the Nine-Tails could potentially defeat the other Tailed Beasts combined.
Such power was naturally not easy to control.
However, even so, Konoha's previous two Jinchuriki, though not perfect Jinchuriki, had still kept the Nine-Tails firmly under control. Even if they didn't win its heart, they at least had its body tied up like Jesus.
In such a situation, the One-Tail Shukaku would have been obedient long ago.
Rasa did not know the specifics of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's sealing, but the fact that Kushina could contend with the Tailed Beast's power without fully transforming into its Tailed Beast form was undeniable. Orochimaru's words were indeed hard to refute.
For a moment, there was silence.
"Tsk… Your Excellency the Kazekage doesn't need to be like this."
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Replacing the Jinchuriki will not lead to the death of the previous one. Guaranteeing Gaara's survival is also part of the sincerity."
When the Tailed Beast is extracted, the Jinchuriki dies. For Orochimaru, this was just one of the many common ninja world misconceptions.
The reason Jinchuriki die is because after becoming a vessel, their own Chakra merges with the Tailed Beast's Chakra. The Jinchuriki can absorb the Tailed Beast's Chakra, and vice versa.
Clearly, when Jinchuriki face the situation of their Tailed Beast being extracted, it's almost always when they are at a disadvantage. In the struggle for Chakra, they are at a disadvantage. At this time, the Tailed Beast will naturally show no mercy, devouring them like hungry dogs.
While the Tailed Beast can exist without Chakra, a ninja who loses Chakra will surely die.
This was a variation of survivor bias, and Orochimaru found it unsurprising.
Even counting Sunagakure's long possession of Shukaku, there had only been two or three generations of Jinchuriki, a very small number, so it was impossible to draw a proper conclusion.
Moreover, it was only in the last few years that the concept of a perfect Jinchuriki had emerged in the ninja world.
"This is impossible?" Rasa blurted out upon hearing Orochimaru's words.
"Nothing is impossible. You Sunagakure are far behind in the research of Tailed Beasts."
Orochimaru spread his five fingers and then slowly clenched them. "I heard you Sunagakure have special ninja tools used to seal Shukaku. I can try to separate the Tailed Beast now."
Rasa looked tempted, but behind him, his advisors and elders, as well as the other Sand ninjas, had strange expressions.
A Jinchuriki losing their Tailed Beast without dying was a good thing for Gaara himself, but on the other hand, he would lose his significance as a weapon of war. How would he be treated in the village?
After all, just tonight, the village had conducted a cruel test to strip Gaara of his other life meanings, reducing him solely to a weapon of war.
After doing so many cruel things, could they pretend that nothing had happened? Don't be ridiculous.
It was foreseeable that even if Gaara survived, he would suffer some form of… isolation.
But even so, could they tell Orochimaru that death was better?
Sand ninjas also had pride. Only when rooted in the village could they say it was for the greater good.
A moment of silence fell over the inn's hall, after which Kazekage Rasa waved to a Sand ninja Anbu. "Go and fetch the sealing pot…"
Whether it was sincerity or something else, this negotiation needed to be resolved as soon as possible.
"Yes!" The Sand ninja Anbu responded, disappearing like a shadow.
"Your Excellency the Kazekage, you are truly straightforward."
Orochimaru stood up and smiled. "Also, please choose a more suitable location. I doubt this inn will be appropriate for replacing a Tailed Beast."
"I understand," the Kazekage nodded slightly.
...
The night sky was clear, with a crescent moon hanging high.
The cold moonlight, carried by the whistling wind, spread across the desert, bit by bit, soaking into the heat left by the sun on the sand.
Konoha ninjas and Sunagakure ninjas stood on opposite sides, both feeling a chill.
Now that they were far from Sunagakure Village, without the villagers as hostages, the Sand ninjas felt less burdened by battle. Facing these mere two Konoha ninja squads, they couldn't help but wonder, perhaps…
Orochimaru was indifferent to this hostility, even smilingly saying, "If you are curious, you can stand closer."
Granny Chiyo said slowly, "Orochimaru, you are quite confident, aren't you?"
To control the One-Tail Shukaku, both Shisui and Orochimaru would have to expend a great deal of effort. The other Konoha ninjas were insignificant. If she attacked now, Orochimaru might not be able to defend himself.
"My confidence comes from myself."
Orochimaru smiled and formed hand seals. "Summoning Technique!"
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