"It's nothing."
Tsunade took a deep breath, showing a nonchalant expression.
"That's great. Then, Tsunade-sama, please hold back a little here. If you were to cause a commotion here, the Security Team wouldn't be able to stop it. The same goes for the three of you here. I don't really want to use violence on former colleagues."
This was not out of any so-called camaraderie from the past; Shikaku had reason to believe that beneath the opponent's smiling face, there was a deep desire for someone to cause trouble here, so that the problem could be solved once and for all.
Considering that the opponent had once defeated the Raikage, one of the Five Kage, this kind of deterrence was enough to make those present hesitant to act recklessly.
"Of course, the same applies to us. We're here for negotiations in good faith, and we certainly hope not to experience any unpleasant incidents with former colleagues."
Shikaku said sternly.
"Shikaku-san doesn't even blink when he lies."
"In that regard, it's mutual between us."
Shikaku countered without backing down.
"I see, I'm becoming more and more interested in the developments ahead. Anyway, if you all don't cause trouble here, I personally am very willing to host you. Likewise, if you intend to do something here, I would still be very happy."
Having said this, Ayane turned and walked away with a smile.
It wasn't until Ayane's figure disappeared down the corridor that the tense strings in Shikaku and the others' hearts slightly relaxed.
Shizune felt the same way; even the pink little pig following her beside continued to shiver even after Ayane left, seemingly having sensed something incredibly frightening, not daring to make any loud noise.
The only person who remained relatively calm was Tsunade.
She wasn't intimidated by the aura Ayane intentionally created, but instead stood there frowning, as if pondering something.
"Um, Tsunade-sama..."
"The probing ends here, little kid from the Nara Family, or rather, your goal should be achieved by now."
Tsunade interrupted Shikaku, sighing lightly.
Shikaku nodded, then continued, "Yes, I know. However, moving forward, please temporarily refrain from leaving the Land of Demons, Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade nodded rather perfunctorily, seeming not very willing.
"Also, regarding the Uchiha extermination incident mentioned earlier by Hyuga Ayane, the reasons behind it are actually quite complex. Tsunade-sama, don't be too credulous... After all, she left the village as a ninja, and will certainly use various unsupported claims to defame the Hokage-sama, to justify her departure from the village."
"I make my own judgments about such matters. However, I didn't expect you to reconcile so quickly with Teacher Sarutobi."
Tsunade still remembered that Shikaku was once a staunch supporter of Minato, the Fourth Hokage.
"Ah, I was somewhat reckless in my youth; now, one could say I've matured a bit."
Shikaku scratched his head awkwardly, looking quite troubled.
"Is that so?"
Tsunade seemed uninterested; she was about to return to the room when Shikaku spoke again:
"Actually, the Hokage-sama has been worn out for quite some time, and is in need of a suitable successor."
This remark seemed to imply something.
Or maybe his inner desire had never been extinguished by the flood of reality, still wrestling.
Tsunade's eyes showed a complex color; she went straight into the room without giving Shikaku an answer.
Shikaku sighed; after all, is it still not feasible?
To Shikaku, the biggest predicament Konoha faces today is not the renegade ninja possibly endangering the village's safety, but the absence of an enlightened leader.
Instead of concentrating the village's efforts on eliminating renegade ninjas, it's better to focus on developing itself.
As long as they become powerful, any difficulty will no longer be an issue.
Shikaku clearly felt that the inner world of the Hokage-sama began to stir.
Whether there's any causal link with the extermination of the Uchiha Clan, or some others were quietly suppressing the waves behind the scenes, like someone from the Root.
But failing to choose the most sensible approach also meant that the Hokage was no longer the confident Ninja Professor of the past, just an elder slowly losing determination as time corroded.
This is Konoha's greatest crisis, not the renegade ninja.
◎
Land of Wind.
Hidden Sand Camp.
Sarutobi Ryu came to Jiraiya's resting room, his expression slightly relaxed, as if something worthy of joy had occurred.
"What's up, Ryu?"
Sarutobi Ryu eagerly replied, "Jiraiya big brother, it's been confirmed that Hyuga Ayane is not on the frontline battlefield but rather stationed in the capital city, Shion City of the Land of Demons."
"What about Chiba Hakushi then?"
Jiraiya asked.
With Hyuga Ayane not on the frontline battlefield, that leaves only the position of the last person unconfirmed.
Uchiha Ruri positioned on the frontline battlefield was something already confirmed, so next step was to confirm the position of the third person, which would greatly increase the success of their raid.
Sarutobi Ryu answered, "This remains unconfirmed, but based on Shikaku-san's judgment, it's likely that Chiba Hakushi is at the frontline. Otherwise, the Land of Demons wouldn't be so aggressive and fierce on the battlefield here in the Land of Wind. They must have some form of reliance."
And this reliance, according to Sarutobi Ryu, is very likely the hidden third person at the frontline, Chiba Hakushi.
"Can't we be one hundred percent sure? But for the raid to succeed, we must also consider the uncertain factors. Then, based on the assumption that Chiba Hakushi and Uchiha Ruri are both on the frontline, let's proceed with the decapitation action."
The absence of one out of three is highly significant intelligence for Jiraiya.
The difficulty of the raid would also decrease significantly.
In facing just two, coupling with Hidden Sand's actions, Jiraiya was highly confident.
"Yes."
"I will pass on this information to the Kazekage. You all should prepare as well; do not let them see through any flaws. The point at which the enemies fall into the trap will be our time to strike and seize them at once."
After saying this, Jiraiya left the tent, transforming into a Hidden Sand ninja, and headed towards the tent where Kazekage Rasa was resting.
◎
In the front-line base office, holding the information Ayane sent, Hakushi finished reading, then smiled thoughtfully.
"Using Teacher Tsunade to hold one back in the rear? Quite a clever tactic."
Unfortunately, from the start, he never intended for Ayane to get involved in the frontline battlefield.
It wasn't just because Ayane needed to guard against uninvolved Ninja Villages in the rear, but also because the forces already deployed at the frontline were seriously saturated; there was no need to position Ayane there.
From Konoha's actions, Hakushi clearly sensed that the Hokage-sama had started to secretly panic.
Is it because of the Uchiha Clan matter? Fear of a reckoning down the line, a persistent setup of conspiracies unfavorable to Konoha, leading to the thought of cutting them off ahead of time?
Or is there a deeper reason?
The only certain thing is that Konoha genuinely intends to intervene in their battlefield here, and there won't be any possibility of detente between them.
The possibility of detente will likewise be difficult going forward.
Suddenly, the earth began to tremble, as if some formidable force was shaking the ground.
Hakushi instinctively looked out the window, seeing a massive shadow enveloping the sun in the sky, crashing violently against the base's outer walls like a tidal wave.
On the high walls of the base, the Ninja of the Land of Demons looked at the densely packed Hidden Sand ninja below, already surrounding the outer walls of the base, constantly launching ninja techniques along with kunai attached with explosive tags to bombard the barrier.
Standing unmovingly atop the sand-like tidal wave, a man with a resolute face and fierce desire in his eyes was none other than the Fourth Kazekage Rasa.
He manipulated the Gold Sand, causing it to swirl together like a tidal wave, pushing forward wave upon wave, incessantly.
The defensive barrier that protected the outer walls began to shake further under the fierce assault of the Gold Sand, intensely quaking.