The Konoha side prepared themselves. As they expected, Sunagakure would fight tooth and nail to ensure that Konoha wouldn''t have a say in who became their Kazekage.

    Arisa said, "We can''t give you a say in who becomes our leader. It''s a strict no for us. However, we understand the points Suzuki Fujin made yesterday. As such, we want to offer you something that will be even more beneficial for Konoha."

    Homura asked, "What is it?"

    Arisa replied, "In exchange for giving up on this demand, we will not only give you our knowledge on puppetry techniques, as you want, but we will also give you Elder Chiyo''s research in this area."

    ——

    With the help of a Yamanaka ninja, Shikaku used a Chakra Transmission Communication device to contact Fujin''s army. To his surprise, the one talking was Renjiro and not Fujin. He thought, ''On one hand, it''s a relief that I don''t have to convince him. On the other hand, the fact that he isn''t communicating despite having such critical information is worrisome. I hope he isn''t acting independently right now...''

    From the perspective of others on the council, Fujin wouldn''t make such a bold move as it would hurt his prospects of becoming a Hokage. They were only worried due to Fujin''s youth and relative inexperience. However, Shikaku understood very well that Fujin didn''t have much interest in taking such a troublesome responsibility. So, he was far more worried. Unfortunately, there wasn''t much he could do to stop Fujin from such a long distance away.

    He explained his reservations to Renjiro and told him not to make a move as of now. In the end, he said, "For now, let''s wait for the negotiations to end. If they are successful, we''ll give up on this opportunity since we''ll gain a lot anyway."

    However, if they are still incomplete, I''ll discuss the matter with others in the council to make a decision. Most likely, Fujin will have to make a move during the night to eliminate most, if not all of the squads Takahiro marked. In the meantime, have a few Yamanaka ninjas read the memories of the dead ninjas to ensure that Takahiro''s information is accurate and that this isn''t a trap. Also, ensure that Fujin doesn''t make a move until we give orders."

    Renjiro replied, "Alright, I''ll see what I can do."

    He began walking back to the main tent while thinking, ''As I suspected, the village is still against starting a war impulsively. If Lord Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade had returned and Lord Third and Kakashi had healed, the situation could have been different. However, right now...''

    Renjiro sighed and wondered, ''Now, how do I convince Fujin? He has become way too adventurous in the last few weeks. Sigh, I hope he hasn''t already snuck some clones out...''

    Returning to the main tent, Renjiro informed the rest about Shikaku''s decision. Once he was done, everyone looked at Fujin, wondering what he''d do. The senior ninjas were slightly nervous. However, Fujin''s response would stun every one of them!

    ——

    In Land of Hot Water, Orochimaru reappeared in his base and saw Jugo weaving hand seals once again. He dropped to the ground and rested against the wall while breathing roughly. He muttered, "That''s enough. You can stop now. I have broken the contract."

    Jugo stopped weaving hand seals, but he couldn''t believe his ears. He wasn''t the only one. The remaining subordinates of Orochimaru in the base were shocked to their core!

    For decades, Orochimaru''s name had been intertwined with the snakes of Ryuchi Cave. Their raw power and cunning had been one of his greatest weapons, carving a bloody legacy through countless battlefields. Alongside the other Sannin, his snake summons had toppled armies, striking terror into all who opposed him.

    Hiromasa''s words surprised everyone. In a moment, everyone glanced at him. Homura and Koharu wondered, ''What in the...? What is he doing?''

    Meanwhile, the Sunagakure side wondered, ''For our good? How is it in our interest for Konoha to have such a power over us?''

    Had it been anyone else, they would have rejected it right away. After all, the deal was nearly done. They could see that others were on board. However, the one speaking was the clan leader of the legendary Senju clan! Hence, Yura and Arisa decided to see what he was talking about.

    Yura asked, "What do you mean?"

    Hiromasa sighed and said, "I know you have your doubts. But believe me, if you know what I do, you would agree without a second''s hesitation."

    The Sunagakure ninjas frowned. It didn''t sound like Hiromasa was lying. However, they couldn''t make such a huge decision by trusting the words of their enemy. Even so, they hesitated. Arisa realized, ''The key here is the information he knows. It''s likely he wants to give that information to make us agree to this. In a way, he''s selling information to us for these rights.''

    She quickly analyzed before concluding, ''If this information is truly that important, then agreeing here wouldn''t be a loss. Luckily, we still haven''t reached our bottom line. I can link their veto with Wind Daimyo and it''ll still be acceptable for Sunagakure. The only question is, is that information worth such a price?''

    Arisa calmed down and asked, "What is the information?"

    [A/N: Next chapter: Battling 7 rank S ninjas!]

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