In a dimly lit cave, several phantom bodies flickered into existence, standing atop the ominous fingers of the massive Gedo Statue! Their forms distorted as the eyes of the Akatsuki members lay on Nagato. Hidan immediately complained, "What is it this time? Did we already capture the second Jinchuriki?"
Nagato answered, "Not quite. However, there has been an interesting development."
Everyone followed his gaze and looked at Zetsu. White Zetsu reported, "Konoha was attacked by Sunagakure and Otogakure half a day ago. It was quite a shocking battle!"
Sasori chuckled and said, "So they finally broke that ridiculous alliance. Took them long enough. What about Orochimaru? Did he show up too?"
As his partner, Sasori was well aware of the fact that Orochimaru led Otogakure. White Zetsu answered, "Yes, he was the main attacker. His methods were quite terrifying. As expected of a Legendary Sannin. Maybe it's a good thing you didn't find him, Sasori. I'm afraid it'll take a lot more than one group to take him down."
Sasori frowned but before he could reply, Itachi asked, "So, did Konoha lose?"
Black Zetsu answered, "The opposite. The Third Hokage is a force to reckon with despite his old age. And, Konoha was prepared for their assault."
Deidara complained, "Stop increasing the suspense and just tell us what happened already."
White Zetsu informed the Akatsuki about the events in Konoha. Despite their aloofness and arrogance, almost all of them were shocked by what had happened. Needless to say, what shocked them most was the improvement in the Edo Tensei jutsu. After all, if Orochimaru had reanimated a dozen dead Kage against them, they would be in extreme danger. Forget defeating him, even escaping would be a challenge. The only ones who still had confidence in facing him were Nagato, Itachi and Hidan.
Kisame muttered, "Incredible. Despite facing a dozen rank S ninja, the Third Hokage still sealed them and defeated Orochimaru. How injured are they?"
Black Zetsu answered, "I'm unsure. Gold and Iron dust was covering the barrier in the ending stages of the battle, so it was difficult for my clones to see. I'm not even sure what jutsu the Third Hokage used to seal the reanimated ninjas and defeat Orochimaru.
However, he was unconscious after the battle and needed the Toad Sage Jiraiya and the Spectral Swordsman Fujin to save him from Orochimaru's subordinates. In addition, he doesn't seem to have made any public appearance yet. So, it's safe to say that his injuries are serious.
Orochimaru looked in a weird state as well. From what little my clones could see, his arms seemed to be paralyzed. From his rage, that injury won't be easy to heal."
Zetsu's clones had kept an eye on the arena and other spots attacked by Sunagakure and Otogakure ninjas. However, they couldn't get too close. As good as they were at stealth, they would be discovered by the Hyuga ninjas if they became too active. As such, they couldn't get a good look once the Third and Fourth Kazekages began defending the barrier. Even after the war ended, Konoha was in a state of high alert. So, Zetsu's clones couldn't investigate.
Hidan chuckled and said, "If both the Hokage and Orochimaru are injured, then this might be a good chance to kidnap the Jinchuriki of Nine Tails and kill Orochimaru at the same time."
He was immediately refuted by Nagato, who said, "The Nine Tailed Beast is quite different from the other Tailed Beasts. The Gedo Statue can't absorb it right away. We'll need to seal the weaker Tailed Beasts first."
Konan added, "Even if we could do so, attacking Konoha at this time would be foolish. Once Konoha loses their Jinchuriki, the other villages will become wary of us and might cooperate with Konoha to eliminate us. Even though they wouldn't be able to, it's easier to operate without them pestering us.
His statement immediately increased the panic in the room. Though no one made a move, their nervousness was very visible. Hiroshi was slightly disappointed with his council, but he couldn't blame them. Fujin's strength had become quite scary. He thought, 'With the strength he displayed, there is no doubt that he'll be a Hokage candidate in the future. If he becomes the Hokage, we can't have any animosity between us.'
Hiroshi sighed and said, "You're right. We'll accept Konoha's offer for help."
His statement surprised the council members. Several said at the same time, "But we are already winning the war and have done the main work. What's the point in taking Konoha's help now?"
Hiroshi explained, "That's the point. We're giving them the full money for doing an almost completed job. Since it is a deal put forth by him, Fujin will get the credit of getting such a lucrative offer for Konoha. And, since they were just attacked, they'll cherish the resources and funds even more.
This will raise his stature even more and he is smart enough to know that this was due to our decision. Though I don't think he'll ever repay this favor, he'll know that he can have an ally in us in the future."
The Kusa council members thought for a bit and agreed. Though it was costly for the village, it was way better than losing their heads. Not a single person opposed the move.
Suddenly, Hiroshi's expression hardened as he continued, "That said, this move serves another important purpose. Even though the reports say that Konoha didn't take much loss, we have no idea what the numbers are. There is also a small chance that they might be bluffing.
Even though we have destroyed half the forces of the rebels, their remaining forces are still quite formidable. How Konoha handles them will show us whether Konoha is still strong enough to deter Iwagakure or whether we need to make other arrangements to ensure our safety."
The Kusa Council understood what he meant immediately. After all, diplomacy was their speciality, at least when someone like Fujin wasn't sitting in the same room with a blade against their throats.
[A/N: Latest Chapter : Battling 7 rank S ninjas!]
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