Intermission 『5』A threat?

This chapter was not edited.

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Inside the council hall, Rasa and the rest of Sunagakure's upper echelon were having a discussion. The tension was so thick one could cut it with a knife.

Rasa then raised his voice, breaking the silence and capturing everyone's attention.

"According to Baki's report, that woman was definitely one of Orochimaru's experiments. The curse mark is definite proof."

On the other side of the table, Chiyo's face was unusually grim.

"An Uzumaki that bears the snake's curse… And on top of that, she has the ability to absorb chakra. I am afraid that Orochimaru has created a monster."

Her words made the hall go silent once more. Everyone fretted over the implications of such a matter. Rasa rubbed his forehead and sighed.

"If used correctly, this woman could be a great asset to our village. Should we try to acquire her?"

The one speaking was the Hoki Family's representative in the council. She was a beautiful woman, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She bore a striking resemblance to a certain classmate of Gaara's.

"That could be troublesome. According to the report, she seems to not be stable, mentally… It could turn into a problem instead of a benefit."

Chiyo chimed.

"For now, let's focus on Orochimaru. Has the message been relayed to Konoha?"

"Yes, Lord Kazekage. They have already responded, here is the scroll they sent."

One of the council members; tasked with village relations, rose up and delivered a red scroll to Rasa. The latter opened it and examined its contents, his lips curling into a smile.

"Heh, these people are filthy rich."

On the scroll, Konoha had stated what they would give in exchange for Orochimaru's whereabouts. And it wasn't little.

"Alright, start the second phase of the negotiations! Let the games begin."

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『Konohagakure』

Inside a secret room in the Hokage tower, Hiruzen, Homura, Koharu and Danzo were sitting around a small table, having tea. A scroll was in Hiruzen's hands.

"We shouldn't be giving this much resources to the puny sand village. Imposing our rules would be a much more efficient manner to resolve this."

Danzo hadn't expected this to happen. Why would the sand offer to ally with the leaf? This changed everything.

"Relax, Danzo. In my opinion, their demands are on the low end. The fact that they're even offering assistance to capture Orochimaru is great already."

"But how do we know that it isn't a trap? What if they're tricking us?!"

Danzo's voice was now full of anger and resentment. Were these people blind?

"Danzo! They provided us with enough proof, I can guarantee that myself. The seal they sent was undoubtedly from Orochimaru, and their story was checked by ANBU and the intelligence department."

"If we succeed, I'll be able to rest in peace… Anbu!"

Two masked men flickered into the room, next to the Hokage.

"Go look for Jiraiya, and deliver him this scroll. I want him to be here before the Chunin exams."

"Hai!"

Taking the scroll with them, both Anbu disappeared, leaving the room silent. Danzo looked like he had swallowed a fly.

'Grr… Things are not going the way they should be… Madara.'