The moment the Third Hokage revealed this expression, Danzo had a rough idea of what this old guy was planning.
"Sarutobi... are you sure you want to leave this matter entirely in my hands?" Danzo asked coldly.
The Root division could take on risks—they had always borne the risks for you. But the Root couldn't just keep taking risks without gaining anything in return. The Root also needed to reap some rewards!
"I never said entirely in your hands, but since we can't reach a consensus, we might as well each try our own methods."
The Third Hokage exhaled a puff of smoke, "It's all for Konoha... isn't it?"
"Heh!" Danzo's gaze carried a touch of mockery, but more than that, it was filled with fervor!
"In that case, then I want a person from you."
Danzo's sharp gaze bore straight into the Third Hokage, "You must agree!"
...
"Young Master Wakika, we're just saying, is there any way to negotiate different terms?"
At the foot of Mount Kikyo, Kokuo lay prone on the ground, looking up at the "strangely behaving" human in front of him.
Minato finally gathered the courage to speak. This was his third attempt to ask for Wakika and Five-Tails Kokuo-senpai's "forgiveness"...
The first two had been rejected outright. The first time, he hadn't even finished speaking before Wakika almost had the Five-Tails prepare a Tailed Beast Bomb.
And it was a genuine Tailed Beast Bomb!
How could something like that be easily brushed off as just "taking a hit"?
Fortunately, Orochimaru was there to stop Wakika and offer some advice, or rather, grant a few permissions.
"No way." Wakika frowned in disdain. "The Uchiha clan is all about fairness. You hit me once, I hit you back once. You attacked Kokuo with a Tailed Beast Bomb, so Kokuo must hit you back with a Tailed Beast Bomb."
"After that, we're even, and all grudges are cleared."
Wakika squinted slightly, "Jounin Minato, you're a ninja with the Will of Fire, right? Surely you understand this basic logic?"
The logic was sound.
But Tailed Beast Bombs aren't just any ordinary attack!
Minato felt a bit overwhelmed, though he was grateful that Orochimaru was still speaking on his behalf.
"Young Master Wakika, I do think Minato here is sincere. Why not listen to what he has to propose?"
"...Alright then." Wakika had always shown respect to Orochimaru, especially after receiving the "order" to purify the Will of Darkness.
Wakika gave Minato a deadpan look, "Speak."
"Hehe..." Minato shot a grateful glance at Orochimaru before extending his hand and beginning to gather chakra.
"Young Master Wakika, you see, this is the jutsu I was just practicing. It's called the Rasengan. It's truly not a Tailed Beast Bomb but rather a technique inspired by the Tailed Beast Bomb, which I developed into a seal-less jutsu."
Minato's face bore a bright smile as he explained, "I've been developing this jutsu for a long time, and now it can be used in actual combat. I've even begun exploring other applications. If you're interested, I could... teach..."
Minato's speech trailed off, and his expression gradually froze.
Wakika had also extended his two small hands, and chakra was wildly swirling in them, forming not one, but two Rasengan!
"And this... you..." Minato's eyes widened, his voice faltering in shock. It took him a moment to shout out, "How is this possible!?"
"You really are a cunning ninja, Jounin Minato."
Wakika looked at him with disdain, "This is clearly a Tailed Beast Bomb, yet you're trying to trick me into thinking it's some new seal-less jutsu you developed? And what did you call it... Rasengan?"
"What, do you take me for a three-year-old? Do you think I've never seen a Tailed Beast Bomb before?"
This was truly amusing. Who hasn't spent a few years learning Rasengan?