C219

"What did you say!?"

Upon hearing the news, Third Raikage's face twisted in rage.

He never expected Ai to fail, and now Konoha dared to make such outrageous demands.

A ransom of 150 million ryo wasn't unreasonable for the return of Fourth Raikage, Killer Bee, and Tutai—their identities alone were worth that much. If they were handed over to the underground bounty exchange, they would fetch an even higher price.

But the real loss wasn't just the money.

The demand also included Cloud Shinobi's prized techniques—Lightning Style Chakra Mode, Cloud Shinobi swordsmanship, and various Lightning Style Ninjutsu.

And that wasn't all.

Konoha wanted a massive amount of natural resources, including copper, iron, and chakra metal—practically two years' worth of Cloud Shinobi Village's reserves.

To make matters worse, Konoha demanded full payment before the hostages would be released. There would be no option to pay in installments.

"Damn it! Cloud Shinobi Village will never sign such a disgraceful treaty!"

In a fit of rage, Third Raikage slammed his fist down, shattering the table beneath him.

"Prepare for war immediately! Konoha is going too far!"

"Raikage-sama, please reconsider!"

The Raikage's chief strategist and his secretary quickly stepped in, trying to reason with him.

"Konoha is already prepared for war. If we refuse, Fourth Raikage, Killer Bee, and Tutai might never return alive."

It was no secret that Fourth Raikage held valuable information about Cloud Shinobi Village. If Konoha interrogated him, the village's secrets could be compromised.

"Raikage-sama, we must negotiate with Konoha."

The Fourth Raikage's secretary pressed further.

"Even if Konoha refuses to lower their demands, we cannot allow Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee to remain in their hands."

After much debate, Third Raikage finally calmed down.

He had no choice but to send envoys to Konoha and attempt to renegotiate.

But as expected, Konoha refused to budge.

They insisted that Cloud Shinobi Village fulfill the treaty's conditions immediately—including everything Fourth Raikage had previously agreed to but never delivered.

When Third Raikage received the news, his fury erupted once again.

With a single punch, he obliterated another table.

But the next piece of news shook Cloud Shinobi Village even further.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had been wiped out.

Uchiha Fugaku's counterattack had crippled Kirigakure, forcing them into a full retreat.

Now, Konoha's forces were moving toward the Yuno border, reinforcing their frontlines.

Even if Cloud Shinobi Village declared war now, their chances of victory were uncertain at best.

And then there was Nawaki.

The young Konoha ninja had risen to Kage-level strength, proving himself in battle time and time again.

Third Raikage had fought Nawaki personally during the last Shinobi War. At first, it took both him and Tsunade to keep Nawaki at bay. But later, Nawaki became strong enough to fight Third Raikage alone—without losing.

He had watched firsthand as war forged Nawaki into a powerful warrior.

In fact, if Nawaki's teacher wasn't already next in line for Hokage, then Nawaki himself would have been the obvious choice.

There was no denying it.

If they went to war, Cloud Shinobi Village would lose.

After two days of deliberation, Third Raikage finally made his decision.

His voice was heavy with defeat.

"Accept their conditions… Have the village request aid from the Daimyō's mansion. Gather everything as quickly as possible. We will exchange it for Ai, Bi, and Tutai."

Cloud Shinobi Village had always prided itself on its strength—on its ability to one day become the greatest of the Five Great Nations.

But this time, there was no choice but to submit.

Cloud Shinobi ninjas had paid a steep price for generations, but when faced with Konoha, they had suffered repeated setbacks. Now, even Third Raikage's unyielding spirit was beginning to falter.

"Understood, Lord Third Raikage. I will send someone to the Daimyō's mansion immediately," his secretary responded.

However, convincing the Daimyō would not be an easy task—especially considering the enormous sum required and the fact that Cloud Shinobi Village's performance in the last war had been poor.

After this ordeal, the village's aggressive military policy might have to change.

With such a massive loss of resources and money, it would take at least a decade of recovery to return to full strength.

Meanwhile, Nohara Rin remained under guard in a secured house.

The outer perimeter was patrolled by armed guards from the Kain Chamber of Commerce, while biomechanical warriors had replaced all the security inside.

Despite her captivity, Rin was not completely isolated—she had things to occupy her time.

However, one thing still filled her with fear: Kain.

She never knew what to expect when he came to see her.

And this time was no different.

To her surprise, Kain loosened part of the seal on her body, allowing her to recover some of her chakra.

"My lord, what are you planning?"

Rin tried to sound strong, but her voice betrayed her fear.

Like a kitten trying to growl, she wanted to show defiance—but her trembling tone exposed her weakness.

Kain simply smiled.

From his pocket, he pulled out a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, placing it in front of her.

"I need your help with a procedure. Nonō can perform it as well, but since you've already done this once before, it should be easy for you."

Rin's eyes widened.

"A Sharingan? Is this… the one Obito gave to Kakashi!?"

She instinctively covered her mouth in shock.

Kain had mentioned her previous surgical experience, and as soon as she saw the Sharingan, her mind flashed to Obito's final gift to Kakashi.

A deep sense of unease settled in her chest.

"What about Kakashi's Sharingan!?"

Her fear momentarily forgotten, Rin grabbed Kain's sleeve, demanding answers.

But Kain simply brushed her aside with ease.

He shook his head and said, "Let's focus on the surgery first, Nohara-san. To be honest, that lovesick student of yours—Obito—caused me quite a lot of trouble last night. But with this eye, he shouldn't be able to pull any more reckless stunts. When the time is right, I'll take back the other Sharingan as well… Ah, I've said too much."

"Obito!"

Rin shook her head firmly, her face filled with determination.

"I won't perform the surgery!"

But Kain remained unfazed.

"Don't be so hasty, Nohara-san."

His voice was calm, almost amused, as he gestured toward the Sharingan on the table.

"Take a good look at it… and think carefully about what will happen if you refuse."

He was already lying on the makeshift operating table, whispering like a devil tempting its prey.

"I sincerely hope you'll cooperate. But tell me, Nohara-san… do you really have a choice?"

Rin felt as though a hammer had struck her heart.

She was just a young girl—too inexperienced, too unprepared for this kind of manipulation.

Her thoughts spiraled into confusion.

If Kakashi has already lost his Sharingan… then maybe he's safe.

But if I refuse to perform the surgery… what will happen to him?

The conflict waged a silent war inside her mind, until, finally, she let out a weak sigh.

With trembling hands, she picked up the container holding the Sharingan.

Her voice was helpless, resigned.

"Why are you doing this to me…?"

Kain's expression remained unreadable.

"If it weren't for me, you'd be in the Pure Land right now, Nohara-san. Shouldn't you feel at least a little grateful?"

At those words, Rin's anger flared.

"Of course not! I will do my best to repay you, but I don't want to be locked up here!"

Kain let out a soft chuckle.

"And then what? You'd be killed the moment you stepped outside. You have no way to defend yourself—not anymore."

He leaned closer, his voice turning colder.

"Remember, the last time you tried to 'save' someone, you almost killed Kakashi."

Rin's breath caught in her throat.

"I saved you, Nohara-san. And yet, you don't seem to have a shred of gratitude for your savior."

She clenched her fists, shaking.

"If you really want to repay me, then stop hesitating. Do the surgery."

Rin had no response.

Her shoulders sagged.

Finally, her last bit of resistance crumbled.

In a quiet, defeated voice, she murmured:

"…I understand."

Although Nohara Rin still didn't understand many things—such as what truly happened to Obito or why Mist Shinobihad inexplicably sealed a Tailed Beast inside her—she knew one thing for certain: one day, she would figure it all out and escape from this place.

With that determination in her heart, Rin silently endured as Kain resealed her chakra after the surgery. Then, in shock, she curled up in the corner of the room, trying to process everything that had just happened.

Meanwhile, Kain carefully examined his new Sharingan.

"Kamui's ability is truly broken… Kakashi's Kamui distorts objects from a distance, while Obito's right eye phase-shifts, making him intangible. But when both eyes are connected to Kamui's dimension, they can transfer objects inside."

After transplanting the Sharingan, Kain had already mastered activating and deactivating his Mangekyō at will.

Thanks to the Extremis virus and its enhanced cellular regeneration, his body had fully adapted to the new ocular power. By analyzing the Sharingan's genetic structure, the virus reconfigured it to be entirely his own, making it as natural as if he'd been born with it.

But still… one was missing.

Without its counterpart, his power was incomplete.

Yet, even with just one eye, it was already stronger in his body than it ever was in Kakashi's.

With his immense chakra reserves, Kain estimated he could twist apart a thousand-meter-high behemoth with ease.

And if he obtained the other eye…

Then, unless Thanos had at least two Infinity Stones—one of which being the Space Stone—he wouldn't be able to beat me.

Kain smirked at the thought.

"Now for the Rinnegan… and the Tailed Beast. Next, I'll extract the Eight-Tails and consume it."

While Kain had promised Orochimaru that he might return Killer Bee to Cloud Shinobi Village, he had made no such promise about the Eight-Tails.

Killer Bee was one thing.

The Tailed Beast was another.

When a Tailed Beast is forcibly extracted, it takes all of the Jinchūriki's chakra with it, resulting in instant death.

Only those with exceptional life force, such as members of the Uzumaki Clan, could survive for a short time—but even they wouldn't last long.

However, such concerns meant nothing to Kain.

Reviving someone after chakra exhaustion?

A trivial matter.

With his advanced biological knowledge and cutting-edge techniques, restoring cellular activity was child's play.

Even after stripping the Eight-Tails from Killer Bee, Kain revived him with ease.

"That's enough. Send him back to Konoha—to Orochimaru."

The process didn't take long.

Kain sealed the Eight-Tails into the Six Paths Ninja Tool, while Killer Bee, now unconscious and incredibly weak, was at least still alive.

His business here was done.

….

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