Chapter 510: The Lambs Delivered to the Doorstep, It Would Be a Waste Not to Butcher Them

Since this was classified information, it certainly couldn't be shared freely.

However, Tsunade deliberately paused, letting her words hang in the air.

This pause made it clear that the matter was negotiable—but only under certain conditions. It wouldn't come for free.

Yagura chuckled warmly. "I believe I can also speak on behalf of Kirigakure in strengthening our cooperation with Konoha."

Kirigakure and Konoha were currently enjoying a close relationship, giving Yagura an advantage over the other villages in negotiations. Even though their village had yet to secure its tailed beasts, they were determined to obtain this method, no matter the cost.

No price was too steep to miss such an opportunity.

As Tsunade's gaze swept over Chiyo and Yagura, a smile bloomed in her heart.

These lambs are practically offering themselves to the butcher. It's almost a shame to refuse them.

"How about we discuss this after the celebration ends?" Tsunade suggested.

She didn't want the Third Hokage involved in such matters. His increasingly soft and idealistic approach would surely complicate things.

Tsunade decided to delay, intending to handle negotiations herself once she was fully in charge.

"I…"

Seeing that Tsunade was willing to work with Sunagakure, Chiyo and Yagura both smiled in satisfaction. However, Dodai and Kitsuchi couldn't sit still any longer.

Fortunately, Tsunade extended a glimmer of hope to them as well.

The moment Dodai opened his mouth, Tsunade raised her hand, cutting him off.

"Everyone, let's table these discussions until after the celebration, shall we?"

"Hahaha, then it seems I'll have to extend my stay in Konoha. I trust your village won't mind?" Kitsuchi, who normally maintained a stern and serious demeanor, forced a jovial expression.

Dodai, on the other hand, looked utterly miserable. His frustration and bitterness were palpable, yet he had no choice but to plaster on a strained smile and echo Kitsuchi's sentiment.

"Let's clear the venue for now. The Daimyō seems to have been frightened," Tsunade remarked, gesturing for the Anbu and Uchiha forces to take action.

Everyone instinctively glanced toward their respective Daimyōs and their entourages, only to find them slumped in their chairs, some even unconscious.

The overwhelming pressure from Snowy and the Nine-Tails was far beyond what ordinary people could endure.

Even the samurai and shinobi assigned to protect the Daimyōs were reduced to trembling wrecks, barely holding themselves together. Moments earlier, they had been convinced they were facing certain death—only to find it had been a false alarm.

"Clear the area," Takuya ordered, waving dismissively.

He had no interest in sticking around to maintain order or oversee the evacuation of the audience.

"Understood. The Anbu and Uchiha forces will handle it," Tsunade replied. She knew Takuya disliked dealing with such trivial matters, so she simply sent him off to rest. As for the upcoming celebration…

Based on her understanding of Takuya, there was little chance he would attend, let alone show any interest in watching.

Indeed, Tsunade was right. Takuya skipped the celebration entirely, choosing to rest at home instead.

With Konoha's shinobi, the Anbu, and the Uchiha Police Force all managing the situation, his presence would have made no difference.

Besides, no village in their right mind would dare cause trouble now—especially after witnessing Konoha flex its strength.

As for intelligence gathering, that was inevitable.

Rather than sneaking around, the other villages would openly observe. It wasn't as if Konoha could hide all its shinobi; such measures were impossible.

Takuya wasn't the only one absent from the celebration.

"How are you feeling, A?"

Dodai looked down at A, who lay on a hospital bed, wrapped in bandages and gauze like a mummy, his face the only part of him visible. Dodai wasn't sure what to say.

As soon as the fight ended, Tsunade had sent A to Konoha's hospital for treatment.

However, likely due to A's provocations against Konoha, the doctors and medical-nin hadn't exactly been gentle during his treatment. Their heavy-handed care left A looking like a fully wrapped mummy.

I just want to be left alone…

Turning his head to glance at Dodai, A wore an expression of utter defeat.

Dodai's lips twitched as he tried to find the right words. "You'll need some time to recover. The most serious injury was from that final stomp by Yagami Takuya's summoning beast."

Despite being thoroughly beaten by Snowy during the fight, most of A's injuries were superficial and would have healed with a few days of rest.

But after the commotion in the stands, Takuya had grown irritated. To ensure A wouldn't stir up trouble, Snowy had stomped on him, breaking several of his bones in the process.

The injuries from that single stomp were far worse than everything else combined.

This was why Dodai, looking at the bandaged and immobilized A, felt a deep mixture of emotions. A's grievous injuries were partly his responsibility.

After a moment of silence, A finally spoke.

"I remember the village's reports stating there were only nine tailed beasts in the shinobi world—One-Tail to Nine-Tails."

So why the hell was I fighting a summoning beast?

Can that thing even be called a summoning beast?

It's a tailed beast, dammit!

A knew full well the power of tailed beasts. The more tails, the stronger the beast. Kumogakure had both the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails, and the Eight-Tails alone was strong enough to completely outclass the Two-Tails.

Thanks to Kumogakure's specialized training, their Jinchūriki were better equipped to communicate with their tailed beasts than those of other villages.

"The reports are accurate," Dodai confirmed, though he himself was beginning to have doubts.

"That summoning beast of Yagami Takuya's is clearly a tailed beast!" A growled through gritted teeth.

"It's stronger than the Eight-Tails—both in power and speed. It might even surpass the Nine-Tails!"

Although A was known for his fiery temper, he also possessed the keen analytical mind of a shinobi. His rage often overshadowed his competence, but he was no fool.

He had witnessed the Eight-Tails' strength firsthand during its rampage years ago, when it had torn through the village. Despite its immense power, the Eight-Tails hadn't been able to completely overwhelm him. At the very least, A had been able to keep it occupied and buy time.

But against Snowy, A had been utterly helpless. In every aspect—power, speed, and precision—he had been completely outclassed.

His only advantage had been his durability, and even that had only mattered because Snowy hadn't been fighting seriously.

Faced with the Eight-Tails, A could resist and hold it back. Against Snowy, everything he tried was futile.

A clenched his fists, his mind racing as he analyzed the fight. To him, Snowy wasn't just a summoning beast but a tailed beast far stronger than the Eight-Tails.

Dodai's expression grew conflicted. After a moment's hesitation, he recounted what had happened after Snowy had knocked A unconscious.

Rippp!

A, wrapped in gauze and bandages, sat up abruptly despite the pain, his muscles flexing and snapping the bindings as he exclaimed, "Are you saying Konoha has found a way to create perfect Jinchūriki?"

"And that the Nine-Tails is afraid of this Snowy?"

What kind of ridiculous name is that?

For such a terrifying creature, they chose such a soft and cutesy name?

Dodai's eye twitched as he glanced at the pile of shredded bandages.

"Doesn't that hurt?" he muttered.

Ignoring the question, A groaned in pain and reluctantly lay back down. Dodai shook his head before continuing.

"It's unclear. We'll have to discuss it with Konoha to confirm. However, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki appeared to be fully transformed—a golden Nine-Tails formed entirely of chakra."

Hissss!

A sucked in a sharp breath—not from surprise, but from the pain shooting through his body.

It seemed it did hurt after all.

Forced to remain still, A grimaced as Dodai added grimly, "But it was clearly the Nine-Tails in control, not the Jinchūriki. Its aura, its demeanor, and even its voice made that obvious."

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