"I'm the one in charge of Konoha's negotiations."
"Why? Got a problem with that?"
"If there's anything our village has done to make you feel unwelco, by all ans, speak up."
"After all, Konoha prides itself on being a civilized and hospitable village~"
Uchiha Hikaru's words made Ao's scalp prickle with dread.
It's over. That eerie tone… it's definitely him. This ti Kirigakure is going to be forced into a treaty harsher than anything we've seen before…
Sigh… If I'd known, I wouldn't have brought Ringo Ayuri along.
Mangetsu Hozuki, too, had his doubts. The chakra pressure from this so-called Hokage assistant was terrifying, and yet… the man wore a warm smile like a friendly neighbor.
This was going to be a pain.
Smiling tigers were the worst.
As for Ringo Ayuri—who had all the depth of a puddle—she was still trembling from the earlier chakra surge, frozen in place.
Then she looked up and saw the sunny, handso face of Uchiha Hikaru.
In that mont, clarity struck her like a lightning bolt.
It must've been that woman who kicked open the door! She must be the one with the bad temper!
That ans the chakra burst just now—yeah! It must've co from her, not this guy!
This gentle-looking man? He's gotta be the real Konoha representative.
I've heard Konoha's upper ranks are filled with corruption and nepotism. He's good-looking, sure, but he's so skinny! His waist looks like it couldn't handle anything!
Oh! I get it now! He probably seduced the Fifth Hokage with that pretty face to get promoted to Assistant Hokage so young!
Ringo puffed out her chest, face full of smugness.
She was so brilliant! She saw right through it all!
"Ahem! Why did you Konoha people confiscate our ninja swords at the gate?"
"And how dare you make us wait for so long?"
"We're Kirigakure's official delegation, you know!"
"How could you make your guests wait over an hour?!"
Uchiha Hikaru's smile only grew brighter.
Ao's expression, anwhile, was rapidly approaching rigor mortis.
He just wanted to lie down and die.
I'm so done. Let it all burn. Whoever wants this negotiation, they can have it.
Hikaru waved a hand. Uchiha Itachi silently appeared behind him.
"Itachi, please escort this young lady around the village. We can't have our guests leaving with a bad impression, now can we~?"
Itachi, clad in his ANBU armor and black combat gear, bowed slightly.
"Understood, Lord Assistant."
Then he turned to face Ayuri, expression utterly cold.
"Please follow ."
Ringo blinked and stared openly at Itachi's face.
Compared to that smiling little scher, this ANBU guy was more her type. He looked younger than her, maybe, but that icy gaze?
Oof. Hot.
"Alright, alright. I'm starving anyway. Take to get so of your Konoha snacks~"
She started walking out the door, but paused in the doorway to glance back at Ao and Mangetsu.
"You want to pack sothing for you two?"
Ao turned his neck slowly like an old machine.
"Uh… no. No need."
"I… I ate too much earlier. Can't eat another bite."
Ringo raised an eyebrow, then turned to Mangetsu.
"What about you, loser?"
Mangetsu just gave her a long stare, scoffed, and turned his head away with an annoyed click of his tongue.
Ayuri rolled her eyes and followed Itachi out into the street.
Back in the conference room, Shizune was calmly recording everything onto a scroll, her brush quietly gliding over the parchnt.
Uchiha Hikaru strolled to the seat across from Ao, pulled it out, and sat down with an elegant casualness. He leaned back, raised one foot to rest over his knee, and propped his right elbow on the armrest, fist against his cheek.
He sat like a naval admiral about to pass judgnt.
His expression shifted—still smiling, but with a dangerous undertone now.
"Well, Ao..."
"Has Kirigakure really fallen so far?"
"Sending a ninja suffering from a serious bloodline illness to lead such a critical negotiation?"
Ao forced a smile and kept his hands off the table like a scolded child.
"Lord Hikaru… the truth is, after our Fourth Mizukage stepped down, the rest of our elite ninja have been focused on the upcoming leadership transition."
"So, we could only send people like us—sick and unfortunate—as temporary representatives."
"Please forgive us."
Ao was panicking inside. Everything he just said was ant to bluff—to create the illusion that Kirigakure still had untapped strength.
He wanted to discourage Hikaru from making outrageous demands.
But this was Uchiha Hikaru.
A man who'd co from another ti, who knew Kirigakure's true state better than Kirigakure did.
The words old, weak, sick, and crippled sumd them up perfectly.
Still, Ao clung to his last thread of dignity.
Don't overdo it, Ao... Don't embarrass yourself pretending to be sothing you're not…
"Oh~?"
"So from what you're saying, this war actually strengthened Kirigakure?"
"Then I suppose we at Konoha deserve a thank-you. After all, it was our Third Hokage who gave his life sealing your rampaging Fourth Mizukage."
"...?"
Ao blinked.
He couldn't keep up with Hikaru's logic at all.
Didn't he just say Kirigakure ca out stronger? Why wasn't Hikaru intimidated? Why was he now demanding compensation?
What kind of logic is that? No sane person would think like this!
"Haha… Lord Hikaru, perhaps we should get straight to business."
"This is the treaty Kirigakure has prepared. Please take a look."
He pulled a blue scroll from inside his robes and gently slid it across the table.
Hikaru didn't open it imdiately. Instead, he gave a light signal.
Shizune stepped forward and placed a red scroll on the table, indicating Ao should take it.
"This is the treaty drafted by Konoha."
"Why don't you take a good look, for your village's sake~?"
The two n picked up their scrolls and began reading silently.
Ao's gaze darted down the red scroll—and instantly, fury ignited in his gut.
Whatever fear he'd buried ca roaring back as anger.
"Lord Hikaru, forgive for being blunt!"
"But this contract… this is impossible!"
"You're going too far!"
"If we're going to be humiliated like this, then Kirigakure would rather die fighting than accept it!"
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