"Are you saying that you, the Fourth Mizukage, have no say within the Anbu of the Hidden Mist Village?"
Rong Lin let out a cold sneer. "Speak plainly. I have no interest in playing mind games with a brat. There's no point in the two of us just standing here trading insults."
"I am not a brat!!!"
Rong Lin's words struck Yagura's sore spot, causing the Mizukage to fire back loudly.
"Furthermore, I've heard that your tongue is quite the weapon, Uchiha Rong Lin. They say a crowd of ordinary men couldn't stand against you in an argument, so why are you backing down now?"
This kid really isn't cute at all, Rong Lin thought, shaking his head. If Yagura knew that Rong Lin viewed him as an "uncute brat," he would likely be driven to a towering rage and demand to fight for three hundred rounds.
"It's not that I'm backing down. You have come all this way as a guest. If things get too ugly, neither of us will look good. If we accidentally come to blows, I'd feel even worse about it, wouldn't I?" Rong Lin smiled. Yagura certainly knew how to put on airs. Should I just turn him into a puppet right now?
As Rong Lin rubbed his chin in thought, a sudden, ominous premonition surged in Yagura's heart. He frowned. "What are you planning?"
"Nothing."
Rong Lin laughed and shook his head, looking at the wary Yagura.
"To tell you the truth, before you came looking for me, Lord Hokage gave me full authority over these negotiations. This means that from here on out, you're negotiating with me, not Lord Hokage. If you have something to say, say it now. I'm not that easy to talk to, and I'm generally quite black-hearted. Ordinary conditions won't satisfy me."
"Also, there is something you likely don't know yet, so I might as well say it. Can you feel it beneath your feet? The Three-Tails is sealed right inside. I hold the power of disposal over the Three-Tails!! No one can interfere.
To put it simply, if you want to trade for the Three-Tails, you'll have to offer something that moves my heart. Otherwise, the Three-Tails is destined to have nothing to do with your village anymore."
"It's a bit of a pity, but I suppose I'll just have to raise it myself. Letting it help Konoha catch fish seems like a decent use for it."
The surroundings of Konoha lacked any massive water sources, making it a hassle to house the Three-Tails. Only a nation like the Land of Water, surrounded by the sea, was suitable. If he wanted to settle it, he'd usually have to dump it into the ocean.
Rong Lin's casual remark about using the Three-Tails to catch fish caused Yagura's face to darken instantly. He never expected that because today's talks hadn't reached a conclusion, the Third Hokage would simply dump the power onto Uchiha Rong Lin.
This was a major problem. The Third Hokage was far easier to persuade than the subjective and manipulative Rong Lin.
And this was a Tailed Beast!!
You dare to shamelessly suggest the Three-Tails should go fishing? What are you thinking?
Are you trying to mock the Hidden Mist Village?
"State your conditions!!!"
Yagura spoke in a deep, serious voice. He was no longer in the mood for jokes. He couldn't even force a smile because things had become incredibly troublesome.
Only once Rong Lin proposed his terms could Yagura calculate if they were worth it.
The Three-Tails originally belonged to the Hidden Mist. To be precise, it had been sold to them by the First Hokage during the founding era. Back then, Konoha had only kept the strongest Nine-Tails, while the other captured Tailed Beasts were sold to other villages through negotiations.
Looking closely at history, one would realize that Hashirama Senju was quite the character himself. Under the slogan that Tailed Beasts were calamities that required strict control, he rounded them all up. With both him and Madara Uchiha acting together, capturing Tailed Beasts was as easy as breathing.
Whether it was the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan or Hashirama Senju's Wood Release, both could easily subdue a Tailed Beast. In the end, Hashirama invited the Kage of the other villages to Konoha to negotiate and distribute the Tailed Beasts.
"We can talk about the prisoners slowly. As for it!"
Rong Lin stomped his foot. The seal beneath them began to ripple, a clear sign that the Three-Tails inside was causing a stir.
"It's very simple. I want two people."
"Who!!!"
Yagura thought he had misheard. Exchanging a Tailed Beast for just people?
Could there be a more profitable trade? Or were these people simply that valuable?
"Mei Terumi!!"
Rong Lin had no intention of letting go of a woman who, in the later years, would be hailed as a queen alongside the likes of Tsunade. Of course, he wasn't someone who would give up everything for a woman. Mei Terumi might still be young and green now, but once she matured, her strength would be top-tier even among Kage-level experts. She possessed two Kekkei Genkai...
Her corrosive Lava Release was something that could melt even a Susanoo.
Rong Lin had never thought about trading the Three-Tails for resources or supplies. Rather than materials, he would much rather "rob" two people.
"Mei Terumi?"
Yagura was stunned. His expression immediately became strange. He knew that one of the big reasons Rong Lin chose to return to the Uchiha was because the clan leader, Fugaku, and the Second Elder had given him the leader's daughter, Uchiha Diqin.
Now that Rong Lin had opened his mouth and the first person he asked for was Mei Terumi, Yagura immediately slapped a label on him: lecherous!! Moreover, he seemed to enjoy the "child-rearing" style of starting young. It was truly wicked.
This happened in Great Clans, but this guy seemed to have a penchant for "raising" the talented women of other noble families...
First Uchiha Diqin, and now Mei Terumi.
"Mei Terumi is a genius from one of our Hidden Mist clans. I don't have the authority to decide her fate. Who is the second person?"
"Then there's nothing to discuss. I can't do without either of them. By comparison, the other person is just a bonus. Without Mei Terumi, then the Three-Tails will stay in Konoha. I'll just raise it as a pet."
The corner of Rong Lin's mouth curled into a playful smirk as he looked at Yagura mockingly. Let's see what you do next.
Yagura's brow furrowed deeply. He had felt there was room for negotiation, but Rong Lin showed absolutely no intent to compromise!
I want Mei Terumi; the other person is just an extra. Since they were a bonus, they obviously weren't that important. The lead role was Mei Terumi. Without her, there was no deal.
Raise the Three-Tails as a pet?
Yagura ground his teeth in frustration. A Tailed Beasthis village's ultimate taboo weaponhad been turned into a common pet in this man's hands!!!
"Think about it carefully. See you tomorrow."
Leaving Yagura with this agonizing dilemma, Rong Lin laughed loudly and walked away.
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