Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Nagato and Kakuzu seemed to have completely forgotten their original purpose for coming here.
Thanks to Third Raikage's arrangements, they ate well, drank well, and explored every corner of Cloud Ninja Village.
Even the Raikage's office had been toured more than once.
Today, heavy rain poured over Cloud Ninja Village as Nagato and Kakuzu rested at their inn.
Unable to stand the boredom, Kakuzu eventually wandered into Nagato's room.
"You sure are living comfortably."
As soon as he walked in, Kakuzu saw Nagato sipping tea—premium tea leaves gifted by the Third Raikage.
"Come try it. This tea is pretty good."
Nagato glanced meaningfully toward the window, giving Kakuzu a subtle hint.
Lately, he hadn't even used Katsuyu to contact Nonou, let alone Kawaki.
Better safe than sorry.
"Well then, I'll give it a taste."
Kakuzu swallowed his initial remark and patiently sat beside Nagato.
"You must calm your mind when drinking tea. You're just too impatient."
Seeing Kakuzu flinch from the hot tea, Nagato made a clever play on words.
"Right, right. You've always been the most patient one."
Annoyed, Kakuzu shot Nagato a glare—he'd actually grown bold enough to challenge her now.
"What a terrible day. Otherwise, I was planning to check out the ninja academy."
"Our Akatsuki Village still lacks experience. There's much to learn."
Nagato took a sip of tea, speaking casually.
"It's just a school. Let Yahiko sign off on it—I'll foot the bill."
Kakuzu blew on his tea and downed it in one gulp.
If it was about building a school, he was happy to cover the cost.
Years had passed, and he had come to feel a sense of belonging to Akatsuki Village.
After spending most of his life wandering, there was nothing better than finally finding a home.
Besides, he was also one of Akatsuki Village's founding members.
"Sounds good then."
"I'll go get some ideas, and once we're back, Yahiko can sign."
"I'll take on the role of the first principal without hesitation."
Nagato finished with a hearty laugh, as if he truly cared about this matter.
Their light chatter floated out the window and vanished into the falling rain, but inside the Raikage's office, Third Raikage wasn't sharing their lighthearted mood.
"Raikage-sama, shall we continue surveillance?"
Inside the Raikage's office, the Anbu head slightly bowed while asking.
During these few days in Cloud Ninja Village, Nagato and Kakuzu had been under constant Anbu surveillance.
"Observe what? Listen to their daily laughter?"
A man of impatience, he couldn't see the point of continuing surveillance.
Since everything had already been decided, why not just hand over the Tailed Beast already?
Time waits for no one. His massive blade was eager for battle.
"A thug."
Another scoffed at his words. Without question, everyone present was high-ranking within Cloud Ninja Village.
"A thug, then so be it."
"Haven't these past few days just been a waste of time?"
As the office threatened to erupt into chaos, Third Raikage timely interrupted.
"Enough. Please bring the two from Akatsuki Village to the meeting room."
"And bring Kohaku no Jōhei along as well."
Third Raikage snapped sharply, his voice echoing through the empty room.
"Yes."
One shadow guard nodded and departed.
"Raikage-sama, you're handing over Kohaku no Jōhei too?"
Now someone disagreed. Already reluctant about giving up a Tailed Beast, were they really going to hand over a precious relic as well?
"What are you thinking? The sealing vessel we obtained from Uzumaki Country is quite sufficient already."
"As for whether they encounter any issues taking it back, that's none of our concern."
Tudai was truly the Third Raikage's right-hand man. He knew exactly what his leader was thinking.
With the *Kohaku no Jōhei* in their possession, the sealing vessel had become rather unnecessary for the Hidden Cloud Village.
That vessel wouldn't strengthen the seal in the slightest; at best, it could only keep the Tailed Beast contained for a few years.
By then, the war would have ended, and even if the Two-Tailed Beast broke free and ran rampant through Akatsuki territory, it wouldn't affect the overall situation.
"Haha~I guess we're doing them a favor."
As if envisioning the scene of the Two-Tails rampaging through Akatsuki Village, a few of them laughed gleefully.
Although handing over the Tailed Beast was technically the Hidden Cloud Village's choice, it didn't stop them from feeling resentment beneath the surface.
"I don't want to hear words like that again."
"Let's go."
A single glare from the Third Raikage cut their laughter short instantly.
As he led the way out, the senior leaders of the Hidden Cloud Village followed him one after another.
When Nagato and Kakuzu arrived at the conference room escorted by an Anbu member, the *Kohaku no Jōhei* was already placed on the table.
Nagato gave it a quick glance, then immediately looked away.
Suppressing a flicker of excitement inside, Nagato calmly made his way to the reserved seat and sat down.
Kakuzu wasn't nearly as reserved; even after sitting, his eyes never left the *Kohaku no Jōhei*.
Though it was their first time seeing it in person, they weren't unfamiliar with its reputation.
"You've arrived."
"I hope our hospitality over the past few days has been to your satisfaction."
The Third Raikage offered polite conversation, his smile dazzlingly bright.
"Lord Raikage, you're far too courteous. We've felt greatly honored during our stay."
He spoke politely, and Nagato responded with equal formality.
"Not at all, not at all."
"The reason I asked the two of you to come today, I'm sure you already know."
The Third Raikage paused momentarily, yet his expression gradually turned serious.
"To be honest, I apologize."
"It wasn't until today that I became available, so I hurriedly invited you both here to handle official business."
"This contains the sealed Two-Tails."
He pointed at the *Kohaku no Jōhei*, his demeanor growing more solemn.
"You have our full understanding—your schedule is important."
"There's no rush on our end."
This time, Nagato didn't even bother glancing toward it. His practiced smile revealed absolutely nothing about what he was thinking.
"Whether you're in a hurry or not, we still need to complete this task."
The Third Raikage was nearly left speechless, unprepared for Nagato's bluntness. It almost felt like he was eager to hand over the Tailed Beast.
"That's true."
"After finishing business, you can enjoy yourselves without any lingering concerns."
It seemed as though he realized he'd said something inappropriate, and a hint of apology appeared on Nagato's young face.
"Haha~Of course! Let you play to your heart's content."
The Third Raikage forced out a couple of chuckles. The more he looked at Nagato, the more irritated he felt.
This red-haired kid had decent strength, but apparently, he also knew exactly how to get under someone's skin.
"If I'm not mistaken, this must be the *Kohaku no Jōhei*?"
Sensing things were nearing conclusion, Nagato brought the conversation back to business.
Even Kakuzu could tell—the Third Raikage clearly had no interest in further small talk with Nagato.
"That's correct. The Two-Tails is very safe inside."
"But this kind of treasure cannot be lent out. I'll transfer the Two-Tails into another sealing vessel when the time comes."
"Just take it with you once you leave."
Third Raikage feared Nagato might misunderstand that he was giving away the valuable treasure, so he quickly clarified.
"That's only natural."
"Being able to see such a powerful treasure even once is already an honor."
Nagato understood the principle of not overdoing things and thus gave Third Raikage plenty of dignity.
"It will still take some time to transfer the Tailed Beasts. I'll have someone notify you afterward."
Unwilling to dwell further on the [Kohaku no Jōhei], the Third Raikage motioned for them to leave.
"In that case, we might as well visit the Ninja Academy tomorrow."
"I hope that's convenient?"
Seeing the stunned look on Third Raikage's face, Nagato suspected there must be some secret hidden within the school.
"Of course, of course. I'll make arrangements—you're free to go."
You haven't even thought about returning with the Tailed Beast, yet you're already planning to tour around? So you truly don't value the Tailed Beasts at all?
"Thank you, Lord Raikage. Then we won't bother you any longer."
Nagato bowed politely and took his leave along with Kakuzu.
Watching the two walk away, Third Raikage felt a strange unease building up inside him.
In both word and deed, Nagato had been completely flawless—suspiciously normal, in fact.
Then again, if even Kakuzu, a notorious bounty hunter, was part of the higher-ups, everything suddenly made sense.
Perhaps to them, the Tailed Beasts were nothing more than valuable items. He shook his head and pushed the thought aside.
Putting on a convincing act, Nagato and Kakuzu visited the Ninja Academy the next day, genuinely adopting the demeanor of seekers of knowledge.
Two days later, they finally departed under escort by the Third Raikage and his entourage, carrying a black, tank-shaped container.
Their visit to the Cloud Ninja Village concluded in complete success.
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