After five agonizing minutes, the kanji stretching from his fingertips all the way to his shoulder in elegant strokes. Kaien's gaze dropped to the blood on the floor, his expression unreadable, but a flicker of idea passed behind his eyes.
Minato clenched his jaw, forcing his vision to clear as he read the message aloud, his voice steady despite the tremor in his arm. "If anything happens to Kaien, be prepared for war... but this time the first to attack will be the Nine-Tails, and the life of the Yellow Flash, the hero of Konoha... is in our hands. We will come to Konoha for a peace treaty. We shall exchange the Nine-Tails for Kaien in two days. Of course, it depends if you want her alive or dead."
The council fell into a stunned silent hush. Every head turned toward Minato, Tsunade's hand hovered over his arm, her chakra finally surging forth in a gentle wave that began to heal the wounds, staunching the blood. Her eyes burned with frustration and pragmatism. "I say we agree to the exchange," she declared.
"We can't afford to lose Minato and Kushina for just a kid. We're in a precarious state... Suna is growing stronger by the minute. Iwa sits quiet for now, but we never know when that old man Onoki will use the situation to his advantage. And Kumo... they've already moved on ahead while the rest of us still lick our wounds from the last war. This isn't the time for heroics."
Danzo Shimura sat at the far end of the long table, his eyes half-lidded in what appeared to be contemplative silence. Outwardly, he was the picture of composed authority, but inside, his mind churned for ideas as a lifelong strategist who had traded sentiment for the idea of Konoha's supremacy.
This moment was not a crisis to him... it was an opportunity. Danzo had always viewed Minato as a double-edged blade: brilliant, yes, but too idealistic, too tied to Hiruzen's soft-handed vision of peace. His motives ran further than the immediate threat. Konoha teetered on the brink; the other villages recovered faster. To Danzo, true security demanded control... He needed the Nine-Tails, only then will Konoha stand at the top of the ninja world.
Kushina Uzumaki was the key, If he could orchestrate her "investigation" for collusion and staying too long with Kumo he could drag her into his root organization, make her obedient to him, and mold it into a weapon he could wield without mercy. If Kushina turned out to be traitor... Tsunade's newborn son, Saruto Senju, or even Tsunade herself, offered backup vessels, but they were unreliable and not loyal to him; better to have Kushina alive and use her as the bridge to ultimate power.
"He cared nothing for Kaien personally... the boy was a pawn, useful only for the intelligence he might yield on Kumo's growing alliances. Which clans had pledged loyalty? What hidden pacts strengthened their hand?" Danzo's thin lips curved ever so slightly as the council murmured. He had no qualms about discarding Minato if the need arose; the man was a hero to the masses, but heroes were replaceable in the grand ledger of war but in this state of the village he still needed him.
As long as Danzo secured the tailed beast and intel, his village's future would endure. if Hiruzen was alive, he would hem and haw about ethics, but Danzo had already planted the seeds among jonin. This meeting was his stage, and he would use the Third Hokage's will of fire to steer the narrative. "Don't blame me, Hiruzen," he thought with a flicker of dark satisfaction.
Danzo cleared his throat, his voice smooth laced with the authority of a Hokage or at least he tried to. "I have listened to all your points," he began, addressing the room while his mind raced ahead, mapping contingencies.
"We shall agree to their terms and retrieve our jinchuriki and neutralize whatever curse afflicts Minato. Minato and Kushina are the shinobi of Konoha I can't have anything happen to them. However, I cannot allow Kumo to escape accountability for this audacity against one of our own. We shall still proceed with the torture and investigation of hostage Kaien. There are still two days until they arrive. If any injury occurs, Lady Tsunade is here to heal him. It is vital we uncover which clans have aligned with Kumo for the sake of our future preparations, this information is crucial for the next war."
Kaien, who was behind Tsunade, felt a cold sweat break across his brow, his earlier confidence shattered. He had thought the cursed blood technique... his final masterstroke... would force their hand cleanly, securing his release without further entanglement.
But this? Danzo's casual endorsement of "going wild" with interrogation turned his stomach. Sweat trickled down his spine as panic clawed at his chest. *Come on, Tsunade,* he thought desperately, *say something. Call it dangerous for Konoha. Save me.* His mind raced to his last resort: Yushiro's protective Genjutsu layers on his brain, It wasn't escape but it was defiance. "I had exhausted every plan? Well, I tried everything... Maybe Madara was right. Nothing goes as planned in his accursed world."
[aizenDuchiha0 said @ Ch105: One signature radiated elite jounin-level density with an unusual chakra concentration at ocular region. Another who had young physique was fluctuating irregularly, suggesting either injury or genjutsu interference. The third signature also carried a decent chakra control.
Minato's gaze sharpened.
"He is using genjutsu," Minato murmured. "Kakashi described they had ocular abilities similar to the Uchiha."]
The first to voice agreement was the interim Sarutobi clan leader, his tone unwavering. "I have no objections." Tsume Inuzuka followed swiftly, her feral grin masking her pragmatism. "Neither do I." One by one, the others chimed in... Aburame, Akimichi, Nara, Inoichi... each nodding in agreement.
Danzo's smile remained thin, almost imperceptible as his will of fire speech he prepared worked wonderfully. Tsunade had no choice but to nod, her healing chakra still flowing steadily into Minato's arm, though her jaw tightened with unspoken dissent. Minato himself sat straighter now, the pain in his arm has subsided, his thoughts went back to Kushina... her fiery spirit, the life they had yet to build but for the sake of Konoha they have to know which clans joined to prepare for the next war.
Kaien's eyes darted around the room, seeking any crack in the facade, while Danzo observed it all with the quiet satisfaction.
Outside, the village lights twinkled, unaware of the machinations that would decide its fate. In the end, it was never about the boy or a curse... it was about power, survival, and the lengths to which foolish men like Danzo would go to claim both only to fail.
~~
A/N: Danzo using will of fire speech to sway the mob and he has succeeded. He ordered Kaien's torture and Tsunade for healing to not cause any major injuries. Hopefully Yushiro's Genjutsu traps buys some time as Kumo are coming in 2 days.
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