Uchiha Ran watched as the Kirigakure envoy kowtowed repeatedly, apologizing without pause. He raised a hand, signaling Hyūga Hiashi to stop.
Hiashi immediately stepped back and stood silently to the side.
The envoy finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Ran.
"Hokage-sama, I remembered incorrectly. My master said five hundred million ryō—five hundred million."
He raised five fingers, spreading his palm wide to emphasize the number.
Ran let out a soft chuckle. "That price sounds more reasonable. But even five hundred million is still a little short."
The envoy's face drained of color. Five hundred million still wasn't enough? That sum was more money than he could even imagine in his lifetime.
Suppressing his shock, he asked carefully, "Hokage-sama… what exactly is insufficient? If it's about the money…"
He took a deep breath. "If it's money, Kirigakure can add more."
"No," Ran said calmly. "The money is enough. But I want something else."
He turned his head slightly.
"If you agree, two hundred million ryō will suffice. If you refuse, then find someone else. Konoha will not help you."
The envoy's pupils shrank. Something worth three hundred million ryō? He swallowed hard.
"Hokage-sama… what could possibly be worth such a sum?"
Ran raised three fingers, smiling faintly.
"The Three-Tails."
"I'll take one tail. One hundred million per tail. Fair, wouldn't you say?"
The envoy nearly collapsed on the spot.
The Three-Tails was a strategic asset of Kirigakure, carrying immense symbolic and military significance. Even now, though it was bound to Yagura Karatachi, once the genjutsu was removed, the village would regain a guardian-level force.
How could he possibly agree to such a demand?
"H-Hokage-sama," the envoy said with a forced, ingratiating smile, "perhaps we should continue discussing money. Kirigakure is very sincere!"
Ran remained unmoved.
"You're only a messenger. You don't have the authority to decide this."
"Relay my terms to Elder Gen'ya. If he agrees, I will act personally."
"As for the rest, forget it. Konoha is wealthy enough. We don't care about that amount of money."
He paused, his tone sharpening slightly.
"Do you want to recover and rebuild… or do you want to keep a berserk Jinchūriki who could destroy your village at any moment? I won't interfere either way."
"Shikaku," Ran said, turning away, "see our guest out."
He walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window, hands clasped behind his back, gazing down at the bustling, sunlit streets of Konoha. A faint smile appeared on his face.
Nara Shikaku glanced at Ran but did not question his decision. She stepped forward and said politely, "Envoy, this way, please."
The Kirigakure envoy staggered out of the Hokage Office like a man who had lost his soul.
He couldn't understand it.
Why had Konoha become so terrifying?
Was it really just because a new Hokage had taken office?
When Senju Hashirama divided the Tailed Beasts, his intent had been balance—mutual restraint to preserve peace. But now, Uchiha Ran wanted to reclaim them all.
Wasn't he afraid of war?
If Ran knew what the envoy was thinking, he would laugh at such naïveté.
Since Hashirama's death, from the First Shinobi World War to the Second and Third, which nation hadn't weaponized the power of Tailed Beasts?
Take Iwagakure for example—Rōshi's Lava Release had incinerated countless shinobi, leaving behind untold devastation.
Reality had long proven that Tailed Beasts were nothing more than strategic weapons, tools that escalated warfare and bloodshed.
Ran's intention to seize the Three-Tails was not only in line with the era—it was preparation for the future.
He intended to bring all Tailed Beasts under one banner, forcing submission from all sides, and only then creating a truly unified and stable world.
---
Outside the Hokage Building
"This is where I'll see you off for today," Shikaku said politely. "I look forward to our next meeting."
With that, she turned to head back inside.
Suddenly, the envoy grabbed her wrist, tears pooling in his eyes.
"Please wait! I beg you!"
He looked like a child who had been cornered, desperate for help.
Shikaku frowned inwardly and tried to pull free several times, but the grip was surprisingly strong. Finally, she turned around and snapped,
"Envoy, let go."
"I won't! Please, save me!" the envoy cried. "Hokage-sama's appetite is terrifying!"
He had been prepared—even if Ran demanded a billion ryō, he thought it might still be negotiable.
But demanding a Tailed Beast?
That was Kirigakure's lifeline.
Not only was it not fully under their control, but even if it were, no one would dare sell it.
Ran's demand placed him in an impossible position.
Shikaku sighed.
"Listen carefully. You are only a messenger. Don't shoulder responsibilities that aren't yours."
"You simply pass the message to Elder Gen'ya and Mei Terumī. The outcome is not your burden."
With that, she shook him off and walked back into the Hokage Building.
As she walked, her mind raced.
Why was Hokage-sama so interested in the Three-Tails?
Compared to the Nine-Tails, it had lower endurance, weaker combat power, and a higher risk of rebellion. Control over Tailed Beasts relied heavily on sealing techniques—techniques now nearly lost with the decline of the Uzumaki Clan.
Then suddenly, a figure flashed through her mind.
Uzumaki Naruto.
—or rather, Namikaze Minato, whose residual consciousness still resided within him.
Though Minato's presence was fading, the sealing knowledge imprinted in Naruto remained vast.
That explained it.
Naruto carried the true legacy of Uzumaki sealing techniques. Otherwise, how could the Nine-Tails remain stable within a mere child for so many years?
If Minato were willing to intervene, Konoha could create another Jinchūriki—a strategic weapon entirely loyal to the village.
The realization sent a chill through Shikaku.
Her admiration for Uchiha Ran surged to new heights.
Even in diplomacy, Hokage-sama was already laying plans for Konoha's future dominance.
It wasn't coincidence that Uchiha Ran became Hokage.
It was destiny.
Her lingering resentment toward administrative burdens vanished completely. At the same time, she began considering how to persuade Minato to help Ran.
After much thought, only one answer came to mind.
Uzumaki Naruto.
------
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