"The internal investigation in the Anbu was that your doing?" Danzo asked, his tone accusatory.
"Hmph. Sarutobi has grown old and lost his edge. Without me pushing him, do you think he'd have initiated the investigation or gone along with the plan to retaliate against the Hidden Cloud?" Danzo spat, growing angrier as he spoke.
But Orochimaru didn't care.
"Let's talk again when you have what I need. Maybe by the time I return from the Land of Lightning, you'll have some good news. Otherwise, find someone else to work with," Orochimaru said, dismissively.
Danzo's grip tightened on his cane.
"You'll see my commitment," Danzo replied through gritted teeth as he turned to leave. Orochimaru's refusal wasn't surprising.
Both men were cut from the same cloth-neither would move without proper incentive. The loss of the chakra metal was Danzo's problem, not Orochimaru's. Without the goods, there would be no deal.
After Danzo left, Orochimaru chuckled darkly to himself.
Meanwhile, Danzo needed to figure out how to acquire the chakra metal before Orochimaru returned. But where would he find more chakra metal?
The remaining reserves in the logistics division were overseen by Koharu, and she would never allow him to take them. He had already pushed his luck the first time. If he tried again, she would certainly raise hell.
"It looks like I'll need to visit Hanzo myself," Danzo mused aloud.
He saw an opportunity to meet with Hanzo. Under the guise of convincing Hanzo to withdraw his forces from the Land of Iron, Danzo could negotiate for something in return-like chakra metal. After all, Hanzo was sure to loot resources if he succeeded in his invasion.
As for how much Hanzo could extract from the Land of Iron? That was Hanzo's problem. Konoha's official mission was to convince him to back down, but Danzo knew he'd control the narrative.
If Hanzo refused to leave, what could Konoha do? They wouldn't go to war with the Hidden Rain over it, surely?
Danzo, who initially had no interest in getting involved with the Land of Iron situation, now felt he should personally take the reins.
The next day, Danzo approached the Third Hokage, who had been grappling with the situation and volunteered to negotiate with Hanzo.
The Third Hokage was stunned.
Danzo had been so adamant about not getting involved. What changed?
But in the end, the Third Hokage accepted Danzo's offer. Konoha did need someone to approach Hanzo, after all. Even if the negotiation didn't succeed, they had to show they were serious about peace.
As for whether Hanzo would withdraw his troops-that would depend on the negotiation.
With everything in Konoha settled, Xin was ready for the journey ahead.
.....
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