"Oh? So Rasa is finally coming over."
"I didn't expect it to be such a coincidence. With this mess just happening, his arrival tomorrow is actually perfect timing."
Inside the Hokage's office in Konoha.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his desk, a look of deep loneliness etched into his aged features.
"With Orochimaru's defection hitting us right now, the village's morale has taken a massive blow."
"Minato, when Rasa arrives tomorrow, I want you to be in full charge of the trade negotiations with Sunagakure."
"Try your best to reach an agreement. Even if we have to make some secret concessions, do it. We must reignite the villagers' confidence in Konoha's future."
Hearing that he would be given full authority, Minato Namikaze nodded eagerly.
A specific, dark thought began to form in the back of his mind.
If anyone else were to negotiate with Rasa, they would likely be forced to give up massive profits in the shadows.
But since it was him, he held a powerful piece of leverage over the Kazekage.
As long as he played his cards right and sold Rasa a "favor," he was certain the man would know exactly how to reciprocate.
Hiruzen watched the excited Minato, his eyes flickering with contemplation before he finally made a firm decision.
"Minato, if you handle this matter properly, I will step down and let you take the throne as the Fourth Hokage in one month's time."
Hearing those words, Minato snapped his head up, his gentle smile widening into a brilliant, radiant beam.
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
Although he had been designated as the successor for a while now, Hiruzen had always been wavering and indecisive about the timing.
He wasn't hesitating because of Minato's capability.
He was simply struggling with the reality of giving up his own power.
The actual date of his retirement had been repeatedly delayed and pushed back.
Back when the Third Great Ninja War broke out, Hiruzen had been resolute, intending to retire as soon as the fighting stopped.
But the war had ended with a speed that shocked the world.
Konoha had effectively "won" by riding on Sunagakure's coattails without breaking a sweat.
For the first time, they enjoyed the spoils of a victor, receiving reparations until their hands were heavy with gold.
The civilians were cheering in the streets, singing the Hokage's praises.
Even the Fire Daimyo had been brought firmly under control, a secret known only to a select few.
Konoha began to develop at a pace never seen before in history.
Under the influence of such a massive transformation in circumstances, Hiruzen's resolve to retire began to melt away.
He started calculating, trying to drag his tenure out for as long as possible.
If it hadn't been for Orochimaru's defection today, he likely would have clung to the position for several more years.
As Minato walked out of the room, Hiruzen slowly turned his head.
His gaze landed on his desk—one far more luxurious than his previous one—and a flash of deep, aching reluctance crossed his eyes.
He narrowed his eyes, a look of melancholy washing over his face.
His fingers brushed against the polished wood of the desk, as if trying to grasp onto the fleeting sensation of authority.
But in the end, he let out a soft sigh and pulled his hand away.
In a dark, cavernous underground base.
"Strange... Why did Hiruzen look so genuinely shocked when I told him about the experiment?"
"You told me he had already sensed something, didn't you?"
Danzo, his arm heavily wrapped in bandages, narrowed his eyes.
He stared coldly at the Root ninja kneeling before him, his voice like shards of ice.
The ninja's expression didn't shift in the slightest, remaining as cold as a corpse.
"My Lord, perhaps that was merely another test from the Third Hokage?"
Hearing this, the coldness in Danzo's gaze softened slightly.
He scanned the Root agent's body up and down, his eyes filled with a suspicious, calculating glint.
After ten seconds, he reached out and placed a hand on the ninja's head, closing his eyes.
He seemed to be performing a deep, intrusive probe of the man's mind.
Minutes ticked by in silence.
Danzo finally opened his eyes, the murderous intent in his gaze vanishing.
"You may leave."
As the Root ninja faded into the shadows and disappeared, Danzo slumped back into his chair, his brow furrowed.
"The Cursed Seal hasn't been touched. He hasn't been compromised."
"That rules out the possibility of betrayal."
"Does that mean Hiruzen's acting skills have actually improved that much?"
Outside the base, the Root ninja reached up and tore off his mask, revealing an ordinary, unremarkable face.
He walked for a while in silence, then stopped. A weird, predatory red light flared in his eyes as he whispered to himself:
"It's not enough. The high-level combat power of Konoha must be reduced even further."
"Only then will the Uchiha clan have a true chance at victory."
After speaking, the ninja blinked, and the crimson glow deep within his pupils slowly faded away.
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the bedroom window and spilled across the bed.
Rasa slowly opened his eyes. He gently pushed aside the beautiful, naked body pressing against him.
As he stretched his arms out, his hands immediately came into contact with a pair of soft, incredibly elastic breasts.
"Rasa... why are you awake so early?"
Pakura, lying on his left, felt his hand press into her chest and let out a soft, feminine whimper.
She opened her eyes groggily, her vision still blurred with sleep.
She tilted her head toward him, her voice thick with a mix of laziness and curiosity.
Rasa smiled, pulling his hands back as he stood up from the bed.
He stretched his limbs, his muscles rippling under his skin as he let out a satisfied grunt.
"I only need a short rest to be fully charged. If I sleep too long, I just wake up with a headache."
His hair was a mess, and beads of sweat still clung to his forehead.
In the morning light, he exuded a raw, masculine magnetism that was hard to ignore.
Seeing him like this, Pakura's cold, aloof mask dissolved into a look of pure, primal obsession.
She sat up, her large, snow-white breasts swaying and bouncing with the movement like heavy, overripe fruit.
She pressed her silky, white-jade body against Rasa's back.
She let her heavy breasts crush against his spine, beginning to rub them back and forth in a slow, rhythmic grind.
Rasa felt the heat of her soft breasts and the friction of her nipples—which were already hardening into stiff "red beans"—against his skin.
His blood began to stir. He teased her, "What? Didn't get enough last night?"
Pakura buried her face in his shoulder, continuing to grind her chest against him.
Her voice was a mix of her usual coldness and a needy, desperate whimper.
"I want to get pregnant..."
Rasa chuckled. He turned around and swept her up into his arms, carrying her toward the door.
"Hehe, pregnancy is a gamble, but I can definitely guarantee I'll feed you until you're full."
"Let's not do it in here, though. I don't want to wake the others."
Two hours later, a sleek, custom-designed Swift landed smoothly on Konoha soil.
After a welcoming ceremony that was as enthusiastic as it was politically staged, Rasa and Minato sat opposite each other in a private room of a high-end restaurant.
"Perhaps I should start calling you Lord Fourth Hokage soon, Brother Minato?"
Rasa raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk dancing on his lips.
Minato shook his head with his usual gentle, disarming smile.
"Don't tease me, Brother Rasa."
"It's only because of the Orochimaru incident. If that hadn't happened, I'd probably have to wait several more years."
A flash of genuine emotion crossed Minato's eyes.
Seeing Minato being so blunt and unreserved about the village's internal politics, Rasa's smile became more sincere. He sat up straighter.
"This is why I enjoy talking to you, Brother Minato."
Minato chuckled and began making casual small talk.
Ten minutes later, after finishing a story, Minato suddenly shifted the tone.
"Brother Rasa, those Shine Muscat grapes and your other new fruits... could you increase the supply to the Land of Fire?"
Rasa picked up his tea, taking a slow sip as he frowned slightly.
"Increasing the supply is easy enough, but what about the price?"
Minato hadn't said "Konoha," he had said the "Land of Fire."
The difference in scale was massive.
If it were just for the village, selling a few hundred extra pounds wouldn't be an issue.
But supplying the entire nation was a logistical and financial beast of a different color.
Minato's smile grew even more radiant as he spoke, enunciating each word clearly.
"An extra ten thousand pounds for the Land of Fire... at a twenty percent discount."
Rasa's hand paused as he went to set down his tea. He lowered the cup to the table with practiced ease.
A look of genuine surprise crossed his face, his brows knitting together before he smoothed them out and laughed.
"You're not joking, are you, Brother Minato?"
Shine Muscat grapes were currently selling for five thousand ryo per pound.
That was equivalent to the payout for a low-end D-rank mission. It was an exorbitant luxury.
Civilian families couldn't even dream of buying them.
Even the middle class had to grit their teeth just to buy a single pound for a special occasion.
They were strictly a snack for the nobility and high-ranking officials.
Giving a twenty percent discount on ten thousand pounds meant Rasa would be losing out on millions of ryo in profit.
Rasa's smile turned playful as he stared into Minato's eyes.
He wanted to see if there was a hidden motive behind the request.
Minato's expression remained unchanged as he suddenly dropped a bombshell.
"I know about you and Kushina."
The atmosphere in the room turned to ice instantly.
Rasa's body stiffened, his gaze turning razor-sharp as he locked eyes with Minato.
Just as Rasa was about to activate his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan to rewrite the man's reality, Minato continued, his smile never faltering.
"Relax. Truly, I have no problem with it."
Rasa blinked, slowly deactivating the genjutsu he was about to unleash.
Completely unaware of how close he had come to total mental annihilation, Minato sighed, a look of melancholy and inferiority crossing his face.
"I cannot give Kushina sexual happiness."
"I don't know why, but since six months ago, I've lost all interest in her—both physically and mentally."
"It's strange. I've never even touched her, yet I've lost all desire. It's quite pathetic, really."
At this point, Minato looked at Rasa with a gaze that bordered on deviant.
"If this continues, Kushina will eventually grow resentful and unhappy."
"So, the fact that you are taking care of her physiological needs... I'm not just 'okay' with it. I'm actually quite happy about it."
"As long as you don't do anything reckless in front of me, I will do everything in my power to support you."
Rasa's lip twitched. Although he had put certain "measures" in place six months ago, he hadn't expected them to be this effective.
Minato was basically turning into a willing cuckold.
But, getting the explicit support of the "victim" was the best possible outcome.
"Alright then. We'll do it your way, Brother Minato. Twenty percent off."
Minato nodded with satisfaction. He stood up and reached across the table, shaking Rasa's hand firmly.
"Everyone profits. It's the perfect outcome."
"Hehe, yes. A win-win."
"Oh, Rasa... I like that term. 'Win-win.' It fits us perfectly!"