Hiruzen's gaze shifted towards Danzo, who sat silently in the corner, seeking help.
And Danzo, as if reading his mind, looked back.
The two exchanged a glance, a slight nod passing between them. Everything was said without words.
"Cough!"
Danzo raised his remaining left hand, covering his mouth as he coughed lightly, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
The Shinobi glanced at each other. One of the Jonin spoke up, "Danzo-sama, do you have a different opinion?"
"Not exactly a different opinion, just a few things I'd like to remind everyone of." Danzo swept his gaze across the room, finally settling it back on the speaker. "Peace talks are naturally impossible, but we also can't be completely sure that Senki Ryuji's goal is just that. We must not let our guard down."
"Danzo-sama makes a good point."
"In that case, until we have a definite result, let's not be arrogantly assuming the enemy wants to negotiate with us. Holding such an arrogant mindset easily leaves openings for the enemy to exploit!"
"Understood!"
The group of Jonin were thoroughly admonished and fell silent, no longer discussing the outright rejection of peace talks.
While this didn't change their minds, it successfully steered the conversation away.
Once everyone had calmed down and their anger subsided, they could send trusted loyalists to spread messages about the hope for peace talks and the benefits they could bring to the village, dividing public opinion from within.
This could turn a unified desire for war into two factions: those hoping for peace and those wanting to fight...
Even if that couldn't be achieved, they could create an illusion to deceive the villagers.
That way, when the Hokage made his decision later, whether choosing peace talks or continuing the war, no one would be able to say anything against him directly; they would only blame the opposing faction.
Hiruzen was a political veteran. He and Danzo had played the roles of good cop and bad cop for years.
Just seeing the beginning, he could guess Danzo's subsequent tactics and couldn't help but let out a deep sigh of relief.
"What Danzo says is correct. We need to be careful, careful, and even more careful. We absolutely cannot let what happened today occur again." Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe, then looked at Tsunade. "I heard you captured Kuro?"
Tsunade hesitated for a moment, then nodded in acknowledgment.
"Then, hand him over to the Interrogation Department."
"...Alright."
Tsunade nodded with some reluctance.
Although she really didn't want to do this, given the current situation, her position as a Konoha's Shinobi didn't allow her to be willful anymore.
"How is Orochimaru's condition?"
"He'll probably recover in about three days."
"Mmm, I understand." Hiruzen gave a slight nod. "What about the antibody situation?"
Kana's poison remained the biggest problem.
If they couldn't deal with her, no matter how many people they had, there was still the risk of being completely wiped out.
"Using the antibody from the insects, I've already produced a vaccine. But to produce enough for every Konoha's Shinobi to have one, it would take at least a month."
"We don't need one for everyone. Having seven hundred will be enough."
They already understood the abilities of the Sunagakure's side. They wouldn't suffer zero-casualty, complete wipes like the first two times. As long as the poison problem was solved, a thousand people would be enough to take down this Sunagakure's delegation.
"By the way, Anbu sent a message saying Kana knows more than one type of poison. Will your antibody..."
"Don't worry." Tsunade replied with a confident smile. "The poisons of the world are strange and varied, and so are the medicinal herbs that save people. Through different combinations, even extracting biological antibodies to create healing medicines, antidotes, vaccines... they usually aren't targeted at just one specific situation."
"Kana's poison is very potent. The antibody produced because of this poison is also extremely potent. The vaccine made from this antibody will naturally be even more potent, capable of immunizing against ninety-nine percent of the known deadly poisons in the world. As long as Kana's poison isn't as powerful as the fictional 'Kagero Clan' in Jiraiya's novels, there will absolutely be no problem."
Hearing this, everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief.
After all, this was the personal novel of Jiraiya, one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin...
If it were a boring, old-fashioned Shinobi novel like The Tale of the Gutsy Shinobi, that would be one thing. But a popular novel like Icha Icha Paradise… even people who didn't like novels would mostly buy a copy out of admiration for the idol, keeping it as a collectible and reading it in their spare time.
Therefore, they had some understanding of the famously fictional Kagero Clan.
Although the Kagero Clan's poison was powerful, it was uncontrollable, completely different from Kana's situation.
Thus, they could rest easy.
However, Hiruzen was still somewhat uneasy and instructed, "Have the Aburame Clan cultivate more insects carrying the antibody. If battle commences, send the insects in first to test the situation."
"Yes."
An Aburame Clan's Jonin nodded, accepting the order.
Hiruzen gave a slight nod. "Maintain close surveillance around the Sunagakure's delegation residence. Their food and water won't last much longer. We must be careful of their schemes."
"Yes."
"Then, that's all for now."
...
Inside the Sunagakure's delegation residence.
The atmosphere was heavy.
Dragon-hunting ballistae, kunai launcher boxes, catapults... various war machines were assembled and pushed behind the courtyard walls.
The surviving accompanying guards and puppeteers stood guard by the war machines, their brows furrowed with worry.
Although they trusted Ryuji's ability, believed he could lead them back to Sunagakure, the current situation had reached a dead end. They truly couldn't think of any way for everyone to return to the village safely.
Feeling pessimistic and worried was only natural.
Ryuji sat on the main rooftop, taking in the scene in the courtyard below.
He picked up a sake cup, took a small sip, then placed it beside him, a faint smile on his face. "It seems everyone is very worried."
Aka stood to the side, holding a sake bottle. Hearing Ryuji's words, she said, "Not everyone possesses Master's composure in the face of honor or disgrace."
"What composure do I have!" Ryuji said self-deprecatingly. "I just know more than they do, understand the current situation better. If I were as clueless as they are, I'd probably be panicking too."
Aka did not respond.
Although she would comfort her master, flatter her master, she would never say words that went against her true feelings.
All twenty-five of the low-ranking Genin were dead. Four accompanying guards had fallen. Two elite puppeteers had died. Kuro's whereabouts were unknown. Gin had lost her right arm. Even their leader, who had known nothing but victory since his debut, continuously creating myths and legends, had been defeated by the Third Hokage.
He now sat here, wrapped in bandages, needing several days to recover his fighting strength.
In such a situation, if one didn't know the follow-up plans, feeling panic, worry, anxiety would be normal.
Not hearing a response, Ryuji didn't dwell on the topic. Instead, he asked, "How is Gin's situation?"
"I've already helped her regenerate it."
"That's good."
Ryuji nodded and asked no more.
Gin's body was created from a fusion of White Zetsu, Naruto, Yamato, and his own cells, possessing extremely strong vitality.
As long as she had powerful Yang Attribute Chakra, regenerating a lost limb wasn't difficult.
But although Gin's Chakra was strong, she couldn't yet manage something of this level on her own; she needed help.
But it was only for now.
Gin had already learned the Yin Seal, which allowed her to accumulate Chakra she didn't usually use. Once she had stored enough over a long period, not to mention limb regeneration, even if her head was cut off, she could immediately grow a new body.
Therefore, he wasn't worried about Gin.
He was worried about Kuro.
Although Kuro hadn't been created long ago, and due to his personality, the two hadn't spoken much...
He was still a homunculus Ryuji had created. To say he didn't care would be impossible.
Aka, having spent the longest time with Ryuji and being created as a battle maid to serve him, understood his character, habits inside out. She saw what Ryuji was worried about at a glance and, without waiting for him to ask, proactively reported, "Kuro's mental swings still cannot be found in the mental network."
"I hope he isn't..."
Mid-sentence, a familiar mental fluctuation transmitted into his mind.
It was Kuro's .
Ryuji's consciousness hurriedly entered the Sea of Consciousness and saw the re-emergence of mental fluctuations. He quickly asked, "Kuro, what's your current status?"
The response wasn't from Kuro, but from a stranger's consciousness.
Wearing a green flak jacket, a Konoha's forehead protector, with golden hair and a square-jawed face...
This person was naturally not Yamanaka Inoichi, but from his appearance, he was clearly a member of the Yamanaka Clan.
'Kuro was captured alive. This guy is invading Kuro's mind consciousness.'
Recalling the plot of the original work, Ryuji instantly guessed the truth of the matter.
"Senki Ryuji!"
This Yamanaka Clan's Shinobi was inwardly startled upon seeing Ryuji's consciousness. He immediately turned and ran, preparing to escape back to his own body.
But how could Ryuji let him escape?
With a thought, a prison cell rose around the Yamanaka Clan's Shinobi. No matter how he pounded, he couldn't break through.
"You stay right here for me!"
Ryuji gave him a cold look, then took over Kuro's consciousness.
...
Cold. Shaking...
A weary consciousness opened its eyes. Ryuji saw Kuro's condition.
In a dim room, his entire body was shackled with chains around his limbs, tied inside a hollow iron sphere. Several Konoha's Shinobi stood outside the iron sphere.
Besides the unconscious Yamanaka Clan's Shinobi in front of him, Ryuji also saw a familiar person… Shimura Danzo.
He didn't make a sound, quietly sensing the body's condition.
Apart from a bit of a headache, there was no pain from physical injuries.
'Looks like it's a mental interrogation.'
Ryuji concluded inwardly, then raised his head.
The people around, thinking it was their Yamanaka Clan comrade, didn't react too much.
Only Danzo seemed to sense something and asked, "Keito, did you discover anything?"
"Heh heh heh..."
A laugh completely unlike either Keito's or Kuro's sounded. Immediately, everyone in the interrogation room went on alert, pulling out their weapons and aiming them at him.
Unfazed, Ryuji continued his cold laugh. "You'd better return Kuro to me like a good boy. Then, I might consider letting Konoha off."
"Senki Ryuji?"
The familiar voice and tone allowed Danzo to confirm the other's identity, leaving him momentarily astonished.
But then he laughed. "Although I don't know what method you used to appear in Kuro's body, you yourselves are in a difficult position, yet you come here to threaten Konoha? Did Hiruzen's staff knock you senseless?"
"Believe it or not. If I don't see Kuro returned by tomorrow, Konoha can wait for its destruction!"