Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!-Chapter 403: Strategy Meeting 1

When the aura of the A and Killer Bee had completely dissipated, Yahiko and the others returned to their usual interactions.

"Do you think Kumo will agree?"

Nonō stretched, looking relaxed. She knew full well that the ownership of a Tailed Beast wasn't something the Third Raikage could decide on his own.

Kakuzu's demand had caught everyone off guard. Then again, given his role as the Chief Financial Officer, his level of extortion was as ruthless as ever.

"It depends on how desperate they are."

"I think there's a chance," Kakuzu said, rubbing his chin with some satisfaction. Initially, he hadn't expected much and had simply wanted to get A out of the way. But the Raikage's reaction made him reconsider. Kumo's eagerness was evident, which meant their request wasn't entirely hopeless.

"What do you think that matters?" Konan rolled her eyes, her arguments with Kakuzu practically routine at this point.

"I don't care," Kakuzu scoffed, unwilling to engage in another pointless debate. Whether or not he pursued the matter now depended entirely on his mood.

"There's a good chance—more than 50%," Nagato said unexpectedly, drawing everyone's attention.

Clearing his throat, he gathered his thoughts and continued.

"Kumo is at a critical juncture. They don't have the luxury of waiting."

"For years, the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning has poured resources into the Third Raikage's military buildup, providing both funds and manpower as needed."

"Do you think that was done without expecting something in return?" Nagato glanced around, his words grounded in solid intelligence—undoubtedly thanks to Nonō's efforts.

Without waiting for a response, he continued.

"Kumo already has an Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, though he's still inexperienced. Even so, he's a usable weapon of war."

"As for the Two-Tails, it's more of a burden to them right now."

"They don't have a suitable Jinchūriki, and thanks to their situation, they have to allocate a number of elite shinobi just to keep it secure."

"That's far from ideal for them."

"Most people believe a Tailed Beast is only a true asset if it has a compatible Jinchūriki."

"So even if Kumo hands over the Two-Tails, they won't see it as an immediate loss since they assume we won't be able to use it properly."

"After all, very few know that I can control Tailed Beasts directly."

"That's why I think our chances are better than fifty-fifty."

Nagato's analysis was thorough and methodical, leaving little room for doubt.

"If Kumo knew you could control Tailed Beasts outright, there's no way they'd give us the Two-Tails," Yahiko said, nodding in agreement. He had considered the same possibility.

"Yes, only a few of us know about this," Konan said.

"It must be kept secret."

She glanced at Kakuzu, and barely hid her skepticism.

"Why are you looking at me?" he asked. "I want this Tailed Beast even more than you do."

Kakuzu neither refuted the suspicion directly nor got angry—he had never been the type to care about such things.

"I believe you when you say that." Konan had to admit that his reasoning was sound, leaving her no choice but to drop the issue.

"Alright, let's ease up on the bickering."

Although Kakuzu was indifferent, Yahiko, as always, stepped in as the peacemaker.

"Understood, Lord Akatsukikage." Konan pouted, thinking to herself that she was just naturally difficult.

"As Nagato said, getting the Two-Tails seems like the logical outcome. They're trading our cooperation for a beast that requires manpower to guard. From their perspective, they're not losing out on the deal."

The more Nonō considered it, the more she agreed with Nagato. While she was in charge of intelligence, his ability to analyze the broader picture was clearly superior.

"It's not about whether they're losing out—it's about our value," Kakuzu said bluntly. If Akatsukigakure hadn't demonstrated overwhelming power, they wouldn't even have a seat at the bargaining table.

Konan, for once, didn't argue. She understood all too well that, in the shinobi world, strength dictated everything.

"There's no point in speculating," Yahiko said. "We just wait—it's not like we're the ones in a hurry." He smiled, completely at ease with either outcome.

"Well, that's true."

Nagato and the others nodded. All that was left was to wait. If they succeeded, it would be a stroke of fortune; if not, it wasn't a necessity for Akatsukigakure.

"I'll take my leave. You handle the next steps."

Kakuzu stood up, already anticipating what they would do next. He had no desire to be involved with Kawakaze more than necessary.

"Alright, take care." Yahiko didn't try to stop him—they all understood Kakuzu's ways.

"I wonder if Sensei is free right now?"

Once Kakuzu left the reception room, Nagato formed hand seals and spoke. As the smoke cleared, a small slug appeared in front of him.

"Lady Katsuyu, please help us contact Sensei."

Nagato spoke with deep respect, fully aware of Katsuyu's importance.

"Understood," the slug's gentle voice responded as its two tentacles trembled slightly.

The connection was established instantly, and in Konoha, Kawakaze was momentarily startled by the sudden intrusion of the shared vision.

"It's urgent. We'll talk later."

In the principal's office, Kawakaze quickly excused himself from his conversation with Ei Onoda and vanished.

"Leaving in such a hurry?" Ei Onoda muttered, still processing what had happened. With no other choice, he turned away, his mind filled with questions.

Meanwhile, Kawakaze reappeared in the Hokage's office, where Tsunade and Shōta were deep in discussion.

"Why are you here?" Tsunade asked, surprised. It had been a long time since Kawakaze had used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear in her office.

"You two can talk later—I'm in a hurry." Kawakaze walked up, interrupting their conversation. At some point, two small slugs had appeared on his shoulders, and he casually handed one to Tsunade.

The moment she received it, her vision was filled with a new scene.

"Sensei, Sensei's wife, the Kumo shinobi just left," Nagato said without preamble.

"How did it go?" Tsunade asked, her furrowed brows gradually relaxing as she saw the familiar faces on Nagato's side.

"It was fine, though they were a bit more forceful in their approach this time. They offered us a lot of benefits, but most of them were just empty promises."

"So, we asked for the moon... and they gave us a star."

Nagato phrased it diplomatically, careful not to place all the blame on Kakuzu—it had been a collective decision.

"What?"

Tsunade was stunned. This wasn't just asking for the moon—it was outright demanding the sun.

Back when Kawakaze and Orochimaru had fought Kumo over the Two-Tails, it had been a full-scale battle.

"They gave it to you?"

Kawakaze frowned. He had a hard time believing things had gone that smoothly.

Shōta observed their expressions, curiosity growing. In an instant, he felt completely out of place.