"So it's the leader of Takigakure's Suigetsu, what an honor!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen did not show any displeasure at Suigetsu's disrespectful attitude. He maintained the kindly demeanor of a neighborly old man, greeting him with a smile.
"With the Chunin selection exam imminent, why the sudden visit to Konoha, Elder Suigetsu? Is it regarding the advancement of your village's excellent ninjas, or do you have other important matters to discuss?"
"You specifically requested to see me before explaining?"
Suigetsu glanced at Hatake Sakumo standing beside Sarutobi Hiruzen, seemingly judging whether the words to follow could be heard by him.
"It's fine!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand gently.
"This is the captain of Konoha's ANBU, my right-hand man. Please, Elder Suigetsu, speak your mind directly!"
Suigetsu then withdrew his gaze from Hatake Sakumo and nodded at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"The purpose of my visit to Konoha is twofold. Firstly, to let my disciple witness the new generation of geniuses from the Five Great Shinobi Villages."
"Shibuki, quickly greet Konoha's Third Hokage, Elder!"
"You must know that the Third Hokage is a powerful ninja with the title of 'Strongest Hokage.' Such a formidable ninja is rarely seen!"
The black-haired young man standing behind Suigetsu was clearly a bit introverted. He shyly peeked out from behind Suigetsu and stiffly bowed to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Junior Shibuki... greets Hokage-sama!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen stroked his short beard and nodded with a smile.
"Good, good. He's an obedient child. I hope you achieve excellent results in the upcoming exam."
Shibuki nodded shyly and retreated behind Suigetsu.
"Timid and indecisive, he'll never achieve greatness!"
Suigetsu seemed displeased with his disciple's performance and snorted softly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched the master and disciple's interaction with a smile, shaking his head gently.
"Elder Suigetsu, he's just a child. There's no need to be so strict."
"You mentioned earlier that bringing your disciple to the exam was only one aspect. Then, what is the other...?"
Suigetsu promptly retracted his displeased expression and looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Hokage-sama, my abrupt visit this time has a primary objective: I wish for Konoha to dispatch some elite powerhouses to Takigakure to carry out a requested mission."
"Oh?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen straightened his posture, resting his hands on the table, adopting a business-like attitude.
"A mission to Takigakure, huh!"
"That mission must be at least B-rank or higher."
"Elder Suigetsu, perhaps you could elaborate on the specific mission requirements? That way, I can determine the mission's difficulty and then select suitable executors based on its rank."
Suigetsu's eyelids twitched. He had truly witnessed the attitude of the Five Great Shinobi Villages today.
They were incredibly friendly during casual conversation, but when it came to serious matters, it was all about profit.
However, he had prepared for this, so after a moment of internal grumbling, he frankly stated his true intentions.
"To be perfectly honest, Hokage-sama."
"Takigakure, for certain reasons, suffered significant losses of powerful ninjas in the past."
"As a result, the Tailed Beast that was gifted by the First Hokage to our village has not yet been incorporated into Takigakure's power structure."
"In the past two years, the village has been fortunate enough to nurture a few children with exceptional talent, therefore..."
"I wish to request the loan of some personnel from your village to assist Takigakure in capturing the Seven-Tails and sealing it within a designated Jinchuriki."
Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and nodded thoughtfully.
"Capturing and sealing a Tailed Beast..."
"That is truly a troublesome task!"
While lamenting this, Sarutobi Hiruzen harbored other intentions.
The Tailed Beasts... wasn't that Orochimaru's obsession?
First, the Yin and Yang Nine-Tails returned to Konoha. Then, the Four-Tails from Iwagakure. And just the other day, the Six-Tails was brought back from the Land of Water by the Nine-Tails through a summoning jutsu...
When he thought about it, if they acquired Takigakure's Seven-Tails, nearly half of the Tailed Beasts in the ninja world would be in Konoha's possession?
Although he didn't know Orochimaru's purpose in collecting Tailed Beasts, as Hokage, how could Sarutobi Hiruzen refuse to strengthen the village?
Adding another Tailed Beast...
It made him happy just thinking about it!
Little did Sarutobi Hiruzen know at that moment that Orochimaru's newly acquired disciple was also holding a Three-Tails!
"Elder Suigetsu, capturing Tailed Beasts is already fraught with difficulties, not to mention the requirement to seal the Tailed Beast into a designated Jinchuriki..."
"This matter is of great importance. I need to consult with Konoha's two elders."
"Once we have a conclusion, I shall inform you, alright?"
Suigetsu also understood the power of Tailed Beasts.
In his opinion, Sarutobi Hiruzen's cautious approach was understandable, so he agreed.
"How about this! Before the Chunin selection exam concludes, Konoha will surely provide Takigakure with a satisfactory response."
"Elder Suigetsu, you must be tired from your journey. Why not take this opportunity to enjoy yourself in Konoha?"
After giving a vague answer, Sarutobi Hiruzen subtly indicated that it was time for his guests to leave.
Suigetsu was perceptive enough to read the room and, with his disciple, took his leave.
"Sakumo!"
"Yes! What are your orders, Hokage-sama?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen tugged at his hat, concealing his uncharacteristic cunning grin in the smoke.
"A being like a Tailed Beast, which can influence a village's overall strength, do you think it's appropriate for a small village to possess it?"
Hatake Sakumo's respectful expression stiffened. He finally understood where Orochimaru learned his shameless nature from.
"This..."
"This subordinate dare not speak out of turn. If you deem it inappropriate, then it is inappropriate!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded to himself.
"Hmm!"
"Indeed, you also feel it's inappropriate!"
Hatake Sakumo's lips, hidden beneath his mask, moved, and he finally lowered his head in resignation.
You are the Hokage, you make the decisions.
"I recall the contract scroll from Ryuchi Cave. Sakumo, you signed it, didn't you?"
"Is it effective?"
Hatake Sakumo had a rough idea of Sarutobi Hiruzen's intentions. Konoha already possessed three Tailed Beasts, and now, while the leader of Takigakure was visiting, they were setting their sights on the other village's Seven-Tails.
This big shot is truly greedy!
Hatake Sakumo's mouth twitched twice, and he nodded softly.
"It's... it's passable."
"Besides stronger combat power, snake-like thermal sensing is also more adaptable for high-difficulty reconnaissance missions than ninja dogs."
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep puff from his pipe.
"Mmm..."
"Then, summoning a snake and relaying this information to Orochimaru should be possible, right?"
Hatake Sakumo's expression became blank. He immediately formed hand seals and, with a *poof*, summoned a small snake.
"Little guy, I'm counting on you!"
The small snake nodded intelligently, and with a *poof*, the summoning was dispelled, and it returned to Ryuchi Cave to report the situation.