"Danzo-dono, why pay an uninvited visit so late at night?"
Hearing the slightly mocking tone, Danzo narrowed his single eye.
The courtyard lights were dim, and the two stood in shadows behind the wall. He couldn't clearly see their faces, only their silhouettes.
Danzo's mind raced; data on Sunagakure's delegation members flashed through his mind, matching them against the two silhouettes.
Then, he identified them.
The man was Kuro, a male using Lightning Release Nin-Taijutsu.
The woman was Kana, a young girl from the Sunagakure's Kagero Clan who recently defected from Shimogakure to serve under Ryuji.
Neither posed a significant threat, but both possessed sensory abilities requiring caution.
'It seems Senki Ryuji anticipated my uninvited visit tonight.'
Their sensory abilities weren't passive but active skills, consuming considerable Chakra when used, impossible to maintain twenty-four seven.
The rarity of Sensor-type Shinobi also meant they wouldn't serve as ordinary guards or patrols.
As for being discovered during infiltration...
With knowledge of Sunagakure's patrol schedules and patterns, using Genjutsu on the two gate guards and timing movements to the second allowed walking in openly undetected.
Danzo was extremely confident in his abilities, believing this wasn't difficult.
Thus, these two waiting here late at night must have anticipated someone arriving at this time, stationed here in advance.
Danzo's mind worked rapidly, quickly grasping the situation's ins and outs, calmly stating, "I have confidential matters to discuss with Ryuji-dono. I previously invited him for a private meeting, but he declined for safety concerns. This old man had no choice but to sneak here late at night."
"Then please enter. Ryuji-dono awaits you inside," Kuro replied indifferently.
'He truly anticipated my arrival.'
Danzo looked across the courtyard at the main house with dim lights, his pupil slightly contracting before returning to normal.
He glanced back at Kuro. "Please keep my visit confidential."
"I'm uninterested in matters beyond my duties."
Hearing this voice devoid of respect or emotion, Danzo slightly scrutinized Kuro, then nodded and strode into the courtyard.
After he entered the main house, Kuro turned to Kana. "I leave this to you."
"Yes."
Seeing this, Kuro formed a single hand seal before his chest.
Poof!
He vanished in a puff of white smoke.
..
Main House's Reception Room.
Ryuji knelt before a low table in the center, prepared tea set upon it.
Seeing Danzo enter, he gestured towards the opposite empty seat, inviting him to sit.
Danzo nodded slightly, removed his geta, and knelt on the opposite cushion.
Ryuji picked up the teapot, pouring tea into Danzo's cup. "Danzo-dono, being so secretive… what is the matter?"
"I have a grand gift for Sunagakure."
Ryuji's hand paused slightly; he looked up at Danzo.
His expression was calm, eyes steady, revealing nothing.
Ryuji withdrew the teapot, smiling lightly. "May I ask what grand gift Danzo-dono offers Sunagakure?"
"Sharing the fruits of victory in this war."
"Oh~" Ryuji's face showed a seemingly amused expression. "Danzo-dono truly jests."
"How so?"
"Your Konoha is fiercely battling the Iwa-Kusa alliance, wanting Sunagakure's participation to secure victory, yet you phrase it as Konoha's generous charity."
"This is mutual benefit."
"Oh?"
"Post-war spoils… Konoha wants none. Sunagakure takes all."
Hearing this, Ryuji's pupils slightly contracted.
This was indeed a grand gesture.
Consider: to handle this war, Konoha lost over half its Shinobi. Material consumption and economic losses were incalculable.
If they gained insufficient benefits from this war, they'd lose everything, down to their underwear.
In the original work, the Third Hokage, in a nearly certain victory situation, to reduce Shinobi casualties, agreed to a ceasefire with Iwagakure on the condition of no war reparations.
The cost? He took responsibility and resigned.
This illustrated the enormous reparations demanded from defeated Great Shinobi Villages.
If Sunagakure could obtain Iwagakure's war reparations, Mechanical City's funding would be half secured.
But there's no free lunch.
Such enormous reparations… would Konoha willingly hand them all to Sunagakure?
Though Sunagakure's participation would instantly turn the stalemate into a rout, greatly reducing subsequent losses...
But could those losses compare to massive war reparations?
No.
Especially since, at this war stage, though pressured, Konoha remained highly confident of victory.
Under such circumstances, Konoha giving all war benefits to Sunagakure to invite their participation was highly abnormal.
Moreover, if for this matter, why was Danzo so secretive?
Such village-benefiting, greatly reputation-boosting deeds should be trumpeted everywhere!
No, no.
Having Danzo negotiate this itself was absurd.
If Konoha truly wanted Sunagakure's help, the Third Hokage should approach him.
Danzo doing it… what did that mean?
Could a Root's leader make such decisions for the village?
Ryuji could only think Konoha intended to renege later.
Have Danzo agree to terms, then after Sunagakure truly intervenes and ends the war, deny the deal.
Blame everything on Danzo's private actions, then symbolically punish Danzo.
If Sunagakure protested, caused trouble?
Heh...
Would Konoha, in one-on-one, fear Sunagakure?
Wishful thinking!
Understanding the likely reason, Ryuji chuckled lightly. "Danzo-dono..."
"This matter isn't without conditions."
Before Ryuji could answer, Danzo interjected again. "With Ryuji-dono's wisdom and strategic vision, it's clear: if Sunagakure participates, the Konoha-Suna alliance wins effortlessly. This is equivalent to Konoha handing vast benefits to Sunagakure for free."
"It's not free."
Ryuji instinctively replied.
Though unsure of Danzo's scheme, he decided to play along, see the situation.
"As you said earlier, it's mutual benefit. Sunagakure's participation indeed brings easy, substantial gains, but Konoha can immediately end the war, reducing unnecessary losses."
"But you cannot deny: without Konoha's invitation, Sunagakure wouldn't obtain these benefits."