Chapter 609.However Much You’re Paid, That’s How Much You Do

—Shahzaam, Jacob Mooe, kevin Williams, Jose Sierra, Pasang Sherpa, Acedia, kurtis newman, Nhoxious, Little Sand, Alin Kadas, sediaz, King Scales, Kurgarraz, Astraala.

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I’ve thrown out the bait. As for what terms you can offer, you’d best think carefully.

Ordinary things won’t be enough to move me.

Kazuki left, and Rasa was stunned in place.

As the Kazekage of the Sand Ninja Village, he was very clear about what expanding oases meant for the Sand Ninja Village and even for the Land of Wind.

Why had the Land of Wind and the Sand Ninja Village always needed to buy food and many supplies from outside?

Was it not simply because they could not produce enough themselves?

If they could be self-sufficient, who would be willing to let others choke them off?

At this moment in the Land of Wind, oases large and small had been destroyed by the people of the Mist Ninja Village.

Never mind expansion—even restoration would take time. If there was a Wood Release ninja...

He would not dare say the Land of Wind could recover its vitality in a short time, or even rise to a higher level, but at least it would not be as miserable as it was now.

Rasa’s heart began to pound rapidly.

Perhaps he would not be too concerned about other kinds of cooperation, because he had self-awareness. With many forms of cooperation, even if the Leaf was willing to include the Sand Ninja Village, the Sand Ninja Village would not get much of a share.

But restoring oases and expanding oases was different. This was a major matter concerning the future.

If the oases were restored and expanded, it meant increased food production within the Land of Wind.

Food would no longer be used to choke them, and the Sand Ninja Village could save more money and strengthen the village’s power.

In the Leaf, Yamato’s Wood Release is not enough to be a powerhouse, but in the Sand Ninja Village, they would enshrine him like a deity.

This cooperation had to be seized.

But what terms could the village offer to shut Kazuki up?

Rasa was very clear that Kazuki’s appetite was large. Ordinary terms would never move him.

To secure this cooperation, a certain price would have to be paid.

The First Hokage’s Wood Release conquered the world, while Yamato’s Wood Release doesn’t even comes close to that. Its not meant to insult him but, Yamato’s Wood Release really was only at that level.

The Leaf did not need to do any greening. The entire Land of Fire was covered in forest.

It was the Sand Ninja Village and the Land of Wind that yearned for these things day and night.

It seemed he would have to think this over carefully.

Rasa suddenly realized that in this Five Kage Summit, he had gone from being a mere spectator to someone carrying an important mission.

He did not want to bother with the petty mess between the Stone Ninja Village and the Cloud Ninja Village. He believed Kazuki and Terumi Mei would not intervene either.

The situation that followed would be nothing more than an argument between the Raikage and the Tsuchikage, and in the end, the Tsuchikage would use the pressure of the Five Kage Summit to bring the war to an imperfect close.

All Rasa could think about was what terms the village could still offer that would be enough to move Kazuki.

"Thank you for your hard work. You two go rest first."

"Yes."

Shisui and Kisame verbally agreed, but in reality, they had no intention of going to rest.

Kazuki sat on the sofa and thinking about matters, while the two stood behind the door. Kisame stood honestly like a perfectly straight pillar.

Shisui was a little more relaxed, leaning back against the wall, a shuriken spinning back and forth in his nimble fingers like a little top.

Like Itachi, Shisui’s fundamentals were also outstanding.

The precision of Itachi’s shuriken and kunai throwing owed no small amount to Shisui.

Kisame’s eyes kept staring at the shuriken in Shisui’s hand. His fighting style was delicate yet also leaned toward broad, sweeping moves. He was not very good at playing with this kind of things.

If you searched him, you would find that on Kisame, you could not find many kunai or shuriken.

If it were Shisui and Itachi, they probably could sell quite a bit as scrap metal.

’Someone was coming.’

The shuriken suddenly stopped spinning. Shisui put it away, straightened up from the wall, and Kisame also tilted his head to look toward the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound of knocking rose. The two tacitly looked toward Kazuki sitting on the sofa.

"Kisame, open the door. Shisui, help me brew a cup of tea."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Shisui went to brew tea. Kisame opened the door and took two steps back, making room.

"Thank you."

Standing at the door, Terumi Mei smiled and nodded to Kisame in thanks, then swayed her body and walked in on her towering heels.

Kazuki, sitting on the sofa, turned to look. His gaze subconsciously fell on Terumi Mei’s feet.

"I didn’t expect the Mizukage to have this hobby too."

Everyone liked high heels. Unfortunately, they were not suitable for combat when worn on the feet.

Generally, female clerical ninja liked to wear them. Terumi Mei had worn heels before, but he had not expected that after only a short separation, she would have changed into a pair of towering heels.

"The Mizukage is also a woman."

Terumi Mei rolled her eyes.

The way you say it makes it sound like I’m not a woman. Since I am a woman, is there anything wrong with liking these things?

Kazuki withdrew his gaze and did not look further.

It was not that he had become abstinent, but there was no need to provoke the other party.

"Hm, if next time you change even your battle robe along with them, then I’ll believe that."

"You..."

Terumi Mei was just about to sit down when Kazuki’s single sentence broke through her defenses.

She was wearing a long dress. Among female ninja, her attire was already considered relatively liberal.

Even so, these clothes were all measured and custom-made. Wearing them did not affect combat.

Wanting to look good while not affecting combat—that was somewhat difficult.

Shisui placed the teacup on the table and quietly withdrew, though his gaze toward Kazuki and Terumi Mei was somewhat strange.

"The Raikage didn’t arrive today. He will definitely arrive tomorrow. Between him and the Tsuchikage, there will probably be a struggle. Does the Leaf plan to intervene?"

Terumi Mei was very interested in what cooperation Kazuki and Rasa had discussed, but fortunately, she would not be foolish enough to ask about it.

However, regarding the stance of supporting the Tsuchikage, they could talk about that.

The Leaf, the Mist Ninja Village, and the Sand Ninja Village would do best to stand on the same front.

"Why intervene?"

Kazuki asked in return, puzzled. "This is a matter between the Stone Ninja Village and the Cloud Ninja Village. It has nothing to do with the Leaf. Does the Mizukage want to support Tsuchikage?"

Onoki had won over the Leaf’s support. The terms discussed were supporting him in convening the Five Kage Summit and pressuring the Cloud Ninja Village. As for anything else, that had not been part of the promise.

"I don’t want to." Terumi Mei said bluntly:

"These things were not discussed in our cooperation. But the Tsuchikage will definitely drag us in. I think we should stand together, so I came to ask your opinion."

Terumi Mei could not be bothered to go find Rasa.

For something like this, as long as she settled it with Kazuki, that was enough. She believed that if Kazuki nodded, Rasa would not shake his head in refusal. If Kazuki refused, Rasa would not foolishly stick his neck out to help Onoki either.

"There’s no need." Kazuki shook his head:

"To put it bluntly, however much you’re paid, that’s how much you do. Matters outside the scope of the promise—I will not touch them, and the Leaf will not take a stance. As for how you all choose, you might as well wait a bit. What if Onoki offers terms to win you over?"