Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!-Chapter 356: The City of Entertainment

"I think he's just making you handle the things he can't do himself," Kakuzu muttered sourly, unable to resist taking a jab.

"Don't slander Sensei!" Konan shot back, though her voice wavered slightly. The thought crossed her mind—if Sensei opened a gambling house, his wife would bankrupt him. If he dared to run a brothel, he wouldn't survive her wrath. Perhaps Kakuzu had a point, after all.

"Hah! Do you really think Hatake Kawakaze is some kind of saint?" Kakuzu sneered, bitterness etched into his tone. His grudge was impossible to let go. Every time he remembered the 900 million he'd lost, it was like a fresh wound reopening, bleeding him dry.

"Why isn't Lord Kawakaze a good person? After all, he spared your life," Nonō said with genuine respect for Kawakaze.

"I..." Kakuzu began, but Nagato cut him off.

"Enough bickering," Nagato said firmly. "We've made the money, but trouble is coming. Let's focus on how to deal with it."

The Land of Rain's booming revenue over the past year had drawn the envy of two powerful allies, both eager for a cut. Sunagakure had been easier to manage, but Iwagakure's Ōnoki was proving more persistent. His emissaries had made repeated visits to "discuss matters," their words growing increasingly forceful. While Yahiko had so far managed to deflect them with excuses, he knew this approach couldn't last forever.

"If the tiger doesn't show its teeth, does it really think we're sick cats?" Konan said coldly. "There's no way we're giving them any money."

Her stance was clear: no compromise, no handouts, and if it came to it, they would fight.

"If it were just us, that would be one thing," Yahiko said, rubbing his temples as frustration set in. "But with so many people involved, we can't just jump into a fight."

The predicament gnawed at him. It had been so easy to accept financial support from the two great ninja villages back then. Now, the weight of their expectations loomed heavy.

"Fighting isn't the best idea," Nagato said thoughtfully. "They see us as a small ninja village—an easy target. If we can make them feel genuinely threatened, this might go away."

His analysis was sharp. After all, even Konoha, with its vast wealth, didn't face demands from its allies. The key lay in projecting strength.

"Why don't I go there?" Kakuzu suggested. He didn't believe Konoha would step in, but he felt confident Sunagakure and Iwagakure wouldn't stand a chance. "Kill a few people, show them who's boss. If they want money, let's see if they can take it."

"No," Yahiko said decisively, rejecting the idea outright. "They already know who you are. That would be as good as declaring war."

Sending Kakuzu in disguise to assassinate someone wouldn't make a difference; it would only escalate tensions. If they made an open move, it would be Akatsukigakure taking the first aggressive step, putting them squarely in the wrong.

"Then let's keep stalling them and see what they do," Kakuzu said, his opinion aligning with Konan's. The worst-case scenario? They would fight it out. Who was afraid of whom?

"We can't keep stalling them, or there will be problems," Nagato warned. Patience had its limits, and he suspected that Ōnoki was nearing his breaking point. Rasa was slightly more composed, but even he would become harder to deceive as time went on. Whether it escalated into open conflict or underhanded schemes, neither outcome boded well for the Land of Rain.

"This isn't working, and that isn't working. What do you think we should do?" Kakuzu's frustration was palpable. The prospect of sharing their hard-earned profits gnawed at him, and his anxiety was starting to show.

"Calm down. We're just discussing it, aren't we?" Nonō offered, trying to ease his tension, though she didn't have any concrete solutions either.

"Nagato just mentioned that they need to feel threatened," Konan said thoughtfully. "If that's the case, we need to show them we're not to be trifled with. Then, they'll back off, right?"

Nagato nodded at her assessment. "Exactly. Making them retreat because the cost is too high is the best solution I can think of." But even as he spoke, his mind remained blank on how to accomplish this.

"It's difficult to figure out, but it's also simple," Nonō remarked, a hint of an idea forming.

"How?" Yahiko asked, his interest piqued.

"Nagato's idea is to avoid direct confrontation while demonstrating strength," Nonō explained. "If we were to publicly defeat a top-tier expert, that would send a clear message. It would show them we're not worth meddling with."

Her smile, however, was tinged with helplessness. Finding someone to fit the bill was another matter entirely. There were few "super experts" who could truly intimidate the two great ninja villages.

"Yes, that's the general idea," Nagato said. "But pulling it off won't be easy. Where would we find someone like that?"

"Why don't we invite Sensei to put on a show?" Yahiko suggested tentatively. Kawakaze was the first person who came to mind when he thought of someone formidable.

"Do you think people are stupid?" Kakuzu scoffed, shooting a sharp glare at Yahiko, as if he'd lost his mind. "Do you seriously believe that 'defeating' Hatake Kawakaze would fool anyone? It would only make things more suspicious."

"Then suggest someone else," Yahiko shot back, refusing to back down.

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Kakuzu opened his mouth but hesitated. The only person he could think of who fit the criteria was someone like the Third Raikage. But who else would come to Akatsukigakure just to be defeated?

Knock, knock, knock.

The tense atmosphere in the office broke at the sound.

"Enter," Yahiko called.

The door opened, and a member of Akatsuki entered stepped in, his expression urgent. "Lord Akatsukikage, someone is causing trouble and has injured several Jōnin."