On the border of the Land of Fire.
The Kumogakure troops had completed their final assembly. The formations on both flanks slowly unfolded, surrounding the entire standoff area.
Several Kumogakure Jonin stood at the very front of the troops. Suddenly, there was a commotion in the center of the Kumogakure forces, and then a person wearing sunglasses with seven swords on his back pushed through the crowd and strode to the front of the formation.
The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee.
In the Konoha position, Shikamaru stared at Bee and whispered to Naruto, "Naruto, that is the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki of Kumogakure, Killer Bee. He is also the person who will be negotiating with us this time."
Kakashi handed the scroll sealing the Raikage's severed arm to Naruto.
Naruto took the scroll and said to those behind him, "Let's go and see what their attitude is."
Soon, he led everyone to the front.
At the front of the opposing formation, several Kumogakure Jonin clenched their fists in unison, but because Bee had not given the order, no one dared to strike first.
Naruto stopped, standing within arm's reach of the Kumogakure elites.
"Release my big brother immediately, you Konoha bastards!"
Seeing Naruto appear at the very front of the standoff line, Bee immediately shouted in his strange rapping tone.
Naruto looked at Bee, the corners of his lips curving slightly.
He took the scroll sealing the Raikage's right arm from his ninja tool pouch and tossed it toward the Kumogakure ninjas.
"Bee-sama, be careful of a trap!"
A Kumogakure Jonin immediately stepped forward, reaching out to stop Bee.
The surrounding Kumogakure ninjas stared nervously at the scroll on the ground, fearing it contained some kind of trap.
"Konoha bastards, what is the meaning of this?"
Ignoring the dissuasion beside him, Bee crouched down to pick up the scroll and looked up at Naruto.
"Isn't it your Raikage you want? Open it yourself and you'll know."
Bee was silent for a moment, then pinched the seal of the scroll and ripped it open.
A puff of white smoke exploded, and a muscular arm appeared in his hand.
"This is?"
The pupils of the Kumogakure Jonin behind Bee constricted sharply.
They had guessed that the contents of the scroll wouldn't be pleasant, but seeing their Raikage's severed arm tossed casually on the ground like that, a wave of rage instantly consumed their reason.
"This is Raikage-sama's hand!"
"Konoha actually dared to..."
"Unforgivable! These bastards actually cut off Raikage-sama's arm!"
"Bee-sama, please give the order to attack!"
"Let's charge over and rescue Raikage-sama!"
The Kumogakure ninjas in the front row gripped their Kunai tightly, waiting only for Bee's command.
Bee looked down at the severed arm, his hand holding the scroll beginning to tremble slightly.
"Bee, calm down. Your big brother is still in their hands."
Just as Bee was about to be consumed by rage, Eight-Tails' voice sounded in his consciousness.
Bee took a deep breath, and the trembling in his shoulders slowly subsided. He carefully handed the severed arm to the Kumogakure ninja behind him for safekeeping, then raised his head again to look at Naruto, his voice having regained its rationality. "Konoha bastards, what is the meaning of this?"
Naruto said, "This is Konoha's attitude. If you want your Raikage to return safely, then follow the conditions we have proposed. If you refuse, Konoha will fight you."
"However, before the war begins, we will first kill the Raikage and his two guards. If you want to fight, then we will use your Raikage's head as a sacrifice to the flag."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was another commotion of rage within the Kumogakure ranks.
Konoha actually used the Raikage's life to threaten them. Such a thing happening to Konoha, known for its gentle diplomacy, was even more unbelievable than hearing the Raikage had been captured alive.
"Konoha bastards, your demands are too high!" Bee gritted his teeth.
"Especially the Heavenly Transfer Technique and Lightning Release Chakra Mode. They are secret techniques passed down through generations of Raikage and can never be leaked."
"I have already given you a chance. This is not a negotiation, it is a notification. Reparations and secret techniques in exchange for the Raikage, or war and the Raikage's head."
"Choose one. Also, a friendly reminder: the Raikage's arm was just cut off. If you exchange for him quickly, it should still be possible to reattach it. If you drag it out for too long..."
Naruto did not finish his sentence, the meaning self-evident.
Bee's fists clenched, making a cracking sound upon hearing this.
Wasn't it said that Konoha was the most afraid of war? Wasn't it said that after the Third Hokage died, Konoha had no one capable of carrying the banner? Who exactly taught this guy standing in front of him who wasn't afraid of starting a war at all?
"Konoha bastards, aren't you afraid that we will actually start a war?" Bee asked through gritted teeth.
The Kumogakure ninjas behind him were also waiting for this answer. Konoha had always chosen to retreat in external disputes, trading compromise for peace. But the current Konoha was completely unlike the Konoha they knew.
"It seems you have chosen war. Then prepare to collect your Raikage's corpse."
Naruto turned to leave.
Kakashi's heart tightened when he saw Naruto turn and walk back.
Even Shikamaru, a youth who had grown up influenced by his father and was well-versed in various diplomatic maneuvering tactics, frowned at this moment.
Naruto's words just now gave Kumogakure absolutely no way out. Once the other side decided to meet force with force, this method of extreme pressure would cause a war to break out in the next second.
Bee watched Naruto's retreating back, his fists trembling slightly. He wasn't afraid of Naruto, nor was he afraid of Konoha. He was afraid of another outcome.
His big brother was in their hands, and they had even sent over a severed arm, making their stance clear. If Konoha truly followed through on their words, he would never hear his big brother scold him for writing terrible lyrics again in this lifetime.
Bee raised his head, his voice carrying across the entire field. "We agree to your conditions. All reparations will be arranged immediately."
Naruto stopped in his tracks and turned around. "It seems you have made the right choice. Then let's begin."
"Wait a moment!" Bee raised his hand to stop Naruto.
"What, are you going back on your word?" Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"It's not going back on my word, but the reparations you Konoha are demanding are truly too much. The Heavenly Transfer Technique and the Lightning Release Chakra Mode are secret techniques passed down through generations in Kumogakure, their value cannot be measured in money."
"Can these two Ninjutsu be swapped for another condition?" Bee suppressed his temper, attempting one last negotiation.
"The initiative is with me. You are the one willing to trade, not me. The conditions remain unchanged." Naruto refused.
Bee gritted his teeth tightly, and just as he was about to say something, the voice of Eight-Tails echoed in his mind.
"Bee, I have a proposal. Instead of handing over two secret techniques for nothing, why not decide it with a battle?"
Bee pondered for a moment, then looked at Naruto. "You Konoha bastard, I have a proposal."
"Let's hear it."
"Konoha sends one person to fight me. If I win, the Heavenly Transfer Technique and the Lightning Release Chakra Mode will be removed from the list of reparations, and the other reparations will remain the same."
"And if you lose?" Naruto countered.
"If we lose, the reparations will be increased by half on top of the existing amount."
"Half? That's too stingy." Naruto shook his head.
"Never mind, I don't want you to increase the reparations by half. You are the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, right? If I win, I want one of Eight-Tails' tails."
"What did you say, you Konoha bastard?" Bee bristled instantly upon hearing this.
There was also an uproar of fury within the Kumogakure ranks.
Targeting a Tailed Beast—this was no longer a negotiation, this was an outright robbery.
"Bee, agree to it."
At this moment, the Eight-Tails' voice sounded in Bee's mind again. "A tail is nothing to me, it will recover after resting for a while. But the Heavenly Transfer Technique and the Lightning Release Chakra Mode are Kumogakure's secret techniques and cannot be handed over so easily."
"Besides, do you think you will lose? You are a perfect Jinchuriki. As long as we perform normally, our chances of winning are high."
"Even in the worst-case scenario where we lose, it's just one tail, which is much cheaper than two secret techniques."
Bee was silent for a moment, then said to Eight-Tails in his consciousness space, "Fine."
Bee raised his head again and pointed at Naruto. "You Konoha bastard, we agree. Who are you sending to fight me?"
Bee's gaze swept past Naruto toward the Konoha camp behind him.
Kakashi and Guy frowned simultaneously, while Shikamaru muttered in his heart: Please don't call me.
Naruto gave Bee a meaningful smile. "Of course, it's me."
Bee's eyes lit up.
This answer was exactly what he wanted. He now had only one thought in his mind: to beat this bastard in front of him until he couldn't take care of himself.
"Bee, don't underestimate the enemy. This Konoha ninja dares to accept your challenge proactively, and in a standoff situation like this, which means he has absolute confidence." Eight-Tails warned.
***
200 PS = 1 Bonus Chapter