"Whether Tsunade believes in the Otsutsuki invasion or not, she has to consider compromise."
Makoto continued applying ointment to Mei Terumi's back while lecturing like a professor.
"There's a saying: 'When three walk together, one must be my teacher.' No matter how arrogant someone is, there are always gaps in their knowledge."
"Even if she thinks we're idiots, having access to our research data will make her work twice as effective. And if she doesn't care about herself? What about her village? What about the people she loves?"
"It's a trap," Makoto grinned. "Choosing to join means sharing her secrets. Refusing to join means watching helplessly as her rivals get stronger while she stagnates."
"..."
Mei Terumi and Kurotsuchi fell silent, processing Makoto words.
This was an "open scheme."
A conspiracy in plain sight.
Makoto used Tsunade as an example, but the target was really the Hidden Leaf and Cloud Villages.
Although there were still some detailed issues, such as how to counter if the other party refuses to join and instead sends ninjas to kidnap or turn "students" to steal knowledge.
Additionally, the basic premise to activate this open scheme is to first demonstrate sufficient influence.
Otherwise, if others don't care at all, it's all for nothing.
It was like photocopying the Secret Manual of Ultimate Power and handing it out to everyone in the martial arts world.
If you don't practice it, your neighbor will, and he'll kill you. If you do practice it, you have to pay the membership fee.
"We need to think about this ourselves," Mei murmured, pulling her dress up.
"There's no need to rush," Makoto shrugged.
Mei Terumi and Kurotsuchi needed to carefully consider what advantages their villages could offer and what areas they needed to supplement.
Makoto, however, indicated there was no need to hurry.
Establishing the academy would have to wait until after subduing Orochimaru at the very least.
...
Later that evening.
After bidding farewell to the two Kage, Makoto returned to the VIP suite assigned to Amegakure.
It wasn't as luxurious as the Kage suites, but it was still quite decent and spacious.
"Hmm?"
Makoto pushed open the door.
Inside, sitting at the table, was a small red-haired girl.
She looked terrified, clutching a cup of hot milk like a lifeline. She was wearing ragged clothes and a Grass Village forehead protector.
Earlier, when discussing healers, Makoto had thought of someone.
Karin Uzumaki.
In the original timeline, Sasuke's team, Taka, was basically a walking hospital.
Suigetsu could liquedify to avoid damage. Jugo could donate his own flesh to patch injuries. And Karin? She was a walking Health Potion.
One bite, and you were back to full HP.
It could be said that Sasuke's "edgy rogue" phase was entirely sponsored by these three support mains keeping his dumb ass alive.
"This is Nagato's clansmember," Konan explained quietly, stepping out of the shadows. "I saw her being bullied by ninjas from her own village. They were treating her like cattle. So I... intervened."
"It seems you've truly changed, Konan," Makoto smiled, sitting down opposite the girl.
Konan, who had once been willing to sacrifice a child (Ajisai) for Nagato's plan, had rediscovered her heart.
"When I see her, it's like looking at my past self..." Konan admitted, sitting down next to him. "But our mission this time..."
"Doesn't matter," Makoto waved his hand. "Don't forget, we're here to 'save' the Third Hokage. The Leaf should be grateful we're cleaning up their mess."
While saying this, Makoto picked up Karin's Grass Village forehead protector from the ground and tied it around her arm.
"Wear this for a few more days during the Chunin Exams."
Then he took out an Amegakure forehead protector from behind and, under Karin's utterly confused expression, tied it around her other arm.
What did this mean? Three-way allegiance?
"Aren't you going to ask her?" Konan whispered.
Konan spoke up, seeing how Makoto was preparing to take Karin back to Amegakure like this.
"I-I'm willing!"
Karin practically shouted, jumping up. "Please take me! I'll do anything! Just don't send me back!"
She didn't care who these people were.
They gave her milk and didn't bite her.
That was enough.
Makoto understood.
The Grass Village was a special kind of stupid.
Karin and her mother had a rare constitution. Their chakra could heal any injury instantly, they were invaluable assets for any village to have.
A smart village would treat them like royalty.
Train them. Protect them. Clone them if you're unethical.
But the Grass? They literally bit Karin's mother to death. They drained her until she died, then tossed the corpse and moved on to the daughter.
It was unsustainable, short-sighted idiocy.
Their stupidity was comparable only to their neighbors who sent Kakuzu to assassinate Hashirama Senju.
"If you're willing, then you're willing," Makoto patted her head. "No need to get excited."
"You shouldn't participate in the Chunin Exams," he added. "Without teammates, you can't enter. Just tag along with us as a spectator. We have VIP seats."
"Okay!" Karin nodded vigorously.
She didn't give a damn about becoming a Chunin.
She just wanted to escape hell!
...
The Next Day.
The first stage of the Chunin Exams began.
The written exam.
A psychological torture test designed by Ibiki Morino.
The Third Hokage set up a live feed in a viewing room for the dignitaries, using his Telescope Technique.
Not many people came.
The Daimyo and rich merchants only cared about the violence in the finals.
Watching kids take a math test wasn't exactly thrilling.
Mei Terumi and Kurotsuchi showed up, though. They watched their genin struggle with grim satisfaction.
'Good,' they thought. 'Let them suffer. It builds character.'
Konan and Makoto skipped it.
They had no interest in watching Naruto have a panic attack over Question 10.
Instead, they took Karin for a stroll through the village.
"We should take her to a bathhouse," Konan suggested, looking at Karin's dirty clothes. "She needs a scrub."
"No," Makoto vetoed immediately.
"Why?" Konan asked, puzzled.
"Because..." Makoto lowered his voice. "I sense a disturbance in the force. A perverted disturbance."
Just then, near the public bathhouse...
A white-haired old man was peeping through a hole in the fence.
He scratched his butt, giggling to himself.
"Hehehe... the harvest is bountiful today..."
Suddenly, his ears twitched as he heard a familiar voice.
He turned around.
He saw a tall, handsome man walking with a woman.
Trailing behind them was a red-haired girl.
Jiraiya froze.
"Konan?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "No way... did Nagato get a sex change?"
He blinked.
"Wait. Konan is dead, or missing. Am I hallucinating from too much sake?"
'Maybe I have been visiting too many brothels, I'm seeing things now.'
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