Three days passed quickly.
The Konoha ninja were all waiting in anticipation for Danzo Shimura's response.
Unfortunately, Danzo seemed to have completely forgotten about the matter, busying himself with other affairs instead.
Deep down, Danzo knew—he must not negotiate; he must not pay the ransom.
Once was one million ryo—how many more millions would follow?
This precedent could not be set; he couldn't allow Kumogakure to hold him hostage.
Once you start giving in to demands, people will come to expect it—and resent you the moment you stop.
There was no way he could save some and abandon others—it just wouldn't work.
By choosing one civilian and one clan ninja, Kumogakure had set up a comparison.
If he saved the clan ninja but left the civilian behind, what message would that send? Since the ransom amount was the same, does that mean civilian ninja lives weren't worth saving?
Most ninja were from commoner backgrounds anyway—in the end, this would only sow dissatisfaction among them.
The opposite case was no different.
I, Danzo Shimura, will never fall for such tricks!
Still, he also knew he couldn't voice these thoughts directly—otherwise, the ninja might start harboring their own suspicions.
The attitude of the ninja at Konoha Camp toward Kumo's threat had gradually changed as well.
Initially, they still discussed the issue occasionally, but eventually, they realized it was a Kumo ploy. They stopped mentioning the incident entirely, pretending nothing had happened.
Danzo had never issued an explicit ban on discussing the topic, yet everyone tacitly understood.
As long as no one pointed it out, then effectively—nothing had occurred.
If nothing happened, there was no need to feel guilty, right?
"What time is it now?" someone asked within the camp as shadows stretched longer across the ground.
"Four o'clock," answered a ninja whose face subtly shifted expression.
Others nearby also showed visible changes in expression.
They remembered that the message from Kumogakure had come exactly three days ago at four in the afternoon.
In other words, at this very moment, those two—Shiyao and Inryou—might already have been taken out.
Would Kumogakure announce their deaths? Would they contact again?
Uneasily, the Konoha ninja waited. Even Danzo found himself anxious.
One hour passed. Two hours passed. Nothing happened.
Time dragged until eleven at night—with still no sound over the broadcast system.
"It's finally over."
Many let out sighs of relief, retiring to their quarters with clear consciences.
Of course, among the Konoha ninja, there were still some who felt uneasy—some were close friends of Shiyao, others related to Inryou's family.
Kumo Camp.
"Orochimaru, you truly understand human hearts."
Dodai ordered the captives named Shiyao and Inryou brought out from the prison cell.
These two teenagers clearly sensed their execution date had arrived—expressions flickered endlessly across their faces.
Faced with death itself, they struggled to remain calm, filled with deep resentment.
"Only a measly million ryo! Why won't they even pay that?!
"Don't our contributions to the village equal more than just one million ryo?"
"The so-called [Will of Fire] might sound noble, but it clearly doesn't treat all of us like family."
"Kill both of them," Tonbo ordered his subordinates. "Send the heads to Konoha."
Late at night, several dark figures darted through the shadows.
With two loud thuds, two cloth-wrapped bundles crashed into Konoha Camp.
Although they hadn't landed in the center of the camp, they were close enough to draw the attention of night guards.
Sensing the commotion, several Konoha ninja rushed out in pursuit.
Meanwhile, someone cautiously unwrapped the two packages thrown into the camp.
Inside were two bloody severed heads, both wearing Konoha forehead protectors.
The faces were clearly visible and easy enough to recognize. Given Kumogakure's earlier claims, they quickly figured out these were the heads of Shiyao and Inryou.
"Dispose of these heads quietly. We can't let this get out and shake our morale," the squad leader among the night guards said grimly.
Just then, a shrill electronic noise rang out, followed by a familiar voice.
"Good evening, Konoha shinobi!"
The night guards exchanged bitter, resigned smiles—there was no point in keeping it secret now.
Danzo Shimura grumbled as he got up from his bed.
Again? The first time, he should've sent someone to smash Kumo's loudspeakers!
"I'm sure you've all received my gifts by now."
"I hope the ninja of Konoha will be able to send those two heroes back to their homeland."
"But I won't ramble on. Today, I'd like to introduce two new friends to you all."
"One is a young man named Hei, and the other is a girl from the prestigious Uchiha clan named Yusui."
Hearing Yusui's name, the Uchiha clan members immediately became restless.
They were absolutely certain there had been someone by that name among their forces.
Even though her eyes only held a single tomoe Sharingan, [Genjutsu] had always been her strength. She had volunteered to join Kakashi's genjutsu unit.
But after that, nothing. Only Kakashi returned from that unit.
Before Tonbo could continue, they eagerly wanted to find Danzo Shimura.
Shisui Uchiha stopped them. "Stay calm. I'll approach Lord Danzo myself later."
"You should trust Aniki Shisui," Itachi Uchiha added.
One being a highly respected expert within the clan, the other being the heir, with these two speaking up, the other Uchiha members temporarily restrained their anxiousness.
Tonbo continued, "I apologize for knowing little about them besides that they're chunin. They refused to cooperate with us at all."
"But no worries, I've brought them here with me."
Then came a moment of silence.
As Konoha listeners grew puzzled, several muffled groans of pain emerged.
"These two are quite silent... from the pain."
"However, they definitely exist. You can rest assured."
"And Uchiha clan members can especially relax, as Yusui Uchiha remains completely unharmed with no organs missing."
"These two are somewhat stronger than average chunin. After considerable deliberation, I've decided on ten million—same old rules apply. Ten million ryo should suffice as ransom."
"Earlier, one of my subordinates suggested that since they're from the Uchiha clan, with such a precious bloodline, we should set a higher ransom."
"But I believe lives are equal. So their worth is the same."
Upon hearing this, Shisui Uchiha couldn't help but frown.
He could tell there was more to those words.
In the Kumogakure camp, Orochimaru smiled slightly and said, "Life isn't equal; it's only death that is equal."
Sasori of the Red Sands: "Because that is eternal art."
Kakuzu: "We should receive the ransom this time. One million ryo for an Uchiha? That's a bargain."
"Leaders of Konoha, you have three days to think about it." With these words, Dodai ended the conversation.
Inside the Konoha camp, the atmosphere was heavy.
As soon as Danzo Shimura stepped out of his room, someone cut him off.
"Lord Danzo..."
Danzo's face darkened as he replied, "Fine, go call all the other Jonin over."
After speaking, he entered the Command Tent first.
Soon, Jonin started arriving one after another.
Once everyone had gathered, the Jonin exchanged uneasy glances in silence, waiting for Danzo Shimura to speak.
Seeing them like this, Danzo became furious and shouted at them, "Speak up! Have you all gone mute? Wasn't it you who wanted this meeting?"
Actually, he hoped that someone would understand his thoughts and voluntarily step forward to say they should refuse to pay the ransom for the Uchiha hostage held by Kumogakure.
That way, he wouldn't have to be the one to take the fall.
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