To read 16 extra chapters go to my Patreón
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Link in the synopsis as well.
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Asami and Riko didn't understand why Kakashi was so eager to talk about the things happening in the hidden mist. The old man and Yoshiro already had suspected that the 5th Hokage wouldn't send such an envoy just for 3 no-name spies. There has to be a bigger reason behind it. Now all they wanted to know was whether that reason could lead to the benefit of the bloodline clans or their destruction.
"Yes..I agree let's get down to business now. Firstly, we have no problem in releasing Hideki and the two brothers for a small compensation and a promise that the hidden leaf wouldn't do something so underhanded on our lands." Yoshiro said. He quickly laid out the conditions that weren't too demanding for a village like the hidden leaf but would also keep the hidden mist's dignity as they can't just let the spies they caught from other villages go home like that.
Asuma nodded and said "The hidden leaf meant no harm when they planted their spies in the hidden mist. It was strictly to only know what was happening. I am sure you know that every village has spies in each other villages. So making such a promise is not in my hands. As for the compensation, we are ready to pay that."
Yoshiro looked at the old man who nodded slowly indicating that this is the best deal they were going to get.
They knew that even if Asuma had made a promise now, there was no guarantee that he or even the Hokage would go through with it. Just like Asuma had said, every village has spies in each other's village and that's how they try to stay ahead of the curve and prepare in advance against any incoming attack.
Smiles bloomed on Hideki's and the twins' faces for a few seconds when they heard that they had now been released. The hidden mist wouldn't keep them until the compensation had arrived. They had to take Asuma's word for it and release the spies now.
The old man who didn't say much up until now straightened his back and said "Now let's talk about the main reason we all have gathered here." He was someone who liked to get right into things and not circle around.
"The bloodline clans against the Mizukage faction…I presume that's what you are talking about." Asuma asked making an expression as if that is the only thing he knows about the whole stuff.
The kids who were sitting on the side looked at Asuma thinking how could a grown man lie so seamlessly in front of so many people. He had just told them so many things about the conflict that even the clan leaders of the hidden mist themselves didn't know.
"Yes, that is right." The old man said to which Kakashi asked "This is an internal problem of the hidden mist and has been for years. It doesn't seem right for us an outside village to intervene now. Do you want us to meditate?" Kakashi asked. He didn't want to give them the easy way. He and the others had already received a lot of information from Yami and it would be an understatement to say that the information Yami included in a single letter was any less than a gold mine. But Kakashi knew that there are always things that Yami himself wouldn't know as he had just come here 2-3 weeks ago. So he decided to talk to the clan leaders from the basics.
The old man shook his head and said "No I don't want the hidden leaf to intermediate a peace between the two factions but we want the hidden leaf to openly back us up against the Mizukage faction."
Kakashi raised his eyebrows and acted like he was thinking something. Every mist of shinobis' eyes was on him now. Their existence might very well depend on Kakashi's decision.
"And why would we even do that? And what benefit could the hidden mist offer us in exchange for this?" Kakashi's first sentence made everyone's heart skip a beat but the next one relaxed them a little. This sentence applied that they knew this would be asked of them and they were agreeing to do it but for the right price.
"Right now except for our treasures and techniques, I don't think there is much to offer. So the only thing I can offer is a blank note. If the hidden leaf helps us and we win, we give them whatever they have written in the blank note except one thing though." The old man.
"What one thing are you talking about?" Kurenai asked. Many others including the kids were also wondering the same thing. Kakashi and Asuma understood what the old man meant so they didn't say anything.
The old man looked around and said "The weapon every village holds as their trump card. Ours was with the 4th Mizukage and now its whereabouts are unknown.
Except for the 4 Terumi Siblings and the leaf kids, everyone understood what that meant.
"What is he talking about? What is every village's trump card?" Ino asked as she leaned toward Shikamaru.
"I don't know but I am sure they don't want us to know just let's not talk about it for now."Shikamaru said.
Seeing that the biggest thing they could ask from the hidden mist was already out of their hands Asuma had no option but to hold onto that blank sheet of paper until they had won the war. Tsunade had already told him that we will help the bloodline clans but we can't let them know that yet.
The old man then said "The Mizukage faction has been openly getting support from the hidden stone and the only reason they haven't attacked is that someone attacked two of their bases and before that also stopped an attack on elder wu and the others coming to the hidden mist. We don't know his identity so can't say if he is doing it to help us or has any kind of enmity with the hidden stone. I do know that your priority right now would be to get Hideki's nephew Yuta back and just a few days ago we received an offer saying that they want 5 of their spies from our custody to be released and they will give us Yuta. They have also hinted at the possibility of some talks but I don't believe them. All of us clan leaders are called there as well.
Things were going as Asuma wanted them to as the clan leaders were asking what they wanted without hiding anything but they were being pretty careful and reasonable about it. Only Kakashi was aware that Yami may be doing all this to weaken the hidden stone even further.
Asuma thought for a few seconds and said "We 3 will come to the prisoner exchange as well and kindly give any information about this man who created so much chaos."
The clan leaders were also happy with the current situation but then the leaf jonins and the clan leaders looked at the large window at the side. It was a painted window but all of them suddenly looked there, confusing others in the hall.
"What's the matter Kurenai sensei?" Kiba asked. Before Kurenai could say something, the glass cracked into small pieces and made a mess inside the hall. Most of them blocked their vision with their hands as they were sure this is an attack. They expected a follow-up attack to come but it didn't happen.
"It was a sound attack…I hardly see anyone use it nowadays." Asami said. Kakashi and the others thought that it was someone from the hidden sound. A village under the supervision of Orochimaru. But the next second they saw a big, ferocious-looking bat enter the hall and circle it looking at the people with his blood-red eyes.
"I-Is that a bat?" Riko who had now taken his stance to attack asked. He expected something more to happen. The leaf shinobis understood that this much be done by Yami as he is the only one who is known to use bats and he had once told Kakashi that no one except him has bats as their summons.
'Yami is a careful person…He would create such a big scene for no reason.' Kakashi thought instantly but even he knew that things don't always go according to plan.
Kakashi and the other leaf shinobis expected the bat to land near Kakashi or Asuma but they all saw the bat sit on Hideki's shoulder. Like other bats, it didn't hang upside down but stayed straight. He then open one of his wind halfway showing Hideki and the others the letter that was tied to his leg. Hideki looked at Asuma who nodded signaling him to read the letter. As Hideki took the letter out the Bat didn't fly away but looked at the letter and then at Hideki.
"I think the bat pocesses some level of intelligence and has been instructed to not return until you have read it." The old man said as he was analyzing the bat.
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To read 16 extra chapters go to my Patreón
https://p@treon.com/lazarus898/
Link in the synopsis as well.