Land of Fire.
Konoha's Central Square.
A thunderous voice rang out, capturing the attention of the gathered crowd.
Uchiha Satoshi was undeniably Uchiha Satoshi.
Bai Ye had only instructed him to apply psychological pressure on the target during the interrogation, but as expected, Satoshi's method of dismantling a person's mental defenses was… unique.
And right now, his first words nearly made Raikage break his composure.
"I'm Raikage! Raikage!"
He had shouted this before.
Back in the interrogation room, this same man had stormed in, slapped him, and then accused him of being a Konoha spy planted by another village!
I am the damn Raikage!
Was this fool forgetful or just playing games with him?
Murmurs spread through the square as the villagers watched the confrontation unfold.
Satoshi, standing tall, smirked confidently.
"Of course I know you're Raikage."
At this moment, Uchiha Satoshi was excited.
He hadn't expected the boss to give him the honor of firing the first shot.
This was both a recognition of his abilities and an invaluable experience!
"Then why the hell are you asking?" Raikage growled, his eyes narrowing in irritation.
Satoshi shrugged. "Knowing and asking are two different things. If I don't ask, how will the others here know?"
The crowd exchanged puzzled glances.
What kind of logic was that?
Those familiar with Satoshi knew that when he wasn't speaking with Bai Ye, his words often bordered on pure absurdity.
If Uchiha Itachi were present, he might have commented: "Listening to him talk feels like suffering through a decade of nonsense."
Interrogating the Raikage.
That was today's highlight.
The previous interrogations had focused on Konoha's internal affairs.
But this? This was a confrontation between Konoha and Kumogakure.
And everyone understood one thing:
Whatever the outcome, it was something Uchiha Bai Ye had fought for.
After all, Raikage had arrived in Konoha full of arrogance, yet had been captured by the Uchiha Guard themselves.
Was this truly an interrogation, or simply an extension of the ongoing negotiations between Konoha and Kumogakure?
As tension filled the air, Bai Ye suddenly gestured towards the audience, curling his fingers in a beckoning motion.
"The view from down there isn't great. Come here."
His voice wasn't particularly loud, yet it carried effortlessly through the square.
Who was he talking to?
The villagers and shinobi turned, curious.
And then—shock.
Two female shinobi stepped forward.
One of them was incredibly familiar.
"Wait… isn't that the Kumogakure negotiator?"
"Yeah! I heard she was arrested by Captain Bai Ye for violating Konoha's laws the moment she arrived!"
"What's she doing? Is she going to support Raikage?"
"…Hold on. The other one—! That's the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii!"
The whispers intensified.
But what stunned the crowd even more was what happened next.
The two kunoichi walked past Raikage, barely sparing him a glance, and instead came to Bai Ye's side, standing behind him.
What?
Was this still the same haughty, defiant Samui from Kumogakure's diplomatic team?
And what about the so-called 'Ice Queen' Yugito Nii?
Why were they standing so obediently behind Bai Ye?
"Sister, what's going on?!"
A deep voice rang out.
Atsui, the younger brother of Samui and a member of Kumogakure's diplomatic team, stared in utter disbelief.
This wasn't right.
That's definitely not my sister!
He knew Samui better than anyone.
If she wasn't completely defeated, she would never stand like that.
What happened to her while she was captured?!
Raikage, his tone dark, finally spoke. "You are both Kumogakure shinobi."
Even if captured, his people should maintain the unbreakable will of their village.
But Bai Ye simply chuckled.
"They're mine now."
With that, he casually stretched out his arms and pulled both kunoichi into his embrace, brazenly declaring his dominance in front of everyone.
The act was so arrogant, so audacious, that the entire square erupted.
Bai Ye never cared about appearances.
Never cared about others' judgment.
He lived only for himself.
What others thought of him was none of his concern.
And yet…
The villagers loved it.
"Hahaha! Captain Bai Ye is amazing!"
"That arrogant woman Samui had it coming! Let Bai Ye teach her some humility!"
"Hmph, our squad failed two missions because of Yugito Nii's attacks. Who knew Captain Bai Ye would avenge us?"
"Declaring ownership of the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki in front of Hokage—now that's bold!"
To most, this was just entertainment.
But to the more observant, this meant something far greater.
Forget Samui.
The real issue was Yugito Nii.
She wasn't just any shinobi.
She was Jinchūriki.
A strategic weapon for Kumogakure.
And Bai Ye had just taken her.
"Boy."
Raikage's voice was dangerously low.
His fists clenched. His muscles tensed.
"You're strong. I can see that. Konoha is lucky to have someone like you. But…"
His eyes flickered toward Samui and Yugito Nii.
"This is something I will never accept."
Bai Ye smirked.
"You think you know my strength?"
His grip around the kunoichi tightened as he tilted his head slightly, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"You really think you know?"
If Raikage truly understood, he wouldn't have just said he wouldn't accept it—
He would have realized he had no choice.
Boom!
Bai Ye's fist slammed into the ground, cracking the very space beneath him.
Raikage instinctively braced himself, but before he could react—
Everything shifted.
The crowd gasped.
The space around Bai Ye distorted, swallowing both him and Raikage whole.
Then they were gone.
The entire square fell silent.
A beat passed.
Then—
"Where did he take Raikage?!"
The murmurs erupted again.
In the distance, from a vantage point, two women sipped tea as they observed the scene unfold.
Kushina, curiosity glinting in her eyes, turned to her companion.
"Tsunade, where do you think Bai Ye took him?"
Tsunade smirked, setting her cup down.
"I don't know."
She paused, thinking back to the devastated Orochimaru.
"…But when he comes back, Raikage will be very, very cooperative."
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