Yes, the Hokage

Feng Lan's lips curled slightly: "So, you've lost your Six-Tails?"

Mei Terumi's body trembled violently, but she remained silent.

“Then…” Feng Lan seemed to be considering, but in reality, it was still the classic operation of lifting the roof and opening the window. But the old trick was still effective. “I can not directly ask for Yagura, but you must kill him.”

"It will take some time for the Three-Tails to regenerate. When you try to capture it again, Konoha will not stop you."

This means that Kirigakure lost its nuclear deterrent capability against Jinchuriki within a few years. Other villages might not know this, but in front of Konoha, they really couldn't hold their heads up.

Besides, are tailed beasts so easy to capture? Kirigakure will still have to expend a lot of manpower and resources to capture the Three-Tails. Although Fenglan assured Konoha that they wouldn't interfere, he didn't say the Akatsuki wouldn't...

There are just too many variables and shady dealings involved...

Terumi Mei said in a trembling voice, "Mr. Fenglan, do you know what you're asking for?"

“I know,” Feng Lan said with an innocent expression. “I’m trying to bring Kirigakure under my control and reduce all your ability to resist, so that you won’t deny it later.”

"What's left of the Hidden Mist?"

“There’s still one village left that doesn’t kill its own people, and there’s still one way to survive.” Feng Lan shrugged. “If Yagura returns to Kirigakure, your resistance will be completely wiped out, Kirigakure will continue to sink into the Blood Mist Village, and eventually, after being consumed by internal strife and losing the ability to resist, it will be at the mercy of others. From then on, the Five Great Nations will become the Four Great Nations.”

Mei Terumi lowered her head, staring at the reflection of her fingers in the teacup. The reflection was blurry, and she couldn't tell if it was the water rippling or her own trembling.

“I agree to all these treaties,” she said, emphasizing each word. “But Advisor Fenglan, I also want to make a request… no, a request.”

"Please speak," Feng Lan said, taking a sip of tea.

"The appointment of the Mizukage of Kirigakure..." Mei Terumi also picked up her teacup, but did not drink it. She just wanted to hold onto something. "You cannot interfere. This is our last shred of dignity."

“Interesting.” Feng Lan put down her teacup. “You’re planning to make Kisame the Mizukage, aren’t you? He stands at the top, becoming a hero, bathed in radiant light, becoming people’s hope, just like the Golden Flash.”

"And you... intend to take my place, handling everything silently in the shadows, until Kirigakure is truly cleansed..."

He snapped his fingers: "Self-sacrifice, bearing all the sins and severing ties with Konoha, to secure a final chance for Kirigakure and the Land of Water."

"Crack—!"

Mei Terumi's cup slammed onto the table. Although it didn't break, the tea spilled out merrily.

“What a beautiful and resolute belief.” Feng Lan’s squinty eyes opened slightly. “I agree to this request.”

"However, there are conditions."

Mei Terumi closed her eyes and lowered her head, trying to hide her wavering: "Yes... I will cooperate with you to gain more benefits during my term of office. I will do my best."

"A promising young man, a promising young man." Feng Lan laughed genuinely again, and even laughed out loud. "Miss Terumi Mei, you are indeed not suited for using your beauty to seduce others, but in another aspect, you might be an extraordinary succubus~~"

Pakula, who had witnessed the entire negotiation... no, the slaughter, couldn't help but close her eyes: "Lord Fenglan, you... are you really not a demon? But if you are a demon... why did you agree to her request?"

Chapter 128 Pakula's Resolve

Mei Terumi didn't show any expression despite Feng Lan's praise; she simply extended her soft, slender white hand and said, "So, is it a deal?"

There's no need for any written guarantees or contracts; those things are the most unreliable. Fenglan relies on Konoha's overwhelming strength and the fact that Kirigakure has no Jinchūriki to ensure that Kirigakure can one day break free from Konoha's constraints, while Terumi Mei relies on cultivating more new talents and... her own death to ensure that Kirigakure can one day break free from Konoha's shackles.

"Deal." Feng Lan, unusually, did not use a smiling tiger attitude and solemnly shook hands with Terumi Mei.

“Then, I have to go and inform the resistance.” Mei Terumi hurriedly stood up. “If we use a summoning beast, we might still be able to get them to react.”

"Well, once you're ready, I can arrange for you to go to Amegakure." Feng Lan said calmly.

After Mei Terumi left, the room fell silent for a moment. But a few seconds later, Feng Lan spoke up: "Pakura, what do you think?"

“Hmm…” Pakura frowned slightly, unsure of Feng Lan’s intentions. She had been given many orders in Sunagakure, but rarely asked questions. The heroes of Sunagakure only needed to kill enemies, not express their opinions.

"How do you see what?" she answered instinctively, her voice softer than she had expected.

"Mei Terumi." Feng Lan put down her cup. "You were there the whole time. What did you think of her?"

Pakula didn't answer immediately. She lowered her head, looking at the slightly withered flower in her hand. She went through the entire negotiation process in her mind before slowly speaking, "She's very different. In the same situation, I knelt down, but she stood up, so you..."

She blurted out, her tone tinged with bitterness, "She's been kinder to her than to me."

"Do you think my nodding in agreement just now was magnanimous?" Feng Lan chuckled. "Or do you think... I should have agreed to your request to become an object?"

Pakula lowered his head again and remained silent.

“But your feeling is right, I do look at her differently.” Feng Lan said calmly, “because she is one of the few people who can see through my bottom line and figure out my rules of the game. She can even take the initiative to say ‘I will cooperate with you to get more benefits’ without me having to say anything.”

"The moment she uttered those words, she was no longer a hostage forced to sign an agreement, but a player who actively threw herself into the game, because she had already incorporated how I would use her into her plan."

He glanced at Pakula: "Do you remember what I told you last night? Don't be a pawn or a knife that can be sacrificed at any time. Be a player, be the one who wields the knife. Mei Terumi is already a player. Although she has very few pieces, so few that I can checkmate her at any time, the two sides are still equal."

"And you, just like I said when I saved you in Yunlei Gorge, are still just a pawn. No matter how excellent a pawn is, it will never be equal to the player. So naturally you will feel that I am more lenient with her."

Pakula silently processed Feng Lan's words. After a long while, just when Feng Lan thought she wouldn't say anything more, she spoke up: "Because she has a direction. She knows what she needs to do back in Wuyin. So even if she falls into the mud, she knows she's still heading in that direction. But I don't."

“At that time, I felt like I had nothing left. The only things I could hold onto were your words and that flower, so I knelt down. I took you as my guide.”

After she finished speaking, she realized that she might have said too much, so she quickly lowered her head, as if waiting for a judgment, just like when she misspoke in Sunagakure.

“You’re right.” Feng Lan shrugged. “Sometimes direction is more important than location. You didn’t know which way to go, so you chose to follow me as a direction, which wasn’t wrong in itself. In your situation at the time, it was already quite remarkable that you were able to grab onto a rope.”

Pakula's fingers curled slightly on his knee.

“But Mei Terumi,” Feng Lan continued, “she knew where the rope was from beginning to end, so she didn’t need me to give her directions. What she needed were tools, methods, a ladder to help her reach that rope, and that’s the difference between you two.”

"So... what direction am I heading now?" Pakula looked up.

She asked the question softly, but it came out of her mouth. This was the first time she had asked proactively, instead of passively waiting for instructions.

"Well... it depends on whether you want to continue being a pawn or become a player like Mei Terumi." Feng Lan smiled. "If you want to be a pawn, I will arrange for you to go to Amegakure with Mei Terumi and act as my subordinates."

“If you want to be a Go player… first you need to have some ambition.” He leaned closer and whispered in Pakura’s ear, “Have you ever considered becoming the absolute leader of Sunagakure, the Fifth Kazekage?”

Pakula's mind went blank for a moment. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

This statement is incredibly rich in information. "Fifth Kazekage" means that the current Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, will be replaced. "Kazekage" means that he will rule and manage the village that abandoned him. And "Absolute Guide" means that no elders will interfere or influence him; he is the absolute master.

Her first reaction was that it was absurd; how could the Kage of Sunagakure be appointed by a Konoha advisor?

But the sense of absurdity was quickly overshadowed by a deeper thought: don't be a pawn, be a player...

She recalled how Sunagakure had treated her: Chiyo had abandoned her, Rasa had turned a blind eye and tacitly approved, and the elders might have even arranged for someone to silence her immediately after she was "voluntarily" made a rogue ninja.

How many enemies had she killed for Sunagakure? How much blood had she shed for Sunagakure? And then she was discarded like trash.

Now, Fenglan tells her: You can go back, not to be the discarded trash, but to sit in the highest chair and trample all those who abandoned you underfoot.

Finally, there is fear.

Pakura witnessed the entire negotiation between Mei Terumi and Fuuran from beginning to end, and she knew exactly what price the other side paid.

Now, she is not to become someone like Mei Terumi, who lives in the shadows, but the true Kazekage. Even if she is not politically astute, she can analyze what this means. It means placing the entire Sunagakure under the control of Fenglan.

She imagined herself as the radiant Wind Shadow, but the image quickly shattered, and all that remained in front of her was Feng Lan.

The man that Mei Terumi called a demon.

"I... I want to go to Amegakure." In the end, she didn't have the same doomed courage as Mei Terumi. "Becoming Kazekage... I might not be mature enough yet."

"Yes, that's true, and it's a very wise decision." Feng Lan wasn't angry; instead, she smiled considerately. "Well then, listen carefully to the task I'm about to assign you."

"Yes!" Pakula immediately lowered his head.

"I want you to lead the Akatsuki organization, Kisame, and Mei Terumi as their leader. Throughout the operation, you can decide when to fight and when to retreat. Anyone who dares to disobey you will be killed on the spot... Nagato will stand firmly on your side."

"This..." Pakula was taken aback, clearly not expecting Feng Lan to entrust him with such an important task so soon. "My lord, do you have no requests?"

“You have experienced many wars, and I don’t need to elaborate on your judgment of the situation. As I said before, since I dare to use a sharp knife, I am naturally not afraid of cutting my hand.” Feng Lan smiled. “My only requirement for you is to observe and learn more in this war and truly experience what it feels like to be a chess player.”

Pakura fell silent, controlling the entire Akatsuki organization's participation in the war in Kirigakure. This was indeed the feeling of a chess player. Nagato was undoubtedly the trump card that Feng Lan had reserved for himself, hoping that she could play this game beautifully.

This is different from when she fought as a squad leader or commanded a large group of Sand Ninja. Back then, her only goal in battle was victory. Now, however, she has to consider how to subdue those who resist, minimize losses, and gain more benefits.

Moreover, it's from the perspective of Konoha... no, from the perspective of Lord Fenglan.

Pakura was, after all, an elite ninja of Sunagakure. Her momentary confusion at being abandoned did not mean she was weak. After a moment's thought, she asked, "My lord, should we investigate the whereabouts of the Six-Tails Jinchuriki?"

“Not bad, you’ve already gotten used to thinking from a player’s perspective.” Feng Lan patted her shoulder. “My answer is… it’s entirely up to you. I’m entrusting you with the command of this operation.”

"Yes!"

Pakula did not kneel down again, but bowed deeply: "I will not let you down!"

She knew that she could not escape Feng Lan's arrangements in the end. Even if she chose to go to Amegakure now, she would eventually have to choose whether to take another path in the future—to become the Kazekage.

But this time, Pakula did not refuse. She now understood: Lord Fenglan was neither a demon nor a philanthropist. He had given her a long and difficult path, a path she had to learn, walk, fight, and struggle on her own.

But at the end of that road lies another possibility for life, and I have begun to consider that possibility.

Mei Terumi's choice inspired Pakula. Even someone starting from scratch can negotiate standing up, and Pakula wasn't even starting from scratch; she had Lady Fuuran backing her up, guiding her, and paving the way...

She had knelt down before, but now she wanted to stand up.

Unlike Mei Terumi, Pakura's feelings for Sunagakure are very complicated, but at least... she is no longer willing to sacrifice herself to whitewash Sunagakure again. She has done it once and does not intend to do it a second time.

Even now, Pakula still doesn't fully believe she can do it, but she's willing to believe one thing—when Lady Fenglan says "you can," she usually really can.

Chapter 129: What does arresting Lu Xun have to do with me, Zhou Shuren?

As Feng Lan finished writing down all the warrants, Terumi Mei had also completed the warning communications and returned to her room: "Are you ready? We're about to set off."

"When did I say I was going?" Feng Lan pouted. "Didn't I just say that Konoha wouldn't be involved in this operation?"

Besides, Kushina is due to give birth soon, and I don't have time to travel all the way to Kirigakure to personally manage the situation.

"Then..." Mei Terumi's eyes lit up, "You're handing over command to me or Kisame?"

“Obviously impossible.” Feng Lan waved his hand. “Pakula will be my spokesperson and the overall commander of the operation. You can offer your opinions on everything, but the final decisions will be made by her.”

Mei Terumi glanced at Pakura, her brows furrowing slightly. A woman from Sunagakure, a village with a deep-seated hatred for Kirigakure, coming to save Kirigakure? This joke seems a bit too much.

“Although Pakura is still a ninja from Sunagakure, she is also my subordinate. You don’t need to worry. She will handle things from my perspective, not Sunagakure’s perspective.”

"Your stance..." Mei Terumi immediately understood, meaning that everything Pakula did was not about what Konoha could gain from it, but about Fenglan.

"This is for Yahiko, to make him and the entire Akatsuki organization obey you unconditionally; this is for Nagato, to make him personally obey you unconditionally; this is for the First and Second Hokage, to have them hand over Killer Bee to Sunagakure and then proceed according to the previous plan."

Fenglan had already given Tobirama a map of the area near Kannabi Bridge, telling him to focus on searching this area, since it was where Obito was rescued, it was better than wandering around like a headless fly.

At this moment, Pakula still didn't understand why Fenglan had written the warrants for Yahiko and Nagato respectively, and simply accepted the items silently: "Yes."

"Before you set off, there's one last thing I want to tell you. You can lose this war." Feng Lan took a sip of tea and said calmly, "If you judge that you can't win, then retreat, and I will arrange another way to handle it."

Pakula was taken aback: "Lord Fenglan?"

“Your value lies not with Kirigakure, but with Sunagakure,” Fenglan said calmly. “The main task of this operation is to learn how to be a chess player, not necessarily to win.”

Mei Terumi snorted coldly: "You're much more lenient with her than I am."

Pakula lowered her head and remained silent. Not long ago, she had also felt that Fenglan was more lenient towards Meiming than towards her. It seemed that different perspectives led to different conclusions.

Feng Lan smiled and said, "My requirements for chess pieces and chess players are naturally different. Before a chess piece with potential grows up, my only requirement for her is not to be captured."

"What about Kirigakure?" Mei Terumi clenched her fists. "You send one of your own people here to practice on, and if they fail, you just pack up and leave us to fend for ourselves?"

“What benefit would I gain from letting you fend for yourselves? Besides, Pakura is an elite of Sunagakure. If she can’t win even when she’s in command, it’s probably because the difference in strength between the two sides is too great. Considering that Nagato is there, this is almost impossible.”

Feng Lan shrugged: "So unless the resistance is really useless, it's almost impossible for them to fail. If they do lose... well, you should look for your own problems."

"You!" Mei Terumi stomped her foot in anger, but quickly regained her composure. "So, shall we set off?"

"Don't rush. Considering how sincere you were just now, I can offer some extra help."

Feng Lan tossed the scroll to Mei Terumi, who caught it and her face lit up with joy: "These are the remaining five ninja swords?"

"Including Kisame's Samehada, you have six ninja swords by your side. This should attract a lot of people to join, right? Six against one, don't say you have no chance of winning. I'm giving you the power to appoint the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

What I am given is a matter for Kirigakure itself...

Mei Terumi was puzzled, but she still bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Mr. Fenglan."

"Go, go, come back soon." Feng Lan put down his teacup. "Take down Kirigakure as soon as possible so I can go and loot... cough cough, I mean, represent Konoha on this mission."

Looting is probably your true intention.

Mei Terumi gave Feng Lan a few deep looks, then turned and left.

“Lord Fenglan, I will not let you down.” Pakula also bowed and followed suit.

"Alright, you over there who's been eavesdropping in the Divine Might Space, come out." Feng Lan calmly poured himself some tea, then picked up a new cup and poured himself another. "Say what you want to say."

As the space fluctuated, Minato appeared beside the low table with a complicated expression: "Fenglan, Konoha once promised not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries."