Returning once again to that familiar meeting room, Gekko Chizan naturally pulled out a chair and sat down.
Across from him, Mifune shook his head helplessly.
"You've stayed here for a full month, kid, and you've been sending wine for a full month too."
"I have to say, your perseverance is impressive, but the Land of Iron will never make a move against the Rain Hidden Village."
The Land of Iron had its own rules: it would not proactively participate in conflicts. If the Rain Hidden Village hadn't attacked the Land of Iron during the Second Shinobi World War, they wouldn't have gotten involved at all.
The Land of Iron only accepted commissions and carried them out as samurai. Starting wars was completely out of the question.
"I know."
"I just think the Land of Iron is great, and samurai are great too."
"It's purely voluntary. General Mifune doesn't need to think too much about it."
Gekko Chizan said this out loud, but in his heart he was already cursing.
This old bastard Mifune was really stubborn. If it were anyone else, they would've thought it was enough by now—but this old man just kept butting heads.
"Hehehe, whether it's voluntary or not, your reputation among the samurai of the Land of Iron is indeed very good right now."
"Since that's the case, I won't embarrass you, nor embarrass Takigakure."
"Taking the initiative to attack is impossible, but changing the form isn't necessarily out of the question."
"Even I myself could be dispatched."
Mifune slowly stood up. Though he was already over fifty, his posture was still upright, his entire presence sharp and imposing, like a drawn blade.
"Issue a commission."
"If you truly need our strength, then let us join in the form of a mission."
"When the time comes, I will personally accept it."
"Hanzō the Salamander…"
"That is indeed a good enough reason for this old man to draw his sword."
With that final line, Mifune left. But Gekko Chizan understood—this old man had agreed.
And he wasn't as detached as he claimed. He still cared about the fact that he'd been defeated by Hanzō the Salamander back then.
After all, the current Mifune was only fifty, not the nearly seventy-year-old man who participated in the Fourth Shinobi World War. His ambition was still very much alive.
Seeing that a whole month of effort had finally paid off in dealing with Mifune, Gekko Chizan was so happy he could barely contain himself.
He immediately pulled out two more scrolls from his clothes. When opened, they were filled with wine.
"Mifune, catch."
He tossed over a bottle of fine wine. Mifune caught it easily, twisted off the cap, and took a big swig.
"Kid, you've achieved your goal. Leave the Land of Iron."
"But why does Takigakure want to move against the Rain Hidden Village?"
Gekko Chizan opened a bottle himself and took a drink before speaking slowly.
"The times are changing. Obstacles like Hanzō the Salamander need to be kicked aside."
"Takigakure truly doesn't participate in shinobi conflicts, but that doesn't mean we can let others bully us."
"Hanzō has gone too far. Takigakure must strike back."
Mifune nodded. As someone who had lived through that era, he understood Hanzō's character very well.
Otherwise, the Second Shinobi World War wouldn't have unfolded the way it did.
"Very well. Then let me once again experience Hanzō's swordsmanship."
"But kid, don't forget—while we can accept commission missions, there is a limit to how many people we can send."
"If your goal is to overthrow the entire Rain Hidden Village, the Land of Iron won't be able to help much."
"All I can do is help you deal with Hanzō. That's all."
This was exactly what Gekko Chizan wanted to hear.
After all, if Takigakure moved against the Rain Hidden Village, he himself couldn't take action.
Yugito couldn't either—one represented Konoha, the other was a jinchūriki. If the two of them made a move and word leaked out, things would spiral out of control.
That was precisely why he'd gone through all the trouble of personally coming to the Land of Iron to pull Mifune in.
Double insurance was always the safest option.
For dealing with Hanzō, Mifune was one candidate. Orochimaru was another.
He refused to believe that Hanzō, that old bastard, could escape smoothly.
Add Yahiko, Konan, and the others, and taking down the Rain Hidden Village was no empty talk.
As for Orochimaru's involvement, that decision had been made after Gekko Chizan discussed it with his sensei.
After all, Orochimaru was currently unaffiliated. If he wanted to act, he could do so freely, without any trouble.
"That's enough."
"As long as Hanzō is taken down, the Rain Hidden Village will collapse on its own."
"In the future, Takigakure is willing to form an alliance with the Land of Iron."
"I wonder if General Mifune would be willing."
Like the Land of Iron, Takigakure was a neutral power. If the two sides could form an alliance, it would also help Gekko Chizan maintain control of the overall situation.
"We'll talk about that when the time comes."
"But when do you plan to make your move?"
At the thought of crossing blades with the Demigod of the Shinobi World once again, Mifune couldn't help but feel excited.
Since he had agreed, preparations had to begin. He intended to face Hanzō the Salamander in his strongest possible state.
"Intelligence is still being gathered. It'll probably take some more time."
"But it shouldn't be too long."
Mifune nodded, then took another large gulp of wine.
After that, things became much simpler.
Once Gekko Chizan delivered another batch of wine to the samurai stationed at the Land of Iron's castle, he happily returned to Takigakure.
When Yahiko and Konan heard that Gekko Chizan had actually invited the general of the Land of Iron to help deal with Hanzō the Salamander, both of them were stunned.
"Small matter."
"Once the intelligence network is fully set up, it'll be the perfect time for us to move against the Rain Hidden Village."
"When that time comes, those with grudges can take revenge, and those with grievances can settle their scores."
"You two focus on training properly these days. Don't drop the ball when it counts."
"In this battle, Mei Terumī can participate. Let Yugito continue building the intelligence network."
"By the way, how are the intelligence networks in the Land of Grass and the Land of Hot Water doing right now?"
Gekko Chizan was a bit worried about those two kids.
After all… well, their track records weren't exactly spotless.
"It's not bad. The two of them used completely different methods."
"Oh? Let's hear it."
"Yugito is combative, so she went straight from east to west through the Land of Grass, beating people up and gathering a large group under her."
"…That damn kid… I only said it casually back then, and she actually went and did it…"
Konan smiled slightly. She wasn't surprised at all by Yugito's approach.
The current Yugito was a kid who settled things with her fists. If fists worked, she absolutely wouldn't waste words.
On the other hand, Mei Terumī's method was far more refined.
"Mei Terumī's side is much better. She used the money given to her to open a flower shop. I don't know where she found so many errand runners—on the surface they're delivering flowers everywhere, but in secret they're all gathering intelligence."
"That girl's got a good head on her shoulders. A flower shop, huh? It does suit her."
Gekko Chizan was fairly satisfied with the actions of the two kids.
After that, he planned to go and take a look himself.