As the strongest among the tailed beasts, the Nine-Tails had always seen itself as the eldest.
If the eldest was suffering, what was wrong with the younger ones sharing the burden?
Since Uchiha Ren wanted to extract Shukaku's chakra—
Then it, the Nine-Tails, would definitely help make it happen.
Ren noticed the Nine-Tails frantically signaling him and gestured for Mito Uzumaki to loosen the chains.
"Hmph! Uchiha Ren, you'd better honor our deal."
"This time… since you're doing this for the future of the shinobi world—extracting chakra from that damned tanuki—cough… I can tell you a few ways to suppress it."
"I'm not doing this to get back to Shukaku. I'm simply contributing to the future of the world."
"I've already sacrificed my chakra. Why should Shukaku stay out of it?"
The Nine-Tails spoke righteously, desperately trying to justify betraying its fellow tailed beast.
Ren listened, nodding seriously.
Utterly shameless.
"Kurama… impressive."
"Impressive?"
"Let's talk about that later. Right now, I just want to contribute to the world."
The Nine-Tails grinned slyly.
The thought of Shukaku suffering the same fate—
Was deeply satisfying.
Soon enough, it spilled everything—
Shukaku's weaknesses.
Precautions after sealing.
Methods to prevent chakra backlash.
It sold out the One-Tail completely.
Ren nodded repeatedly, giving a thumbs-up.
"Kurama—truly outstanding."
"As expected of the strongest tailed beast with nine tails."
Flattery came easily.
Kurama narrowed its eyes, clearly enjoying it.
Disgusting.
Mito Uzumaki clicked her tongue inwardly.
These two—
Conspiring to exploit tailed beasts, yet dressing it up as some noble cause.
Any goodwill she had just felt toward Ren—
Vanished instantly.
He was still the same scoundrel.
There was no way she would ever entrust Yōgetsu to him.
Otherwise, that girl would probably be sold off and still help count the money.
Hmph.
Then—
She tightened her grip.
If she couldn't deal with Ren—
She could at least take it out on the Nine-Tails.
The extraction rate surged.
"—Mito, you—! Can't you slow down—?! I—"
Before the Nine-Tails could finish—
Chains sealed its mouth again.
"Hmph."
Mito's expression remained cold.
"Now, now, Mito," Ren said lightly, seizing the moment.
"The Nine-Tails is contributing to Konoha."
"Shouldn't you be a little gentler?"
"It's Konoha's friend, after all—"
The Nine-Tails nodded furiously.
Mito ignored both of them.
Shameless.
Absolutely shameless.
She continued extracting chakra at full force.
Time passed.
The extraction was complete.
The Nine-Tails shrank, its fur dull, its body weak.
But inside—
It was pleased.
From now on—
It wouldn't be the only one suffering.
With Shukaku joining in—
Everything felt much better.
"Chiyo," Ren said calmly.
"You've seen the process."
"Simple. Direct."
"But it requires absolute suppression of the tailed beast."
"That part will be difficult for Sunagakure."
He glanced at Mito.
"But Lady Mito has a solution."
Mito nodded confidently.
With the Nine-Tails' information, she already had a sealing method in mind—
Specifically designed to suppress the One-Tail.
But she had no intention of teaching it to Sunagakure.
Instead—
She would embed it into the extraction chamber itself.
That would be enough.
Chiyo had no objections.
She hadn't expected to gain such a technique anyway.
This result—
Was already beyond satisfactory.
At the very least, Bunpuku would finally be able to sleep peacefully.
"Hokage-sama," Mito said, rubbing her fingers together.
"What about my payment?"
Her tone turned practical.
Give effort—get paid.
That was something Ren himself had taught her.
No more free labor.
"Yōgetsu's talent is good," she added.
"But she's nowhere near capable of developing sealing techniques like I can."
She cut off any attempt at manipulation.
Ren waved his hand.
"Fine."
"Three million ryō."
Mito named her price.
Ren's mouth twitched.
Ruthless.
But knowledge had value.
Before he could respond—
Chiyo gasped.
Three million—
For Sunagakure, that was astronomical.
"…Lady Mito, could the price be lowered?"
She asked carefully.
She had no intention of making Ren pay.
This facility—
Had immense value for Sunagakure.
Preventing Shukaku from rampaging alone justified the cost.
But still—
It was expensive.
Mito turned her head away.
"No."
Not a single ryō less.
She had been exploited too many times.
"Then let Konoha cover it first," Ren said.
"And deduct it gradually from future chakra transactions."
Chiyo paused—
Then nodded.
"That works."
She hesitated slightly.
"One more thing… the price per extraction?"
"One million ryō per extraction."
Mito answered immediately.
She knew exactly how low that price actually was.
But the contract—
Was already signed.
There was no turning back.
Electricity had transformed Konoha.
Within a year, it became indispensable.
The power plant—
Was a money-printing machine.
And all of it—
Ran on tailed beast chakra.
The contract stood.
And breaking it now—
Would cost far more.
"…Really?"
Chiyo's interest grew.
One extraction—
Equal to an S-rank mission.
And this price—
Was what Mito herself received.
Surely it had to be fair.
Konoha wouldn't cheat Mito Uzumaki—
Right?
"Of course."
"If you don't believe me, I can show you the contract."
Mito pulled it out.
Worn.
Creased.
Frequently revisited.
Chiyo examined it carefully.
Everything checked out.
"I see… no wonder you keep reviewing it."
She commented casually.
Mito's expression stiffened.
That hit too close.
"Yes… it's a very high price."
"Isn't that right, Hokage-sama?"
Ren laughed.
"Of course."
"If it weren't, Lady Mito wouldn't have signed it willingly."
He emphasized the word.
Mito's face twitched.
Chiyo, however, remained focused on calculations.
"How often can extraction be done?"
"…Four times a year at minimum."
"Up to six or seven."
Chiyo calculated quickly.
Half a year to repay the debt.
After that—
Pure profit.
Nearly five million ryō annually.
For Sunagakure—
That was huge.
"Then it's settled."
She smiled.
A perfect deal.
A suppression facility—
And stable income.
All in one.
"Good," Ren said calmly.
"I'll have ANBU deliver the contract."
Chiyo nodded, satisfied.
But in her mind—
She had her own calculations.
The Nine-Tails had far more chakra than the One-Tail.
Yet pricing—
Was per extraction.
Not volume.
A loophole.
A profitable one.
She smiled faintly.
All three believed they had gained the advantage.
All three were satisfied.
And together—
They left the power plant.
As the sun dipped lower—
Ren stretched lazily.
Work?
Negotiations?
Overtime?
Impossible.
He had no intention of staying.
It was time to go home.
After all—
There were still people waiting.
And somewhere underground—
Senju Tobirama was undoubtedly still working.
Exactly as expected.
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