Let Sand Ninja's debt collection team handle Shimura Danzo?
Tsunade hesitated.
Mufasa gave a casual shrug. "Don't worry, our Sand Ninja debt team is professional. They just collect what's owed. Danzo won't die. Probably just get roughed up enough to pay attention."
Tsunade exhaled, rubbing her temple. "Alright. But don't take it too far."
"I know, I know."
Mufasa was visiting Konoha this time, so Tsunade decided to play the proper host. She invited him to a busy izakaya in the village.
The place was alive with laughter, clinking cups, and bustling servers. Lanterns swung overhead, casting warm light across the tables.
"Sorry," Tsunade said, settling across from him, "this was the quietest place I could find tonight."
Mufasa gave her a sly grin. "You sure that's not just your way of bragging?"
She scoffed. "Oh, so only you get to brag? Come on. Even I get to show off sometimes."
"Fair. Show off all you want." Mufasa leaned back, chuckling. "You earned it."
Tsunade pointed at him with her cup. "Good. I want a drink."
Mufasa blinked. "Wait, like... a drink drink?"
His mind spun off into wild calculations.
A drink meant a toast. A toast meant a favor. A favor meant... ah, never mind.
He settled on: I'm free. Free is fine.
"Sure," he said, finally. "I'm free."
Tsunade's brow shot up. "What? Really?"
"Of course. You bought me all this seafood. Can't let you pay alone."
Tsunade burst out laughing. "Then I'll take... a hundred air cannons."
Mufasa nearly choked on his raw egg. "Air cannons? You mean giant steel cannons?"
"Steel cannons? No," Tsunade said, puzzled. "I mean your anti-air cannons. After that whole mess with the Sky Ninja, we realized we need more."
Mufasa swallowed hard.
That was... expensive. One hundred cannons? His raw egg felt twice as slimy now.
Tsunade poured him a drink. "Come on, have some sake. Helps with the gag reflex."
They moved on to business. Tsunade praised him for pushing Konoha toward heavy industry. "Turns out you were right. Once our products hit the markets, countries are all over them."
The Sand Village had carved out markets across the Wind Country, Earth Country, and smaller border states.
Meanwhile, Konoha was thriving in the Land of Fire, the Land of Iron, Land of Frost, and beyond.
"Honestly," Mufasa said, "if I didn't step in, you lot would catch up and pass Sand soon enough. You have more people, more land, better resources. It's basic market law."
"Then why help?" Tsunade asked.
Mufasa smirked. "Because I don't want to work people to death. Sand has fewer mouths, so we keep to the high-end stuff. Leave you the mass production. Everyone gets to eat."
Tsunade nodded thoughtfully. Then she shifted, resting her chin on her hand. "I want to smooth things over with Mist. That way our ninja tools can sell in the Land of Water too. What do you think?"
Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "You want to deal with Terumi Mei? Good luck. I hear the new Mizukage doesn't exactly roll over for anyone."
"Sometimes it helps when women handle things. I'm confident I can work something out."
Or end up in a brawl, Mufasa thought. He only gave her a lazy grin. "Sure. You do that."
"Also... I want to open trade with the Land of Lightning."
Mufasa almost spit out his sake. "The Land of Lightning? You mean Yondaime Raikage's turf?"
"Yeah. Why?"
He stared at her. "Tsunade, you know that village was the top tech hub in the world before we came along, right? Chakra cannons, railguns, portable lightning shields? What exactly do you plan to sell them?"
"Our stuff," Tsunade said stubbornly.
Mufasa leaned forward with a laugh. "Hey, you do you. But if you walk into Land of Lightning trying to sell them basic shuriken and kunai, don't be surprised if they hand you a catalog for their gear instead."
Tsunade pouted, then downed another cup. "Spoilsport."
"Just honest," Mufasa shot back.
Still, their laughter carried through the izakaya, echoing around the warm lights and busy chatter. Even if business was a battlefield, tonight, it was just two old friends sharing drinks and plans for a future where every village found its place.
...
Tsunade leaned in, curious. It wasn't easy for Mufasa to disappoint her.
"Well, come on then," she said, smirking. "I like your style."
"Yeah? Well, I like myself too," Mufasa laughed.
Tsunade threw back her drink, slammed the glass on the table, and grinned. The air around her almost crackled with energy.
Mufasa felt a little lightheaded just watching.
They shared a few more rounds.
"You really planning to fly that sky fortress back home?" Tsunade asked, her cheek propped on her hand, face flushed with wine.
"Why wouldn't I? It's mine fair and square."
Tsunade raised a brow. "Sky Village was crushed by the combined might of all five villages. You think no one's going to question you cruising around with their floating castle?"
"You want me to build you a little villa up there?" Mufasa teased.
"Who wants that? It's not about me," Tsunade shot back. "I just know how people work. That fortress might not be the strongest weapon out there, but it's one-of-a-kind. Makes people jealous."
The air ninja gliders were simple enough.
Mufasa knew the principles by heart: chakra manipulation made the air above the wings move faster than below, lowering the pressure on top so the craft lifted.
With enough gliders, Konoha could fill the skies—but that tied up ninja hands, cutting their combat power.
Tsunade planned to build some anyway for scouting or messaging.
As for the sky fortress itself? No one really understood its inner workings, and the weapons weren't anything awe-inspiring.
The fortress was more like a mobile village, a floating base for Kong Nin to live, pick fights, then escape.
It worked fine—until the five villages stomped them into the dirt.
Still, having the only fortress like that? Yeah, people would be jealous.
Who, though? The Stone Village under Ohnoki could probably make their own.
Land of Water's Terumi Mei was still in negotiations with him. Tsunade? No way. Maybe the Cloud? Kumo always was a bit too quiet around Sand.
Maybe they still looked down on them as the weakest of the Five Great Villages.
But before Naruto and Sasuke matured, Kumo was arguably stronger than Konoha—they even forced them to give up Hyuga Hiashi's brother without a real fight.
If they did come poking around, Mufasa was more than ready.
"Let them try. I'll make sure they forget how to get back home," he said, cracking a grin.
Tsunade burst out laughing. "Cheers to that! Let's see who really gets lost first."
They clinked bottles and drank deep.
The next morning, Mufasa dragged himself out of the hotel bed and went to handle business. Kaminarimon Ereki, who managed Sand's affairs in Konoha, was waiting.
"Lord Mufasa, here's the latest on our investments and returns," Ereki reported.
"Run that by Temari," Mufasa waved off. "Not my thing."
"Of course. But there's another issue." Ereki cleared his throat. "Shimura Danzo owes us 2.3 billion ryo. His assets are nowhere near enough to cover it. Should we move to secure repayment?"
"What did he even mortgage?" Mufasa asked.
"His entire clan holdings—estate, fields, shops."
Mufasa almost pitied the old schemer.
Almost.
Danzo would mortgage his own soul if he thought it was good for the village. But business was business.
"I already spoke to Tsunade. Take whatever measures you need. Send in the debt collectors."
"Understood. Should we use our own shinobi or hire outsiders?"
Mufasa thought it over. "Outsource it. Easier if things get messy."
"Right away."
Meanwhile, far away at a bounty office, Hidan was half-asleep while Kakuzu scanned the mission board.
"New job. Big payout," Kakuzu muttered. "Sand wants someone to collect debts from Konoha's Danzo. Pays 1.5 million."
Hidan perked up. "Heh, sounds fun. Let's go."
The two didn't even bother wearing their Akatsuki cloaks, slipping into Rain ninja disguises.
They walked right through Konoha's front gates after giving fake names.
"So where's this Danzo guy live?" Hidan wondered.
"Dunno. Let's ask."
They stopped a spiky-haired kid passing by.
"Hey there, kid," Kakuzu rumbled. "Know where to find Shimura Danzo's house?"