Chapter 14: Shift in Perspective

At the outset of their interaction with someone as formidable as Wu Chen, even if SHIELD had full confidence in Natasha's abilities, they wouldn't dare to entrust everything solely to her. Remote monitoring was a given, and Natasha understood and agreed to this.

So, upon hearing Nick Fury's instructions, Natasha paused momentarily before addressing Wu Chen. "Is it okay if I call you Mr. Watergate?"

Wu Chen smiled gently. "You can call me whatever you like."

"Great," Natasha breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Mr. Watergate, if it's convenient for you, could you perhaps shed some light on whether the Second Hokage of your village has recently developed any new ninjutsu? I'm curious about that..."

The question seemed a bit far-fetched, clearly an insincere inquiry. By specifically mentioning the "Second Hokage" and using the term "recently," she wanted to ascertain whether the Second Hokage was still alive and gauge the strength of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Wu Chen instantly understood the underlying meaning. By mentioning the "Second Hokage" and using "recently," Natasha was indirectly inquiring about whether the Second Hokage was still alive and assessing the strength of the Hidden Leaf Village.

With a smile playing on his lips, Wu Chen shifted his gaze slightly towards the area where the thugs he had subdued lay, only to find it empty; they had all escaped while he was escorting Peter.

Nonetheless, Wu Chen remained unperturbed. He had left a Flying Thunder God mark on John's body; wherever that guy ran off to, Wu Chen could find him whenever he pleased. For now, he would let him relax a bit. There would be time for a surprise later.

Returning his focus, Wu Chen remained calm and replied, "Recently, there hasn't been anything new. The Second Hokage has retired and spends his days practicing chakra control."

"I see," Natasha nodded.

Meanwhile, SHIELD's think tank exploded with discussions. "There's an 80% chance that the Second Hokage is still alive. If so, then the Third Hokage must be alive too. The status of the First Hokage is uncertain."

"It means that there are at least three powerful individuals like Watergate in the Hidden Leaf Village!"

"Are you only focused on this? Isn't anyone concerned about 'chakra'?"

"Director Fury, let Agent Romanoff inquire about what chakra is!"

After receiving the command, Natasha hesitated for a moment but decided not to act immediately. Instead, she introduced herself candidly to Wu Chen.

"I apologize! I forgot to introduce myself earlier. My name is Natasha Romanoff, a Level 7 agent of SHIELD. I was tasked with contacting you, Mr. Watergate."

"Although you intervened to stop the Hulk and Abomination from wreaking havoc on the streets of New York, as protectors of this world, SHIELD still can't fully trust you. At the very least, we need to know your intentions."

"Why did the Hidden Leaf Village, home to one of the most powerful fighters like yourself, dispatch their Fourth Hokage to New York? What is the purpose behind it?"

"SHIELD is the protector of Earth?" Wu Chen thought to himself. He acknowledged that they indeed made contributions to Earth's peace, even though he believed they were barely qualified.

As a senior agent of SHIELD, Natasha had her own judgment. From their conversation so far, she clearly recognized that in order to earn the respect of powerful individuals like Watergate, they needed to show equal, if not deeper, respect in return.

The analysis from SHIELD's think tank was accurate, but in order to achieve mutual understanding and equal exchange, both sides needed to establish their positions. And the position, in this context, referred to their respective intentions.

Natasha had already stated the purpose of her contact on behalf of SHIELD. Now, it was up to this Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, Wu Chen, to respond.

Dealing with a powerful organization versus dealing with a powerful individual elicited different approaches from SHIELD. If Wu Chen were alone, SHIELD would not be as cautious as they were now. They would still be polite, but they wouldn't have a whole team guiding the interaction from behind.

However, it was clear that the Hidden Leaf Village, mentioned by Wu Chen at the outset, had become an important leverage for him. The next step would depend on whether Wu Chen chose to reveal or bolster the lie.

If it were just a lie, it wouldn't last forever and would eventually be exposed. So a decision had to be made. And upon hearing Natasha's words, Wu Chen's mind was instantly stirred, and he began to silently weigh the pros and cons.

Soon, he made a decision!

That decision was to bolster the lie and make it a reality!

With this approach, the task of cleaning up Hell's Kitchen would have to be postponed slightly. If it was only about pacifying a tycoon, SHIELD would likely not refuse.