Alliances between ninja villages never last long—hostility and war are always just around the corner. Therefore, even though Konoha and Kumo have temporarily allied, they remain strategic rivals over the long term.
When a country visits an enemy nation it considers hostile, would they really introduce their visiting members like this to the opposing side?
Haseo had just been thrown into a seriously awkward—and dangerous—situation.
Sansho's introduction of Haseo was essentially "showcasing" him in front of enemies. This couldn't be good. In this world, famous but weak ninja always died faster than unknown weak ones or renowned strong ones.
In extreme cases, that single introduction could've already marked Haseo as a target for Kumo's assassins… but not today—at least partly because Homura Mitokado and Kagami Uchiha were among the Konoha group, but more importantly because the Konoha delegation was here to renew the alliance.
Despite being on Kumo territory where they held absolute dominance, if the second Konoha envoy attempting to form an alliance were to die again, then Kumo would completely lose its national credibility.
For now, Haseo wouldn't face any direct danger—the introduction would simply make him uneasy, along with causing some discomfort among the Kumo ninja themselves.
Indeed, the Kumo ninja stared deeply at Haseo for a moment, as if memorizing his appearance permanently, before turning and leading them forward.
"Honored envoys from Konoha," he said, "please follow me. The Third Raikage awaits you just ahead."
As instructed, Sansho and the others followed behind him. However, under such circumstances, the group became even more alert—given the unstable political situation in Kumo right now, nobody could confirm whether this man was truly loyal to the new Raikage seeking peace or a rebel aiming to sabotage the alliance between Konoha and Kumo.
Battle could erupt at any moment.
However, this concern didn't last very long. After swiftly traveling several miles northward, they encountered a grand welcoming party from Kumo—including the newly appointed Third Raikage himself.
The Third Raikage was a muscular, dark-skinned man—an imposing figure who looked more like a berserker than a ninja.
Upon seeing the Raikage, the Konoha ninjas relaxed slightly. Both Kagami Uchiha and Homura Mitokado confirmed the identity of the man—during previous wars, they had fought each other as elite ninja from opposing sides. Now, having inherited the title of Raikage, he should have abandoned his original name and become known only as "A."
Each Raikage inherited the same title — "A." To Haseo, this "A" probably meant ACE—it represented the strongest ninja in the entire village.
"Uchiha, Mitokado," the Raikage spoke, "thank you for Konoha's continued trust. Welcome to the Land of Lightning."
Contrary to his ruggedly imposing appearance, the Third Raikage spoke without excessive aggression. It seemed he clearly understood what needed to be done… A village's leader could afford to be blunt, but brute force alone would never earn someone the title of Kage.
Take Kinkaku and Ginkaku as an example—no matter how strong they were, they remained nothing more than hired enforcers for the village.
"Everything serves the grand goal of peace," Homura Mitokado stepped forward to reply, his expression clearly displeased—a natural reaction, as Kumogakure bore responsibility for the Second Hokage's death.
"Peace is our shared objective, isn't it?" the Raikage lightly replied, skillfully sidestepping the hidden accusation in Homura's words. "This isn't the place for discussion. Let's head back to our village first."
As he spoke, the Raikage first directed the ninja he had brought to move ahead, then personally led the Konoha group toward Kumo. After this brief interaction, Haseo determined that this new Raikage was indeed a man with real sense.
The twenty-odd ninja the Raikage brought along to greet the Konoha delegation were clearly not there to show off strength or intimidation. On one hand, since Kumo's rebellion had only just been suppressed, not all rogue ninja had yet been eliminated, making it hard for him to refuse the village's decision to assign guards. On the other hand, the Konoha delegation equally required substantial protection from Kumo ninja during their journey.
With such extensive preparation, no foolish person dared attack the Konoha envoys. Thus, Haseo and the others smoothly arrived at the Hidden Cloud Village. The cliffside-built settlement bore fresh marks of damage everywhere. The Raikage seemingly made no effort to hide Kumo's losses from the recent rebellion.
Without delay or unnecessary pleasantries after arrival, both sides immediately dove straight into negotiations—deep within a secret underground chamber in Kumo, discussions regarding peace and alliance commenced.
During such serious talks, neither Haseo nor Sakumo Hatake had any reason or opportunity to interject.
At first, the negotiation proceeded very smoothly. Reestablishing an alliance with Konoha was something current Kumo genuinely desired, and on this point alone, both parties were ready to sign a formal agreement immediately.
However, when Konoha proposed the "additional clauses," the Raikage suddenly felt extremely uneasy.
Homura brought up what Haseo had previously said, demanding Kumo abandon its defensive posture against Konoha and instead redirect forces toward Iwagakure.
"The strategic disposition of Kumo following this alliance is none of Konoha's concern," the Raikage responded darkly. "We welcome and look forward to this alliance—but if you're trying to use it as leverage to force us into altering our military strategy, then I'm afraid I have to say no."
A fair trade on paper, reducing forces stationed against Konoha wasn't unacceptable—after all, once the treaty was signed, there would be no need to keep heavy troops along the borders. But shifting focus toward Iwa meant asking Kumo to take the pressure off Konoha. Sacrifice Kumo's interests for Konoha's benefit? Absolutely impossible! Konoha's plan rang loud like a perfectly played suiban—too conveniently tuned to their advantage.
If at the beginning of this war, Kumo was willing to strike Iwagakure directly, now they no longer have the reason or strength to do so.
Negotiations had reached a deadlock due to Raikage's firm refusal—until Sansho finally broke the silence. "Raikage, your current situation is quite similar to ours in Konoha. Having taken the role of Kage under unexpected circumstances, you must also be facing strong opposition within your village... Compared to the previous generation, we young leaders always lack prestige."
"What makes Kumo different from Konoha," he continued, "is that your village has just gone through a rebellion. That makes your situation even more urgent. If you wish to unify your village, you need to gain overwhelming prestige that silences all opposition. Personal combat strength alone isn't everything. If you want such prestige quickly, you have only two options: either launch a large-scale offensive against another village and guarantee a one hundred percent chance of a decisive victory… But who can promise victory in an invasion? Plus, the irony is that you currently lack full control over Kumo's divided ninja forces. There's another, far simpler path—for example, eliminate the ones who led the rebellion and murdered the Second Raikage: Kinkaku and Ginkaku."
Indeed, simply eliminating Kinkaku and Ginkaku would elevate Raikage's reputation, firmly establishing him as the true leader. It was an offer hard to refuse. Hearing this, Third Raikage shot to his feet, glaring fiercely at the Konoha delegation. "Do you know where Kinkaku and Ginkaku are?!"
"If our negotiation can proceed smoothly, then we might come across such information," Sansho replied lightly.
In other words, if negotiations failed, even if they did know where Kinkaku and Ginkaku were, it would make no difference at all.
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