Five Kage Summit (5)

Inside the Konoha Five Kage Summit Hall, the Five Kage sat in their respective seats, heads bowed, reviewing the agreement.

To ensure the smooth running of the upcoming meeting, they requested a recorder from the Land of Iron to transcribe their conversation.

After a moment, everyone stopped flipping through the documents.

Seeing Hashirama Senju said sincerely, "Gentlemen, I'm sure you've all read through this draft. The great war has just ended, and people everywhere are suffering."

"My idea is simple: I don't want to fight anymore. Konoha will provide money, technology, and manpower to help the Land of Wind control the desert, the Land of Water solve the freshwater problem, the Land of Lightning develop geothermal energy, and the Land of Earth revitalize its mines."

"You exchange minerals, secret techniques, and the labor of artisans. You only engage in economic exchanges, not military alliances."

"I want to suppress the idea of war by offering tangible livelihood benefits. After reading this, please feel free to speak your concerns."

Reto glanced down at the lines, and after Hashirama finished speaking, he was the first to speak, "Hokage, your idea is very good, but it will be quite difficult to realize."

"According to the draft, most of the losses incurred in the pilot program will be borne by Konoha, but we still need to bear the labor costs. However, the Land of Wind's treasury is empty and we cannot come up with cash. I believe you will help, but if this continues, the people of Sunagakure will easily regard the aid as charity."

"Human relationships are much harder to maintain than Contracts; once human relationships weaken, conflicts easily arise between the two countries."

Ai sat upright, his fists resting on the table. "My Kumogakure side also has concerns."

"Putting all the losses from trial and error on Konoha means that the future survival of the Kumogakure's geothermal workshop project will depend on the Konoha national treasury's profits and losses."

"If Konoha's finances are strained and the project is abandoned halfway, it will be our Land of Lightning that suffers the losses. Kumogakure cannot accept such a risk."

Byakuren and Ishikawa nodded, agreeing with the two men's concerns.

Hashirama Senju remained silent for a moment.

When Reto voiced his concerns, he still thought that Konoha could withstand some losses. He even secretly calculated that even if he lost a little, it would be worth it to exchange for decades of peace.

But Reto and Ai's words forced him to reconsider whether his idea was feasible.

If Konoha continues to cover the deficits of all sides, its own defense reserves will be depleted over time.

When they become weaker and other countries become stronger, Hashirama, he would definitely have ulterior motives and try to take a piece of the Land of Fire away.

"I understand what you two mean." Hashirama's expression was solemn. "I was focused on exchanging sacrifice for peace, but I overlooked this point: the risk shouldn't fall solely on Konoha's shoulders."

Ai Hashirama accepted the viewpoint and then said, "In that case, the division of responsibilities should also be written down. We can't let Kumogakure pay for Konoha's mistakes for nothing, and conversely, Konoha shouldn't have to bear the losses caused by our local natural disasters."

Hashirama nodded slightly. "Of course, but let me ask you another question: what if the mistake wasn't intentional? For example, if the local conditions weren't considered during the construction, resulting in leaks or other construction problems, whose fault would that be?"

Elliot pondered for a moment, "If the Konoha Ninjas were clearly perfunctory during the exploration, then that's Konoha's responsibility. If they've done their utmost to explore and still encountered unexpected geological anomalies, then it's not your responsibility."

Reto pondered for a moment, "In that case, how should the compensation be calculated?"

Ai waved her hand. "Let's not think about this now. It hasn't even happened yet, why think so much about it?"

Hashirama nodded. "Indeed, we'll discuss this later. I'm currently thinking about how to resolve Kazekage's predicament."

Reto asked in surprise, "My predicament? You don't mean the problem is money."

Hashirama nodded. "That's right, I have a proposal regarding this."

"When making trade agreements, we should specify the approximate annual trade amounts between each country, using the traded goods as a depreciation to offset the technology and manpower invested by Konoha, thus achieving an equivalent exchange. What do you all think of this approach?"

Ishikawa Ishigawa's voice rang out slowly. "Hokage, simply setting a fixed supply amount still leaves hidden dangers. For example, let's talk about mining."

"What if there's a mine disaster or a ore vein collapse, making it impossible to deliver the ore?"

Hashirama frowned. "That is indeed a problem."

"If we're directly judged to be in breach of contract, Konoha can simply use the terms of the contract to demand compensation from the Land of Earth." Ishikawa shook his head. "Then you can decide how much compensation to demand, which we can't afford."

Hashirama frowned.

"How should we resolve this? We can't just not ask for compensation, can we?"

"We can write an IOU stating that due to force majeure, the delivery of the ore can be delayed, and the debt can be made up in installments," Reto added. "This will prevent Konoha from taking advantage of the situation to demand exorbitant prices, and also prevent the local authorities from unilaterally defaulting on their debts. A minimum guaranteed quantity should be specified; more can be supplied in good years, and delays can be allowed in years of famine."

Hashirama's eyes lit up slightly. "Oh! Good idea! That way we have some room to maneuver."

The attendant from the Land of Iron, who was taking notes nearby, bent down and quickly wrote down the sentence on the scroll.

His gaze shifted downwards, landing on the section on livelihood assistance in the draft, and he read the entire sentence aloud, "'If either party violates the terms, the other party may suspend implementation and demand compensation, but may not unilaterally terminate the livelihood assistance portion.'"

"My initial intention in writing this was to prevent ordinary people within our borders from suffering calamity because of the betrayal of the alliance by those in power. What are your thoughts on this?"

Ishikawa stroked his beard slowly. "The Hokage's concern for the people is admirable, but the loopholes are too big. Your literal meaning is that even if Iwagakure refuses to hand over the ore or send craftsmen, Konoha will still have to help with local development. That's too unfair."

Ai clicked his tongue. "The wording of the agreement seems to put us four villages at a disadvantage, but alliances are based on equality. Today, Konoha is bound by this, but if the roles of Kumogakure and Konoha were reversed in the future, we would be the ones trapped. An alliance cannot unilaterally bind only one party."

"That sounds like the Kumogakure could defeat Konoha Hidden Leaf Village in the future, "Reto thought to himself.

Hashirama, however, failed to grasp the subtext; his mind instantly conjured up two possible scenarios.

What would happen if Konoha were completely bound by this clause? What would happen if it were completely removed?

After weighing the options for a moment, he said, "Then... we won't touch the facilities that are already completed, but we won't give away new projects that haven't started yet, unconditionally. New collaborations will depend on the performance of existing contracts."

Byakuren said, "There's one more thing to add: what about projects already under construction? We can't just abandon them and leave them to fend for themselves when they're only Shūichi and the other party has problems fulfilling their contractual obligations."

Hashirama pondered carefully, "Projects that are halfway through construction should be prioritized for completion and delivery. However, subsequent new project approvals will no longer be granted. This should also be included in the explanation."

Reto nodded. "That's how it should be."

Hashirama continued reading the clauses, "Now let's move on to the training clauses. The draft allows young Ninjas from various villages to come to Konoha to learn skills. My initial idea is that those seeking training shouldn't be overly restricted in their comings and goings; after completing their training, they can decide for themselves whether to stay or leave."

Byakuren sat up slightly and retorted, "Hokage, I've mentioned this before. If we do this Land of Water will suffer considerable losses. Our country already suffers from a serious brain drain. If we don't restrain it, talented people from our country will be tempted by the Land of Fire's salaries and resources and settle in Konoha, causing the Land of Water's Strength to continue to decline."

Ai nodded. "Kumogakure cannot accept this either. I send my clan's disciples out to study so that they can return and strengthen Kumogakure, not to provide manpower to Konoha for nothing."

Hashirama frowned. Indeed.

This is a problem. His intention was to allow people to leave or stay as they pleased, not to make everyone stay and cause dissatisfaction in other countries.

Furthermore, the presence of a large number of powerful individuals from other villages in Konoha could breed factional entanglements within the Konoha, which might not be entirely a good thing for Konoha.

He pondered for a moment, "But I can't send troops to forcibly escort the students back. Does any of you have a compromise?"

Reto: "We have no experience in this area, so please speak freely. I'll start. I think it's essential to stipulate in the terms that students must return to their village to serve after completing their studies. If the children want to go home during their studies, they can request leave midway; Konoha cannot detain the students."

"I agree with the first point," Hashirama said, "But we need to discuss the second one further."

Reto frowned. "What, are you saying that taking leave midway would be suspected of sending intelligence?"

"I can't ignore this possibility." Hashirama frowned slightly. "Taking leave to go home is fine, but Konoha might need to use some methods to investigate."

Reto's tone became sharp. "Methods? That sounds so harsh, you're probably trying to extract a confession through torture."

Hashirama and spread his hands. "That's not what I meant. It's just a border crossing and a check of personal belongings, not an interrogation. If there are no checkpoints at all, the spies in the Shinobi World Eight Gates. If they really leak technology through student exchanges, wouldn't our Shinobi Villages be riddled with holes?"

Byakuren gently interjected to smooth things over. "We can agree that the inspection will only target personal belongings, and that the trainee must not be tortured or detained. The limits of the inspection should be clearly stated in writing."

Ishikawa raised his hand and pressed it down. "This detail can be left to the bilateral working group to refine. Let's postpone this matter, otherwise the discussion will never end. Hokage, I also want to mention something: Konoha must not deliberately poach students from other countries with high salaries, and all parties are prohibited from offering rewards to clansmen who are studying abroad normally."

"Yes, this can be directly included in the agreement," Hashirama said.

The attendants of the Land of Iron were taking notes.

"Let's talk about the students later; let's look at the laborers first." Reto read aloud, "Craftsmen from various countries participate in infrastructure projects in other countries and are paid according to their work."

Byakuren immediately responded, "There is a hidden danger here."

Hashirama humbly asked, "What are your insights, Lord Mizukage?"

"The scope of activities and confidentiality Regulations must be written down. If craftsmen are detained without cause, resentment will accumulate among the people, and a labor dispute could easily ignite a conflict between the two countries."

Even if the Konoha High Command had no intention of doing it, not everyone carrying out the orders would follow the rules, and ultimately the blame would still fall on the Shinobi Village.

Ai couldn't help but glance sideways. He was speaking so quickly; he must have learned this the hard way.

Hashirama a moment's thought, Zhujian said, "That makes sense. This clause must be added: detaining Migrant Workers is strictly prohibited."

He paused, then added, "Conversely, if foreign workers or artisans break the law, Konoha should also have the right to deal with them according to the law. They can't just cause chaos with the excuse of 'wanting freedom.' This point should also be added; we can't only restrict Konoha."

Byakuren nodded. "That's fair, I agree."

Reto's gaze fell on the pages about puppet technology exchange. "Hokage, there's something I'd like to understand. The draft allows your people to go to Sunagakure to learn the basics of puppetry, but the entire draft only mentions Sunagakure's output techniques, without mentioning any equivalent rewards. I understand that Hashirama simply forgot, but the content of the training must be clearly written into the agreement."

"I hadn't considered that," Hashirama nodded. "Then let's write it like this: Konoha Ninjas go to Sunagakure Ninja Village to learn puppetry techniques; in exchange, Sunagakure puppeteers can come to Konoha to learn the techniques you want."

Reto shook his head. "Wanting to cover this scope is too broad. We need to divide it up. We can't reveal each other's top secrets. We can only do basic-level technology exchange."

Hashirama nodded. "The Kazekage's considerations are thorough." After a slight pause, he continued, "On another note, there should be a limit to the number of people participating in the training. We can't send an unlimited number of people over, both sides are in a bind."

"That's reasonable. The specific number of exchange slots each year will be agreed upon by both sides later and included in the appendix."

After they finished speaking, Ai raised his hand and gestured, "Let's talk about this next. The current draft only states that a breach of contract can lead to the suspension of cooperation and the demand for compensation. But if both parties have different opinions on 'who is the breaching party,' are we just going to resort to arms? The alliance must have a complete dispute resolution process."

Hashirama raised his hand in a gesture of approval. "It seems Raikage has some ideas. Please speak."

"My idea is to handle this in stages. The first step is bilateral consultations to set a deadline for rectification; if the consultations fail, we will initiate a five-party multilateral mediation; if the deadlock persists, we will jointly nominate neutral technical and trade experts to issue an assessment. In short, we must avoid disputes from occurring."

"As expected of Raikage, so thoughtful." Hashirama speaking, then changed the subject, "But I also need to make things clear. Mediation is mediation, but if it's confirmed that one party deliberately broke the agreement, Konoha won't sit idly by. Moreover, Konoha must hold the authority to suspend new projects and postpone technology delivery."

Upon hearing this, Ai immediately sat up and retorted, "Konoha shouldn't overstep its bounds. If you unilaterally disagree and stop construction, are we just supposed to suffer in silence? What if Konoha deliberately nitpicks and insists that we haven't fulfilled our contractual obligations?"

Reto nodded in agreement. "That's right, I think it's appropriate for both sides to jointly send specialists to supervise. The right to judge shouldn't be given to just one party."

Hashirama and said, "I understand your concern. If Konoha were to act unilaterally, it would indeed easily breed injustice."

"Then let's establish Joint Coordination Committee."

This was the first time the Four Kage had heard this term.

Ai asked in surprise, "Joint Coordination Committee?"

"Yes, each of the five villages will send two representatives to establish ledgers for materials and profit sharing. If performance fails to meet targets consecutively, an early warning system will be activated. After each pilot project is completed, a resident liaison officer will be assigned to each village to handle daily affairs. Determining whether performance has been fulfilled requires the approval of a majority of the committee representatives."

After listening, Ai nodded. "I accept it that way. Oh, by the way, how did you come up with this idea? Does your Konoha have a similar organization to help you with things?"

Hashirama waved his hand with a wry smile, "Sigh, it's just helping to gather things together. After they list the evidence, I'm the one who has to approve it in the end."

"That's quite convenient. I'll get one when I get back."

Reto flipped to the end of the document and suddenly remembered something. "Speaking of which, this agreement states that it is valid for three years. But the draft doesn't mention anything about what to do if a village wants to withdraw from the alliance."

Hashirama was slightly taken aback. "Once you sign an alliance, you should uphold it to the end. Why withdraw?"

Reto sighed, "The world is unpredictable. Coups and power shifts within the village are commonplace. The Five Kage who are making this pact today cannot represent the next generation of rulers."

Ai nodded. He understood Reto's predicament. After all, his position was not secure either. In the past six months, he had faced countless challenges, and some people even established other Shinobi Villages to oppose him.

If it weren't for the fact that the Land of Hot Water gave him leverage over the Kumogakure, he doesn't know how long it would have taken to take down those Shinobi Villages with Kinkaku and Ginkaku.

Byakuren frowned. "But if submitting a notice of withdrawal can erase the previous debts for mining and dividends, then this alliance will be meaningless. My Kirigakure cannot accept such an outcome."

Reto pondered for a moment, "The Mizukage is right. We can't allow them to just walk away, but we must also have a way out. It's unrealistic to completely lock them in and not allow them to leave. If we really encounter difficulties, it's not realistic to just be bound to the alliance like this."

Hashirama stroked his chin. "Hmm, based on our previous approach, I think it's better to have a buffer period. How about we tell our allies we're withdrawing a month in advance?"

Byakuren objected. "If not, at least three months' notice is required. A written withdrawal notice must be submitted, and ownership of the completed facilities must revert to the local jurisdiction. However, all previously accumulated assets must be settled; withdrawal cannot be used to wipe out debts."

"Furthermore, the withdrawing party shall cooperate in completing the Settlement of the project under construction, clarifying the invested materials and manpower, and settling accounts according to the Contract."

Ai suddenly thought of something, "Oh, right, I just remembered something about this. If we encounter a large-scale natural disaster or plague and are truly unable to fulfill our obligations, we shouldn't immediately declare it a breach of contract. We should wait until the disaster subsides before continuing to fulfill the agreement."

Hashirama blinked. "Wasn't this something we talked about before?"

Ishikawa sighed, "Hokage, such matters must be stipulated in writing. It's true that there's nothing we can do when disaster strikes, but we can't use disaster as an excuse to default on our debts indefinitely. There must be evidence of the disaster to be submitted to the Contract party for verification."