The next day, the follow-up forces led by Dodai also arrived in the Land of Hot Water. After receiving word that Dada had been kidnapped, Dodai had brought a group of men by the usual route. Though the crisis had now been resolved, their next task would likely be handling the aftermath.
As the leader of a village, the Third Raikage had suddenly appeared in the Land of Hot Water, so he still needed to notify the various parties. Moreover, it was easy to imagine that Kumogakure and Konohagakure would soon have another confrontation at the negotiating table. A therefore decided to remain in the Land of Hot Water for the time being and ordered a temporary camp to be built.
With the arrival of Dodai's main force, Tsunade finally ended her life hanging from a tree. Kumogakure's people used the Iron Armor Seal, passed down through the village for generations, to seal all her Chakra. This Fuinjutsu had originally been used on tailed beasts, so restraining Tsunade was naturally no challenge. That made keeping her under guard a more routine matter.
Tsunade still did not know that her identity had been exposed. She continued playing the role of an ordinary ninja, thoroughly immersed in the act. Yet Kumogakure's side was strangely quiet. They neither sent anyone to Konohagakure to lodge a protest nor showed any intention of killing their hostage. It looked as though the Raikage had brought a group of people to the Land of Hot Water for a vacation.
That was more or less the truth. A now made time every day to guide Dada and Yotsuki Ki in their training, while the accompanying ninja from the village also had the good fortune to receive the Raikage's selfless instruction.
As a result, Kumogakure remained perfectly composed, while Konohagakure could no longer sit still. After the search party led by Hatake Sakumo cautiously searched the Land of Hot Water–Land of Fire border for several days without finding either the living or the dead, Konohagakure finally sent someone to meet with Kumogakure.
The one who came was an obscure ordinary ninja, but his attitude was quite forceful.
"Lord Raikage, the previous conflict was merely a misunderstanding, something neither side wished to see. If Kumogakure also has no intention of escalating its conflict with Konohagakure, it would be best for both sides to take a step back, lest the other ninja villages profit from it."
After delivering those words, the Konohagakure ninja withdrew again, claiming that he was merely there to give advance notice and that someone of higher standing would come for talks later.
"They're clearly probing us. They didn't even mention Tsunade Senju, wanting to see whether we've realized how important that woman is." Dada stepped out from behind the Raikage's seat. He had transformed into the Death Elementary Schoolboy and sat behind the Raikage's towering chair, hearing every word the Konohagakure ninja had said.
The Third Raikage looked with interest at Dada's sly grin.
"Tell me, what are your thoughts on what comes next?"
"That depends on whether Father wants to strengthen Kumogakure or weaken Konohagakure." Dada bared his little tiger teeth.
"What's the difference?"
"If we want to strengthen Kumogakure, it's nothing more than increasing our foundations: secret techniques, research results, influence, resources, or simply money. Konohagakure has plenty of good things. We can demand some openly and hide some away in secret.
"And if we want to weaken Konohagakure, we can consider provoking conflicts among its various ninja clans. If handled properly, delaying Konohagakure's development won't be difficult."
Dada actually leaned more toward weakening Konohagakure. As the strongest ninja village, one that produced cheat-like talents one after another, Konohagakure's greatest enemy was Konohagakure itself. If this incident could create internal problems within Konohagakure, that would be the best outcome.
Since they had already come to blows, Dada naturally placed Konohagakure in the position of an opponent. He wanted Konohagakure to understand the price of acting rashly.
A rubbed Dada's head and said, "Only children make choices. As an adult, I want it all!"
Three days later, Konohagakure's people arrived in the Land of Hot Water. Not wanting to appear overly formal, they did not call themselves a delegation, merely a negotiation team. Leading them were Hatake Sakumo, the Elite Jonin who had risen to fame in recent years, and Shimura Danzō, the Third Hokage's right-hand man.
Dada did not hide himself. Instead, he stood openly beside the Raikage, observing the arrivals from Konohagakure.
The handsome Sakumo appeared sharp and restrained, while Shimura Danzō was also in his prime. He had not yet wrapped himself in bandages, but his gloomy temperament had already begun to take shape.
Most importantly, Danzo felt weak to Dada.
If Hatake Sakumo felt like a sharp short sword that could slit an enemy's throat at any moment, then Shimura Danzō felt like an ordinary blade that had gone unmaintained for years—rusted and dull. Even displayed on an ornate weapon rack, it could not hide the fact that it was all show and no substance.
Dada had thought that Shimura Danzō at his peak would at least be an Elite Jonin. He had not expected him to be so ordinary.
No wonder Tobirama Senju had not passed the position of Hokage to Danzo back then. It was not simply because Danzo had been afraid of death...
No wonder that more than twenty years later, when he fought Uchiha Sasuke one-on-one, he had no combat awareness whatsoever and kept making idiotic moves.
No wonder Hiruzen Sarutobi had been willing to trust Danzo for so many years, letting him stir up trouble in Konohagakure. It was said that he did not even mind after Danzo arranged assassinations against him.
He was so weak. What bad intentions could he possibly have!
The Shinobi World still respected strength above all else. If he were Hiruzen Sarutobi, he would not be willing to kill a right-hand man who was this weak, this easy to read, and this willing to do the dirty work.
While Dada appraised the ordinary Jonin Shimura Danzō, the ordinary Jonin Danzo was also appraising Dada.
"So this is the child who caused this whole string of troubles, the Third Raikage's second son, suspected of possessing a special Kekkei Genkai..."
As Konohagakure's spokesman for this meeting, Danzo carried himself well. He walked forward with a stern face all the way to the Raikage. Kumogakure ninja surrounded him on all sides, yet his expression did not change.
However, this location had clearly been deliberately arranged by Kumogakure. The Third Raikage sat at the highest point, while Danzo and Sakumo passed between two rows of glaring Kumogakure ninja and stopped below the Raikage.
Though the Raikage's rank was indeed higher than Shimura Danzō's, Danzo did not see it that way. He already felt especially displeased, but negotiations were more important now.
The Raikage looked sideways at Danzo and said, "I recognize you. You came to Kumogakure with the Second Hokage back then."
"Yes, Lord Raikage. It has been a long time." Back then, Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the others had accompanied the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, to Kumogakure to discuss peace between the two villages with the Second Raikage. Yet they had encountered the rebellion of Kinkaku and Ginkaku. The Second Raikage had died on the spot, while the Second Hokage had been gravely wounded while covering the others' retreat and later succumbed to his injuries. In Danzo's mind, it had been that moment of hesitation that cost him the Hokage's seat.
More than a decade had passed in the blink of an eye. In theory, Kumogakure had been at fault in that incident. Kinkaku and Ginkaku had undeniably belonged to Kumogakure, and failing to protect the leader of another country who had come in good faith for negotiations was naturally shameful. However, in order to secure a ceasefire, Kumogakure had also paid a considerable price in compensation. The matter had been handled by the newly appointed Third Raikage and Third Hokage.
The Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire had private grudges, but they were not especially deep. More than that, there was the tension brought about by competition and the overall environment of the Shinobi World.
Among the five Great Ninja Villages, which ones had no grievances against one another?
Before you continue