It Wasn't That Simple (14)
"I never expected things to go this smoothly."
After returning to the residence and entering the room, Monobe, who had always been steady and taciturn among Fourth Kazekage Rasa's group, could not help but speak first.
As he spoke, a smile spread across his face.
This Peace Alliance truly had gone far too smoothly. Not only had Konoha not pursued their hostile actions during the so-called "Sunagakure Defense War," but it had even further strengthened the alliance. Not only had it waived a substantial amount of Sunagakure's reparations in the armistice treaty, but even the most crucial condition regarding Forbidden Jutsu and Secret Techniques had been changed to merely one Forbidden Jutsu and several ninjutsu with unique attributes.
It could be said that Sunagakure had paid a price far lower than expected for this treaty. It was practically a happy outcome for everyone.
And it was not just the treaty. Starting tomorrow, Konoha had also proposed discussions on certain alliance cooperation projects after the ceasefire. This was unprecedented. Sunagakure and Konoha had historically been allies more often than not, though the changing relations between the great villages had caused their alliance to repeatedly break and resume. Therefore, they often had economic cooperation as well. After all, Sunagakure was located in the desert, where resources were scarce. Though it possessed vast territory, much of it was barren and unproductive, and in some areas, it had to rely on other villages.
Especially given Sunagakure's current weakened state, its dependence on other villages had become even greater.
After all, the greatest source of income for a ninja village was commissions. Unlike the Land of Fire, which was largely self-sufficient, the Land of Wind's economy depended to a great extent on Sunagakure's commission income. If Sunagakure weakened, the quality