Visitors from Cloud Concealment

Compared to Konoha, Kumogakure selected their Third Raikage much faster. Kumogakure's style was identical to the mafia's; after Third Raikage A crushed Kinkaku and Ginkaku's coup, he naturally inherited his father Second Raikage A's position as Raikage.

Ascending to the throne in haste, a mountain of bad debts awaited Third Raikage A to sort out. The most pressing issue now was how to quell Konoha's fury.

Third Raikage A stared at Tobirama Senju's corpse before him, his head throbbing with pain. If he handled this poorly, Kumogakure might even face the risk of annihilation.

This was no easy matter to resolve!

They had agreed to negotiate and cease fighting, rest for a few years, then clash again. Yet Kumogakure failed to control Kinkaku and Ginkaku under their command, who directly launched a coup and killed the Second Hokage who had come to negotiate.

Although their Second Raikage also died, Konoha certainly wouldn't care about that. What did Konoha care whether their Raikage lived or died? They agreed to negotiate and stop fighting, but your own people launched a sneak attack?

Had they no regard for the face of the number one ninja village in the world?

Putting himself in Konoha's shoes, Third Raikage A knew he would inevitably fly into a rage until one side was utterly destroyed.

Since things had come to this, he could only hope Konoha would exercise restraint and not go mad enough to destroy Kumogakure along with themselves.

If that failed, Third Raikage A would have no choice but to lead Kumogakure in fighting Konoha to the bitter end.

A few days later, Kumogakure's envoy arrived in Konoha, seeking to renegotiate a peace agreement and discuss matters such as returning the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju's corpse.

Given that Kumogakure was in the wrong first, they could make concessions on the previous agreement.

In response, Konoha urgently convened a meeting. With Tobirama Senju's remains about to be returned, Mito Uzumaki could no longer stall for time; they had to face reality.

At the assembly, the debate was fierce. The Senju Clan's jonin's demand was simple: fight to the end!

Their own Clan Head and Hokage had been killed by an enemy village, and if they didn't even utter a word, Konoha might as well disband and each go their own way.

Konoha must take revenge!!

Blood debt must be paid with blood!!!

Such cries rose and fell, nearly dominating the discussion.

But reality was cruel. War is a matter of vital importance to the state, a ground of life and death, and must not be overlooked.

Konoha could no longer launch a proper campaign; their pockets were truly empty.

They had no money!

War cost money!

Who would pay?

They couldn't count on those noble lords of the Land of Fire, could they!

But such words couldn't be spoken aloud. Didn't they understand political correctness?

The slogan of avenging the Hokage was the correct one.

Even if Uchiha Nan sat below, inwardly itching to clap in approval, he had to wear an expression of righteous indignation, as if he couldn't wait to charge onto the battlefield and fight Kumogakure to the death.

Shout the slogans loud and clear!

But when it came to actually deploying troops to fight Kumogakure to the death, every Clan Head present had to weigh how much longer their own businesses could hold out. They couldn't exactly sell their ancestral assets to those black-hearted bankers of the Land of Fire, could they?

Those bastards were a bunch of black-hearted scoundrels on a normal day.

They sat securely by the fishing hole, daring you to sell—if you dared, they dared to offer a price even they thought was black-hearted.

If you didn't sell, no problem; the price would only drop later.

Mito Uzumaki watched the clamoring ninjas demanding revenge below. The Clan Heads wore expressions of deep grief but said not a word—their stance was clear enough.

Revenge was possible, but not now.

Konoha was nearly running on fumes. If they kept fighting, everyone would be finished.

A full-scale war wouldn't just mean dealing with Kumogakure; they might also have to face Iwagakure and Kirigakure—possibly a one-against-three battle.

In the end, Mito Uzumaki led the Clan Heads into a small room for a final meeting.

After some discussion among the Clan Heads, fighting was out of the question, but they had to put on a full show. They couldn't let the other villages think Konoha was weak.

If they didn't even dare to speak up when their Hokage was killed, how could Konoha continue to lead its smaller allies, like Kusagakure?

Uchiha Nan naturally had no objections. It wasn't an Uchiha clansman who died, but Tobirama Senju.

Mito Uzumaki personally delivered a War Mobilization speech to Konoha's ninjas, vowing to seek justice and demand blood debt be paid with blood.

But behind the scenes, every Clan Head issued orders to their clan ninjas stationed near Kumogakure: maintain restraint.

Do not take the initiative to attack. Of course, if Kumogakure dared to launch another assault, then there would truly be no room for negotiation—they would all perish together.

"This time, if Kumogakure does not give a satisfactory answer, Konoha will fight them to the bitter end!"

Facing Kumogakure's ninjas, Konoha's officials issued the harshest diplomatic rhetoric, making Kumogakure's envoy feel that this trip to Konoha might be one from which they would never return.

But duty-bound, they still negotiated with Konoha.

On the basis of the original peace agreement, Kumogakure was willing to add an additional indemnity of 4 billion Ryo, with 1 billion paid in the first year and the remaining amount paid off over five years.

Kumogakure, dirt poor, made major concessions out of guilt. They had no money either; asking for more truly couldn't be squeezed out—people in the village were already starving.

Food merchants had long since driven grain prices to sky-high levels, three times the peacetime price.

The Raikage naturally cracked down hard on such merchants, killing several black-hearted merchants, but it was useless.

But this was a business with several times the profit margin—enough to make people risk life and death.

What's more, every grain merchant had backing. Making a fortune by driving up grain prices during war wasn't just squeezing one family's money; which country's grain prices hadn't skyrocketed?

Look at Sunagakure next door—their grain prices had nearly quintupled or sextupled, and they didn't say a word. What made Kumogakure so special?

Then the Raikage, who had killed the merchants, got a warning.

When Konoha saw Kumogakure lowering its stance, the rest was easy to handle.

Intimidation, exorbitant demands, then haggling, exchanging a few rounds of harsh words, threatening mutual annihilation if it came to that, and finally returning to reality.

Konoha tacked on another 500 million Ryo. The Third Raikage gritted his teeth and accepted it.

Money was just money—external possessions.

Ten people starving to death was a string of numbers; ten thousand starving to death was also a string of numbers.

He had no way out. Reality was that cruel.

Let the villagers of Kumogakure suffer; he would bear the infamy.

The final topic of the meeting was when Tobirama Senju's body would be returned. This was a major matter for Konoha.

A Village Funeral would be held for Tobirama Senju—a grand, elaborate affair!

Every Clan Head in Konoha had to attend in person. The scale had to be massive!

The nobles of the Land of Fire would also be notified; they all had to come to the funeral.

Konoha planned to collect burial fees from the nobles, using the Hokage's funeral to raise funds. It was a bit shabby.

But making money? Nothing shabby about it.

The village could barely keep its doors open. Continuous fiscal deficits had left Konoha unable to make ends meet.

If Tobirama Senju's spirit were watching from above, surely he would agree. Alive, he contributed to Konoha; dead, he still gave to Konoha.

This was the Will of Fire—to bend every effort and exhaust every breath until death!

Dear Esteemed Readers, would you slap my face with your monthly tickets?