Ōnoki and Uchiha Kin

Uchiha Kin smiled, his gaze falling gently on the Inuzuka ninja dog. It was a medium-sized, sturdy yellow dog with a yellow coat and white face, looking honest and simple, with a vertical line on its forehead like a third eye. It gave Uchiha Kin an unconscious sense of closeness.

"Woof, woof," Uchiha Kin called out, and the yellow dog wagged its tail and ran over, rubbing against Uchiha Kin's leg.

Uchiha Kin said, "This dog's nose is truly sensitive." He actually really liked these rural dogs. In his past life, these Big Yellows had followed him around since he was a child, carrying many of his childhood joys.

This kind of "Big Yellow" was actually a Tengu, and the vertical line on its forehead was considered a third eye.

There was a saying, "One dog guarding the gate, and gods and ghosts dare not enter," and it was extremely reliable.

The Inuzuka Clan regarded their ninja dogs as friends, so they were happy to see Uchiha Kin liked their dog. "Lord Kin, do you like dogs too?"

"Mm, I guess so. I wouldn't say I like them particularly." As he said this, he was stroking the Big Yellow's head. The dog enjoyed it, nudging his head against Uchiha Kin's hand, showing unusual affection. A strange thought crossed Uchiha Kin's mind: Good heavens, you're not also a transmigrator, are you? Have you found a fellow countryman?

The dog wanted more attention, and only left reluctantly when the Inuzuka called it away. Yakushi Nonō chuckled, "Kin, you're surprisingly popular with ninja dogs!"

Minato asked, "The Rock ninja are coming, should we prepare?"

"No need. In a moment, I'll sit on one side with the Rock ninja, and you all will be on my side, with the Rock ninja on the other side." Uchiha Kin finished speaking and stood up. "In the Rock ninja's fortress, to welcome the Rock ninja as the host—what a wonderful thing that would be!"

Everyone was stunned for a moment before they understood what Uchiha Kin meant, and their hearts also warmed.

When the Rock ninja group entered within a ten-kilometer radius, Uchiha Kin's Byakugan detected them.

Ōnoki's small body contained brilliant chakra, making him a walking chakra light, dimming everyone around him.

Soon, the Inuzuka from before came in to report again: the Rock ninja had arrived.

"Please invite them in."

Ōnoki, riding on a two-meter-tall, incredibly sturdy fatty, entered the fortress that originally belonged to the Rock ninja, feeling an unspeakable sense of humiliation. He scanned the room and immediately spotted the young man the Ghost Blossom had spoken of.

His aura was like a mountain, like an abyss; he was too easy to find, recognizable at a glance. Uchiha Kin stood out among the crowd of ninja like a cone piercing through a bag.

"You, are you Uchiha Kin?" Ōnoki's attitude was not good, his tone stiff. Anyone facing such humiliation would find it hard to be pleasant.

Uchiha Kin said, "That's right, I am Uchiha Kin. Tsuchikage-sama, please!"

Ōnoki flew off the strongman and hovered at a height about two heads taller than an average person. He flew alongside Uchiha Kin's steps and said, "I was curious before, what kind of person was the young man who defeated my Rock ninja's finest commander..."

"Seeing is believing?" Uchiha Kin raised an eyebrow.

"What a pity, what a pity... A thousand-li horse dies in the stable, humiliated by the hands of slaves. If you were in my Rock ninja, you would have been heavily relied upon long ago.

"It's laughable that Konoha's battlefield doesn't utilize talents like you, and countless ninja die due to incompetent individuals, to the point where the Sand ninja have reached our doorstep. If not for you, my Rock ninja would also be at Konoha's doorstep by now, heh..."

Ōnoki's voice was neither hurried nor slow, and within a single sentence, he found his rhythm, lamenting Uchiha Kin's past lack of recognition.

Uchiha Kin, with a smile, invited Ōnoki to sit down. Their respective entourages also sat down, forming a negotiating posture.

Once seated, Ōnoki got straight to the point: "Speak, you want a ceasefire, what are your terms?"

Uchiha Kin said, "I always thought only young people like me were hot-headed, I didn't expect Tsuchikage-sama to be so old and yet still vigorous.

"Since that's the case, I'll be direct—if you want a ceasefire, it's possible, but you must pay a price. Otherwise, was this war fought in vain? Qingshi Town, I think it's a good place, I want it!

"Cede Qingshi Town to the Land of Fire, and the Land of Fire will have permanent ownership of this territory. Furthermore, in subsequent operations and development, the Rock ninja have the right to cooperate..."

"Impossible!" Ōnoki flatly refused. "The Daimyo will definitely not agree to such terms. The Rock ninja can concede a portion of mission quotas."

Uchiha Kin said, "Tsuchikage-sama, negotiating like this is meaningless. Your Land of Earth has barren land, making agriculture and animal husbandry difficult to develop, so you can only rely on mercenary work. Whether you give these mission quotas or not is meaningless to us.

"You yourselves don't live by missions, and we don't care for your missions either... Let's be frank, if we're talking, we're talking about Qingshi Town.

"Perhaps, you all can consider it?"

This first negotiation meeting ended in just a few sentences. Ōnoki didn't linger for a moment and took his people back.

The next day, at a second meeting, Ōnoki expressed his opinion, "Ceding Qingshi Town to the Land of Fire is absolutely out of the question. Even if the Rock ninja are all wiped out, they will not accept such terms. If you are willing to change the method, then we can consider it."

"Tsuchikage-sama, please speak!"

"The Daimyo of the Land of Earth will, in the name of enfeoffment, grant Qingshi Town and some surrounding areas to you personally—

"But this enfeoffment has nothing to do with the Land of Fire or Konoha. In your future leadership and management, you must not feign compliance. On the surface, you are governing, but in reality, it is Konoha or the Land of Fire's administrative agencies managing it.

"Qingshi Town can only belong to you!"

Uchiha Kin made a sound of "This," seeming to fall into thought. In his heart, his thoughts raced like lightning. Ōnoki's "understanding" was somewhat unexpected.

However, he couldn't agree so easily, so he pretended to hesitate and began to haggle back and forth with the Tsuchikage.

After the Tsuchikage's "reasoning and appealing to emotions," using the Daimyo's prestige and face, and presenting strong arguments, he finally agreed.

However, he also proposed some of his own demands, which had been prepared for them long ago: they wanted the Rock ninja to assist in infrastructure construction, of course, he presented it as free. The Tsuchikage naturally would not agree, and after another round of verbal sparring, they both compromised, turning it into a delayed payment of labor remuneration for three years at the lowest employment standards.

The Tsuchikage stood up abruptly, "Good, since everything is settled, let us sign the treaty today!"

Uchiha Kin also stood up, his good mood evident in his eyes, "Then, may the friendship between Earth and Fire last forever!"

"May the friendship between Earth and Fire last forever!"