Truce Agreement

In the Uchiha's Mount Kumogakure encampment at night.

To prevent Tobirama Senju from escaping, Izuna personally stood guard outside the cage, watching over him.

The two men, one inside the cell and one outside, remained silent.

After a long while, Uchiha Gakugyo walked in from outside and said, "Young Clan Head Izuna, go eat. I'll watch over him for a while."

Izuna touched his somewhat empty stomach and nodded, then walked out of the dungeon.

Soon, a Uchiha Chunin brought Izuna a bowl of soup, a stew of wild vegetables and wild boar meat.

"Young Clan Head Izuna."

"Mm, thank you."

"Think nothing of it. If it weren't for the Young Clan Head saving me today, I would have died on the battlefield."

The Uchiha Chunin said with a look of admiration.

Izuna noticed that one of his eyes had lost its luster and had turned completely white. He frowned and asked, "Did you use Izanagi?"

Izanagi, even among the Uchiha Clan, was a Forbidden Jutsu that could not be used lightly; it was the ultimate Genjutsu that could distort reality.

The Uchiha Chunin covered his blinded left eye and gave a wry smile, "Yes, but compared to losing my life, losing an eye is well worth it."

After a few more pleasantries, the Chunin left. Izuna casually sat on a nearby stone platform, savoring the meat soup seasoned with a little salt.

For the Warring States Period, this was already a feast.

"Izuna,"

At this moment, Madara Uchiha walked over.

"Ah, Older Brother,"

Izuna responded, and the two brothers sat facing each other.

"Thank you very much today. Otherwise, I don't know how many clan members we would have lost."

These words were difficult to reconcile with the future Asura of the Shinobi World. However, as known from Hashirama Senju, who was brought back by Impure World Reincarnation, Madara was actually a very loyal person before Izuna Uchiha's death.

It was only because of the various events that happened later that he changed.

Ultimately, he walked down a path of no return.

"When I arrived, Older Brother, you wanted to use your Mangekyo, right?"

Izuna asked.

Like Hashirama Senju, he could sense the cold Chakra emanating from the Mangekyo.

Madara shrugged with a wry smile, "Although I don't want to admit it, if I don't use my Mangekyo, I can't defeat Hashirama."

However, the next second, Madara regained his confidence and said proudly, "Even though there are side effects, I will definitely defeat Hashirama with this power. I won't lose next time."

No, you still will.

Izuna muttered inwardly.

Although it was only the latter half, he had still seen some of Madara's battles with Hashirama Senju.

Hashirama Senju had not yet awakened his Wood Release, but his wounds were already healing automatically through Wood Release Chakra.

This was a sign.

Izuna speculated that Hashirama Senju would awaken his Wood Release very soon.

At that time, Madara would be almost completely suppressed.

But Izuna did not want to crush his older brother's dwindling confidence and remained silent.

Fortunately, Madara changed the subject at this point, "But do you think the Senju will agree to your terms?"

"No,"

Izuna replied without hesitation.

Based on Izuna's speculation, the Senju would not agree to withdraw from the Uchiha territory on Mount Kumogakure.

As for compensating the Uchiha for all their losses and a full five-year ceasefire, it was almost... no, it was definitely impossible!

The Uchiha and the Senju had been at war for over a hundred years, and there had never been a precedent of not fighting for even half a year.

Madara was surprised, "Then why did you propose such terms?"

Izuna clicked his tongue inwardly.

Madara Uchiha's strength aside, his political acumen and emotional intelligence were truly lacking.

No wonder he couldn't outmaneuver the less powerful Tobirama Senju, and in the end, when he left Konoha, not a single Uchiha was willing to follow him.

"It's called raising the price."

Izuna explained, "It's like selling vegetables. You state a price, but you don't actually expect to trade at that price. You make an initial offer, then negotiate down, and finally, you reach a price that both parties can accept. It's the same principle as war negotiations."

Madara listened, stunned, still not fully understanding.

His mindset was: if there's an enemy, just charge straight at them.

Izuna shrugged. Whatever, it doesn't matter if I can't understand anyway.

Just as Izuna had predicted.

At this time, on the other side of Mount Kumogakure, within the Senju camp.

Over a dozen high-ranking members, led by Senju Takeuma and Hashirama Senju, were fiercely discussing the demands Izuna had made.

For an important figure like Tobirama Senju, agreeing to a truce with the Uchiha was unavoidable.

However, agreeing to all the conditions Izuna had proposed was absolutely impossible.

Finally, after nearly three hours of discussion, the high-ranking members of the Senju clan decided to agree to the plan proposed by Senju Takeuma.

Hashirama Senju frowned. "Will the Uchiha agree to these terms?"

Senju Takeuma patted Hashirama Senju's shoulder. "You're still lacking in politics. Uchiha Izuna seems to be asking for the moon, but in reality, he doesn't believe we'll agree to his conditions at all. He's waiting for us to 'lowball' him."

Hashirama Senju's political EQ was still much higher than Madara Uchiha's, but he couldn't help but ask, "Izuna is thinking that far ahead?"

Senju Takeuma snorted. "Hmph, this little fox. He may not be as strong as Madara Uchiha, but he's no less cunning than his father, Tajima Uchiha. And he actually managed to capture Tobirama. I wonder what trick he used."

Hashirama Senju pondered inwardly. "So, does that mean Izuna's strength has already surpassed Tobirama's?"

The next morning.

The Uchiha and Senju forces reassembled on the battlefield of Mount Kumogakure, still reeking of blood from yesterday's battle.

"Did you bring the items?"

Uchiha Gakugyo said gravely.

Although the future era would absolutely belong to the brothers Madara Uchiha and Izuna Uchiha, and Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju.

But at present, the highest in clan seniority and experience were those of Uchiha Gakugyo and Senju Takeuma's generation.

Therefore, this meeting was relatively led by people like them.

Hearing this, Senju Takeuma took out two document scrolls and simultaneously asked, "Where is Tobirama?"

Uchiha Gakugyo stepped aside, and Izuna walked out, escorting Tobirama Senju, his expression calm. "After signing the truce agreement, then you can have him back."

"Tobirama!"

Hashirama Senju said anxiously.

"Older Brother, I'm fine," Tobirama Senju replied.

Uchiha Gakugyo and Senju Takeuma sat opposite each other on two extremely simple chairs.

Senju Takeuma unrolled the document scrolls, revealing the specific contents of the truce document.

There were three main points:

1. The Senju would withdraw from west of Mount Kumogakure and return all territories previously occupied by the Uchiha. 2. Compensation for two-tenths of the Uchiha's losses in this battle. 3. A truce for two years, during which neither the Uchiha nor the Senju would be allowed to step foot into the other's territory.