Agreement

Hashirama...?

Ruri was the first to react. He stared at Hashirama, who had slammed his head heavily against the tabletop, and was speechless for a long while.

"There were indeed many conflicts between us in the past. They were all because we had to protect our respective people and clans. Sometimes, perhaps, we had no choice. And even if the six nations successfully signed this agreement today, no one knew how long it could last or how long everyone could hold on. But I have always dreamed that one day, shinobi could disregard national borders, help one another, work together, and unite as one. That is... my dream for the future!"

Whether it was the impulsive Byakuren or the aggressive A, both wore grave expressions. Senju Hashirama, hailed as the strongest man, had always crushed every battlefield with unparalleled brilliance. All of them had suffered greatly at Hashirama's hands. Though they now stood as equals under the title of Six Kage, Hashirama remained an insurmountable mountain.

Yet now, that mountain was bowing before them without hesitation, speaking of his truest ideals.

Everyone was moved, even Ruri. If an ordinary person had acted this way before them, it might have meant nothing. But when the one speaking of his ideals with utmost sincerity was Senju Hashirama, the God of Shinobi, it was entirely different.

Call it an act or a genuine outpouring of feeling—at the very least, this God of Shinobi had cast aside the dignity belonging to the strong before them all, simply giving himself for peace in the Shinobi World.

"I implore you all to let today become the first step toward peace. I sincerely... sincerely... sincerely... sincerely... implore you all..." After saying "sincerely" four times in a row, Hashirama still did not raise his head. The hands braced on the table trembled without stop.

"First Takikage, Amamiya Ruri, signs on behalf of the Land of Waterfalls without conditions." After a long while, Ruri was the first to speak. A mutual non-aggression peace agreement brought nothing but benefits to a small nation like the Land of Waterfalls. Supporting Hashirama at a time like this and earning his favor was hardly a bad thing. Since the final outcome would be the agreement's success anyway, he might as well be the first to show Hashirama goodwill.

"Thank you..." Hashirama responded, still without lifting his head.

"First Kazekage, Retto, signs on behalf of the Land of Wind. The funds proposed earlier need only be reduced to twenty percent." Retto spoke next. Of everyone present, he desired peace in the Shinobi World second only to Hashirama. Sunagakure truly needed time to recuperate and improve its environment.

Retto had made a concession, asking only that twenty percent of the funds for purchasing Tailed Beasts be transferred to Sunagakure. It was an acceptable outcome.

"First Raikage, A, signs on behalf of the Land of Lightning."

"First Tsuchikage, Ishikawa, signs on behalf of the Land of Earth."

Byakuren was somewhat unwilling. Kirigakure was isolated overseas and likewise lacked funds. If Sunagakure received that twenty percent, its rate of development would inevitably surpass Kirigakure's. But under everyone else's gaze, unable to withstand the pressure, he could only speak. "First Mizukage, Byakuren, signs on behalf of the Land of Water."

Byakuren could only console himself that, with the Land of Waterfalls now included, he would not be the weakest among the six nations no matter what...

"Thank you all!" Hashirama thanked them once more.

After finally achieving peace in the Shinobi World on paper, it was time to distribute the Tailed Beasts. Naturally, none of the promised benefits could be left out.

"Kumogakure needs the Eight-Tails." A was the first to speak without hesitation. He was determined to obtain the Eight-Tails.

The Kage Alliance had nothing to say about the Raikage's determination. Kumogakure was a powerful shinobi village second only to Konoha, while the Land of Lightning was likewise a wealthy great nation second only to the Land of Fire. They could not compete with it.

Though they could not compete, there was no resentment either. Of the nine Tailed Beasts, excluding the Nine-Tails retained by Konoha and the One-Tail already in Sunagakure, seven remained. Even if the Land of Waterfalls sold everything it had to buy one, the remaining three villages could still receive two each. And now that Kumogakure had chosen the Eight-Tails, the weakest Two-Tails would surely be left for them. Basic balance could still be maintained.

Everyone measured a Tailed Beast's strength by the number of tails it had, with Retto as the sole exception. Even if there were differences in the Tailed Beasts' strength, they could not be that great. Besides, he felt that Tailed Beasts were ultimately inferior to shinobi in combat power. Otherwise, the One-Tail would not have been sealed by several bald old men in Morinji.

"As for the Seven-Tails, does the Land of Waterfalls have sufficient funds to purchase it? If funds are short, Konoha can provide a loan for one-third of the cost." As everyone discussed the Seven-Tails' allocation, Hashirama spoke.

He had watched the Land of Waterfalls' economy flourish over the past years. Even if Ruri had not been present and the Six Kage Summit had remained the original Five Kage Summit, he would still have sent the Seven-Tails to Takigakure. A small nation and village needed a representative.

The Tailed Beasts were indeed not especially powerful in the eyes of Kage like them, but to small nations and villages whose leaders were merely elite Jonin—or even just Jonin—they were weapons of destruction.

The Five Great Nations already possessed vast resources, and they also controlled Tailed Beasts capable of directly annihilating them. How could the smaller nations possibly feel at ease? Therefore, the Land of Waterfalls, the most representative among the smaller nations, needed to receive a Tailed Beast to reassure them.

The other Kage understood Hashirama's intentions after a moment's thought. As a representative of the smaller nations and villages, coupled with the Takikage's strength, there was simply no reason for them to object.

"Big brother..." Tobirama was still at an age when he was rather green and did not think too deeply. Somewhat unwilling, he only instinctively felt that Tailed Beasts would turn the Land of Waterfalls into a powerful nation. One more powerful nation meant one more force difficult to control, which did not fit his ideal of peace. Still, since it was not being given away for free this time, it was easier for him to accept.

"Thank you for the Hokage's kindness, but the Land of Waterfalls will purchase the Seven-Tails in full." Ruri said with a smile. By this point, his purpose in joining the Six Kage Summit had essentially been achieved. Bringing the Seven-Tails back to the village and gaining the Five Kage's recognition—such a glorious achievement would leave no room for opposition within Takigakure.

"Hahahaha, the Land of Waterfalls' development in recent years has indeed been rapid!" Hashirama breathed a sigh of relief. It was Konoha, not the Land of Fire, that would be lending the Land of Waterfalls money to purchase the Seven-Tails. The sum might not have seemed like much to a great nation, but it was already Konoha's limit. Naturally, Hashirama was happy that no loan was necessary.

"The Land of Water will purchase the Six-Tails and Three-Tails. The Land of Water is located on isolated islands and lacks much competitive strength, so it needs the Six-Tails to ensure it is not harassed by other nations." Byakuren glanced at Ruri. He was somewhat surprised that the Land of Waterfalls had enough wealth to purchase the Seven-Tails outright, but now was not the time to think about others. The Six-Tails was the strongest among the remaining Tailed Beasts, while the Three-Tails could use Water Style and was highly compatible with Kirigakure. This pairing of one strong and one weak would not make the other five Kage hostile toward him.

In the end, Ishikawa had no choice and could only take the Five-Tails and Four-Tails. He could not possibly choose the weakest Two-Tails.

Fortunately, Ishikawa did not care much. The Land of Earth was easy to defend and difficult to attack, while Earth Style ninjutsu represented the pinnacle of defense. They had little need for Tailed Beasts, treating them only as strategic weapons for widespread destruction in war.

The remaining Two-Tails naturally went to Kumogakure. With that, all nine Tailed Beasts had been distributed.

Just as the Kage Alliance prepared to discuss future cooperation, Tobirama silently glanced at the smiling Ruri and suddenly spoke. "Gentlemen, do you not intend to inspect the goods?"