Any alliance between two ninja villages was temporary. Hostility and war were the eternal themes between them. So even if Konoha and Kumogakure had formed an alliance for the time being, that couldn't change the fact that, in the longer term, they remained potential strategic rivals.
When a country sent a delegation to visit another country it considered an enemy, would it introduce its members like that...?
And so Hanyu found himself in an unusual situation.
Sanshao's introduction of Hanyu was a way of "making a name for him" in front of the enemy. It was definitely no good thing. In this world, a ninja with a reputation but no strength died far sooner than one with neither a reputation nor strength, or one with both.
In an extreme case, those words alone could land Hanyu on Kumogakure's assassination list... Of course, not right now. Not only because Konoha's team included such powerful shinobi as Mitokado Homura and Kagami Uchiha, but also because their mission was to renew the alliance with Kumogakure.
Although they were in Cloud territory, where Kumogakure had an overwhelming advantage, if a second Konoha alliance envoy died, Kumogakure would lose all credibility as a country.
So Hanyu wouldn't face any trouble for now. Sanshao's introduction would only make him and the Cloud shinobi feel awkward.
Sure enough, the Cloud shinobi gave Hanyu a long look, seeming to commit his appearance to memory. Only then did he turn and lead the group onward.
"Honored envoys from Konoha, please follow me. The Third is waiting just ahead."
Sanshao and the others followed as instructed. The closer they got to their destination, the more alert the group became... Given the turmoil in Kumogakure, there was no way to tell whether this man served the new Raikage, who sought peace, or was a rebel intent on destroying the Konoha-Cloud alliance.
A fight could break out at any moment.
Their worries didn't last long, however. After traveling several miles north, they came upon a large welcoming party from Kumogakure, including the newly installed Third Raikage himself.
The Third Raikage was a dark-skinned, powerfully built man with a striking presence. To put it simply, he looked more like a berserker than a ninja.
Once they saw the Raikage, the Konoha delegation could relax a little. Kagami Uchiha and Mitokado Homura could confirm his identity. During the previous war, as elite shinobi from Konoha and Kumogakure respectively, they had fought each other more than once. But now that he had inherited the title of Raikage, he must have discarded his former name. He should now be called A.
Every Raikage shared that same name. Hanyu figured that "A" must stand for "ACE," signifying the strongest ninja in a village.
"Uchiha, Mito, thank you for Konoha's renewed trust. Welcome to the Land of Lightning." The Third Raikage's speech was nothing like his rough, imposing appearance; he wasn't unyieldingly forceful. It seemed he knew exactly how to conduct himself... The leader of a village could be rough around the edges, but no one who was nothing but rude could ever become a Kage.
Kinkaku and Ginkaku, for instance, were no more than village enforcers, no matter how strong they were.
"Everything is for the greater cause of peace," Mitokado Homura replied, stepping forward. His expression was rather sour as he spoke... Understandably so; Kumogakure had to take responsibility for the Second Hokage's death.
"Peace is our shared goal, isn't it? This isn't the place to talk. Let's head to our village first." The Raikage casually sidestepped the accusation hidden in Mito's words.
As he spoke, the Raikage first ordered the shinobi he had brought to move ahead, then personally led the Konoha delegation toward Kumogakure... After their brief interaction, Hanyu could tell that the new Raikage was a clever man.
The Raikage had brought more than twenty shinobi to welcome the Konoha delegation. This was certainly not some crude attempt to intimidate them. For one thing, though the rebellion in Kumogakure had just been put down, not all the rebels had been eliminated, so it was difficult for him to refuse the village's decision to assign him guards. For another, the Konoha delegation also needed a sizable Cloud escort to ensure their safety.
With such a show of force and protection, no one foolishly attacked the Konoha envoys. Hanyu and the others arrived at Kumogakure without incident. Throughout the village, built on high ground among sheer cliffs, they could see fresh signs of destruction everywhere. The Raikage seemed to have no intention of hiding the damage Kumogakure had suffered in the recent rebellion.
After that, neither side bothered with small talk or a rest. They went straight to negotiations about peace and an alliance in a secret underground chamber somewhere in Kumogakure.
There was no chance for Hanyu or Hatake Sakumo to speak up during such serious negotiations.
At first, the talks went very smoothly. Restoring the alliance with Konoha was something Kumogakure was eager to do, and the two sides could have signed a treaty on that point right away.
But the "supplementary agreement" Konoha proposed next made the Raikage's mood turn sour.
Mitokado Homura brought up what Hanyu had said earlier. He demanded that Kumogakure abandon its front against Konoha and redirect its forces toward Iwagakure.
"Kumogakure's upcoming war plans are not something Konoha should interfere with. Of course we welcome and look forward to an alliance, but if you use it to pressure us into changing our strategy, all I can say is that I'm sorry." The Raikage's expression darkened. He saw through Konoha's intentions at once.
Even if they looked at it another way, reducing the number of shinobi deployed against Konoha was something they could accept. After all, once the two sides signed an alliance, there would be no reason to station a heavy force along the border.
But redirecting their forces toward Iwagakure meant making Kumogakure bear the pressure on Konoha's behalf. Sacrifice their own interests to benefit someone else? No chance! Konoha's scheme was certainly well thought out. At the beginning of the war, Kumogakure might have dared to attack Iwagakure directly, but the village now lacked the reason and resolve to do so.
The Raikage's firm refusal brought the talks to a standstill. Just then, Sanshao spoke up. "Raikage, your situation is quite similar to Konoha's. You took on the mantle of Kage in a crisis, just as we did, so I'm sure there are plenty of dissenting voices in your village too... Compared to their predecessors, the younger generation always lacks prestige."
"Unlike Konoha, however, Kumogakure has just been through a rebellion, so your situation is even more urgent. If you want to unite the village, you need enough prestige to silence all opposition... Personal strength alone can't solve everything. To gain that kind of prestige quickly, you could either launch a large-scale offensive against another village and guarantee an overwhelming victory... But who can guarantee victory in an invasion? And the problem is, you can't currently command Kumogakure's shinobi effectively. The other option is much simpler. For example... eliminate the culprits who started the rebellion and killed the Second Raikage: Kinkaku and Ginkaku."
That was right. If the Raikage killed Kinkaku and Ginkaku, his prestige would quickly soar and his position would be firmly established as a matter of course. It was an offer hard to refuse. Hearing this, the Third Raikage sprang to his feet and stared at the Konoha delegation with blazing eyes. "You know where Kinkaku and Ginkaku are?!"
"If our negotiations continue, then we can share that information," Sanshao replied lightly.
In other words, if the negotiations didn't continue, then even if they really did know where Kinkaku and Ginkaku were, they might as well not know.
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