On July 11th, the leader of the Kumogakure ninjas visited Konoha again, and the two sides will formally sign a ceasefire agreement in the next two days.
Although the two sides had finalized most of the terms in the Land of Frost, a heated argument still broke out during the meeting inside the Hokage Building in the morning.
Talk no Jutsu is a unique feature of the Shinobi World. When discussing the cause of the war, Kumogakure ) turned the tables and said, "It was precisely because Konoha Ninja liked to meddle in the affairs of other ninja villages that they were attacked!"
Inside the meeting room, Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes upon hearing these words, calmly replying to the Kumogakure group, "The attack occurred because the enemy feared the power of the Konoha Ninja."
"Even with the village center destroyed, we still managed to hold off the invaders, strictly adhering to the peace treaty and refraining from using the power of the Tailed Beast."
" The Kumogakure need to be careful; the same thing could happen to you. It's unlikely you can do better than the Konoha Ninja."
The outgoing Third Hokage spoke these words without any emotional fluctuation. The Kumogakure felt a chill run down his spine and stopped his sarcasm, instead tackling the matter directly and asking in a low voice, " Lord Hokage, we have carefully studied the information you provided."
"If the Rinnegan users' target is the Tailed Beast, what is their ultimate goal?"
Wearing a white robe adorned with Fire Cloud Robe, Tsunade turned solemn as she looked at the Kumogakure and replied in a deep voice, "We suspect that the other side possesses some kind of secret technique that can gather the power of the Tailed Beast, thereby intimidating the entire Shinobi World."
"The structure of the five major nations was established during the Warring States Period. Now some people want to break the existing structure, which is bound to cause turmoil in the ninja world."
"We've already discussed this with the Third Tsuchikage and the Fourth Kazekage. Protecting the Tailed Beast is extremely important in the coming years."
"I believe that the most prudent solution is for the four major powers to form an alliance on this matter."
Although the Fourth Raikage in the Land of Frost did not believe this explanation, the Kumogakure Village thought the clause protecting the Tailed Beast was excellent!
With the Perfect Jinchuriki Killer B, Killer Bee, Kumogakure has already surpassed other major powers. Once they defeat the mysterious external enemy, the Kumogakure will fear no opponent in future wars.
"This matter is of great importance. Please give us another half a day, Lord Hokage. We will respond to the Tailed Beast clause as soon as possible."
The leader of the Kumogakure ninja bowed his head in request, and after receiving permission, the group bowed again as they left.
In this war, most of Konoha's older generation of ninjas were sacrificed, but the younger generation of ninjas ultimately withstood the pressure. Although the Kumogakure claimed to have won, they knew they relied on the power of the Tailed Beast.
As the group left the room, Tsunade slammed her fist on the table in frustration, muttering angrily, "What was that idiot Jiraiya thinking?"
"Does he want to go and get himself killed?!"
"With his meager Senjutsu, he has no chance against those puppets. Unable to determine their true form, such actions will only expose his intelligence."
Tsunade didn't take the protests from the Land of Rain to heart; she simply didn't want to see her old friend die like an idiot because of some Child of Prophecy.
Seeing Tsunade rubbing her forehead in frustration, Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed and comforted her, "Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened. Minato and Shu will be back in a few days. It's best to leave the task of searching for the enemy to them."
" Space-Time Ninjutsu is very troublesome, but we cannot share this information with others for the time being."
"I went through the old records; the Mangekyō Sharingan and the Nine-Tails only match Madara Uchiha."
"It could also be his remaining bloodline; in any case, this matter is most likely related to Madara Uchiha."
"As for that Ninjutsu that combines the power of the Tailed Beast, there are no records of it before, so we can only wait and see what the other side does before making any plans."
Tsunade didn't pursue her old friend's unauthorized actions. Composing herself, she looked at her teacher, frowned slightly, and asked in a low voice, "How did Takigakure obtain the information that all our Tailed Beast Plan had failed?"
" Teacher Sarutobi, there's a problem with Root. Danzo is still withholding some information. I think it's more appropriate for you to handle this matter."
"The war is over, and the Anbu will be readjusted."
" Gray Crow!"
As soon as Tsunade finished speaking, a Anbu Ninja wearing a crow mask suddenly appeared in front of the conference table. The boy was kneeling on the ground with a short sword on his back.
"This is a newly added Anbu leader; no more Root ninjas will be added."
"Master, I've already discussed with everyone the matter of Danzo reducing his contact with the Ninja Clans. The Anbu will accept some special ninjas."
Although it's not very ethical to "use and discard," Tsunade didn't care about Danzo's and the other two advisors' opinions.
If the Anbu hadn't suffered so many casualties during the Nine-Tails Night, the Root organization wouldn't have been activated in the event of the war.
Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up his pipe, chuckled, and nodded. This was the purpose of the Root; it was meant to be a supplement during special times. Thinking of his increasingly mysterious old friend, he solemnly promised, " Danzo to me. I will review the previous Tailed Beast Plan again."
After the Third Hokage left, Tsunade once again instructed the Anbu members in front of her, "Continue to investigate whether anyone has contacted the enemy. Report any new developments to me immediately."
"I believe in the Uchiha Clan, but everyone makes foolish mistakes..."
"Yes, Lord Hokage, the Uchiha Clan will not let you down."
Shisui Uchiha responded in a Anbu voice that the members of his ANBU were all his clansmen, and after years of observation, they all yearned for peace.
Shisui deeply loathed those " Madara Uchiha followers" within his clan, and his so-called Bloodline Plan seemed utterly absurd to him.
He would never allow such a thing to happen, as it would be used to secretly collude with foreign enemies for the sake of power.
Watching the Anbu disappear again, Tsunade stood up, crossed her arms, and went to the window. The thought of seeing her disciple soon brightened her mood considerably, "The village is still dangerous. Let's stay here for now and move out next year."
After finding an excuse for herself, Tsunade suddenly remembered something. She pulled the necklace from her chest cleavage, stared at it for a long time, and muttered to herself, "I'll give her the necklace when she's an adult. That way, it'll definitely be fine..."
Late at night, in the capital of the Land of Frost, Konoha Ninja were celebrating happily in a tavern. The war was finally over, and everyone could return to their peaceful lives.
When news of the successful signing of the ceasefire agreement reached him, Minato Namikaze breathed a sigh of relief.
His son is almost three years old. Over the past few years, he hasn't had much time to watch Naruto grow up. As a father, Minato feels a little guilty. Kushina has sacrificed so much.
" Naruto's birthday is coming up soon! Time flies!"
"Leave the rest of the work to me when we get back. It'll be safer for me to handle the search for the enemy."
" Minato- kun, you should stay by Naruto's side. Children need their fathers' company. Just don't be as strict as Chief Fugaku."
Wearing a blue Jonin casual outfit Shu Furukawa downed a glass of juice and whispered a suggestion. Minato was a little embarrassed, but thinking of his wife and son, he finally scratched his head and thanked him again, "Osamu, thank you so much!"
"I'll try my best to complete the Sealing Jutsu with Kushina as soon as possible. As long as we can restrict their Space-Time Ninjutsu, we can regain the initiative."
"Using other Dōjutsu would likely come at a huge cost. I'll think of some countermeasures when I get back."
Shu Furukawa offered a few more words of comfort, then suddenly a thought struck him. Sensing the information emanating from the spirit body of the White Zetsu Jinchuriki, the smile on his lips widened further. He had finally found the Waterfall of Truth from his memories. "Don't worry too much. Since the other party is hiding their identity, they obviously have something to be wary of."
"As long as we gather enough intelligence, we'll eventually find this cowardly fellow."
Minato smiled and nodded. No matter how strong an individual was, they couldn't withstand the combined power of the ninja villages. After signing the agreement, they would all stand together through thick and thin. Thinking about their future, he couldn't help but sigh, "I hope this agreement can last a long time..."