Negotiation, Yin Seal

Before the gates of Konoha, Chiyo, the envoy of Sunagakure, finally arrived in Konoha. After completing the necessary procedures, the group finally set foot in the place they had longed for.

In their imagination, they were leading the Shinobi Army all the way into the Konoha Gate, but now they are just envoys, entering the Konoha Gate under the watchful eyes of others.

Chiyo looked at the scene in Konoha. Although the villages were frequently fighting each other, Konoha was still as prosperous as ever. The crowds on the streets had not decreased, and even the laughter and joy were more abundant and unrestrained than in Sunagakure.

This is exactly what Chiyo envies; Konoha's geographical location is too good. If only it were Sunagakure!

At this moment, on the balcony of the Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō were gazing towards the gate, where Chiyo of Sunagakure was entering Konoha.

"Hiruzen, Sunagakure has come here because of the prisoners. You absolutely must not give in; letting these people go back will only create trouble."

"Danzo, have you received the recent intelligence from Iwagakure, Cloud Village, and Mist Village?" Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't answer directly, but instead asked an unrelated question.

Danzo silent. He had received the intelligence, and it was even more detailed. He understood what Hiruzen meant, but he was still very unwilling.

"Then, no matter what, demand a larger ransom, squeeze the Sunagakure."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded silently. "Pass on the word. There are too many things to do today. We won't be seeing the Sunagakure envoy for now. The exact time is to be determined."

"Yes!" From the shadows behind him, a ninja from the Anbu) accepted the order and left.

Danzo looked at the Hokage: "Are you trying to put them on hold and make them anxious?"

"Indeed, Sunagakure needs these prisoners more, after all, Iwagakure isn't safe either!"

On her way to the Hokage Building, Chiyo was suddenly stopped by a Konoha Anbu Ninja. She then received a notification from the Hokage's Office: "The Hokage-sama is busy with official duties these days and does not have time to meet with the messenger. Please wait."

Chiyo wore a mocking smile as she looked towards the Hokage Building in the distance, as if she could see Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo on the balcony.

She didn't say a word, displaying complete calmness and composure, as if she didn't care about the prisoners at all, and followed the ninja who was leading the way to a Post House to stay in.

Soon, the Sunagakure envoy's performance was reported to the Hokage.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo exchanged glances, both knowing that Chiyo of Sunagakure was indeed a cunning old fox from their generation, and that this negotiation would likely be very difficult.

Time flies, and a week has passed.

Chiyo from Sunagakure stayed at the Post House for a full seven days, eating and drinking as she pleased, and even taking a leisurely stroll through the streets of Konoha, showing no signs of being an envoy at all.

The other Sand Village Ninja accompanied her also expressed their objections. But unfortunately, as both an elder of Sunagakure and the plenipotentiary representative for this mission, she had the authority to make decisions on her own. If she wasn't in a hurry, there was nothing anyone else could do.

It's no wonder Chiyo wasn't in a hurry. Along the way, she experienced not even being able to meet the Commander at the Konoha front, then received the latest intelligence from Sunagakure, and finally learned about the villagers' attitudes towards the war in Konoha over the past few days.

Chiyo had already sensed that Konoha's internal attitude towards the war wasn't particularly positive.

Unlike other ninja villages that actively waged wars to expand their territory, Konoha and even the Land of Fire were in such a favorable geographical location that they lacked the ambition to expand.

Think back to First Shinobi World War, when the Second Hokage was in power. At that time, Konoha took the initiative and attacked the other major ninja villages one by one, leaving them completely helpless.

When the Third Kazekage succeeded to the throne, in order to consolidate his position, the Third Kazekage Hiruzen Sarutobi was quite courageous and diligent in his work.

But once he secured his position, Hiruzen Sarutobi became increasingly conservative and cautious in his actions.

Otherwise, those who understand you best are often your enemies.

The Sunagakure has thoroughly studied the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, over the years.

According to the latest intelligence, Jiraiya on the front lines is indeed maintaining a strong drive for advancement, but unfortunately, he can't fight against the powerful. The higher-ups at Miyo want to maintain the current stability and don't want to provoke either side too much.

With that, Chiyo was no longer in a hurry. These prisoners would simply be used to fill gaps in Konoha's front lines. Since Konoha didn't want to launch an offensive, it didn't matter whether the prisoners returned sooner or later.

Why did Chiyo take such initiative, only to find herself in a passive position?

Chiyo wasn't in a hurry, but Konoha was. Various countries were constantly increasing their military presence at the border, putting immense pressure on Konoha.

If Sunagakure can take this opportunity to reach a certain level of cooperation with Sunagakure in order to discuss Konoha prisoners, it will undoubtedly be good news.

However, since Chiyo entered Konoha a week ago, she has not shown any intention of taking the initiative to negotiate even once, which has become intolerable to the Konoha High Command.

Wasn't it Sunagakure that you wanted to exchange prisoners?

Wasn't it just that I didn't see you the day you came?

What's the meaning behind your current behavior?

"Hiruzen, why don't you go see Chiyo first? We can't just keep leaving her hanging like this."

In the Hokage's Office, Utatane Koharu, giving Hiruzen Sarutobi a way out. Although she knew that Hiruzen had brought this upon himself, he was the Hokage, and such a humiliating thing could only be done by the Advisor.

"Yes, Hiruzen, we've kept her waiting long enough. It's time to bring her over to discuss the prisoners."

Mitokado Homura chimed in, saying that the village desperately needed a clear stance on Sunagakure —whether to be wary or to cooperate—and there was no time to wait any longer.

Danzo watched silently from the side, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction. He had been right there when Hiruzen refused to see Chiyo; Hiruzen was as smug as he was then, and now he was just as pathetic.

After a long silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke, "Alright, inform Chiyo that negotiations will begin this afternoon. However, I won't be going. Koharu and Homura, you two go and negotiate!"

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura glances, never expecting that this thankless task would ultimately fall on their shoulders.

Both of them could see the other's wry smile, but since the Hokage had already spoken, they couldn't refuse.

And so, soon after, a negotiation between the two elders of Konoha and the first elder of Sunagakure began in the afternoon.

In the large conference room, there were two rows of tables and chairs facing each other.

Besides Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, Konoha had two assistants, and the four of them sat together on the left side of the conference room.

Sunagakure and the other three from Chiyo were seated on the right side of the conference room.

"Elder Chiyo," Mitokado Homura cleared his throat, breaking the silence first, and First Gate point. "Regarding your prisoners, including the frontline commander Shamon and over a hundred ninjas, Konoha's terms are as follows."

He had his assistant hand him a document, and then said, "First, Sunagakure must pay a total of 200 million taels in war reparations and ransom for the personnel;

Within the second and third years, Sunagakure is prohibited from undertaking any missions within the Land of Rivers.

Third, Sunagakure needs to sign a non-aggression pact with Konoha and jointly announce this to the Ninja World.

"If the above conditions are met, Konoha will immediately release all Sunagakure prisoners."

These conditions were extremely harsh, practically treating Sunagakure. Even Chiyo, who already had a plan in mind, frowned upon hearing this, while the three Sunagakure members beside her had veins bulging. If this weren't Konoha, they would have immediately launched an attack.

Before Mitokado Homura could finish speaking, he added, "This is reasonable compensation, based on the large-scale invasion by Sunagakure and the enormous sacrifices made by Konoha!"

Chiyo had regained her composure. She glanced at the document but didn't look at its contents. Her expression remained completely calm, as if she were looking at an unimportant list.

A moment later, she raised her eyes, her voice as calm as if discussing the weather. "Konoha's appetite seems quite large."

"

Mitokado Homura was slightly taken aback. "What does Elder Chiyo mean?"

"What I mean is—" Chiyo's voice suddenly turned as cold as winter, "All your demands, including compensation, ransom, and mission requests, are rejected. I will not agree to any of them!"

"What!" This exclamation wasn't just from Mitokado Homura; Utatane Koharu and her two other assistants also gasped in surprise!

"Elder Chiyo, you must take responsibility for your words. The ransom was proposed by your Sunagakure. Your terms are disrespectful to Konoha. Do you want to reignite the war?"

Mitokado Homura spoke sternly and angrily, rebuking Chiyo her nonsensical remarks.

Chiyo's lips curled into a faint, yet unmistakable smile.

She slowly stood up, supporting herself on the table with both hands, leaning forward and looking at Mitokado Homura.

"Does Konoha really want to start another war? Now, Cloud Village has sent troops south, and Iwagakure is frantically increasing its forces in the Land of Grass and the Land of Rain. Mist Village is also strengthening its patrols at sea."

What you need most right now is a stable Southern Front, not to continue wasting time in the Land of Rivers with a defeated Sunagakure after just losing hundreds of ninja.

Konoha's words left the two elders of Konoha speechless. They wanted to refute her, but they didn't know how to say it. Chiyo's words were exactly what they were worried about; otherwise, they wouldn't have urged Hiruzen Sarutobi to start negotiations.

Chiyo has now seized upon Konoha's weakness, intending to use it to pressure Konoha. However, the two elders want to exchange these prisoners for some benefits while also wanting to cease hostilities with Sunagakure and maintain stability in the south.

"If Sunagakure doesn't want these prisoners, then we can just execute them and save some food."

"If Konoha kills these Sand Village Ninja, Sunagakure will immediately declare war on Konoha. Then we'll see if the other ninja villages will join in Konoha attack!"

The two sides continued their exchange, each poking at the other's sore spot, neither willing to back down.

At this moment, Utatane Koharu stopped Mitokado Homura, who was about to speak again, and gestured for Chiyo to stop arguing as well. "Elder Chiyo," she said, "This will only lead to endless arguing. Since we both want to exchange prisoners, why don't we both back down?"

Chiyo returned to her seat and stopped being confrontational.

After a long silence, she stated her conditions. "Sunagakure is willing to reach a ceasefire agreement with Konoha, promising a three-year non-aggression pact on the fire and wind borders. At the same time, it can reach Offensive-Defensive Alliance Treaty with Konoha against the Land of Earth."

If Iwagakure attacks Konoha, Sunagakure will act as an ally, providing necessary containment and defensive support. Similarly, if Sunagakure is attacked by Iwagakure, Konoha will provide the same support.

Upon hearing this, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's expressions immediately became quite interesting. They had only wanted to cooperate with Sunagakure, but Chiyo hadn't expected her to go so far as to form an alliance with Konoha.

This is not bad for Konoha right now; it's actually great, as it has perfectly resolved Konoha's current predicament of being attacked from multiple sides.

However, before Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura could even feel happy, Chiyo's next words plunged them into silence again.

"But since we're allies, shouldn't we release all the prisoners?"

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a glance, both seeing hesitation in each other's eyes. Clearly, this situation was beyond their ability to handle.

"Elder Chiyo, are you sure you can make the decision regarding the alliance?" Utatane Koharu asked curiously.

"Of course, I am the plenipotentiary representative, and I can make all the decisions." Chiyo gave an affirmative answer without the slightest hesitation.

"This matter is of great importance, and I apologize that we cannot make a decision immediately." Utatane Koharu stood up, already packing her things. "I will report to the Hokage-sama immediately and await his decision. In the meantime, please ask Elder Chiyo to return to the Post House and await further news."

"That's only right," Chiyo said politely, completely unlike her earlier aggressive demeanor.

Watching the two Konoha elders hastily depart, one of the Jonin who had come with them finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been lingering in his mind, "Elders, are we really going to form an alliance with Konoha?"

Chiyo glanced at him and replied calmly, "Alliance is of course something to be done, but when to break the alliance is another matter entirely!"

The Sunagakure Jonin suddenly realized that this kind of alliance was only needed when it was required; when it was no longer needed, it was just a piece of waste paper.

Three days earlier, at the Southern Camp, Taiichi, who had been busy for almost a week, finally finished his work at the Medical Camp.

Now that Sunagakure has mostly retreated, Konoha's patrolling ninjas rarely encounter them anymore, so conflicts between the two sides have naturally decreased, and the Medical Camp is not as busy as it used to be.

With some free time, Taiichi finally had some time to himself.

A few days ago, Tsunade finally replied. As Konoha's former top Medical Ninja and combat ninja, she naturally understood the predicament Taiichi faced.

Taiichi is different from her. Although she has not awakened any special Kekkei Genkai, as the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama, her abundant Chakra is unmatched by ordinary people.

That's how it was; she often encountered situations where she didn't have enough Chakra back then.

Therefore, when she learned that Taiichi had this need, she immediately sent Taiichi the Yin Seal technique and her learning notes.

After all, Taiichi of the few people she cared about in Konoha, and she wanted to pass on all her skills to Taiichi.

Because he was busy recently, he only studied the theory and made preliminary attempts at using Shadow Clone. After all, this kind of Sealing Jutsu requires the main body to be used, so even if the clones were used, it would have no effect.

Now, after several days of theoretical study and experimentation, and with ample time available, Taiichi can finally begin to formally cast the Yin Seal.

As an S-rank Sealing Jutsu, the Yin Seal not only requires a certain foundation in Sealing Jutsu, but also extremely subtle control over Chakra.

These two points might be difficult for others, but they are too easy for Taiichi.

Level 11 Chakra Control and Level 11 Sealing Jutsu are Tsunade that even her grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, didn't have the foundation to learn, let alone Tsunade.

This allowed Taiichi not only to learn the Sealing Jutsu, but also to improve it to some extent, making it more suitable for his own usage habits.

Therefore, even an S-rank Sealing Jutsu was performed so smoothly and naturally by Taiichi for the first time.

As he formed each hand seal, the Chakra within Taiichi gathered on his forehead in a specific manner. As the Chakra accumulated, a faint Rhombus Mark formed on Taiichi's forehead.

When Taiichi's Chakra, which had been over 50,000 points, was depleted to just over 10,000 points, the Rhombus Mark was finally fixed in place.

From this point on, an additional space for storing Chakra was officially created.

Taiichi could clearly feel that strands of Chakra from the mark on his forehead were spontaneously gathering into this space as Taiichi's own Chakra recovered.

This is simply its ability to autonomously attract Chakra.

As Taiichi thought of it, a large amount of Chakra was poured into this space. In just a short while, a shallow layer of Chakra, like flowing water, accumulated at the bottom of the space.

Based on this trend, Taiichi estimates that to completely fill this space, he would need at least 10 times his own Chakra Quantity, which is 500,000 Chakra Quantity, and that's only because he has just learned it so far.

As Sealing Jutsu become more advanced and Chakra Control becomes more precise, Taiichi believes that the storage capacity of this space will definitely be larger, and it may even surpass the Nine-Tails, which is said to possess "infinite Chakra," one day.

Once everything was finished, Taiichi withdrew his hands from the Hand Seals and gently touched his forehead. The slight bump there told Taiichi that a vast Chakra storehouse was quietly waiting for him to use it.