Every figure he named landed like a heavy hammer, pounding the heart of the Kage it concerned.
A's face had darkened like the bottom of a pot, and his fists clenched with a crackle. Ōnoki had sunk several inches in the air, his expression so gloomy it seemed water might drip from it. The Mist Marshal's face was taut, his nails nearly digging into his palms.
Only Chiyo, though she didn't look pleased, seemed much more "composed" than the other three. She even looked faintly relieved—this was better than what they had anticipated in their private discussions!
After all, under their agreement with Uchiha Ling, handing over Pakura, a kekkei genkai user, to Konoha would count toward half the reparations.
Half the reparations meant 900 million ryo. They could only imagine how many jōnin they could train with that much money.
"Next, the military restrictions." Uchiha Ling continued reading, his tone as unruffled as before, though the terms were even harsher.
"The four great hidden villages may maintain no more than five thousand active-duty shinobi each. The Kage's directly subordinate Anbu may number no more than two hundred."
"Researching, possessing, or using any forbidden techniques of S-rank or higher is prohibited. All existing Scrolls of Seals must be handed over to Konoha for safekeeping within one year."
"The Tailed Beasts will no longer be considered strategic weapons. Each village's Jinchūriki must live under Konoha's supervision, or, under specific circumstances, have their Tailed Beast 'temporarily held in Konoha's custody.'"
"Konoha has the right to establish military observation posts within the borders of the four great nations, with rights of passage and access to shared intelligence."
"Finally, the four great nations must sign a permanent alliance treaty with the Land of Fire and follow Konoha's lead. Goods from the Land of Fire