Negotiators dispatched.
Armistice on the Western Front and coercion on the Eastern Front, this is another different degree of oppression that needs to be experienced again, but at least compared with the initial pre-war situation, Konoha's situation is much better. Although it seems that it is suppressing at the same time, but compared with before the war, After Iwagakure Ninja was defeated and returned to Land of Grass, the current situation has indeed eased a lot. This is the biggest reason why Third Hokage thinks it is time to negotiate with Iwagakure!
Different from the aggressive situation before the war, Iwagakure Ninja, who had already been repulsed once, combined with the Kumo Ninja legion that was eyeing him eagerly, Sarutobi Hiruzen believed that it was impossible for Third Tsuchikage to have even a little bit of different ideas.
As long as there is such a chance, they Konoha can promote the subsequent negotiations. The difference is only the level of conditions. In fact, just as Sarutobi Hiruzen expected, Ōnoki is indeed somewhat uncertain about the next war pattern. It is not that this Iwagakure and the wily Lord Tsuchikage are looking forward and backward, but it is really the actions of Kumo Ninja that make them Iwagakure uncomfortable!
As the two major ninja villages that had a bloody feud in Third Shinobi World War, Ōnoki had to be wary of and suspicious of the previous one, Kumogakure. If his own ninja village was advancing all the way, it really didn't need to care about such a small detail. However, the situation is now very different from before the war. If he really chooses to continue to fight with Konoha here.
Ōnoki This is the resistance that comes from deep in the heart. No one wants to make a wedding dress for others, or when there is no way to obtain any benefit for oneself.
Therefore, when he heard that Konoha once again sent an envoy to propose an armistice motion and intended to restart the previous peace negotiations, Third Tsuchikage was inevitably moved.
No matter how rational a person is, sometimes when he sees a huge gap in all aspects of life between his and his friends, there will inevitably be a certain degree of psychological gap, not to mention this kind of competition between countries.
Don't think that Third Tsuchikage is so "childish" even at such an old age, but there is one thing to say, after seeing that his own ninja village went through a lot of hard work and paid the price of two to three thousand casualties, just to win a Land of Grass, Mount Wuyuan Base was killed by without even covering his head. Konoha rushes back, and you Kumogakure are watching over there. You can first obtain the territory of Land of Hot Springs which is not much more than Land of Grass, and further obtain the various materials, task shares and other compensation conditions provided by Byakugan Kekkei Genkai and Konohagakure.
No matter how you look at it, Third Tsuchikage will feel very unhappy. This is human nature. In addition, the dirty relationship between Iwagakure and Kumogakure is more intense and dangerous than other Three Great Shinobi Villages. It's no wonder Third Tsuchikage doesn't think more about it.
You must know that the ninja legions of the two major countries that are still confronting each other on the eastern border are not false. If possible, Ōnoki naturally hopes that Kumogakure can be unlucky once. They can't just Iwagakure lose so much, and Kumogakure can just enjoy themselves and gain so many benefits, right?
Konoha took the initiative to negotiate after winning a match. It can only be said that he really caught Ōnoki's mentality at the moment, but it was just a little emotional. Ōnoki was not serious about making a major decision in a hurry just because of this emotion. We still need to see the opinions of other people in the village.
Whether or not to cease fighting depends on whether the benefits of doing so are great or not.
Moreover, although we have been getting along for more than a year in the past year, Ōnoki feels that Uchiha Clan, headed by Shōji, Shisui, and Fugaku, are not as domineering as the rumors say, and Shōji is even more of a moment. People who always put the interests of the village first, Ōnoki also believes that the heir to Tsuchikage he likes is definitely not a narrow-minded person, but after all, this involves Konohagakure, and Uchiha Clan has a hatred that is almost as good as genocide.
Ōnoki still has to take Uchiha Clan's attitude into consideration before making any decisions related to Konoha. Now that the relationship between his own village and Uchiha Clan is so harmonious, Ōnoki doesn't want any big problems to arise.
Uchiha Clan is now one of the most important components of Iwagakure. Shōji, Shisui, and Fugaku alone are enough to tilt the judgment of Ōnoki to a great extent.
Therefore, in this frontline area, it is very necessary to hold a small high-level meeting.
"Tell me, what do you think of the armistice agreement proposed by Konoha!"
Land of Grass, Kannabi Bridge In the front area, Iwagakure Ninja In the main camp, Ōnoki, who rushed to the front line after a long journey, was sitting in the upper position with a solemn look, looking at Kitsuchi and Shōji in the bottom area, Ogata, Yashiro, Han, Arai, Akatsuchi, and several other Jōnins who hold important positions in Iwagakure said in a slightly lower tone.
"Is there any conspiracy here? Lord Third and Konoha have just recaptured Mount Wuyuan Base. Judging from the current situation, Konoha is still on the dominant side. I wonder if this is a delaying tactic by the other side?"
In the third position on the left, Arai, who has served as the garrison commander in the rear area for the past period of time and is responsible for protecting the safety of the rear passage and allocating supplies, frowned slightly and spoke first.
From the perspective of Arai, although it has only been more than twenty days since the war began between the two major ninja villages, the cruelty and bloodshed exposed in the process was no less than that of the previous three Shinobi World Wars, where they Iwagakure and Konohagakure The collision between and the flames of war can actually burn into the territory of Land of Fire. It can be seen that they Iwagakure once occupied Mount Wuyuan Base, a defensive fortress with certain strategic value.
Even if I beat Arai, I don't believe that Konoha will take the initiative to seek peace when it has the upper hand. Of course, this is not related to Arai or Sarutobi Hiruzen. Familiar, and rather arbitrary, I believe that Kumogakure must have reached some ulterior agreement with Konoha. The target of the two great ninja villages is very likely to be their Iwagakure!
Arai It is really difficult to believe that Konoha has the so-called sincerity in peace talks.
"Could it be related to Kumo Ninja's actions? Didn't intelligence come in before that the Kumo Ninja army in Land of Hot Springs began to completely move forward? It seems that that Is Fourth Raikage the commander-in-chief directly? If Konoha is eager to deal with Kumo Ninja, it is not incomprehensible if he chooses to negotiate with us!"
In the opposite position, Ogata, who was sitting just below Shōji, also said softly with a hint of thought between his eyebrows.
"Hmph, how is that possible! From the moment the war started, didn't Konoha make peace with Kumo Ninja in advance and choose to go to war with us Iwagakure Ninja? Give up Hot Springs Mountain Outpost, take the initiative to send Hizashi Hyuga, the person who broke up the family, not to mention, and later directly send a pair of the purest Hyuga Main Family Byakugan Kekkei Genkai, Kumo Ninja must be acting, and has some ulterior purpose with Konoha, Lord Third, I think now we are not just saying that we can't trust Konoha, we also need to be wary of Kumo Ninja's movements on the eastern border of our country!"
Arai snorted coldly and said with a look of distrust on his face.
As the wealthy family Ninja Clan second only to the Kamizuru Clan in Iwagakure, in Third Shinobi World War, they Arai Clan have many clansmen embarking on the invasion Land of Lightning In the war, many tribesmen died in this battle, which directly caused Arai Clan, which had a little improvement in the first place, to sink again. In terms of hatred value, Arai Clan's hostility towards Kumogakure is also very high.
As the current leader of the Arai Clan, Jian Jirō, naturally cannot say that he has any favorable impression of Kumogakure. Compared with Konoha, Arai Kenjirō didn't believe Kumogakure, not to mention that in this war, Kumogakure actually sat on the mountain and watched the fight between tigers and tigers, and easily obtained such huge benefits without any losses.
This is the biggest sin Arai Kenjirō considers!
When Arai Kenjirō said this, Ogata's face froze slightly. These are the facts before them. Konoha's choice and Kumo Ninja's profit are all things that have actually happened. They have no channel to understand the inside story and can only speculate on the reasons and possible developments from the superficial behavior.
Therefore, from a general perspective, the opinions and judgments of Arai Kenjirō are the correct judgments that are most consistent with common sense. However, when it comes to the specific situation of Iwagakure, it still seems a bit subtle. As the shadow of a village, Ōnoki cannot be emotional, let alone let local factors affect his subjective judgment. Everything must conform to the objective actual situation to be the best choice.
In the lower position, several other Iwagakure and Jōnin who hold important positions also expressed their opinions. Many people still agreed with Arai Kenjirō's judgment and felt that their own side should not trust anyone. Reflected in the specific actions and judgments, their own Ninja Village will remain unchanged in the future to cope with the changes. Anyway, the worst thing is that they will always be wasted here!
On the other side, Jōnin, who agreed with Ogata, felt that continued consumption would harm the interests of his Ninja Village. Moreover, in terms of abundant supplies, his Ninja Village could not compare with Konoha, and even compared with Kumogakure, it was even worse. Land of Lightning's ocean-going trade was universally recognized as prosperous.
This also provides Kumogakure with considerable confidence for war.
At this point, to be honest, Iwagakure can only bully the poorest Sunagakure in the south. Both Kirigakure and Kirigakure are about the same, but they belong to an island country scattered into several parts, so the situation has to be said separately.
Therefore, if there is a real protracted war, the Iwagakure side will definitely be unable to withstand it first. War is a gold-eating beast. Even if ninjas are N times stronger than ordinary troops in carrying supplies, war is still war after all. For a country and a ninja village, the logistical pressure is still very high!
Moreover, if there is a war here, it means that almost all the human resources in the village will be transferred here. There is no way to receive or execute any of the employment tasks in daily life. There is no income and you have to spend crazy money. It is difficult to withstand every time you come in and out!
Ōnoki, as the supreme leader of Iwagakure, is the one who knows the financial situation of his Ninja Village best. When he heard these worried remarks, he subconsciously frowned slightly.
It was also at the same time that the people below were arguing.
"Based on what I know about that Third Hokage, the peace proposal should be relatively reliable. That Third Hokage is not someone who will cheat in this regard. The most important thing is that when core interests are not involved, Even if Third Hokage suffers a little bit, as long as the war can be ended, all other conditions can be negotiated. From this point of view, I agree to sign an armistice agreement with Konoha for the time being. We can first take a look at the conditions on Konoha's side!"
Kitsuchi, who can be regarded as the conservative leader in Iwagakure, also chose a word that he felt was appropriate to express his opinion at this moment after pondering for a long time.
When Ōnoki heard his son's words, he didn't show any strange expression on the surface, but secretly nodded in his heart. Ōnoki and Sarutobi Hiruzen were also Five Great Shinobi Villages, The two figures who have held the highest power for the longest time can be said to have been close friends for a long time. Although they have not really met a few times from their youth to the present, even if Five Kage Summit is included, the two have been competing on the big chessboard Shinobi World for more than thirty years.
Ōnoki himself knows this Third Hokage relatively well, and his son's judgment is also closer to Ōnoki's own opinion.
This person is essentially a shadow who focuses on stability. In the previous two Shinobi World Wars, Konoha was not always the winner, but Konoha has never really made too many demands on the losing side. Although there are indeed other interests involved, the fundamental reason is that Third Hokage does not want to see the situation intensified further, even if it is just There is no theoretical possibility. For details, please refer to Third Shinobi World War, where the main force was defeated by Konoha. Sunagakure and Kirigakure, the two great ninja villages, if it were Ōnoki or Ailai, they would definitely bite Kirigakure and Sunagakure!
Therefore, judging from these examples, it is very reasonable for Sarutobi Hiruzen to make a compromise here, and the reason why it did not do this before is also very simple. It is the most appropriate time to talk after a fight. As for why they chose Iwagakure Ninja, not Kumo Ninja, Ōnoki also saw it very clearly. It must be because Uchiha Clan was accepted in his own village, which made Konoha worry!
This is also the only concern of Ōnoki who now wants to negotiate peace with Konoha. He is really worried that Uchiha Clan is really hostile to Konoha to the extreme and is not willing to negotiate at all. Then he, Tsuchikage, will have a little headache.
"Shōji, what do you think?"
Ōnoki had thousands of thoughts running through his mind, and he was already a little worried in his heart, but on the surface he still looked calm. He turned slightly sideways, turned to look at Shōji on his left, and asked with a hint of inquiry.
From the beginning of this meeting, Shōji has remained silent. A little different from before, Ōnoki is really thinking in his heart whether Uchiha Clan really does not want to have any possibility of peace talks with Konoha.
If that's the case.
Ōnoki must also consider changing his strategy. Of course, he must also grasp the core scale issue. It is impossible to face two major ninja villages, or even Three Great Shinobi Villages, just for the Uchiha Clan. That will definitely make his own ninja village pay a very heavy price.
"Yes, Lord Third. I think we can try to make contact with Konoha, but during this process we need to take a look at the movements on Kumo Ninja's side. Previous intelligence showed that Fourth Raikage has led the main force to approach Land of Hot Springs Mount Fengzui. Although it is not ruled out that there may be some acting involved. But no matter what the process is like, I think the final result will definitely be that Kumo Ninja can occupy this area, so what really depends on is what Kumo Ninja will do after fully occupying Land of Hot Springs. Only then can we make our choice based on the actual situation. Before that, the most appropriate approach is to stand still and be a little conciliatory with Konoha!"
Ōnoki is still confused. There are indeed many people in the Uchiha Clan who are resentful of Konoha and have a strong sense of revenge against Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō, but they have not really said whether they will get it or not. To the point of seeking revenge at all costs, as I have said before, the current Uchiha Clan as a whole has changed a lot in mentality and perspective compared to the past. Although they are still firm about some of their traditions and some things that are deep in their bones, they are no longer so stubborn and paranoid.
Needless to say, Shōji, although revenge is important, the survival of the clan and the happiness and happiness of the family are the most fundamental pursuit of Shōji. From this point of view, Uchiha Clan and Iwagakure have both prospered and suffered losses. Of course, the issue must be considered from the perspective of the interests of the village.
Shōji was silent just now, purely because he was thinking about the possible actions of Konohagakure and Kumogakure. Even if Ōnoki didn't ask, Shōji would speak out his opinion at about the same time.
"Delay it first, and give priority to Kumo Ninja's actions?"
When Ōnoki heard Shōji's words, a hint of thought appeared in his slightly turbid pupils. This was something that Ōnoki had overlooked before. Ōnoki had entered into the stereotyped thinking to some extent. Subconsciously, Kumo Ninja is completely regarded as a hostile party, but in fact, there is no way to make a complete conclusion. Whether Kumo Ninja has truly reached a peace agreement with Konoha is an important question that requires a big question mark.
If everything is not what we saw before, they Iwagakure Ninja do still have more room for maneuver. Even if they do not continue to launch a war to invade Land of Fire, even if they rely on this to hang Konoha, they can get as much benefit from Konoha as possible.
In short.
Even if we want to make a decision to end the war completely, we have to wait at least for a while instead of making an immediate decision now.
Kitsuchi, Ogata, Akatsuchi, and Han all nodded slightly after thinking for a moment, including Arai who still disagreed somewhat. At this moment, they didn't say much. This choice is indeed the safest option.
"Well, let's settle it like this first. Let's leave the negotiations with Konoha, Kitsuchi and Shōji to the two of you. Be careful not to give too clear a reply. Just let the other party understand that they can have a truce for the time being. Don't involve the remaining specific conditions and other issues. This is not something we can talk about now!"
Anyway, Iwagakure will never accept it if it drags on for a while. The war has only been going on for less than a month now. If Konoha cannot compete with a protracted war and a war of attrition, it will have to be at least half a year, or even longer. Then Iwagakure really cannot hold on, but it is only three or four months, which is more than enough for Iwagakure.
And judging from the current situation.
What is the attitude of Kumo Ninja, and how will Konoha respond? This can be seen in the next ten days and a half. There is no need to wait too long!
"Yes, Lord Third!"
Kitsuchi and Shōji also stood up at the same time at the same time, looking at their own Lord Tsuchikage in the first position and saying Responded in a deep voice.