Bickering Negotiations! The Second Hokage's Bottom Line!

The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, walked out of Lin Hai's tent.

He cursed inwardly without stop. I'm the Hokage! Not a money-printing machine! Two million? Do you really think I can just produce that much?

Back then, your grandfather Madara Uchiha was always making my brother help repay his debts. Now you're helping Tsunade repay hers, and you actually want to dump it on my head!

You dare use the gambling house to threaten me? Hmph! You'll suffer for it later. Just watch how I assign your missions!

As he plotted how to make things difficult for Lin Hai in the future, he unknowingly arrived at the main meeting room of Konoha's temporary encampment.

Entering the hall, Tobirama Senju strode in with imposing steps and sat heavily in the seat of honor.

He swept his gaze over the Konoha jonin around him and said gravely, "Bring them in!"

Before long, ANBU outside the tent led several Sunagakure ninjas into the meeting room.

Expressionless, Tobirama Senju looked at the Sunagakure group. "You are the envoys here to negotiate peace?"

A young Sunagakure ninja at the head of the group stepped forward and answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"I am Ebizo, a Sunagakure jonin. I have merely come as an advance envoy to pay respects to Lord Hokage. We are not the ones in charge of the peace talks. We mainly came to visit Lord Kazekage."

Tobirama Senju rose to his feet and walked over to Ebizo.

"You may go visit the Kazekage."

"I look forward to the arrival of your actual peace delegation."

With that, he flicked his Hokage robe and walked out of the meeting room without looking back.

Konoha's senior officials also rose one after another and left the hall with looks of disdain.

In an instant, only the Sunagakure delegation remained in the meeting room.

One Sunagakure attendant said indignantly, "Lord Ebizo, the Konoha people are far too arrogant! The Second Hokage did not even look at us properly from beginning to end. This is simply intolerable!"

Ebizo merely smiled faintly.

"I have heard that the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, is a hero of this age—upright in character and fiercely opposed to evil."

"Dealing with someone like that is far better than dealing with hypocrites who scheme against us behind our backs. Besides, we were never important enough for him to receive personally. Come, let us visit Lord Kazekage."

With that, Ebizo led the Sunagakure group toward the medical tent where the Kazekage was being held and treated, under the watch of Konoha ANBU.

Hokage's lounge.

Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and Hiruzen Sarutobi followed Tobirama Senju inside.

Homura looked thoroughly puzzled. "Teacher, why were you so arrogant toward the Sunagakure delegation?"

Koharu pushed up his glasses and answered first, "They are not here to negotiate peace at all. They are only here to probe our limits. Couldn't you see that?"

Rather than answer directly, Tobirama Senju looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Monkey, didn't you find that boy named Ebizo familiar?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi froze and scratched his head.

The corner of Tobirama Senju's mouth lifted slightly. "He was the commander on the main battlefield who nearly buried you alive with tactical command!"

"What?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi instantly bristled, his monkey temper flaring at once.

"So it was that bastard! I'll go challenge him to a duel right now!"

As he spoke, he grabbed the Golden Cudgel and prepared to rush out.

Koharu quickly grabbed him and said with a smile, "Monkey, don't be impulsive. We may have won this battle, but Sunagakure has not been seriously weakened."

"According to intelligence, six thousand Sunagakure troops are still gathered at the border of the Land of Water.

"It would be good for you to probe his abilities.

"If future peace talks collapse, we will at least know his strength and can prepare an assassination plan in advance!"

Tobirama Senju nodded in agreement.

"Ebizo is a rare commander. I don't know whether he is skilled in both civil and military matters, but it would be good for Monkey to test him."

"If he truly poses a massive threat, then once war begins, I will personally eliminate him and leave Sunagakure leaderless!"

"Enough. You have all been tired lately, so go get some rest." Tobirama waved a hand.

Land of Hot Springs, Kumogakure and Kirigakure Joint Command Headquarters.

"Ahahahaha! Lord Raikage, have you considered it? I gave you an entire week, you know!"

Accompanied by his distinctive laughter, the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki, swaggered into the Second Raikage's lounge without even knocking.

The Second Raikage's face darkened. "Your terms are too outrageous. Give me another proposal!"

The Second Mizukage grinned as he leaned closer.

"Lord Raikage's face looks more imposing the more I look at it. Are people without eyebrows all born with the look of leaders? Ah, come to think of it, I don't have eyebrows either!"

The Second Raikage's eyes widened as he forcefully suppressed the urge to hit him.

The Second Mizukage put away his playful expression, and his gaze turned sharp.

"Lord Raikage, do not forget that our allied forces now number fourteen thousand!"

"You Kumogakure sent eight thousand troops, while we Kirigakure sent six thousand to assist you in battle! Remember, assist!"

The Second Raikage gritted his teeth. Knowing that the current situation could not do without Kirigakure, he finally compromised.

"The coastal islands can be ceded to the Land of Water. But I want the Tsuchikage dead! Can you assassinate the Second Tsuchikage?"

At the mention of the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, killing intent burst from the Second Mizukage's eyes.

"That monster wrapped head to toe in bandages should have died by my hand long ago!"

"Fine!" The Second Raikage nodded heavily. "As long as you kill him, all coastal islands south of the Land of Hot Springs will belong to the Land of Water!"

"A deal!"

The Second Mizukage turned and headed for the door, waving a hand without looking back. "Wait for my good news! I will personally enter the battlefield!"

Two months later.

Land of Rain, Konoha encampment.

Sunagakure's true peace delegation finally arrived, and the two sides began lengthy and difficult negotiations.

Konoha's side adopted a hardline stance and proposed four primary terms:

First, the Land of Wind had to commission twenty percent of its ninja missions to Konoha ninjas.

Second, Sunagakure had to pay enormous war reparations for the damage it had caused in the Land of Rain over the past two years.

Third, the Land of Wind had to compensate Konoha and Iwagakure for all their wartime losses and pay the funds needed to ransom the Kazekage and other prisoners of war, totaling three hundred million ryo!

Fourth, the Land of Wind had to submit to the Land of Fire and pay tribute every year.

Faced with these terms, which were practically a national humiliation, the Sunagakure delegation erupted in fierce protest.

They insisted that the Land of Wind was the greatest victim of this war and would never accept such harsh conditions. The two sides began an endless tug-of-war at the negotiating table.

Inside the medical tent where the Kazekage was under house arrest.

Ebizo looked at the weakened Second Kazekage on the sickbed and reported every detail of the negotiations.

After hearing Konoha's terms, the Second Kazekage sighed bitterly.

"As expected of Tobirama Senju. Just like before, he likes to drive his enemies to death without leaving them even the slightest room to breathe. What do the elders say?"

Ebizo looked worried. "The elders are vehemently opposed! Especially the cession of twenty percent of the mission share. That would undoubtedly dig out the foundations of Sunagakure. They are actively mobilizing troops and declaring that they will fight Konoha to the death!"

The Second Kazekage gave a self-mocking smile.

"You are wrong, Ebizo. Sunagakure will not fight another war."

"The elders' true concern is not the village's honor at all. It is how to preserve their own vested interests. You think too highly of them."

Ebizo was filled with confusion. "You mean they will ultimately agree to these terms?"

The Second Kazekage looked up at the tent ceiling, his eyes vacant.

"If I am not mistaken, they are looking for a scapegoat to sign this treaty right now."

"And the most perfect candidate is me."

Ebizo's entire body shook, and he was unable to speak for a long time.

After a long silence, the Second Kazekage spoke again, his voice weary yet resolute.

"Go tell the elders that this is my bottom line as Kazekage."

"First, Konoha must return the One-Tail, Shukaku!"

"Second, we can submit to the Land of Fire and pay tribute, but all territory currently occupied by the Land of Wind must be legally incorporated into our borders!"

"Third, total war reparations to Konoha and Iwagakure may be no more than two hundred million ryo, and that must include compensation to the Land of Rain!"

"Fourth, the Land of Rain must open all dams within its territory and allow the Land of Wind to freely draw upon the Land of Rain's water resources!"

"Those are the four terms. They cannot be changed. As for everything else, let them haggle with Konoha as they please!"

Looking at the Kazekage, who seemed to have aged ten years in an instant, Ebizo's eyes reddened. He silently bowed and withdrew.

Several more days passed, yet the negotiations remained deadlocked.

That day, Sunagakure's elders and Konoha's representatives were arguing red-faced over a compensation payment.

The meeting room doors were suddenly kicked open!

The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, strode in with a face as dark as water.

He walked to the middle of the long table and slammed a huge ceramic urn containing the sealed One-Tail, Shukaku, onto it!

"I have no patience left to listen to your nonsense!"

Tobirama Senju's sharp gaze swept over the Sunagakure group, his voice as cold as shards of ice in winter.

"The Land of Wind's mission share will be cut in half. Only ten percent!"

"Reparations: eighty million to Iwagakure, one hundred and twenty million to Konoha, and thirty million to the Land of Rain! Not a single ryo less!"

"Konoha will return the One-Tail, Shukaku."

"As for the Land of Rain's water resources, you of the Land of Wind may use them freely, but only for non-military purposes!"

"This is Konoha's final bottom line!"

A Sunagakure elder abruptly stood and protested loudly, "Lord Hokage, this is against the rules! This is not what we—"

"Shut up!"

Tobirama Senju roared.

A terrifying killing intent, almost tangible, instantly enveloped the entire meeting room!

All the Sunagakure ninjas were so intimidated by this killing intent tempered through mountains of corpses and seas of blood that their courage shattered and their legs went weak.

Tobirama Senju looked at them mercilessly.

"I am not here to negotiate with you!"

"My words are Konoha's final decision!"

"I have come today to give you only two choices: sign it, or continue the war!"

The meeting room fell deathly silent. The Sunagakure group looked at one another, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Amid that deathly silence, a weak yet resolute voice came from outside.

"We agree. I will sign it."

Ebizo supported the still-injured Second Kazekage as he slowly entered the meeting room.

The Second Kazekage pushed away Ebizo's support, straightened his back, and stared directly at Tobirama Senju.

"I am still the highest leader of Sunagakure Village in the Land of Wind. I have the authority to decide."

"Do you want me to sign now, or at another time?"

Tobirama Senju looked at the Kazekage, and the killing intent in his eyes receded slightly.

"You still have some of a Kazekage's backbone, daring to step forward and take responsibility at a time like this."

"Let's finish this mess completely today. I have no time to waste on you!"

A short while later, the documents were drafted.

The Second Kazekage signed his name on the treaty and stamped it with the Kazekage's official seal.

Thus, the brutal war that had lasted one year and seven months and swept across the Land of Rain finally came to an end.

At least on the surface, no more large-scale clashes between Konoha, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure could be seen within the Land of Rain.