Just as Land of Earth, they were met by Iwagakure Ninja were waiting there.
We arrived at Iwagakure without any obstacles. The climate was dry and the environment was harsh, only slightly better than the Land of Wind.
Iwagakure is built amidst a cluster of mountains, a natural barrier that makes it virtually impossible for outsiders to invade the village.
The architecture prioritizes practicality and usability, and its appearance is far inferior to the various tall towers in Amegakure.
The three were accommodated in a special hotel to await the formal negotiations the following day.
Aoki Tsuki had no intention of wandering around; she obediently took a nap and pondered negotiation strategies.
He was wearing the black combat uniform that Amegakure used, a slightly damaged straw hat, and a long sword at his waist.
At first glance, it seems ordinary, but it was actually carefully prepared.
His presence here in his dual capacity as both the commander of the Amegakure front and the special envoy for negotiations is enough to demonstrate his sincerity.
The next morning, after breakfast, the people from the Tsuchikage's office came to the door and led us into the conference room of the Tsuchikage Building.
Inside the conference room was a rectangular table, across which sat a row of Iwagakure representatives, each one older than the last.
Aoki Tsuki and his two companions were sitting opposite them, putting them at a disadvantage in terms of numbers.
At this time, other battlefronts in Iwagakure were still ongoing, Amegakure was the first to be unable to hold out and come here.
This brings us to the Second Shinobi World War, which began during Hanzō's time, and Amegakure suffered repeated defeats.
The attacks on the Land of Iron failed, the attacks on the Land of Wind failed, the attacks on Konoha failed—their morale was long gone.
"Ambassador of Amegakure, before we begin, we need to confirm one thing: I have received intelligence indicating that the person behind the international terrorist organization Akatsuki is Hanzō."
Their goal is to become the sixth greatest ninja village, alongside the Five Great Nations. What do you have to say about that?
Sitting in the middle of the group Ōnoki broke the silence by speaking first, and the negotiations had begun.
I wish it were true.
These old Dengs are shrewd and experienced; if you spread rumors, the other party definitely won't believe you. You have to do the opposite.
"In fact, we borrowed a huge amount of money to hire Xiao's people to help us resist you, and now no one on the market is willing to lend us money."
That's one of the reasons I'm here.
Aoki Tsuki candidly explained Amegakure's predicament, which was originally the other side's strategic objective, and both sides were aware of it.
Then, changing the subject, he said:
"If the negotiations fail, the village plans to go to Konoha to inquire; perhaps they will be happy to offer assistance."
Snap!
An old man nearby slammed his fist on the table angrily. "Kid, you don't need to threaten us. Others may fear Konoha, Iwagakure n't."
"Hmph, you guys actually have no one left to use, don't you?" Ōnoki reminded him at the opportune moment.
Aoki Tsuki nodded. "That's right, that's the second reason I'm here. There aren't many people in Amegakure to begin with."
This battle has resulted in over 70% casualties. You have achieved your objective; it's time to stop."
"It has always been the case that small countries bow down to large countries and the weak submit to the strong. Since you, Amegakure, have chosen to surrender, you must accept our conditions."
"They have no right to make demands of us," a female elder said.
"Wait, I think you've misunderstood. The letter from the state clearly states that it's a ceasefire and peace talks, not a surrender."
If that's your mindset, then there's no point in talking. I still have a mission to Konoha to take with me later.
Doesn't Amegakure have any pride? Surrender is out of the question.
Ōnoki countered, "As far as I know, Konoha suffered heavy losses because of the Uchiha incident, so they might not necessarily stand up for you. What will you do then?"
"We have indeed considered the problem you mentioned. Let's use the old method, like last time."
Aoki Tsuki's words silenced everyone.
Third Shinobi World War, Amegakure chose to give up and stay in the village, letting the Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Konoha Ninja wreak havoc in the Land of Rain.
Although it didn't earn them a good reputation, they managed to preserve the last bit of their wealth.
Because they had preserved their strength and secretly developed for several years, the higher-ups of Iwagakure became uneasy and launched this war to investigate and uncover their true intentions.
Little did they know that Pain would emerge and cause a major disruption; otherwise, Amegakure would definitely be stronger than it is now.
Aoki Tsuki knew perfectly well what those old Dengs were up to.
Small countries, acting as buffer zones between large countries, cannot afford to retain too much military power; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to sleep at night.
"It should be stated that Amegakure and Konoha have a military alliance agreement, and our refusal of Konoha's assistance is based on the idea of peace."
"We do not want the war to escalate, yet your wanton invasion of our country has caused countless civilian deaths and injuries, which is truly heartbreaking."
"Hmph, isn't it all because of you guys who are sabotaging us behind our backs and ruining our reputation?" someone retorted.
Aoki Tsuki sighed. "Please don't let your personal emotions get into the negotiations. Shouldn't we talk about how to end the war in a better way?"
Ōnoki glanced at his assistant standing to the side, who immediately took a document from the many files on the table and handed it to him.
We prepared several plans, and decided which one to use based on his reaction.
Aoki Tsuki smiled nonchalantly, as if it were just like buying vegetables at the market.
When elderly people come to buy vegetables, the vendors will quote the lowest price, but when young people ask, they will quote the highest price, and they will definitely shortchange them.
I quickly skimmed through all the terms of the ceasefire proposal; very few of them were acceptable.
" Third Tsuchikage, I've heard that you survived a time of war and must have experienced all sorts of hardships."
Do you think our Land of Rain has a future if we really accept the above conditions?
The implication is that none of them will be accepted.
"Kid, now that you've come this far, you should at least show some sincerity."
Ōnoki didn't want to waste time arguing and got straight to the point.
Aoki Tsuki immediately stated his conditions. " The Iwagakure Ninja must immediately withdraw from our territory, and both sides must return to the pre-war state of non-aggression. This is my only demand."
As for the harm done to our civilians, you can decide based on the situation.
"What a joke! A defeated nation asking a victorious nation for reparations? Don't even think about it," an elder retorted.
"Let's discuss our terms and show our sincerity. You all know the current situation in the Land of Rain."
So let's not talk about those unrealistic things; it's a waste of breath.
Compensation is definitely out of the question. As Aoki Tsuki said at the beginning, Amegakure simply can't borrow any money right now.
The ninjas were also almost all killed or wounded, which means that there will be no one left to do missions and earn rewards in the future, and the ability to repay the debts will be lost.
In addition, there were significant civilian casualties, and the economy relies heavily on population; it will take at least a decade or more to recover.
This is the current situation.
These old men knew perfectly well what was going on. They had been in charge of Iwagakure for many years, so how could they not know the connection between these events?
They looked at each other; Amegakure had already given up, and they didn't know what benefits they could still gain.
In the end, it was Ōnoki made the final decision: even if they couldn't get any real benefits, they had to get some virtual ones. As the Kage, he had to fight for the village's interests.
"Three demands: First, completely sever the alliance with Konoha and remain neutral forever; second, never again hire Akatsuki to participate in wars or other missions."
Third, immediately cease the smear campaign against Iwagakure and clarify the matter; there is no room for negotiation.
For small countries caught between large powers, neutrality is the only way to survive.
Aoki Tsuki immediately agreed, "Our Amegakure has always been a neutral country. Unless there is an invasion by a foreign enemy, we will not hire Akatsuki."
Regarding the massacre of civilians by Iwagakure, I think there might be some misunderstanding. I will investigate when I get back and give you a satisfactory answer.
The premise of not hiring is the absence of war; otherwise, it's just empty words.
At this point, the two sides have reached a preliminary agreement.
Once they return to the village and discuss the matter with the chief, they can exchange official documents and formally sign a military ceasefire agreement.
After Aoki Tsuki left the meeting room, the Iwagakure executives exchanged glances, and someone said, " Third, are we just going to let Amegakure go like this?"
Ōnoki smiled. "I have my own plans."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Ōnoki was nicknamed " Two Scales " because he was shrewd, calculating, and always managed to secure benefits for the village.
The terms were too simple, Aoki Tsuki didn't see any traps. He set off back to the Land of Rain that afternoon.
Iwagakure's organizational and execution capabilities were extremely strong. The message was relayed to the front lines on the same day, and Iwagakure's various squads withdrew from the Land of Rain one after another, leaving behind a devastated war zone.
Only then did the civilians who had been hiding dare to return home, licking their wounds and weeping silently amidst the ruins.
"What? You really closed the deal!"
Konan saw the agreement that Aoki Tsuki had brought back; the so-called three constraints did not apply to Amegakure.
"This is the last line of defense I fought for after two hours of heated debate with those old guys, and it's the result that countless Amegakure sacrificed their lives for."
Everyone is eager for the war to end soon.
"I see. I didn't expect you could handle things under these circumstances."
Konan never admitted defeat verbally, but in her heart she had long acknowledged that the man in front of her was more outstanding than her, with more ideas and stronger execution.
His character is just unstable!
'Let bygones be bygones about the last time he spied on me; he's a lecherous man anyway, why should I bother arguing with him?'
Thinking of this, Konan noticed that Aoki Tsuki's gaze had changed again. Before, he would sneakily glance at her chest whenever he had the chance.
After his breakthrough in mental strength, he even brazenly scanned her entire body right in front of her.
But the last few times I talked to her, she kept her eyes straight ahead, looking like a saint who had converted to Buddhism.
That's really strange!
" Konan, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
Aoki Tsuki nodded seriously, turned and left the office, her businesslike manner making everyone uncomfortable.
"Is this guy alright?!" Konan was inexplicably worried.
The outcome of the negotiations was spread through the mouths of his entourage, and the advisor was hailed by the villagers as a hero who brought peace.
The war was stopped through negotiations and communication, and its reputation began to spread.
The most direct result was that his family's gift shop was doing incredibly well, with his mother Eiko, constantly busy with Karin and Ajisai.
"Lord Yue, my son has returned alive from the front lines. He won't die. Thank you, thank you so much."
"Yes, he's lucky."
"Lord Yue, thanks to your command in resisting the invaders, my husband, though injured and unable to be a ninja, has finally returned alive."
He often praises your deeds, and I am very grateful to you.
"Actually, it's all the result of everyone fighting together; I'm not as important as you think."
"Master Yue, are you still accepting students? My child..."
"Lord Yue, these are the fruits I bought..."
Along the way, people kept greeting him, and their enthusiasm made him want to hide as soon as possible; as the saying goes, "People are afraid of becoming famous, just as pigs are afraid of getting fat."
He has always been low-key and dislikes showing off in the village.
Amegakure and Iwagakure successfully signed a ceasefire agreement, achieving peace.
However, this was only temporary, because people did not know that Lord Pain, who ruled Amegakure, was actually the leader of the international terrorist organization Akatsuki.
The hero they are praising now is also a member of this organization, and the leader of the Jashin Cult.
Pain and Konan were watching closely as they stood atop the West Tower, overlooking the pitiful village shrouded in rain.
"Only those who have experienced suffering can truly understand the preciousness of peace," Pain remarked.
Konan nodded slightly and said, "Mm."
Foolish people only see the temporary peace they enjoy and are completely unaware of the hidden dangers behind it.