Arashi's performance continued. His furious roars echoed through the large conference room.
His seemingly crazed behavior left the four Daimyo stunned.
But no one knew the truth.
This greedy and short-sighted display was nothing more than a show for these self-proclaimed cunning fools.
His bloodshot eyes swept over the three Daimyo, yet his mind was calmly calculating.
The nine billion was indeed gone.
And he was the one who personally erased it.
His orders had been carried out perfectly. Not a single Kumogakure prisoner remained. All three thousand were cleanly eliminated.
Naturally, that money had become an impossible dream.
But the losses still needed compensation.
Pressing the Land of Lightning further?
That would only push them into an irreconcilable enmity with the Land of Fire, which would bring nothing but endless trouble.
Therefore, this blood-soaked debt could only be pushed onto the other three nations.
Once this nine billion was squeezed out of them, to recover their losses, the Daimyo of the Land of Earth, Wind, and Water would unquestionably intensify their exploitation of the Land of Lightning.
Combined with their military garrisons in Kumogakure.
By then, the hatred and rage of Kumogakure would shift.
Their greatest enemy would no longer be the Land of Fire.
Spending money to unleash three ravenous dogs to devour another target.
This was a profitable deal... The arguing continued.
Watching the four Daimyo bicker, the previously hopeless Daimyo of the Land of Lightning suddenly became extremely calm.
Good.
Argue.
Argue louder.
It would be best if they fought here and now.
The Land of Lightning was already a lamb on the chopping block. Adding a few more casualties would not hurt.
"Daimyo Arashi, you cannot say such things!" The Daimyo of the Land of Wind forced himself to remain composed, speaking coldly. "Our joint supervision of Kumogakure is for the peace of the shinobi world."
"You are destroying the foundation of our Four Nations Alliance!"
"Peace? Alliance?" Arashi sneered as he sat down. "Fine."
"If you do not wish to pay, simple."
"I will order Konoha to directly station troops in Kumogakure and carve out our own zone."
"After all, the treaty states clearly that I have the right to military supervision."
"Then the so-called Four Nations Alliance can go fight in Kumogakure."
"Mutual destruction. Who is afraid of who?"
"I would very much like to see who wins and who loses when the Four Nations scramble for Kumogakure."
As soon as his words fell.
The room fell silent again.
The veins on the foreheads of the Daimyo of the Land of Earth, Wind, and Water bulged violently.
A Four Nations melee in Kumogakure?
That was not a feast.
That was a massacre.
Not only would they have to face the furious counterattack from the Cloud shinobi.
They would also have to watch out for each other's knives.
Worst of all, they would have to face the Land of Fire, which was the strongest, and had legal justification to act.
At that point, forget dividing the territory.
Surviving would become the real question.
Their original plan was simple.
The three nations would join forces, exclude the Land of Fire, and calmly divide a crippled Land of Lightning.
But now, this madman wanted to flip the table.
Dragging everyone into a bloody, chaotic free-for-all.
He truly was a madman.
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind was the first to break.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, squeezing out an awkward smile. "Daimyo Arashi... we can talk this out... no need to be so extreme..."
"Nine billion." Arashi did not even lift his eyelids. "You three will divide it."
"This is your admission fee."
"Pay it, and we are still allies."
"Do not pay..."
Arashi stopped talking halfway, fully confident they understood.
Of course they understood.
A threat.
The words and actions of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire shattered all expectations.
This was not a ruler who played by the usual rules.
But a man who dared to overturn the entire board.
The bulky Daimyo of the Land of Earth trembled.
He knew clearly.
If a four-nation free-for-all erupted, the profits they planned to devour would end up vomiting back out.
He had no confidence in withstanding the Land of Fire's wrath.
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind gripped his fan tightly, all leisure gone from his face.
The Land of Wind, barren and impoverished, could not afford a war of attrition.
The Daimyo of the Land of Water's eyes flickered with coldness and hesitation.
Hidden Mist was undeniably weak now.
After the Bloody Mist era, their strength had drastically declined.
They had all witnessed the Land of Fire's power.
That young Daimyo.
He had single-handedly stopped thousands of elite Cloud shinobi.
A Raikage.
A Jinchūriki.
His strength defied conventional understanding.
They could not accurately gauge the Land of Fire's true limits.
Silence.
An unbearable pressure thickened the air of the conference room.
The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning sat slumped, watching the drama unfold.
His despair had turned into subtle amusement.
So it wasn't only him suffering.
That thought actually made him feel... relieved.
Seeing the three Daimyo hesitate, Arashi grew impatient.
"You three are already doing a no-cost business. Is it really that hard to pay some money?"
"Daimyo Arashi." The Daimyo of the Land of Earth spoke first, trying to find a compromise. "Nine billion... is it not too much?"
He wanted to bargain.
Arashi's lips curled. His eyes were cold. "It's not as if I asked one of you to pay it all."
The Daimyo of the Land of Earth looked conflicted but had nothing to refute.
Because he was right.
The Land of Fire fought the war.
The Land of Fire acted as the villain.
They were simply coming to divide the spoils.
Why should they pay nothing?
"Daimyo Arashi!" The Daimyo of the Land of Wind also stepped in, clearly unwilling. "We are willing to compensate the Land of Fire."
"But nine billion..."
"It is too much."
"Even divided evenly, the Land of Wind cannot afford it."
A lie mixed with truth.
But they had to try.
Arashi lost patience. He slammed the table and stood up. "I do not care how you divide it. Nine billion, not a single ryō less!"
"Or."
"We meet in Kumogakure."
His voice was calm, but the killing intent within it made every Daimyo shiver.
They did not doubt it.
This Daimyo of the Land of Fire absolutely had the will and strength to do it.
The faces of the Daimyo of the Land of Earth, Wind, and Water instantly turned pale.
"You!" The Daimyo of the Land of Earth glared, wanting to curse.
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind closed his eyes tightly.
The Daimyo of the Land of Water pressed his lips into a line.
"Three billion..." The Daimyo of the Land of Earth finally spoke with difficulty. "...three billion per nation."
"I object!"
A sharp voice cut through the room instantly.
It was the Daimyo of the Land of Wind.
His elegant demeanor evaporated as he glared at the Daimyo of the Land of Earth.
"The Land of Earth borders the Land of Lightning. You already have the geographic advantage. Why should you only pay three billion?"
The Daimyo of the Land of Water immediately added, "Exactly. You will gain the most benefit. Why should you pay the same as us? We refuse!"
Allies just moments ago instantly turned on each other the moment profit was involved.
(To be continued.)