Everything before this blade belongs to Konoha?
Konoha—not the Land of Fire?
Heavens above…
Just how far does your ambition reach?!
Mabui's breathing quickened.
A moment ago, those eight words had filled her only with anger and humiliation. But now—after hearing the next sentence—her entire body began to tremble.
Even the old men standing in the back, and Minato himself, opened their mouths slightly as if to speak… yet all of them held their tongues.
Hakken was in the middle of a negotiation. Interrupting him now would only break his momentum.
With a faint, bitter smile, Minato shook his head.
So that's what he was planning all along.
But still… wasn't this too much? The weight of those words—if taken seriously—could shake the foundations of the entire shinobi world.
He didn't even need to look back. He could already imagine the elders behind him—those stubborn fossils—standing there slack-jawed in disbelief.
Since the founding of the shinobi villages, a system of mutual dependency had taken root between the villages and their respective nations.
But over time, that balance had shifted—from equality to quiet subordination.
Even the appointment of a new Hokage required the Daimyō's approval.
The reason was simple: the village needed the nation's backing—its funds, its resources, its political stability.
Without it, missions and taxes alone could never sustain Konoha's growth.
As Hokage, Minato understood this perfectly.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that without the Daimyō's support, Konoha wouldn't last a month before collapsing under financial strain.
That alone showed how vital that support truly was.
And yet, because the Daimyōs constantly funneled money into the shinobi villages, they had grown accustomed to viewing them as their hired muscle—bodyguards bought and paid for—while they themselves acted as the "patrons."
And between a patron and his enforcer, there could only be one hierarchy.
The Hokage might never admit it aloud, but that was the truth.
Equal footing?
He'd seen it with his own eyes—the Third Hokage bowing low, humbly accepting supplies from the Daimyō's retainers.
Hakken must have realized this long ago.
And his words just now… they weren't recklessness. They were the first strike in a much larger revolution.
Minato was quick to understand. In an instant, he pieced together Hakken's intentions.
Why should the strong kneel before those who can't even wield chakra?
Funding for development? No. Let's call it what it really is—protection money.
Standing on the table, Hakken tilted his head slightly, watching the dazed Mabui struggle to process his words.
The shock alone would take her time to digest.
But that didn't matter. The rest of his statement wasn't what mattered to Kumogakure anyway.
It was those first eight words—that was the true message.
Catching sight of Mabui's confusion, Hakken turned and gave Kakashi a small nod.
Understanding immediately, Kakashi vanished.
A few minutes later, he returned—with two ANBU carrying a stretcher behind him.
On it lay the Fourth Raikage, his arms and legs broken.
He was still weak, but his complexion had improved—Hakken had commanded the souls within his blade to halt their torment, at least for now.
There was no point in killing him—at least not yet.
Alive, the Raikage was far more valuable than dead.
And with the spirits bound to his sword, Hakken could decide that man's fate at any moment he pleased.
At this moment, Kumogakure no longer posed any threat to Konoha.
"Raikage-sama!"
Seeing the Raikage lying on the stretcher, Mabui's heart clenched. She wanted to speak, but he simply shook his head.
With a strained, bitter smile, the Raikage forced himself upright, meeting Hakken Yoru's gaze.
"You've taught me a new way to negotiate."
On the way here, Kakashi had already told him the terms of this so-called negotiation.
From fury, to humiliation, to bitter resignation—he had gone through every negative emotion imaginable.
But now, all that remained was calm.
What use was anger?
In his current condition, he had no chance of fighting back anyway.
Humiliation?
Yes, it was humiliating.
But reality was always cruel.
If he were the victor, he might have demanded territory as well.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the nerve.
Because he lacked that ruthless resolve—that cold, merciless edge that this kid possessed.
The kind of ruthless will he'd once said set Hakken apart from every other Hokage.
A ruthlessness that no enemy could ever accept.
"Hakken Yoru, you should know…"
"This isn't something I can decide on my own."
After a moment's silence, the Raikage sighed heavily.
"I know."
Hakken jumped down from the table and walked to the stretcher, smiling faintly as he patted the Raikage's shoulder.
"But I also know you can convince the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning to agree."
"Of course, besides the land—there's also this."
He pulled a list from inside his cloak and pointed at it.
The staggering numbers—compensation sums and material quantities—made the Raikage's head ring. He stared at it for a second before blood suddenly surged up his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of it.
"Don't be so quick to spit blood."
Calmly shoving the list into the Raikage's hands, Hakken yawned. "Oh, and don't bother thinking about keeping the Two-Tails. From today on, she's my little kitty. Understood?"
"I can't do that!"
The Raikage's body trembled violently as he shouted, voice hoarse with rage.
"You can—and you will. Otherwise, I'll come take her myself."
Leaning in until his forehead nearly touched the Raikage's, Hakken's pupils shrank into sharp points.
"Remember this. If I have to take her myself… this list won't even begin to cover the price."
"And don't forget something even more important."
"This negotiation is happening in the middle of Konoha's central plaza. I can't guarantee no one will leak the news of your condition. Ōnoki, for one, might find Kumogakure's current situation… interesting."
"If you don't return to your village soon…"
Leak the news? My injuries…
Killer Bee's still bedridden…
"I agree!"
The struggle in the Raikage's eyes vanished instantly. He roared out the words before collapsing, finally overwhelmed by exhaustion and the flood of pent-up emotion.
Mission accomplished.
Hakken exhaled softly and straightened, surveying the scene around him.
Every gaze in the plaza was fixed on him.
He had done what no one else—not even the Hokage—had managed to do.
From this day onward, his name would be etched into history.
It was Konoha's greatest victory since the village's founding.
His chest rose slightly with pride.
The Zanpakutō embedded in the ground seemed to respond to his mood, humming faintly before flying back into his hand.
Hakken raised the blade toward the sky, his eyes cold as he looked at the stunned Kumogakure delegation.
"This," he declared, voice cutting through the air like steel, "is the price for defying Konoha!"
"Remember this well—"
"As long as I stand here, Konoha will remain the number one shinobi village in the world!"
...
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