Chapter 39: A World in Disarray
The massive hand clamped down on Danzo's shoulder, making his skin crawl.
"Lord Raikage," Danzo said, forcing his voice to remain steady, "what is the meaning of this?"
"Nothing. We've been talking for so long, I'm thirsty. Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Sit. Have some tea."
Meanwhile, back at the Hidden Cloud outpost, Sakumo and the others were trapped in the barrier.
Dana appeared, his hands behind his back, a mischievous grin on his face.
When Tsunade saw him, she gritted her teeth. This brat again!
Dana swaggered up to the barrier. "Well, well, if it isn't the famous Hatake Sakumo of Konoha. What brings you sneaking into our camp in the middle of the night? I thought Konoha wanted to avoid a conflict between our villages. It seems you were negotiating in bad faith, with a knife hidden behind your back."
Sakumo stared at Dana, his expression unreadable. He sheathed his short sword.
"I never thought a child would be the one calling the shots in the Hidden Cloud," he said coldly.
"Oh, no, no. I just offer suggestions. A healthy dose of suspicion is always wise. Since your village has no problem attacking children, isn't it only natural for us to be wary of your methods?"
Sakumo ignored the taunt. He was an expert in Lightning Release and was currently trying to buy time, hoping for an opportunity to break the barrier. With the Third Raikage gone, he had a fighting chance.
Is there a way out from below? he wondered. No, they wouldn't leave such an obvious weakness. They've been preparing for this.
He replayed the events of the past few days in his mind, trying to pinpoint where they had gone wrong.
The truth was, the moment the first Konoha envoy had arrived without mentioning a prisoner exchange, Dana had guessed their plan. They wanted to downplay Tsunade's importance, hoping to get her back as a minor add-on to a larger peace agreement without paying a heavy price. From that point on, Dana and the Third Raikage had been setting a trap.
The impossible demands, the Third Raikage's feigned brutishness—it was all designed to lure Konoha into a rescue attempt. But Konoha had been cautious. It wasn't until the Raikage pretended he was about to return to his village that they were finally forced to act. And when Danzo had repeatedly requested a secret meeting, they knew the rescue attempt was imminent.
Sakumo had not yet earned the title of "White Fang of Konoha," but his skills were already top-tier. Dana had no intention of testing his mettle. Once his father was finished and returned to the camp, the game would be over.
Three days later, devastating news reached the Hidden Leaf Village.
Danzo Shimura, Sakumo Hatake, and their entire ten-man team had been captured while attempting to attack the Hidden Cloud's outpost during negotiations. The Cloud was now demanding an explanation.
To add insult to injury, the entire team had been wiped out, with not a single messenger escaping. It was the Cloud who had sent one of the minor prisoners back to Konoha to inform them that their rescue team had also been captured and was now awaiting their own rescue.
Hiruzen Sarutobi snapped his pipe in two.
The worst part was that the Cloud's justification was irrefutable. According to the returned Konoha ninja, they had been caught red-handed trying to spring a prisoner.
A gloomy atmosphere hung over the Hokage's office. Even the representatives of the Akimichi and Senju clans, who had been the most vocal before, were now silent. Everyone knew the situation was spiraling out of control. Sticking your neck out now was a good way to get it chopped off.
This time, no one dared to complain about Hiruzen's smoking. The room was so thick with smoke it was like a celestial realm, impossible to see your own hand in front of your face.
"Hiruzen," Koharu said, breaking the long silence, "we need a plan. What are the Cloud's demands?" Her voice seemed to break the tension, and the others in the room visibly relaxed.
Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe. "They want to negotiate," he said, smoke billowing from his mouth.
A sense of surreal déjà vu washed over the room. It felt like just a few days ago, in this very office, they had had this exact same discussion. Now, their negotiator had been captured and was waiting for a new negotiator.
Even Hiruzen—the pacifist, the man who would do anything to avoid a war—was tempted to just declare war and be done with it. But not only were Danzo and the others in the Cloud's hands, their justification was solid. A little subterfuge during negotiations was one thing, but to be caught, and for the entire team to be captured, was an absolute fiasco.
Hiruzen could only direct his anger at Danzo, who had been in charge. He couldn't believe how competent Danzo was at stirring up trouble within the village, and how utterly incompetent he was outside of it. He didn't know the term "hometown hero," but at this point, he just had to solve the problem.
The last delegation had been led by a council elder. This time, with the stakes even higher, he would have to go himself.
"It seems I have no choice but to go," he announced. "Send a message to the Third Raikage. A summit between the two Kage. The location... the Land of Iron."
For security, meetings between Kage were always held in the neutral Land of Iron.
Three days later, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, set out for the Land of Iron with a massive escort. He had no desire for the Cloud to send another messenger to Konoha in a few days, informing them that their Hokage had been captured and they needed yet another negotiator.
This time, the meeting could not be kept secret. The other hidden villages and the various powers of the ninja world had already taken notice of the recent and frequent movements between the lands of Thunder and Fire. All eyes were now on the Land of Iron, wondering what waves this summit would create.
Meanwhile, the process of acquiring and restructuring the Kitanouji Blacksmith's Shop had begun. The Yotsuki clan was fully committed to expanding its factory model, providing vast resources—manpower, materials, and money—and clearing any obstacles to its business. The name of the forge would remain unchanged for now; branding it with the Cloud or Yotsuki symbol too early would only alert the other powers. Kitanouji himself had been given a ten percent stake in the new company and was more than satisfied. The Yotsuki's investment was already ten times the value of his original forge, and the future was bright. With the protection of ninja, the forge was destined to become a behemoth.
And, according to the Yotsuki clan's regulations, as the originator and a key participant in the plan, six-year-old Dana was granted a twenty percent ownership stake in the project. For now, it was being held in trust.
While the other villages were focused on the meeting of the two Kage in the Land of Iron, they had no idea that the real change to the world was being forged in a small, unassuming blacksmith's shop.
Capital of the Land of Lightning
In a lavish room, filled with incense and warm silks, a court official reported, "My lord, there has been some friction between the Hidden Cloud and the Hidden Leaf. It seems the Cloud has come out on top, and the Leaf has suffered a considerable loss."
"Can you find out the details?" a voice asked from behind a silk screen. The figure was somewhat portly and wore a strange, fan-shaped headdress.
"No, my lord," the official replied, shaking his head. "All the participants were ninja. We have only heard whispers from the Land of Iron. Should I make an inquiry with the Hidden Cloud?"
"No. I will write a letter to the Fire Daimyo and ask him," the figure said after a moment of silence. "By the way, I recall the Raikage had another son a few years ago, is that correct?"
"Yes, my lord."
"And he is said to have some strange bloodline disease? Unable to become a ninja?"
"Yes, my lord. That much is certain."
"I see. You may leave."
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