Chapter 180: Itachi, Where's Your Magnanimity?
Though Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke quietly, everyone present were top-level Shinobi with sharp hearing. How could they not hear clearly?
Everyone instinctively looked toward Mifune, seeing him seated with lowered eyes, completely silent. They immediately knew this matter was true.
"Too absurd!" Jiraiya slammed the table, shouting angrily: "How can the daimyo draft such a treaty?"
"Is his brain broken?"
"If he wants to sign, let him come sign!"
"We won't sign!"
"Silence!" Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes flashed sternly. "Can daimyo-sama's affairs be questioned by you?"
"Daimyo-sama cannot possibly sign such treaties. Only I can sign!"
"Moreover..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath, removing his Hokage hat and placing it properly on the table before speaking seriously:
"The Land of Fire has always been the shinobi world's greatest nation. Now forced to sign such treaties, using territorial cession and reparations to exchange for peace—as Hokage, I bear inescapable responsibility."
"Effective immediately, I resign from the Hokage position."
"Furthermore, starting today, Konoha Village no longer establishes the Hokage position. All Konoha Village shinobi pledge loyalty only to the daimyo."
"What?!"
The conference hall immediately erupted. Everyone could hardly believe what they heard, beginning to ask each other whether they'd misheard or fallen under some genjutsu.
Soon everyone confirmed—everything was true. Immediately their gazes toward Sarutobi Hiruzen filled with sympathy.
This guy was a scapegoat!
Clearly the daimyo feared Konoha Village's destruction would also doom the Land of Fire, so he'd rather pay tremendous cost to end this war.
But ultimately bearing infamy and responsibility—that was Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Not only losing the Hokage position but also bearing everyone's condemnation.
Under everyone's sympathetic gazes, Sarutobi Hiruzen calmly picked up his pen, preparing to sign the "Konoha-Kumo Treaty."
Jiraiya instinctively grabbed his teacher's hand, preventing him from signing. Itachi also urgently called out:
"Hokage-sama, we haven't lost yet!"
"We can keep fighting!"
Many Konoha shinobi also raised their arms shouting.
"Hokage-sama, we're willing to shed our last drop of blood for the village!"
But Sarutobi Hiruzen patted Jiraiya's hand, sighing:
"We cannot keep fighting."
"If we continue, even the children will all die."
"Where the leaves dance, fire burns eternal. Without those children, what about the village's future?"
"Jiraiya, I'm already very old. I cannot contribute much more to the village."
"This matter now is the only thing I can still do for the village."
"Right now the village's most important task is recuperating, letting children grow safely."
"Once the next generation matures and village strength recovers, naturally we can avenge this humiliation and reclaim what we lost."
Sarutobi Hiruzen firmly removed Jiraiya's hand, once again picking up the pen and signing his name on document after document.
Jiraiya and others' faces filled with grief and fury, fists clenched tightly, yet completely powerless.
This was the daimyo's decision. Konoha Village could only comply.
Many wept openly, unable to speak through tears.
Momentarily, Konoha's side dissolved into weeping, forming stark contrast with the other four villages' shinobi cheering and celebrating.
Soon, the Five Kage successively signed their respective treaties, exchanging copies. The treaties officially took effect.
Mifune rose solemnly, declaring seriously:
"This Five Kage Summit succeeded perfectly. The Fourth War officially ends. Let us cheer for peace!"
"Wonderful!" Crowds outside immediately applauded cooperatively. Only Konoha's side remained deathly silent—not a single word.
Just as everyone prepared to disperse, sudden mocking laughter rang out.
"Hehe, Sarutobi Hiruzen truly is an old fox!"
"Territorial cession and reparations... tsk tsk, what an excellent ceasefire method!"
"Even I couldn't think of it—turns out such methods exist to dissolve other nations' war intentions."
Everyone looked toward the voice. Somehow within the conference hall an extra person had appeared, casually leaning against the wall, watching everyone with theatrical eyes.
"Uchiha Yasushi!"
Itachi paled with shock, hastily stepping forward to protect Sarutobi Hiruzen behind him.
But Yasushi showed no intention of attacking. Instead smiling cheerfully, he waved at Itachi:
"Itachi, long time no see! How've you been lately?"
"Congratulations to you! Your peace finally came true!"
"See—just territorial cession and reparations immediately ends war. Such a simple matter!"
"But why does your expression seem somewhat unconvinced?"
Yasushi suddenly made a shocked expression, pointing at Itachi and calling out in surprise:
"Oh my, Itachi! You don't plan to launch another war in some years to reclaim lost territory, do you?"
"How many would die?"
"Itachi, where's your magnanimity?"
"Where's your peace?"
"To prevent Konoha Village's ungrateful beasts from harm, you could slaughter all your own clansmen."
"Now why would you send your beloved Konoha Village people to die for so-called national territory?"
"Uchiha Yasushi!" Itachi roared furiously, charging toward Yasushi. "It's all you! All your fault!"
"Without you, Konoha Village wouldn't have conflicted with Akatsuki so early and wouldn't have been destroyed!"
"Without Konoha's destruction, other nations wouldn't have found opportunities to launch war!"
"Without war, how would so many die?"
"Everything is your fault!"
"You killed those people!"
Itachi attacked Yasushi like a mad tiger. But Yasushi currently had no interest fighting him.
Yasushi chuckled. After phasing his body, he hid in Kamui dimension, letting Itachi wildly attack while he continued verbal bombardment.
"Itachi, everything has cause and effect."
"You say all responsibility lies with me. Without me, so many wouldn't have died."
"Correct, I acknowledge that!"
"I did it!"
"So what?"
"Konoha Village destroyed my entire Uchiha clan. Am I not permitted revenge?"
"Killing deserves death—natural justice. Even if all Five Nations' shinobi were here today, I could loudly tell them my revenge against Konoha Village is completely justified. Nobody can say otherwise!"
"What do you all think?" Yasushi deliberately turned his gaze toward the other Five Nations, loudly asking.
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