After speaking, Nara Shikajō picked up another list beside him and gently placed it on the table:
"As for mission shares… The Land of Hot Water, the Land of Frost, the Land of Rice Fields—your village's activity in these three nations has long posed a serious threat to the security of Konoha's borders.
This war has only further proven that."
"Reclaiming mission leadership in these regions is a necessary measure for Konoha to safeguard itself. If not for the peace and stability of the entire shinobi world, our demands would not stop here."
"Perhaps we would demand that Kumogakure withdraw entirely from its weapons trade with the Land of Iron, and relinquish all maritime route rights with the Land of Water."
Cold sweat beaded across Kuji's forehead.
Not only did the other side intend to drain the Kumo economically, they also sought to choke the Kumogakure strategically—and even brazenly coveted its shinobi technique heritage.
A wave of dizziness washed over him. He could almost see the future decades of Kumogakure's decline—drained by endless reparations, depleted resources, and shrinking mission shares…
"Offset resources… must be fairly priced! Konoha cannot unilaterally determine their value!"
Kuji made his final struggle:
"And ninjutsu scrolls—those touch the core of our village. We cannot possibly yield on that!"
"The prices can be negotiated."
Unexpectedly, Nara Shikajō loosened slightly—but his voice immediately cooled:
"However, the pricing standards must follow current shinobi world market value, and Konoha will hold final authority over valuation.
As for the ninjutsu…"
"Lord Kuji, what is more important—those dusty scrolls, or a village that, after war, urgently needs stability, resources, and strength to rebuild?"
"I believe you and your Third Raikage are wise men. You'll make the correct choice."
"Rebuild the village"—
These three words hit Kuji like a hammer, shattering all the defenses in his heart.
Konoha knew.
They knew everything.
They were exploiting this catastrophe to extort Kumogakure, nakedly and without shame.
Kuji collapsed back into his chair, as though all the strength had drained out of him.
He closed his eyes.
In his mind flashed the Raikage's heavy, urgent gaze before leaving for the front lines.
After a long silence, he opened his eyes again.
His voice was hoarse, filled with exhaustion and humiliation:
"...The first payment of the direct reparations—three hundred million ryō… Kumogakure can prepare it. But the following eight years, one hundred twenty-five million ryō each year… is truly too much. Can the period be extended, or the annual amount lowered?"
"The term is already our bottom line."
Shikajō did not yield at all.
"But considering your difficulties, if your village can, within one month, provide an additional fifty million ryō worth of chakra metal as a sincerity bond…"
"Konoha can consider delaying the deadline for the first payment by half a month, to give your village more time to gather funds."
In truth, given the Kumogakure's historically awful credibility, Shikajō, Senju Mori, and the others estimated the treaty would last only about five years before the Kumo tore it up once it regained strength.
But that was more than enough.
A total of fifteen billion ryō in reparations was already an enormous profit; the remaining five billion could be considered the cost of buying justice for the next war.
Kuji, meanwhile, nearly vomited blood.
To him, this was no concession—it was extortion made even harsher.
Konoha wasn't just demanding reparations; they even wanted an advance "guarantee fee"!
But he knew he had no choice.
The enormous silhouette of the Eight-Tails rampaging through their village flashed in his mind.
Every second of delay meant more casualties.
"...Fine… I… on behalf of Kumogakure… accept the terms."
Those few words seemed to use up all the strength he ever had.
With trembling hands, he picked up the brush that felt as heavy as a mountain.
Upon the official treaty document laid out before him, he wrote his name one deliberate stroke at a time.
Then he took the seal entrusted to him by the Raikage, dipped it in ink, and pressed it down hard.
The bright red stamp, like a mark forged in blood, was forever imprinted on this humiliating treaty.
Nara Shikajō watched the other party finish signing and calmly signaled the clerk to put away Konoha's copy of the document.
He stood up, straightened his robes, and let his gaze sweep over Kuji—who now looked as though his spine had been removed—and said lightly:
"The agreement takes effect immediately. After Kumogakure pays the first portion of the reparations, Konoha will begin arranging troop withdrawal.
I hope your side will honor the terms and cherish this hard-won peace."
With that, he turned first and led the Konoha envoys out of the tent, steps steady and unhurried.
Outside, the sunlight was warm and bright, illuminating the composed figures of Shikajō and his group—forming a stark contrast with the dead, suffocating despair lingering over Kumogakure delegates inside the tent.
…
Kuji did not even know how he managed to walk back to the Kumo fortress.
All the way, his mind felt foggy, and the treaty scroll in his hands felt like a burning iron brand, scalding his body and soul.
The Kumo shinobi around him showed no unusual expressions, yet he couldn't shake the illusion that he was being shunned—
as if everyone was silently accusing him.
In a room on the top floor of the fortress, the Third Raikage, A, stood alone.
His towering frame looked even heavier in the dim light.
When Kuji silently knelt and raised the treaty high over his head, the entire room seemed to freeze.
A slowly turned, took the scroll, but did not open it immediately.
He simply asked in a deep voice:
"Did you reach an agreement?"
"Your subordinate… is incompetent."
Kuji's throat was dry, his voice forced out painfully.
"Konoha's terms… not a single point was changed…"
A forced himself to remain calm as he unrolled the scroll.
But as his eyes passed over the clauses, his fist clenched instantly—
the scroll's wooden rod groaned under the crushing pressure.
"Well… well done, Nara Shikajō!"
A's voice squeezed out from between his teeth, every word laced with thunderous fury.
"And Senju Mori as well!"
Yet, unexpectedly, the explosive rage Kuji anticipated did not come.
A simply stared at the treaty, chest heaving violently—
and then let out a long, heavy sigh.
"You did the right thing."
A's voice suddenly became terrifyingly calm.
"In this situation… even I would have been forced to sign."
These words were the final straw that snapped the taut strings in Kuji's heart.
"That is why… I cannot forgive myself."
Kuji slowly lifted his head.
His eyes were gray and lifeless.
"I have personally handed the future of Kumogakure… to our enemy."
Shff!
A flash of golden lightning streaked across the room—
A appeared before him, gripping the short blade in Kuji's hand.
The sharp edge couldn't even cut A's palm, wrapped in Lightning Release chakra.
"Fool!"
A's voice cracked like thunder.
"Do you think dying will cleanse this shame!?"
Kuji stubbornly raised his head, eyes filled with resolve.
"At least… I can show the village where I stand!"
"Where you stand?"
A snatched the blade away and tossed it into a corner.
"Your stance is to live—to witness the moment Kumogakure rises again!"
Seeing Kuji's persistence, A's tone softened slightly:
"Listen, Kuji. What Kumogakure needs now is not a martyr.
It needs shinobi who can carry its burdens.
Your death would do nothing except give Konoha something to laugh about."
Kuji trembled, head finally dropping in collapse.
"But… Lord Raikage, I… I cannot face the future of our village…"
"Then face it with me!"
A's tone was firm as iron.
"This shame will be washed away by all Kumo shinobi together.
I want you alive—long enough to see Konoha fail,
to see them pay for what they've done today."
A lifted Kuji up and said solemnly:
"Kuji, your duty is not over.
The Eight-Tails is rampaging through the village.
We must protect Kumogakure —protect everything we hold dear."
"Pass the order to the entire army.
We return to the village immediately."
After briefly steadying Kuji, A didn't even have time for further anger.
He hurriedly led the entire force back toward Kumogakure.
He left no troops guarding the border—not because he trusted Konoha, but because he knew that without him, not even a fortress could withstand Senju Mori and Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Instead of worrying about both sides, it was better to retreat completely
and return at full speed to deal with the rampaging Eight-Tails.