Chapter 414: War Compensation from the Hidden Sand Village! New January Book Tickets Request!
"Oh my, what a rare guest. I didn't expect the Village to send you personally this time."
On the eastern border of the Land of Wind, at the entrance of the Konoha Camp.
Fujiwara Tetsuya looked at Danzo and the dozens of Root members behind him, who were covered in dust from their journey, and his tone was full of amusement.
Are the fruit pickers here again?
However, Fujiwara Tetsuya could understand Danzo's thoughts.
As an ambitious Kage-level expert, ever since the Second Shinobi World War began, Danzo had been repeatedly pummeled by the Iwagakure Jinchuriki… For Danzo, who was determined to become Hokage, this was an invisible critical blow, many times over.
His prestige among the Konoha Higher-Ups and within Root also began to decline!
To gain more support and control more power… he naturally had to be very active.
In the Land of Rain, with Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru, his disciple, there, there was nothing for Danzo to do.
This side, with the Hidden Sand Village, was clearly the only place Danzo could make an appearance before the war ended.
"Hmph~ You mischievous brat, that's not how you speak to a senior."
"Where is Sakumo Hatake? Has he forgotten even the hierarchy of age and seniority?"
"Am I not worthy of him personally greeting me?"
Listening to Fujiwara Tetsuya's sarcastic remarks, Danzo decisively chose to ignore him.
Countless facts had proven that arguing with a free-spirited person like Fujiwara Tetsuya on such matters would only… lead to one's own death from anger.
"Senior Sakumo suffered considerable injuries in his battle with Chiyo and the Third Kazekage, and is currently bedridden. He won't be able to get up for at least another seven or eight days…"
"Please don't dwell on this matter!"
That's right! Even a powerhouse like Sakumo Hatake couldn't withstand the backlash of his injuries after the war ended, and collapsed on the way back.
However, there was no danger to his life; all he needed now was… rest, rest, and more rest.
Thinking of this, Fujiwara Tetsuya couldn't help but praise the great System.
His exhaustion and injuries… though lighter than Sakumo Hatake's, were still considerable, leaving him battered and bruised, his spirit, physical strength… Chakra, in short, everything was depleted.
However, the permanent physical enhancement gave him unparalleled recovery abilities, and after only two days, he had returned to his peak state again… "Oh, Senior Sakumo asked me to tell you something that might help you in your upcoming negotiations."
"According to intelligence from our covert agents in the Land of Wind's capital, the higher-ups, led by the Land of Wind's Daimyo, have openly pressured the Third Kazekage and others to conclude negotiations with the Village as soon as possible, and to have Konoha's Ninja army leave the Land of Wind's territory as quickly as possible…"
"Is that so! It seems this negotiation will be… simpler than I expected~"
After learning about the Hidden Sand Village's predicament in the Land of Wind, Danzo and his accompanying Root members only rested for a few hours at the Konoha Camp before heading straight to the Hidden Sand Village.
In Fujiwara Tetsuya's opinion, if Danzo didn't have such great ambition, or… if he could hide his ambition more deeply.
Just with this decisive and resolute style, the power Danzo overtly held in Konoha today would certainly not be weaker than that of Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado… Hidden Sand Village.
Danzo's arrival was destined not to be met with a warm welcome.
However, Danzo had experienced such a situation, where everyone was his enemy, countless times in Konoha.
He had argued with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and other higher-ups… and with the Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga… and various Shinobi Clans!
He had long since tempered his heart to be incredibly strong.
"Danzo… do you really think your Konoha has truly got our Hidden Sand Village cornered?"
Facing the conditions proposed by Danzo, the Third Kazekage did not immediately respond.
However, the still-recovering Chiyo could not suppress the anger in her heart and slammed her fist heavily on the table… The deafening roar echoed continuously in the Kazekage Building at that moment.
"Elder Chiyo, this is not the time for games."
"Before coming, I had already thoroughly investigated everything about the Hidden Sand Village."
"Kazekage-sama, the Land of Wind's Daimyo… has been putting a lot of pressure on you recently, hasn't he?"
"Given the current situation of the Hidden Sand Village, I believe… Kazekage-sama, and all the higher-ups present, what you should be considering most… is not how much to compensate, but how to ensure the Hidden Sand Village can continue to exist?"
In fact, Chiyo's reaction was not overly dramatic.
Strictly speaking, the conditions Danzo proposed to the Hidden Sand Village were simply too harsh.
In addition to publicly admitting defeat to the Ninja World, they also had to compensate Konoha with one billion ryo, as well as numerous rare minerals, unique Ninjutsu and Forbidden Techniques from the Hidden Sand Village, and at the same time, cede the Hidden Sand Village's mission share in the Land of Wind, reduce the number of Ninja… and so on.
Such conditions, let alone Chiyo's fierce reaction, even if Hiruzen Sarutobi had come… he would have frowned in disbelief.
"Chiyo, calm down!"
"It seems Lord Danzo is indeed well-prepared."
Amidst the resentful gazes of the Hidden Sand higher-ups, the Third Kazekage finally spoke.
"Compensation is not an issue, but the Hidden Sand Village needs to pay it over ten years, paying Konoha 100 million ryo in compensation each year… Since Lord Danzo understands the Hidden Sand Village's current predicament, he should understand that my proposal… is not excessive."
"As for the various rare minerals Lord Danzo requires, I can promise on behalf of the Hidden Sand Village to dispatch personnel as soon as possible to search for them, paying Konoha one-third of the quantity each year, and delivering all the rare minerals on the list within three years."
"However, the Ninjutsu and Forbidden Techniques of the Land of Wind… are the painstaking crystallization of countless ancestors of our Land of Wind, and absolutely cannot be used as war reparations. If Lord Danzo, and Konoha… need them, then you must offer Ninjutsu and Forbidden Techniques of equal caliber in exchange."
"As for the rest… there's no need to discuss it! Whether it's the Land of Wind's mission share or reducing the number of Ninja, neither we… nor the powerful nobles who control the Land of Wind's government, will allow Konoha to trample on the dignity of the Hidden Sand Village and the Land of Wind…"
"We may have been defeated, but we are not without the power to retaliate. You should be aware… that compared to Konoha today, the Hidden Sand Village's foundation still remains~"
"However, we can promise not to interfere in the affairs of the Land of Rivers anymore. If Lord Danzo wishes to expand Konoha's mission share… the Land of Rivers should be enough."
The negotiations between the two sides were not that simple… they would never be settled in one go.
Seeing all the conditions he had added being rejected by the Third Kazekage, Danzo's expression also darkened.
Over the next three days, Danzo… and the Third Kazekage and other Hidden Sand higher-ups held several consultations… finally finalizing all the details.
The Hidden Sand Village increased the compensation from one billion ryo to 1.3 billion ryo, still to be paid off over ten years.
In addition, the Hidden Sand Village would provide Konoha with three A-rank Wind Release Ninjutsu and two Forbidden Techniques equivalent to A-rank… And as a concession from the Hidden Sand Village, Danzo, on behalf of Konoha, gave up the interests that were subsequently rejected by the Third Kazekage.
Pubfuture Ads