"Looking for death!"
Ōnoki formed seals at lightning speed, hands clapping together before spreading apart.
A white, cube-shaped construct instantly appeared in his palms!
Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling Technique!
Wen Lan drew his ninja blade in a single motion.
Golden lightning exploded along the blade, thunder coiling like a dragon around the edge as blinding light tore through the air.
"Enough!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly stood and barked, "Ōnoki! We are here for peace talks—do you want the war to continue?!"
Ōnoki glared at Hiruzen, veins bulging at his temples.
The Dust Release hummed violently in his palm, as if it would be unleashed at any second.
"Sure," Wen Lan said flatly.
"Just my Uchiha clan alone has over sixty jōnin left.
How many jōnin do Iwagakure still have?
"If you think the fighting wasn't intense enough, how about we start a Tailed Beast War right now?"
That single sentence made both Ōnoki's and Hiruzen's expressions change.
Everyone present knew what it meant if the tailed beasts were deployed— the ninja world would plunge into an unprecedented catastrophe.
Ōnoki knew even better.
The Sharingan was an absolute deterrent to tailed beasts.
Uchiha Madara controlling the Nine-Tails was a lesson carved into the blood-soaked history of the ninja world.
And Wen Lan—this child could split a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Ōnoki couldn't afford that gamble.
The air solidified like iron.
Ōnoki's palm trembled as the glow of Dust Release shrank back into nothingness.
Hiruzen took a deep breath and slowly sat down, his voice low but carrying unquestionable authority:
"Today's discussion is not to ignite new flames of war, but to find a path of survival for the ninja world."
Wen Lan let out a cold laugh.
His blade tip lowered, golden lightning fading back into the steel, yet his gaze never left Ōnoki.
"If war comes, the Uchiha will answer it to the end— but can you afford the price?"
Ōnoki slowly withdrew his hands.
The Dust Release dissipated, cold sweat sliding down his forehead.
He stared fixedly at Wen Lan's Sharingan, swallowed hard, and finally said nothing.
The council chamber fell into deathly silence, broken only by the wind whispering through the hall.
Hiruzen closed his eyes briefly, then spoke softly:
"The peace talks continue— but all sides must exercise restraint."
Wen Lan sheathed his blade and swept his gaze across the room, voice icy:
"Restraint requires mutual fear.
Never forget—within Uchiha eyes, ash has never inspired terror."
"Oh my, my~ What's all this commotion?"
A shrill, rooster-like voice rang out as the Fire Daimyō walked in, waving a folding fan.
Wen Lan looked at him oddly.
The Fire Daimyō's complexion was pale and sickly, his body clearly hollowed out by wine and indulgence.
Yet that voice… it really didn't match his appearance.
The Daimyō entered with several aides, seated himself at the head, and snapped his fan shut.
"Since everyone's here," he said, displeasure evident beneath his tone, "let's talk properly."
Wen Lan instantly understood why they hadn't visited the Daimyō the day before.
If a war produced a losing nation, the defeated side would pay enormous reparations—
even for a Daimyō, that was a tempting sum.
But now there was a peace treaty instead, and Konoha held the advantage.
Naturally, the Fire Daimyō was unwilling to settle.
However, Konoha's core forces were depleted, leaving him no choice but to agree.
That didn't mean he held no resentment toward Hiruzen.
The remaining process was straightforward.
The treaty terms were read aloud clause by clause.
Within three days, Iwagakure would release all captured prisoners.
Once the signing was complete, the Earth Daimyō and Ōnoki departed.
As he left, Ōnoki shot Wen Lan a venomous glare.
After the Earth delegation had fully withdrawn, the Fire Daimyō fanned himself and looked at Hiruzen.
"Anything else?"
Hiruzen bowed respectfully.
"Daimyō-sir, I intend to step down as Hokage and recommend Namikaze Minato as the Fourth Hokage.
"Minato has rendered outstanding service in this war, and his reputation within the village is extremely high."
Daimyō paused, eyes narrowing as he studied Hiruzen.
After a long moment, he chuckled.
"You're eager to hand over power at a time like this?"
He rose slowly, sweeping his gaze across the room.
"But Minato is young. Can he suppress the old guard?
Are you sure you want to retire now?"
Wen Lan watched coldly, understanding immediately—
The Daimyō did not want Konoha to produce another Hokage with overwhelming prestige.
Hiruzen's expression didn't change.
"Precisely because he is young, he has the potential to lead the village into a new era."
The Daimyō snorted, tapping the ribs of his fan, eyes sharp as needles.
"A new era?
Konoha's foundation cannot afford the slightest shake."
After a brief silence, he finally nodded.
"Very well."
The fan opened again, a breeze brushing his pallid face.
"But Konoha's funding will be cut in half for the next three years."
That single line made everyone's expression change.
Cutting funding was a direct restraint on Konoha's strength— a political check meant to weaken Hokage authority and prevent excessive concentration of power.
Wen Lan frowned slightly.
Konoha had just emerged from war.
Compensation for fallen ninja hadn't been fully paid, and wounded soldiers urgently needed treatment.
Reducing funds now was adding frost to snow.
Hiruzen's expression shifted subtly.
He lowered his head, about to accept—
But Minato suddenly spoke:
"Daimyō-sir, postwar compensation and medical treatment require funds.
If the budget is halved, morale will collapse."
The room jolted.
Daimyō's gaze turned ice-cold.
Wen Lan, however, looked at Minato with clear approval.
This was what a Hokage should do to protect the village's interests, and argue when compromise was unacceptable.
Daimyō sneered, snapping his fan shut.
"And who do you think you are, to speak out of turn here?"
The air froze.
Minato didn't retreat an inch, his eyes steady.
"I am Namikaze Minato."
"Oh? So it's you," the Daimyō sneered.
"Don't forget—whether you become Hokage or not is a matter of a single sentence from me."
"Precisely because I may become Hokage," Minato replied calmly, "I must speak for the village's future."
Hiruzen's heart shook as he glanced sideways.
Wen Lan's lips curled slightly upward—but the chill in his eyes toward the Daimyō remained.
The Daimyō's pupils contracted.
As he was about to speak again, Wen Lan stepped forward half a pace.
"Minato is right.
If postwar compensation cannot be honored, how can morale be stabilized?
"Daimyō-sir, Konoha's ninja are not numbers on your ledger."
The atmosphere tightened instantly.
Guards gripping blades stiffened.
The Daimyō stared coldly.
"And who are you?
Has Konoha lost all sense of order, letting anyone defy me?"
"My name is Uchiha Wen Lan," Wen Lan said calmly, his left hand resting on his scabbard.
"You should know the Uchiha's reputation isn't exactly stellar.
But I don't care about reputation—I act as I please.
"So tell me, Daimyō-sir—
if the Uchiha killed you for the sake of the village, would Konoha call me a hero?"
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