Konoha: Start from untying the caged bird

Page 177

If you two are truly willing to take responsibility for your mistakes...

Hinata Yuzuru's tone was calm, but at the end, he stared at the two of them meaningfully. Rasa and Terumi Mei had nothing to say and could only nod in agreement.

For Rasa, being able to talk was enough. With Sunagakure suffering another major blow, he had no intention of doing anything big again.

Mei Terumi didn't care at all—she simply whispered, "I'm willing to stay in Konoha."

However, the death of the Mizukage is of great importance, and the news of his manipulation must be sent back to the village as soon as possible. Could you please ask the Hokage to allow a few Kirigakure ninjas to go back and report the news? Otherwise, Kirigakure is currently leaderless and may fall into complete chaos.

Even if I reach an agreement with the Hokage, it's meaningless if the Hidden Mist Village doesn't agree...

“Okay.” Hyuga Yuzuru nodded in agreement. It was enough for Terumi Mei to stay here. At this moment, the only people in Kirigakure who could be called Kage-level were her and a few old guys who were almost at the level of Edo Tensei. They were nothing to be afraid of.

After agreeing on the terms with the two men, he quickly gave instructions to the Konoha ninja beside him.

First, we must be wary of what other ninja villages might do during this opportunity, including the two ninja villages that have already been defeated. On the other hand, we must inspect and repair the towns near the battlefield.

Even though they were quite a distance from the town, the ninjas' destructive power still caused some damage. Fortunately, there were evacuation facilities to protect them, and Konoha ninjas had evacuated them in advance, so there were no casualties.

In addition, the casualties in Konoha also need to be tallied.

Even though Hyuga Yuzuru had made ample preparations, war is a war in which people are bound to die, unless they never set foot on the battlefield—this is the fate of ninjas.

Those harmed by Pain and Akatsuki members must be tallied, and those harmed by Kirigakure and Sunagakure must be tallied even more thoroughly. Compensation and other related matters must be properly handled.

Next, we need to get rid of the people from Kumogakure and Iwagakure as soon as possible.

Both sides suffered minor losses in the battle, but Kumogakure suffered almost no damage, and Iwagakure also suffered little. Konoha certainly shouldn't take the blame for this, but they should be wary of the other side taking the opportunity to dig up dirt or try to share in Konoha's victory.

Leaving two Kage and Jinchuriki around Konoha is not safe either. Kage-level battles can easily destroy mountains and shatter rocks. No matter how good Konoha's buildings are, they can't withstand the aftershocks of a Tailed Beast Bomb.

Unexpectedly, the two hidden villages did not linger for long. It seemed that before the battle ended, the two shadows gathered privately to chat, and left very quickly and decisively.

The Chunin Exams went smoothly in the early stages and were almost over when a big incident suddenly occurred. However, it was exactly what everyone expected. Although the scale of the incident was much larger than anticipated and the main parties involved in the conflict had changed, the damage was still manageable because everyone had tacitly made preparations.

Hyuga Yuzuru reorganized his team and returned to Konoha. In just two days, Konoha began to return to normal life, and the ninja forces resumed normal operations. This brought some relief to the 'hostages' who had been staying in Konoha.

Just three days after the battle, Hyuga Yuzuru invited Rasa and Terumi Mei to the conference room to discuss how to handle the Kirigakure and Sunagakure ambush.

To be more precise, it's a compensation plan.

Rasa had prepared himself for being asked for an exorbitant sum, but when Hyuga Yuzuru actually made Konoha's demands to him, Rasa still shook his head like a rattle-drum: "Impossible, absolutely impossible."

But when Rasa refused, his expression froze, and he awkwardly put down his teacup. Looking at Hyuga Yuzuru, who was smiling with narrowed eyes, and sensing the unspoken threat in his eyes, he could only sigh.

"Fifth Hokage, Sunagakure can agree to all the commercial terms you mentioned, including zero tariffs on trade between the two sides, a 20-year reduction in commercial taxes, full opening of commercial trade, and assistance in building factories, etc. We can discuss these things slowly."

But leaving Gaara in Konoha... that's absolutely unacceptable.

Rasa racked his brains for a solution, and finally brought up the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, saying, "Shukaku is the foundation of Sunagakure. If even it is given to Konoha, what difference is there between Sunagakure and its disbandment?"

“Then let’s disband it.” Hyuga Yuzuru said matter-of-factly. He smiled and looked at Rasa, saying leisurely, “What keeps the village going is always the people, not the tailed beasts. If losing just one tailed beast can make Sunagakure disband, then I think Sunagakure might as well just disband.”

Moreover, I will spare Gaara's life and guarantee that as long as he stays obediently in Konoha, I will not extract the Tailed Beast from him, unless we find a way to extract the Tailed Beast without harming the Jinchuriki.

After finishing speaking, Hyuga Yuzuru paused and said, "When the First Kazekage founded the village, weren't the tailed beasts of Sunagakure captured? How come the village is being disbanded now that there are no tailed beasts left for the Fourth Kazekage?"

Moreover, leaving one tail in Sunagakure... are you really confident you can stop the Akatsuki from coveting it?

Upon hearing this, Luo Sha fell silent.

He pondered the matter carefully, but he really couldn't bear to part with Gaara. It wasn't because Gaara was his son, but because if Sunagakure lost its tailed beasts, given its current strength, it would be nothing more than a bunch of chickens and dogs.

The older generation of ninjas, led by Granny Chiyo and her group of elites, can maintain the high-end combat power of Sunagakure in the short term. However, the younger elites suffered heavy casualties in this mission, and it is unknown how many of them will be able to grow up in the future.

Having lost his Jinchūriki, what if something else happens to him...?

Rasa suddenly felt a pang of regret—if only he had known, he wouldn't have sent a genius ninja like Pakura to his death in vain, nor should he have kept attacking Konoha. He should have simply submitted to Konoha, taken some scraps from Kirigakure, and let the eldest brother go first in a fight. Who knows, he might have lived a more comfortable life than he does now.

Although he was not good at business, he knew that once the commercial sector was fully opened up, Konoha's financial system would quickly destroy the fragile ecological balance of Sunagakure. Even from a realistic point of view, if Konoha's commercial sector expanded like Sunagakure's, it could bring a large number of jobs and resources to Sunagakure.

However, from the perspective of the ninja village structure, it is tantamount to transferring a portion of Sunagakure's lifeline to Konoha.

If one day, the people of Sunagakure use products from Konoha and their wages are paid through trade with Konoha, and people throughout the Land of Wind work for Konoha's companies, then over time, not only Sunagakure, but the Land of Wind itself will probably become Konoha's backyard!

Looking at the current state of the Land of Fire, who doesn't understand Konoha's ambitions?

He's clearly taking a different approach, holding up money in one hand and democracy and peace in the other, wanting to break free from the limitations of the ninja village and establish a nation!

Upon returning, it is likely that Kumogakure and Iwagakure will also take similar actions, not to be outdone. On the one hand, they dare not start a war with Konoha casually because of the appearance of Akatsuki, but on the other hand, Konoha's current prosperity and strength are enough to make people wary and think deeply.

If one is slow, one will fall behind. While Kumogakure and Iwagakure are catching up, Sunagakure will only gradually become a puppet of Konoha. The gap will only widen. Will Sunagakure have any chance to turn things around in the future?

Rasa's mind raced with conflicting thoughts. The only way to break this deadlock was to wage a fierce battle against Konoha. Only by winning could Sunagakure's predicament be resolved. But reality was...

Damn it, we've already lost!

Rasa's anger and despair made him feel like he was going to vomit blood, but looking at Hyuga Yuzuru who was smiling at the moment, he could only force a smile: "Could you let me think about it some more and discuss it with the elders of Sunagakure? Such an important matter cannot be decided by me alone, even as the Kazekage."

Hyuga Yuzuru nodded, not urging him. Once the meat was in his bowl, he couldn't just run away; otherwise, all his efforts would have been in vain.

Turning her head to look at Mei Terumi, she looked rather haggard, her usually charming face now with lighter makeup. She simply sighed and said, "Personally, I think Konoha's conditions are all reasonable and we are willing to cooperate. However, we also need to confirm the contents of the peace treaty with the elders of Kirigakure before we can give you a reply."

Hyuga Yuzuru nodded slightly, and then said frankly, "This matter has not only damaged my friendship with you all, but also deeply hurt the feelings between the ninjas and villagers of Konoha and the ninja villages of all of you."

If I cannot provide a satisfactory explanation, as the acting Hokage, I will find it difficult to convince the public. I urge you both to think carefully and make a proper decision.

I am by no means a hypocrite. The conditions we have agreed to today, though said to be for Konoha, are also genuinely beneficial to Sunagakure and Kirigakure, bringing welfare to the people of both sides.

As Kage and one of the leaders of Kirigakure, I hope that you two can think not only from your own perspective, the perspective of those in power, but also from the perspective of the vast majority of people in the ninja world.

War must be eliminated. By whatever means necessary, I hope that in my lifetime, the ninja world can truly usher in a century of peace and prosperity.

The five great hidden villages share the same lineage and are all ninjas. Neither the Land of Wind, the Land of Fire, nor the Land of Water should be an obstacle to our communication or a reason for us to fight each other.

Your villages may have been established differently from Konoha's at the beginning, but I know that the ninjas of Konoha know that the purpose of Konoha's existence from the very beginning was to protect those children who were displaced by war, and those ninjas who would never be able to escape the endless chaos and slaughter.

I hope that both of your ninja villages, like Konoha, yearn for true peace and find the true meaning of being a ninja village.

Yuzuru Hyuga's words caused Rasa's lips to twitch slightly, but she felt no emotion whatsoever. Mei Terumi, however, remained silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. She nodded, saying with a mixture of longing and melancholy, "If one day Kirigakure could become like Konoha, that would be my heart's desire..."

'Traitor.' Rasa glanced at Mei Terumi without leaving a trace, his heart filled with disdain. He had originally thought that the people of Kirigakure, the village of the blood mist, should understand what was most important in this ninja world.

But now it seems she was just a woman after all.

Too weak.

Konoha's peace is only built upon its strength.

No matter how powerful an existence is, even figures like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha will eventually return to the Pure Land.

The First Hokage was full of vigor back then, even splitting the Tailed Beasts at will. But now, wasn't he rescued by Hyuga Yuzuru from the Edo Tensei? Konoha is still in a precarious state, and it wasn't until Hyuga Yuzuru appeared that there was a sense of revival, and it broke free from its downward spiral.

It is conceivable that there is no such thing as peace in this world.

Never.

Whether people live or not depends on war. As long as Sunagakure lives in the desert, the people of Sunagakure will never live as happy as those in Konoha.

The Hidden Mist Village, living on an isolated island, should be the same.

Rasa was somewhat disappointed in Mei Terumi, believing that this woman would likely become Konoha's trusted 'number one lackey' in the future. He had his own plans, but he felt increasingly lost and desperate, feeling like he was the only one who was sober while everyone else was drunk. For a moment, he even had the thought of giving up and becoming disheartened.

He has no chance on his own.

The incredible fighting power that Hyuga Yuzuru displayed this time, even though it was only a temporary glimpse, was enough to shock him. The power of Pain's Rinnegan from the Akatsuki organization was even more beyond his imagination.

That's simply not the kind of power a ninja should have.

Without the combined efforts of multiple Kage-level fighters, Hyuga Yuzuru would be no match for him.

However, Konoha today is full of talented people. There are three people with the terrifying Sharingan alone, not to mention that the famous Sannin have returned to Konoha and have shown amazing Kage-level combat power.

Is this a village?

Konohagakure?

Let's just change it to Shadow Village!

It's all Naruto.

What's even more outrageous is that, in the middle of a fight, they can call for reinforcements, and these are their own ancestors. Going back to the Hokage, there's still the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who's still alive, and the Fourth Hokage was never reanimated.

The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki has not yet fully matured, but the young Konoha ninjas of his age who participated in the Chunin Exams all showed remarkable potential.

In terms of immediate combat strength, future war potential, economic power, resources, and prestige, Konoha surpasses Sunagakure in every aspect. Even its leader, Hyuga Yuzuru, seems to be an ambitious individual. Sunagakure...

I tried my best.

Rasa stood up listlessly and said, "I will give the Fifth Hokage an answer as soon as possible. If there is nothing else, I will go back to rest... Gaara, you can stay with you for now."

After returning from the battlefield, Konoha detained Gaara, the Jinchūriki, and placed him in a specially made 'sick room' to recuperate. Even though he appeared to be very emotionally unstable, he was not a complete madman. After realizing his current situation, he simply became indifferent and isolated himself, allowing Konoha to imprison him.

Nobody knows what Gaara is thinking.

Luo Sha didn't care.

No matter how he thought about it, he felt he probably couldn't save the Jinchūriki. The fact that Konoha was showing leniency by signing a long-term commercial contract was already quite generous. If he were the Hokage, he would have at least...

Well, there's really nothing in Sunagakure worth coveting.

However, the preferential treatment received by Kirigakure made Rasa slightly envious. Although everyone had signed the same trade treaty that could lead to endless troubles, Sunagakure had also handed over an extra Jinchuriki.

Luo Sha left dejectedly, while Terumi Mei remained in the meeting room. At the moment, she didn't have much to worry about. She was powerless to intervene in the village's affairs, and there was no point in overthinking. She could only be held hostage here.

After realizing that she was powerless to resist, she felt relieved and regained her composure. Suddenly, a thought struck her. She looked at Hyuga Yuzuru, hesitated for a moment, and asked a question that had been lingering in her mind for a long time.

"Lord Godaime."

Hinata Yuzuru picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and looked up at her with a beaming smile—when people are happy, they are in high spirits, and he felt that he had won this time, so naturally he would not give a sour face to the losers who were willing to cooperate.

Anyway, I win both ways, so I should be more magnanimous.

Are you...married?

puff!

Hinata Yuzuru nearly spat out his tea, staring at her in astonishment, while Terumi Mei waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "No, it's not what you think. What I mean is... if these trade agreements and peace treaties can be signed, can people from both sides move freely between us?"

What I mean is... in Konoha, what is the typical marriageable age for women?

She remained expressionless, seemingly just speaking casually: "A very significant problem in Kirigakure today is that, due to the Mizukage being controlled by someone else, Kirigakure has continued the Blood Mist policy for many years, resulting in most men dying before they can start a family, leading to a significant imbalance in the male-to-female ratio."

Nowadays, many older women in Kirigakure are single and have no suitable marriage partners... I was thinking that if Konoha could maintain friendly relations with Kirigakure, it might be able to help solve some of Kirigakure's livelihood problems.

Despite the fact that the Mizukage made an unforgivable mistake, becoming a tool of the enemy and damaging our friendship.

But please believe me, I and the vast majority of Kirigakure ninjas truly have no ill intentions towards Konoha.

So... I'll just ask on behalf of my older female ninja companions in the village.

In Konoha Village, what age of woman are the girls, or rather the men, generally willing to accept and marry?

Hyuga Yuzuru's expression was strange as he looked at Terumi Mei and fell silent.

The companion you mentioned... is it really... yourself?

Chapter 132 Re-entering Hell

PS: Chapter 120 requires 90000 experience points for Eye Level 9 instead of 100000, but the chapter cannot be modified, so please refer to this chapter.

...

"So the men of Konoha don't care about these things after all..." Mei Terumi smiled slightly after hearing Yuzuru Hyuga's direct answer, nodded in relief, and then looked up to see Kaoru Hyuga standing behind Yuzuru.

The other person was looking at him with a polite smile, but no matter how he looked at it, there was no hint of a smile in their eyes.

Mei Terumi curled the corners of her lips, stood up nonchalantly, and then said respectfully, "Thank you for your explanation, Fifth Hokage. I hope that in the future, Kirigakure and Konoha can turn hostility into friendship and have a true friendship."

Hinata Yuzuru exchanged a few polite words with her and saw her out of the office.

Both were the defeated side, but Mei Terumi clearly seemed much more convinced than Rasa, or rather, Mei Terumi's understanding was clearer.

Without Jinchūriki, Kirigakure is suffering from a decline in talent. In terms of both finances and combat strength, it is impossible for it to compete with Konoha in the short term, at least for the next one or two decades.

If resistance is impossible, then cooperation is the way to go. Even sugar-coated bullets have a sugar coating, and for the Hidden Mist now, doing everything possible to secure a period of peace is of paramount importance.

What's wrong with having a good relationship with Konoha?

After Mei Terumi left, Yuzuru Hyuga went straight back to his office. Kaoru Hyuga's expression was normal, but he said casually, "I heard that this Miss Mei Terumi is almost thirty years old this year."

"Really? I can't tell at all." Hinata Yuzuru said with a smile, sitting down at his desk and looking at her with a teasing look in his eyes. Hinata Kaoru looked up when she heard this and saw his eyes. She pouted, but then suddenly said, "Yuzuru-sama, you are already eighteen years old."

Hyuga Yuzuru paused for a moment, then suddenly sighed with a hint of emotion, "Is that so?"

"This." Hinata Kaoru took out the birthday gift she had been trying to give him for several days, a gift she hadn't been able to find the opportunity to give him.