Onoki, the Tsuchikage, finally couldn't hold back anymore after learning that Konoha's Namikaze Minato had destroyed the supply routes at Kannabi Bridge, reducing their provisions to ashes with explosive tags. He extended an offer for peace talks with Konoha.
At this stage of the war, the losses Iwagakure had suffered were already considered a devastating defeat in Onoki's eyes.
If they persisted, Iwagakure could still grit their teeth and scrape together another batch of supplies. However, after the latest battle against Orochimaru, Onoki had abandoned that thought.
Although Konoha's forces were nearly depleted, Iwagakure was also under immense pressure.
The war had dragged on for more than two years, and despite the Land of Earth investing a massive amount of money and resources, they still hadn't been able to take Konoha.
This had left the Land of Earth's Daimyō displeased.
If Onoki insisted on continuing the war, the Daimyō might still be willing to provide supplies, but the conditions would undoubtedly be harsh—such as conquering Konoha or securing victory against the Land of Fire.
But now, with Iwagakure's elite jōnin and top fighters suffering heavy losses, and with two enemy shinobi emerging who could rival Jinchūriki, the balance of power had shifted.
Onoki no longer had the confidence to break through Orochimaru's defenses and push the battlefront to Konoha's doorstep.
Since ultimate victory was out of reach, Onoki saw no reason to continue throwing resources into a losing battle. It would be better to retreat and recover.
Of course, everything depended on whether Konoha was willing to accept his terms for peace talks!
After arranging accommodations for the peace delegation sent by Onoki, Sarutobi Hiruzen found himself deep in thought as he reviewed the conditions they had proposed.
"This is outrageous!"
Koharu Utatane frowned as she looked at the terms presented by the Land of Earth.
"We cannot agree to these conditions, Hiruzen!"
After being sidelined for a while, only to be brought back during wartime to manage Root, Shimura Danzo tapped his cane on the floor, his voice firm and grim.
"But if we refuse, the war with Iwagakure will continue! Konoha needs to end this war as soon as possible and focus on recovery!"
Mitokado Homura, another advisor, disagreed. The village's situation was dire—both Chunin and Genin shinobi had dwindled to dangerously low numbers.
"Doesn't Iwagakure need to recover as well?" Danzo scoffed. "Negotiations and ending the war are fine, but for Onoki to demand war reparations from Konoha, along with the full return of both their Jinchuriki—how dare he make such demands!"
"Are we rejecting them outright?" Homura sighed in frustration. "No matter what, they will never give up the Tailed Beasts. Those are top-tier military assets, crucial for war.
Konoha already has the Nine-Tails. If we keep both the Four-Tails and the Five-Tails, won't we become the target of every village?"
"We can return the Tailed Beasts, but only through ransom! And as the losing side, Iwagakure should compensate Konoha for the war!"
Danzo's gaze shifted toward the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who sat at the table, silently smoking his pipe as he listened to their argument.
"Has something happened?"
Koharu Utatane, the only woman among their old group of friends, noticed Hiruzen's silence. Sensing something was wrong, she took the initiative to ask.
"Jiraiya has sent intelligence from Amegakure." Under their watchful gazes, Hiruzen spoke slowly, his face dark. "It seems that Kumogakure, the Hidden Cloud Village of the Land of Lightning, is considering rejoining the war."
Danzo and the others were momentarily stunned before their expressions darkened.
Despite being the initial trigger of the Third Shinobi World War alongside Sunagakure, Kumogakure had barely made its presence felt over the past two years—overshadowed even by some of the smaller nations.
They were not only the first to be eliminated in the war but also completely disappeared, with even their Kage missing or dead.
At least Sunagakure still had Pakura, the Scorch Release user, actively operating outside. But Kumogakure seemed to have vanished entirely during the war.
"Then, can we ally with Kumogakure to fight against Iwagakure?"
Mitokado Homura suggested.
The Third Raikage had died under Iwagakure's siege, and the brute force of Iwagakure must have left Kumogakure full of resentment.
Under these circumstances, if they could bring Kumogakure in to fight against Iwagakure, wouldn't that mean Konoha would gain an extra reinforcement?
"Who will take the lead? After taking down Iwagakure, who will gain the most benefits? Besides, while Iwagakure's situation is bad, it's not as bad as Konoha's. What if those brutes from Kumogakure decide to side with Iwagakure instead and attack Konoha?"
Koharu Utatane voiced her objections to Homura's proposal.
"According to intelligence from the Land of Rain, the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth have been making deals."
Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his forehead, feeling exhausted.
"The Land of Lightning has managed to replicate the Healing Tags and has been selling them to Iwagakure. Although their supply is lower than what the Land of Rain provides, their effectiveness in healing injuries is even better—almost on par with the ones developed by our own Technology Development Department." Get full chapters from novel★fire.net
"If you had let me oversee the Technology Development Department and allowed Root to handle its security, how could those Kumogakure shinobi have stolen our technology so easily?"
Shimura Danzo spoke with dissatisfaction. He had always been bitter about not being able to bring the department under Root's control.
"This is not the time to discuss this! Is there any further communication between Iwagakure and Kumogakure? This is bad news for us! Does the Land of Rain have any more intelligence?"
Homura glanced at Danzo. Over the years, the Technology Development Department had secured its position in the village, much like the Medical Department, becoming an indispensable part of Konoha.
Although he and Koharu often supported Danzo and spoke on his behalf, that didn't mean they wanted to see his power expand any further.
Root was already uncontrollable!
When they took over Root's management in Danzo's place, they found that they couldn't even mobilize its shinobi—despite having an official decree from the Hokage!
In the end, it was only after Danzo personally gave the order that they were able to assume partial command over Root's forces and issue them tasks.
"This is the intelligence that Konan and the others gathered while investigating the Healing Tags. Kumogakure could join the war at any moment, and we have no way of determining their allegiance. But regardless, I have decided to negotiate with Iwagakure first!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at his three old comrades and said in a deep voice, "Homura, you will represent Konoha in the negotiations with the Iwagakure envoy. If necessary, you may meet with Ōnoki in person."
"What are the conditions?" Mitokado Homura was slightly startled. He glanced at Koharu Utatane and Danzō before asking.
He understood that Hiruzen had chosen him over Danzō and Koharu, which clearly meant he favored his approach—offering some concessions to Iwagakure.
He needed to confirm Hiruzen's bottom line for those concessions.
"We can return the two captured Jinchūriki to Iwagakure, but only if they pay a ransom—or rather, compensation. The amount is negotiable." Hiruzen pondered for a moment before stating his conditions.
Mitokado Homura nodded in understanding. Since the amount was left open-ended, it was up to him to decide.
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