...
Konoha moved quickly after their victory, expanding their control over most of the Land of Grass in short order. Ōnoki hadn't expected the Iwagakure forces led by Kitsuchi to collapse so easily.
...
Iwagakure
Ōnoki stared furiously at the report laid out before him, a detailed account of the disastrous battle on the front lines. Iwagakure had suffered a crushing defeat, and Kitsuchi was not only seriously wounded, but captured.
And it wasn't just Konoha behind all this. Otogakure had joined the fray too.
"Chiba Mokushū… Just who the hell is this guy?" Ōnoki muttered to himself. "Bone and Wood Release, both bloodlines—on one person? That shouldn't even be possible."
Weren't the Kaguya and Senju clans both extinct? So how did this guy suddenly pop up out of nowhere?
He picked up the treaty proposal Konoha had sent—still unopened until now. For the first time, Ōnoki was seriously considering peace talks.
"Damn it… First Kimura Takuya from Amegakure, now Chiba Mokushū from Otogakure. Why are all these small village prodigies gunning straight for me?!"
Ōnoki shouted furiously and ripped the report to shreds, as if that would somehow kill Chiba Mokushū from thousands of miles away.
Just then, the doors to the Tsuchikage's office burst open. Kurotsuchi stormed in.
"Gramps! You have to save my dad!" she cried, grabbing Ōnoki and shaking him hard.
"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Ōnoki snapped, waving her off. "Don't you see I'm trying to figure out a way to get him back?!"
This wasn't even supposed to be a real war. He'd only intended to pressure Konoha into handing over Roshi and maybe loot the Land of Grass a little on the side. He never expected it to escalate like this. If continuing the fight meant sacrificing Kitsuchi, then it clearly wasn't worth it.
There was only one option left—negotiate a peace treaty and pay the ransom.
"Konoha... and Otogakure... Why the hell are those two suddenly working together? Weren't they just fighting to the death not too long ago?"
Ōnoki still didn't have the full picture, only fragments of intelligence. He had no real understanding of the relationship between the two villages.
"Sigh..." Ōnoki let out a long breath and ordered preparations for the peace talks to begin.
This time, he'd probably have to cough up everything Iwagakure had looted from the Land of Grass. All their efforts would amount to nothing.
...
Meanwhile, Hyuga Gakuya was enjoying some much-needed peace and quiet. Konoha had just paid him the final installment of their fee. Now, all that was left was to await the upcoming negotiations with Iwagakure.
Around that time, Konoha reached out to Gakuya, asking how he'd acquired the Wood Release. They offered a staggering one billion ryo for the secret. Gakuya simply replied that while he'd love to make that kind of money, the method only worked for him and was useless to other shinobi.
Given that Otogakure hadn't produced a single other Wood Release user, Konoha believed him.
Gakuya then made a move of his own. He located the daimyo of the Land of Grass—the one the Land of Fire intended to back—and used his Mangekyō Sharingan to rewrite the man's mind, filling it with hatred toward the great nations.
This would serve his upcoming plans well.
Not long after, Gakuya received a message from Konoha. The three nations would meet in the war zone for peace talks.
The official reason for both Konoha and Iwagakure to be in Kusagakure was "to assist in purging foreign invaders."
The three parties: Konoha of the Land of Fire, Iwagakure of the Land of Earth, and Otogakure of the Land of Fields, led by none other than Hyuga Gakuya.
Gakuya promptly ordered Mogi Shinobu to take the Otogakure forces—and the cash—back to their village. He also contacted Yakushi Kabuto, instructing him to stir unrest in the surrounding small countries and fan the flames of anti-great-nation sentiment. It would build the perfect atmosphere for Gakuya's next move.
Only Kimimaro and Jūgo remained behind as his bodyguards. Not that Gakuya needed protection, but as the leader of a shinobi village, appearances mattered.
For the record, Kimimaro's illness had finally been cured. At full strength, he now operated at near-Kage level—a worthy escort for any leader.
...
The next afternoon, Gakuya arrived at the designated meeting site right on schedule, flanked by his two guards. A simple conference room had been set up on neutral ground.
He was the first to arrive. Scanning the area, he didn't sense any signs of trouble or ambush. No hidden enemies trying to sabotage the talks.
He found his seat—one placed on equal footing with the other two nations. That was mildly disappointing. He'd been hoping for a chance to stir the pot.
Soon after, Tsunade arrived with her entourage—Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi as her escorts.
Gakuya greeted her with a pleasant smile. "Lady Hokage. Long time no see."
Tsunade didn't even pretend to be cordial.
"Wish I could say the same. Every time I see your face, I'm reminded of how much money you just swindled out of me."
That face of Chiba Mokushū's brought nothing but pain. The massive payout Konoha had just handed over made even a gambler like her feel the sting.
But Gakuya wasn't offended. "Didn't it work out, though? Not only did Konoha win the war, but you also bagged a pretty big fish."
Tsunade's mood improved slightly at that. With the upper hand in the talks, she could extort Iwagakure right back.
Still, she knew brute force wouldn't be enough. The real goal was to turn the Land of Grass into a puppet state aligned with Konoha. That would give them a forward base to strike at Iwagakure anytime.
And Gakuya? He knew that too. Which is exactly why he had quietly taken control of the daimyo Konoha had planned to support.
Finally, Ōnoki arrived—fashionably late. His escorts were his two protégés: Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi, the future pillars of Iwagakure.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Ōnoki said flatly, offering a half-hearted apology before sitting down.
"You know, old folks with bad knees should probably retire instead of dragging the entire shinobi world into war," Tsunade snarked without missing a beat.
Ōnoki sneered. "As if Konoha didn't make the first move. Don't think I've forgotten how you tried to kill our Jinchūriki and meddle in our affairs."
"Alright, enough," Gakuya said, cutting in before things escalated again. "We're here today to discuss a path toward peaceful coexistence. The past is the past. Let's focus on the future."
Tsunade and Ōnoki exchanged tense glances, each seeing the bitterness in the other's eyes. But they also understood—continued fighting wouldn't yield greater rewards.
Beside Ōnoki, Kurotsuchi glared daggers at Gakuya. She hadn't forgotten that this man had shattered her father's arm.
"Well then," Gakuya said with a serene smile. "Shall we begin?" There was a flicker of smug satisfaction in his eyes.
Iwagakure had looted the Land of Grass... only to end up paying reparations to Konoha.
Konoha, in turn, had to hire Otogakure and fork over a fortune.
And in the end? Only Gakuya profited. Both nations had worked themselves into exhaustion, and even the daimyo Konoha had planned to use had fallen under his control.
I win twice. You two? You both owe me.
"I never even saw your Jinchūriki," Tsunade said confidently. "All our top fighters were stationed in Konoha. Your claim that we attacked him is baseless."
"Then let me ask—why did Iwagakure invade the Land of Grass and plunder its treasury? That's the real act of aggression here. That's what's disrupting the balance of the shinobi world."
Ōnoki came prepared, pulling out a sealed scroll.
"This is a personal letter from the previous daimyo of the Land of Grass, requesting our help in eliminating traitorous officials. If I failed, it was only because I wasn't strong enough."
He even managed to squeeze out a few crocodile tears for good measure.
Gakuya rolled his eyes. It was the perfect excuse—no witnesses, so he could make up whatever he wanted. He was this close to using Edo Tensei just to summon the dead daimyo for a live rebuttal.
"Oh please," Tsunade snapped. "More like your real goal was looting their wealth. Don't pretend it was some noble cause."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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