AN: Hi guys, please check an important note at the end!
Out of the three delegations and missions squads sent out to each nation, the Kirigakure squad finished the quickest by far. They returned in mere days, abusing Katsuro's Flying Raijin who was more than eager to waste his chakra just to return to his wife and clan a bit sooner so he could finally slack off.
Considering that same Flying Raijin, Minato's group may have been expected next. But not only was Kumo much further away than Suna, Minato was using the Flying Raijin much more conservatively as Kumo was the most likely to create problems.
Instead, the Sand squad of the Hokage, Orochimaru and Sakumo were back sooner after a couple weeks. Compared to the other strategies with Kiri and Iwa that largely focussed around taking their missions and taking free movement for long term reliance on Konoha, it was much less effective for the Sand. Like their name, Suna was in an inhabitable desert, and because of this they got fewer missions anyway. Furthermore, taking any more after securing them from Iwa and Kiri would be far too much even for Konoha. They too had lost many, and their workload had almost doubled. Of course it was a good thing and would lead to prosperity with so much work available but too much would leave missions unfulfilled for too long which would negatively impact Konoha's image of reliability.
As a compromise, to make sure Suna somehow would repay Konoha in some way, the Sand village entered an alliance with the Leaf. This sort of alliance took the Sand by surprise, considering their long-standing rivalry with the Leaf village. Furthermore, this alliance would include several terms which Konoha had negotiated with other villages, such as the freedom of movement for Leaf shinobi across the Sand borders, as well as the Sand having a direct but exclusive trade relationship with the Konoha, of the Leaf's food, seals, soldier pills and other desirable products and things that could help them to rebuild and grow. Although the Sand would be obligated to only purchase these from the Leaf, and the Leaf alone, meaning just as with the Mist, Konoha would soon become a pivotal point for Suna's economy, making sure the alliance was respected and they wouldn't turn on the Leaf. While it was similar to Kiri's terms, Sunagakure faced even harsher prices and conditions, as punishment for attacking the Leaf twice, and the second time had broken terms set from the previous war. As well as harsher prices, the new Kazekage, Rasa, would have to deliver a formal apology and acceptance of this new alliance in person, and while this wasn't an official term, it was more like a silent obligation, that the Leaf slyly proposed as a gesture of goodwill, which would be presented to the next Hokage, who was most likely Minato. Even if Rasa didn't want to, it would only make it easier to rebuild the Sand village and eventually regain the former power it once held before its defeat.
However, this was not the end of it. One of the more important conditions was an agreed 16% of Suna's revenue to be paid to the Leaf for the next 20 years. It was an agreed compromise they had worked on while accounting for Suna's poverty and since their own Daimyo seemed to be abandoning them. It helped that unlike the other villages, the Leaf did not have hostages for Suna this time, but it still wasn't enough. Therefore another important condition was that the Leaf had to be given several Wind style Jutsu to deepen their repertoire as well as either Puppetry or Magnet Style. Upon hearing this, Rasa and the Suna group gritted their teeths. Wind style within the Sand village was very developed and utilised for a number of reasons, and particularly in battle, where it proved to out-class the Wind Style jutsu used by the other villages, excluding its use of shinobi like Katsuro, who was in a league of his own. However, Suna's particular Wind Style advancements would greatly benefit the Leaf village and its shinobi and people, in combat and practical uses such as the giant fans the Sand used in battle and to clear large areas of land and gather timber. It was a unique perspective from a village that specialised in it and would most certainly be helpful, even if the Jutsu were lacking the associated war fans and secrets would more than suffice. With no other choice other than to accept, the Sand reluctantly handed over several Wind secrets and scrolls, and seemed to be gutting themselves of their unique powers in the process. But there was the important choice of whether to hand over Puppetry or Magnet style was still undecided. Both were treasured secrets and developments within Sunagakure, and held a certain resemblance of the village that no other could take from them. Now, they were essentially being forced to hand over one of them to the Leaf.
Eventually, Suna decided to give up the Magnet Style secrets, which they had originally obtained from observing the One Tails. The Magnet Style would provide many benefits, possibly more than Puppetry would for the Hidden Leaf. Puppetry would require extensive retraining and development before it could possibly be rolled out and in use. Not to mention making and getting accustomed to the actual puppet which would require restructuring. The Magnet style offered a much lower investment for much higher potential outcomes. With possibilities such as giving ideas and a basis for new Jutsu developments, giving easier ways to identify other methods to deal with enemies using Magnet Style as well as the chance for the rise of a possible Magnet Style user within Konoha, the Leaf gladly accepted.
But realistically, there was only the illusion of choice. Puppetry was arguable the most powerful technology and technique in Sunagakure. It enabled their low numbers to compete directly with powerful villages in a way that was completely original. Handing over their only advantage was the stupidest thing they could do. Therefore, they were forced to rid themselves of their most powerful and only Kekkei Genkai.
Even if a number of them despised it, with Granny Chiyo seeming to lose her edge after Ebizo's life-threatening condition, Rasa assuming greater leadership within the village, and the majority of their main forces cut down, the alliance would be their best option for Suna, and they would be able to somewhat continue life as it hard before the war, until it became self-sufficient which would take a considerable amount of time, not to mention how long it would take to regain its military strength. Without the Leaf helping them, life would become much more difficult, especially with the reparations they still had to pay off from the last war that the Leaf made sure to validate, and that was on top of the percentage given.
With the other negotiations proving to be fruitful, the Leaf extended its influence and raised the other villages' dependency to it. With all four of the other Great Villages paying Konoha and offering some form of services and trade to it, only prosperity and development of the Leaf would come out of it.
If the war didn't show it, the agreements did, and Konoha was quickly re-establishing its dominance throughout the shinobi world, and the other villages could feel it. They were completely unrivalled in force, and with the established agreements, that would soon spread to their economy as well. The new era of 1 greater village and 4 lesser ones was already here.
AN: Sorry guys, things have been really hectic. Hopefully they calm down, but the public chapters will be put on a short hiatus for a couple of days to allow me to catch up with everything. Normal upload schedules should return by the next couple of days. Thanks for your patience!
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