Danzo's negotiations were not going well.
As a result, he also faced pressure from his old friend Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Especially when the ninja under the Northern Ninja Force kept demanding withdrawal, Danzo's confidence was gradually fading.
Although he managed to delay things slightly by secretly sending people to attack the Fire Daimyo's envoy convoy and inciting the ninja force to conduct raids as a small demonstration of Danzo's factional strength, the final effect fell far short of expectations.
Even Hyuga Soushu, upon learning that some of his subordinates had been attacked and injured, remained completely silent—aside from routinely dispatching a detachment for clearance operations, he continued pouring efforts into development in the occupied territories, enriching himself in silence while expanding operations discreetly.
The Lightning Daimyo, though the Hokage had extorted him into paying up to two billion ryo under the pretext of Kumo bandits disrupting peace talks, still refused to make major concessions. The compensation amount was nowhere near the initial eighty billion ryo demanded by Sakumo Hatake, leaving Danzo and the Hokage faction's reputation unrepaired. As for mission shares, the Raikage firmly insisted on the prerequisite being that Hyuga Soushu stop illegal plundering in the occupied areas and return all territories—something Danzo could not possibly fulfill.
On the seventh day of the stalled negotiations, Koryo Jonin—the temporary commander of the ninja force—ignored Danzo's obstruction and directly sent a formal request back to Konoha, asking headquarters to either withdraw or reassign them to their original units.
As expected, Koryo's request was rejected by the Hokage Tower, which ordered him strictly to ensure no one left the unit before negotiations concluded, threatening anyone who did so with designation as a rogue ninja.
While this move stirred discontent among the ninja, overall, under the Hokage's long-standing authoritarian rule and with no real backing from others, the Northern Ninja Force still barely maintained organizational stability, continuing its duties managing the Lightning Country's capital region and offering military backing to Danzo during his difficult negotiations.
But no matter how hard Danzo tried pushing or negotiating, neither the Lightning Daimyo nor the Third Raikage gave even an inch. Meanwhile, the Noble Envoy from the Land of Fire, who had been attacked earlier, had grown sluggish and withdrawn, clearly unwilling to break ties with the Lightning Country—after all, while Daimyo nobles publicly used ninja for warfare, they were actually bound together through long-standing political alliances via marriage ties—far deeper than any ninja could ever imagine.
Moreover, the Fire Daimyo already harbored deep resentment toward the Leaf clans' bullying behavior during their visits seeking military budgets, and now was unwilling to see the Hokage faction weakened. Combined with Hyuga Soushu and Sakumo Hatake's actions infringing on the fundamental interests of the noble class, the Fire envoy further urged Danzo to make concessions early, using the excuse of restoring peace between the nations as soon as possible.
Yet Danzo found these terms unacceptable.
After all, with those eighty billion ryo at stake, if the terms he obtained through military victory and the Hokage's authority turned out worse than what Sakumo achieved alone entering enemy territory, then it would be better to die outright.
Therefore, with no choice left, Danzo had no option but to reluctantly send subordinates carrying a personal letter to Hyuga Soushu's command post, hoping he would join the negotiations.
"What an unexpected guest!"
Hyuga Soushu received a ninja from the Root Division at the command post, and this messenger's arrival altered his perception of Danzo.
Danzo, who harbored deep resentment against him, actually sent someone in such a humble manner to issue an invitation—something he had never expected.
"Lord Danzo acknowledges that Honorable Hyuga Soushu played a pivotal role in the campaign against Kumo and deserves recognition as the chief contributor. Therefore, your presence is absolutely essential during the upcoming crucial negotiations. Hence, I have been specially dispatched to invite you, Honorable Hyuga Soushu, to assist us. We sincerely hope you can spare some precious time amidst your busy schedule to participate in this matter."
The Root Division ninja delivering the letter appeared to be a high-ranking officer. Although visibly nervous and somewhat uneasy, he still maintained a respectful demeanor. His words were well-crafted and surprisingly soft in tone.
"What is your name?"
Setting aside the overly complimentary letter, Hyuga Soushu curiously examined the kneeling ninja before him: "I do not like people concealing their faces. Would you mind removing your mask?"
"My name is Tatsuma Aburame."
The ninja immediately removed his mask, revealing a pale and rather ordinary face. He respectfully bowed as he spoke: "Wearing a mask is merely a habit. I mean no offense whatsoever. Please forgive me, Honorable Hyuga Soushu."
"Few members of the Aburame clan are as articulate as you. Danzo must've truly found a gem."
Remaining expressionless, Hyuga Soushu briefly studied Tatsuma Aburame, who kept a modest posture, then picked up the letter again for another read-through.
The excessive flattery in the letter was hardly worth noting, but Danzo clearly understood the value of offering tangible incentives. Thus, in the letter he also mentioned one key issue—the sovereignty over fifteen districts.
Danzo emphasized that the Land of Lightning strongly demanded the recovery of its fifteen southern districts, only agreeing to allocate mission rights within this territorial range, and firmly resisting any war compensation beyond conventional standards. He claimed this stance was an open insult to all who had fought valiantly—especially the Konoha shinobi under Hyuga Soushu's command!
From Soushu's perspective, this kind of rhetoric was essentially a sign of desperation seeking any possible remedy.
He originally had no intention of offering assistance, but Danzo additionally mentioned something else in the letter—that he would support any territorial claims Soushu might make regarding the Land of Lightning.
This struck a chord with Hyuga Soushu.
His investments in those fifteen southern districts of the Land of Lightning were significant.
Although ninjas, technically classified as military personnel, couldn't legally establish direct civilian governance, there were always ways to find suitable justifications.
Soushu had already made plans—even if the Land of Lightning requested territorial restitution, and even if both Konoha and the Land of Fire were willing to relinquish occupation rights, he intended to remain entrenched in these de facto occupied areas under the guise of agricultural development units.
Even facing pressure from the village and two great nations, Soushu preferred to use the ten central districts as bait to lure Konoha's ninja clans rather than back down.
But now, Danzo's humble plea gave him a much better and more legitimate opportunity.
"Lord Danzo, your kindness is noted."
Hyuga Soushu finally spoke after a long silence, his tone carefully controlled and calm. "However, the content of your letter raises serious doubts."
Soushu lifted the letter slightly in his hand, his expression perfectly masking a hint of disdain. "Other than endless empty promises, I don't see even the smallest sign of real commitment!"
With that, he gave a sharp shake of his wrist, instantly reducing the letter in his palm to dust with the Gentle Fist technique.
"Lord Soushu, please forgive me—I personally have no knowledge of what Lord Danzo detailed in his letter," Tatsuma Aburame said quickly, standing upright and giving a deep bow with humility. "But if you have any opinions, please share them. I will deliver every word back to Lord Danzo without omission."
"Hmph!"
Hyuga Soushu let out a cold snort but remained silent, continuing to scrutinize Tatsuma Aburame, who now wore an expression of anxious deference.
Judging by attitude alone, Soushu could find no fault in him.
Besides, the terms Danzo offered weren't bad—Soushu simply didn't want to seem too eager, lest he walk into a hidden trap.
Moreover, Hatake Sakumo was about to convene the Jonin Unit meeting soon. There was no rush for Soushu to commit to securing his position through negotiations in the Land of Lightning's occupied territories.
"As the old saying goes, 'A cause must have just grounds to proceed.' Officially speaking, as Commander of the Border Forces appointed by the Hokage, I shouldn't involve myself in such matters," Soushu continued calmly. "Still, since Lord Danzo made the first approach, it would be impolite to refuse outright."
"But—"
As Tatsuma's face began to show signs of hope, Soushu swiftly changed direction. "If negotiation participation becomes necessary, we should formally request the Hokage issue an official document appointing me as the Ninja Force's Special Envoy with full authority. That way, everything can proceed under proper authority."
"This..."
Tatsuma hesitated visibly.
This was not a demand that needed to be taken back for consultation.
Danzo had already been appointed as Hidden Leaf's Chief Negotiator. If another envoy with equal authority were created, wouldn't they effectively stand on the same official rank?
How then would Danzo manage to set traps for Soushu?
"Don't bother yourself with making decisions—just deliver this message back for me."
Soushu gave him a single glance before waving dismissively.
The command center doors opened at once, and Tatsuma bowed deeply before retreating.
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