The sudden retreat of Cee and Darui, carrying the Fourth Raikage away, was something Senju Haruto had not expected.
"Yugito…"
Still, the outcome worked entirely in his favor.
To buy her comrades a chance to escape, Yugito immediately entered full Tailed Beast Mode to face him head-on.
But against Haruto's Wood Golem Technique, which possessed sealing capabilities, even the manifested Two-Tails was no match for him.
By a twist of fate, Haruto had directly captured a Two-Tails Jinchūriki.
"Hiruzen…"
Mifune took in the scene before him, his feelings a tangled mess.
He had supported this peace conference in hopes of rebuilding a bridge of trust between Kumogakure and Konohagakure, to have them sign a new alliance treaty.
Never had he imagined that, in the course of the talks, Haruto would nearly kill the Fourth Raikage.
Given the Land of Lightning's military strength, this incident would almost certainly rekindle the flames of war across the entire ninja world.
"There's nothing more to be said."
Hiruzen Sarutobi cast Mifune a brief glance, then shook his head. "I'll take Haruto back to the Leaf. Whatever decision the Land of Lightning makes after this, I give you my word…"
"The Land of Iron will remain a neutral nation," Hiruzen said gravely. If he'd had any doubts before, they were now gone.
Senju Haruto's strength had far surpassed his expectations.
With Uchiha Itachi at their side, even if they went to war with the Hidden Cloud, the Leaf would not be at a disadvantage.
Most importantly…
Kumogakure's perfect Jinchūriki was now firmly in Haruto's grasp via the Wood Golem Technique.
Even if Yugito herself would never truly fight for Konoha, removing her from Kumogakure's ranks weakened them—and weakening an enemy meant strengthening yourself.
Meanwhile, Yamanaka Kaze sat amidst the ruins, his mind completely blank.
When he had accepted Lord Danzō's classified mission, he had known it was likely a death sentence.
And yet here he was, alive and well… while the Fourth Raikage had nearly fallen here.
And the one who had brought the Raikage to such a state was not the Third Hokage, but the rising newcomer—Senju Haruto.
That lightning-speed body. That colossal Wood Golem.
Either ability alone would easily rank above S-class ninjutsu.
"Haruto…"
Kaze's face showed nothing but astonishment. When he thought about the enmity between Lord Danzō and Haruto, his emotions grew even more complicated.
Most of all, there was Haruto's way of carrying himself.
Whether before Danzō, the Third Hokage, or the Fourth Raikage, he had never shown a shred of fear.
Perhaps…
This boy might truly surpass all the Hokage before him.
Thud.
As Yamanaka Kaze's mind wandered, Haruto leapt down from the massive Wood Golem, landing firmly on the ground before dissolving the technique.
Rumble!
The enormous figure instantly crumbled into rubble.
The Two-Tails Jinchūriki lay unconscious.
"It's time we returned to the village," Haruto said, barely glancing at Yugito before stepping toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Whether or not she was truly unconscious, she would not escape his grasp.
"When A wakes, he will mobilize the Cloud against us," Haruto continued evenly. "We should begin preparing our next move."
Hiruzen frowned slightly, recalling the plan Haruto had proposed earlier.
Going to war with Kumogakure was not merely about dealing them a blow.
Haruto intended to use this opportunity to resolve the problem of the Uchiha clan as well.
"Wait…"
Mifune's hand instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword as he strode forward, placing himself between Haruto and Hiruzen.
"Don't tell me… you planned to start a war from the very beginning?"
He had always believed the Hokage and Raikage had come to this meeting seeking peace, and he himself had worked hard toward that goal.
"If handing over Hiashi would solve this, is it truly necessary to reignite the flames of war?"
"Konoha and the Cloud have been in conflict for so long. You of all people should know the cost, Hiruzen. Are you really willing to throw away such a hard-won opportunity for the sake of one man?"
Mifune's voice rose with emotion.
Though the Land of Iron was neutral, its location between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning meant that if war broke out, their already-poor lands could well become a battlefield.
And if Konoha and Kumogakure went to war, the other hidden villages would hardly sit idly by.
If this was mishandled, it could escalate into the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Today's dual Kage meeting might become the spark that set it all off.
This was not an outcome Mifune wanted.
"Hmph."
Haruto's only answer was a cold snort.
"To you, Hiashi might be just a name. But to the Leaf, he is a life."
"He is the head of the Hyūga clan, father to Hinata and Hanabi, elder brother to Hizashi, and uncle to Neji."
"He is a Leaf shinobi."
"And even so, you think we should sacrifice him?"
"You won't condemn the Cloud for causing this situation. You won't blame the Land of Lightning for treating our alliance treaty like a child's toy.
"Instead, you expect the Leaf to be the one to sacrifice, to compromise, to give ground.
"And then you comfort yourself by saying it's all for the good of the village, for peace."
Haruto stepped forward, locking eyes with Mifune, his presence pressing down like a physical weight.
He might not fully grasp the political rules of the ninja world, but he understood one thing well:
Endless concessions only embolden the other side.
Before he crossed into this world, his own homeland's century of humiliation had been built exactly this way—piece by piece.
If the gap between Konoha and the Cloud were truly insurmountable, that would be one thing.
But the truth was plain:
Right now, the Leaf was stronger in every way.
If you seek peace through strength, you will have peace.
If you seek peace through compromise, you will perish.
"If the Cloud wants to sit down and seriously discuss an alliance, showing the sincerity it demands, the gates of the Leaf will always be open.
"But if they keep their haughty attitude, trying to take spoils from us, or if they want to provoke war—then we'll see it through to the very end!"
"Lord Mifune, I ask that you deliver these words to the Fourth Raikage."
Haruto's voice was low but firm, his gaze unwavering.
Mifune swallowed hard, unable to tear his eyes away from the boy before him.
By his features, Haruto was no more than twelve or thirteen. Yet his spirit was that of a Hokage standing tall before him.
If they wished to talk, the doors were open.
If they wished to fight, the Leaf would fight to the bitter end.
That such a figure had emerged from a Konoha in decline…
There was no doubt that the history of the ninja world would remember his name!
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