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Inside the conference room.
Facing the forceful Land of Fire daimyo, and the three countries' daimyo who helped and supported him, the isolated Land of Lightning daimyo felt a chill run down his spine.
Four countries' oversight.
The former princess of the Land of Fire.
And that bastard child...
The Land of Lightning daimyo felt endless despair and fear just thinking about the future situation of the Land of Lightning.
His body trembled violently for a moment, and he could no longer support himself, slumping back into his seat behind the low table.
He was completely limp, as if his bones had been removed, and he collapsed there.
Every word of those conditions still echoed in his mind.
That wasn't a treaty.
That was eating away the flesh and blood of the Land of Lightning.
He had no other choice.
But as the ruler of a country, he had to squeeze out his last bit of value.
"Alright... I'll sign!" The Land of Lightning daimyo gritted his teeth, his voice sounding as if it was squeezed from his throat. "But I have one condition!"
"You must release the three thousand Kumogakure shinobi prisoners! And the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee!"
"They are the foundation of the Land of Lightning! If you agree, I'll sign immediately!"
He stared hard at Shin, like a drowning man holding onto his only hope.
The Land of Earth, Wind, and Water daimyo frowned upon hearing this.
Three thousand prisoners didn't matter.
But if the Raikage and the Eight-Tails jinchuriki were also released, then the resistance to their plan to station troops in Kumogakure would be much greater.
"You can," Shin replied quickly.
A burst of joy instantly erupted in the eyes of the Land of Lightning daimyo!
Just as he thought things had taken a turn for the better, Shin slowly added. "Three thousand Kumogakure shinobi can be ransomed."
"The price?" the Land of Lightning daimyo immediately asked. As long as the people could return, there was hope of recovering what was lost.
"Not much," Shin said. "Three million ryo per person."
"Three thousand people, nine billion ryo."
"What?!"
The Land of Lightning daimyo was instantly struck by lightning.
Nine billion!
This was the same as completely emptying the Land of Lightning's financial income for the next five years!
"You... you're robbing us!" he shrieked.
"That's right," Shin admitted frankly. "I am robbing you."
"You can choose not to pay."
"Then those three thousand people, I will make them dig in the mines of the Land of Fire for the rest of their lives, until they rot to death there."
The Land of Lightning daimyo's face completely lost all color, and he just wanted to bite and tear this hateful person to death.
"Alright, I... I'll pay!"
"Then... what about the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails jinchuriki?"
"Them?" Shin's eyes instantly turned cold. "The chief criminals are unforgivable!"
"They will be held as prime war criminals by our four countries' oversight group in Kumogakure."
"When the Land of Lightning elects a new Raikage who understands how to maintain peace, we will then consider whether to release them."
This condition directly sentenced the Fourth Raikage's political life to death.
It also placed a blade at the throat of the entire Kumogakure.
The Land of Lightning daimyo was completely desperate.
He turned to look around.
The Land of Earth daimyo was resting with his eyes closed.
The Land of Wind daimyo was calmly fanning himself, enjoying the scenery outside the window.
The Land of Water daimyo, holding a teacup, gave him a cold smile.
The Land of Lightning daimyo gave a bitter smile, worse than crying.
Just then, Shin suddenly sighed, a hint of 'unbearable' appearing on his face, and his tone softened.
"Your Excellency, Land of Lightning daimyo, in fact, you don't have to be so desperate."
"Our four countries' oversight is only over Kumogakure, not the entire Land of Lightning."
"The money and supplies we collect are only the necessary expenses for stationing troops and guarding Kumogakure."
His voice was full of honesty. "Once we are sure that Kumogakure will no longer produce ambitious individuals like the Fourth Raikage who disrupt peace, we will immediately withdraw our troops."
"By then, your Land of Lightning will still be whole." Shin pointed to the scroll. "Don't believe it? It's clearly written in the treaty that we will never interfere in the internal affairs of the Land of Lightning."
This sounded like it was giving the Land of Lightning a way out.
However, the Land of Earth, Wind, and Water daimyo sneered inwardly.
Whether there would be people like the Fourth Raikage was up to them, wasn't it?
The most urgent thing now was to get this old man to sign quickly.
So, the three of them also began to convince him.
The Land of Wind daimyo said earnestly. "Land of Lightning daimyo, Lord Shin has shown the greatest honesty and respect. Do not hesitate any longer."
The Land of Water daimyo also echoed. "Sign it. This is good for everyone and for the future stability of the Land of Lightning."
How could the Land of Lightning daimyo not know that this was merely temporary comfort? But now, as the lamb to the slaughter, what could he do?
His trembling hand picked up the pen, and at the end of the scroll, he signed his name.
When the last stroke fell, the Land of Lightning daimyo felt as if his spirit had been drained, and he completely collapsed into his seat.
Meanwhile, the Land of Earth, Wind, and Water daimyo all smiled at the same time.
A feast to carve up the Land of Lightning had finally come to an end.
Shin picked up the treaty, looked at it, and nodded with satisfaction.
Then he looked at the other three daimyo, a warm smile returning to his face.
"Three daimyos,"
"To celebrate the coming of a new peace to the shinobi world."
"Tonight, let's drink until we drop, how about it?"
"Hahahahaha, good! I was just thinking the same thing!"
"It should be so!"
"Let's go, let's go!"
The meeting room instantly returned to its false harmony and friendliness.
As if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.
Only the Land of Lightning daimyo, slumped in his chair, and the still-wet treaty, proved that the Land of Lightning would from now on be at the mercy of others.
Just as the four countries, excluding the Land of Lightning, were celebrating, thump, thump, thump!
A knock on the door broke the cheerful atmosphere in the conference room.
Everyone was stunned.
Hadn't they said no one was allowed to disturb them?
Shin frowned slightly, a flicker of displeasure crossing his face. "Come in!"
The door was pushed open, and a shinobi wearing a Konoha Anbu uniform knelt on one knee. "My lord!"
"What is it?" Shin asked, already guessing, but pretending to be annoyed at having his enjoyment interrupted. "Didn't you see we were discussing important matters?"
The Konoha Anbu seemed to hesitate upon hearing this.
Shin pretended to be angry. "Stop being so unsure! Just say what it is!"
"Reporting, my lord!" The Anbu dared not hesitate. "The three thousand Kumogakure shinobi prisoners have collectively rioted!"
"What?!"
At these words, everyone was shocked!
The Land of Lightning daimyo, who had just been slumped on the ground, suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with horror and disbelief.
The smiles on the faces of the other three daimyo also instantly froze.
Riot?
At this critical moment?
Shin's eyes immediately widened in anger, and he shot a glance filled with killing intent at the Land of Lightning daimyo, making him break out in a cold sweat.
Shin gritted his teeth and said. "What exactly happened?"
The Anbu continued. "The prisoners attempted to break through the camp and organize a counterattack. To stabilize the situation and avoid greater casualties..."
"The Third Hokage was forced to issue... a kill-on-sight order!"
"Currently, all three thousand rebellious Kumogakure shinobi prisoners have been executed on the spot!"
This news exploded like thunder from the nine heavens!
All... all executed on the spot?
Three thousand Kumogakure shinobi, just like that, gone?
Inside the conference room, the silence was so deep that a pin dropping could be heard.