Chapter 311: The New Era Begins (Part 2)
Konohagakure.
An incredibly important negotiation was underway.
It could be said that this negotiation would determine the direction of the ninja world for the next decade.
On the Cloud side, a dozen professional scribes and aides had been transported from the base, but the person in charge was naturally Yotsuki Dana.
On the Konoha side, representatives from all the major ninja clans were present. theoretically, the person in charge should have been the Fourth Hokage, Sakumo Hatake, but considering he had just been chased for a day and a night, his momentum at the negotiation table was inevitably weakened...
Hashirama Senju said, "Then, let me, the First Hokage..."
Tobirama Senju grabbed his brother's arm. "Let me do it."
Hashirama, who usually listened to his brother's advice, silently pushed Tobirama's hand away. Then, he sat squarely in the main seat opposite Dana.
And fell into silence.
Dana's eyebrow twitched. This guy probably never thought about how to negotiate.
Dana decided to speak first.
"First, Konoha retains its organizational structure, but from now on, it will no longer be loyal to the Fire Daimyo's court. Instead, it will serve as a subordinate force of Kumogakure. This is the grand premise of the negotiation. Please be aware of this; otherwise, there is no need to continue."
Hashirama looked blankly at his brother. Tobirama coughed and stepped forward. "What about the Fire Daimyo's court then?"
Dana leaned back. "That has nothing to do with your village's negotiation."
Tobirama had heard from the Nara Clan Head about how the Cloud handled the Land of Lightning. It wasn't hard to guess that the Cloud wouldn't let the Land of Fire off easily. However, as a ninja, his identity lay with the village, not the nation, so he had no intention of changing anything. He nodded.
Dana continued, "Second, Konoha will no longer have the right to initiate war. All collective military actions must be authorized by Kumogakure, and in wartime, you must obey Kumogakure's command. A Cloud Office will be established in Konoha, and we will station personnel to assist in your village's daily management. Of course, the Cloud will also have garrisons in other parts of the Land of Fire."
This was another heavy blow. If agreed to, Konoha would lose its autonomy in the future.
"Financially, Kumogakure will replace the Fire Daimyo's court in providing partial funding support. However, your village's financial usage and planning must involve Cloud personnel. All departments, including the Anbu, must cooperate unconditionally with Cloud personnel when needed."
The Konoha representatives could no longer sit still. They thought the negotiation would be like previous wars, focusing on ninjutsu, secret techniques, reparations, or mission volume. They didn't expect the Cloud not to mention a single ryo of reparations but instead aim directly at Konoha's foundation.
In fact, Dana didn't care about war reparations. What era was this? The Cloud would naturally reclaim its lost benefits. Monetary compensation was worthless compared to the future plan.
Dana raised a hand to silence them. "I haven't finished. The current Konoha high command will be completely dissolved, and they cannot hold key positions in the new administration. The candidates for the new high command must be approved by the Cloud. You can discuss internally and select a Hokage and two elders, then submit the list."
Koharu Utatane couldn't help but shout, "How can Konoha accept such conditions?! What difference is there between this and destroying Konoha completely?!"
Dana smiled. "I'll tell you the difference. The difference is that thousands fewer Konoha ninja will die, tens of thousands fewer Konoha civilians will die. Countless Genin won't become cannon fodder but can grow up smoothly. Countless children won't lose their parents but can have families. Ninja clans can continue their bloodlines, and civilians can live and work in peace. That is the difference. But for you... I guess the reason you can't accept it isn't that Konoha is destroyed, but that you are unwilling to be destroyed. After all, you won't be the one going to the battlefield."
"Koharu Utatane, give up your fantasies. If you want to drag tens of thousands of people to be buried with you, that's fine too. I can leave right now. Shall we set a time? War starts in five minutes?"
Koharu stumbled back two steps, almost falling, muttering, "No... I didn't mean that..."
Dana said, "Not a single word I just said will change..."
The Konoha ninja qualified to enter the negotiation room broke into unrest. The Nara Clan Head bit his nails. He had to think not only about Konoha's problems but also about how the Nara Clan should choose.
The commotion grew louder, turning from discussion into argument. The room became chaotic.
Just as it was getting noisy and Dana wanted to intervene, Hashirama, who had been sitting silently in the main seat, suddenly slammed both hands on the table.
CRACK!
The giant negotiation table, specially prepared for this, shattered instantly. The massive sound echoed in the room. No one dared to speak. The negotiation room fell completely silent.
Hashirama stood up, his face dark. "Yotsuki-dono! The ninja world! What does the Cloud think, or rather, what do you think?!"
This move startled Dana for a moment. Then, like Hashirama, he stood up.
"Not bad. As expected of the hero who pioneered the ninja village era! When everyone else only cares about their own interests, only you still care about what happens to the ninja world! Then... let me tell you!"
Dana looked at the Konoha leaders before him and spoke loudly:
"Kumogakure has controlled the Land of Lightning for only half an year. But in this half year, the Cloud has built over 2,000 kilometers of roads connecting major cities, constructed 8 Ninja Academies and 12 orphanages, and reduced social crime and evil forces by 90%."
The Konoha ninja gasped.
Only now did they realize they weren't facing a village, but a nation.
"After today, the civilians of Konoha will be safe, able to return to normal life, and live even better. After today, the young people of Konoha can grow up smoothly, and maybe some will join the Cloud in the future. After today, the ninja clans of Konoha can continue their bloodlines. After adapting to the new rules, they might even become more prosperous."
"Hashirama Senju, the establishment of the ninja village system wasn't worthless, but times have changed. How you broke the rules of the old world back then is exactly what the Cloud is doing today. Back then, ninja clans fought endlessly, just like ninja villages today; only the scale is larger. I won't mention your stupid move of giving away Tailed Beasts, but the ninja village system has existed for 45 years, and there have been three Great Ninja Wars. Do you still think you are right?"
Looking at the despondent crowd, Dana added:
"The future of ninja... is far more than just executing missions for commission."
Hashirama bit his lip so hard that if he weren't an Edo Tensei body, he would have bled.
Tobirama mocked, "And how do you know you are right?"
"The most common excuse of conservatives and stubborn fools. I don't even deign to answer that question!"
Homura Mitokado said, "These conditions are unacceptable! This is a desecration of the Will of Fire!"
Dana sneered. "What Will of Fire? Just a few lines of chicken soup for the soul used as a political guideline. I can make up a few more touching ones for you right now. Want to hear them?"
Hashirama raised his hand, stopping Koharu from speaking further.
"Enough... everyone..."
The man called the God of Shinobi looked up at Yotsuki Dana. "You are right about one thing. What the Cloud is doing now is just like what Madara and I did back then... You are trying to change the ninja world."
After a long while, seeming to make a decision, Hashirama ignored his brother's shock and turned to the representatives of the ninja clans behind him.
"Everyone. 45 years ago, your ancestors came here and formed Konohagakure because they trusted me, Hashirama Senju. But with three Great Ninja Wars in 45 years, the ninja village system Madara and I established to end war... was probably indeed a bit naive. Regardless of today's outcome, I, the First Hokage, bear undeniable responsibility."
The God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, faced the Konoha ninja and performed a dogeza (prostration), bowing his head to the ground. "I have failed your trust for many years. I, Hashirama Senju, apologize to you all."
Dana was also moved. To be willing to admit his life's greatest dream and achievement was wrong... was this what they called magnanimity?
Many elders had tears in their eyes. Even though each clan had its own interests, there were decades of emotion involved.
"First Hokage-sama! No need for this! It is our incompetence...!"
"First Hokage-sama! We can still fight!"
Sakumo Hatake gripped his short sword tightly.
Orochimaru stood in the corner, watching coldly.
Hashirama stood up again. "Everyone, the meaning of Konoha's existence is for peace in the ninja world, so children can grow up safely. If Konoha deviates from this original intention, then Konoha has taken the wrong path. I cannot allow the name 'Konoha' to drag so many young people to meaningless deaths. That is... the true Will of Konoha."
In his youth, witnessing his brothers die miserably and fail to grow up gave the wooden boy the idea to change the ninja world and end the ceaseless wars between clans.
"If it were fighting for peace in the ninja world, I, Hashirama Senju, would die without hesitation. But today is different."
Hashirama turned to Dana. "Yotsuki Dana-dono. If it is truly as you say—that Konoha's civilians can live in peace, young people can grow up smoothly, and ninja clans can continue—then I, Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage of Konoha, can accept those conditions."
Dana smiled.
Idealists can be heroes too.
With the First Hokage's nod, the significance of this negotiation would be extraordinary.
The resistance to the Cloud taking over Konoha completely would be much smaller.
So Dana took out a thick stack of documents and placed them in front of Hashirama.
"Very good. Since we have reached a consensus, we can move to the next step. That was just the outline. Now let's discuss the details. There are 14 major items and 139 minor items in total."
End of Ninja World Year 45.
The short but intense Three-and-a-Half-Day War brought profound impacts to the ninja world.
Konoha, besieged, was utterly defeated. Its remaining forces were almost completely absorbed by the Cloud. After the successful negotiation, part of the forces besieging Konoha could return to support the Western Front in the Land of Hot Water. The troops led by Yotsuki Arashi not only stood their ground but also pushed the Iwa forces back into the Land of Rice Fields.
The Third Raikage also found the rampaging Eight-Tails deep in the desert. After a fierce battle, he finally subdued it. Blue Bee was heavily injured and poisoned with an unknown toxin, so the Third Raikage took him back to the village for treatment first.
While the Konoha negotiations were underway, the Earth Daimyo was found dead in a Cloud prison. The autopsy revealed the cause of death was a special poison buried in his organs long ago. As time passed, the casing dissolved, releasing the poison.
Almost simultaneously, the Earth Daimyo's Court announced to the outside world that their Daimyo had been brutally murdered by the evil Cloud Village. They informed the entire ninja world and called on all nations to resist the tyrannical Kumogakure.
That same day, the youngest son of the former Daimyo ascended to the throne, swearing to avenge his father.
Whether it was collusion or the Daimyo's death truly touched a nerve, the news spread extremely fast, and the nations reacted with incredible speed.
In just two days, ten nations—Earth, Wind, Bird, River, Rainbow, Ghost, Bear, Waterfall, Iron, and Grass—collectively issued anti-Cloud statements, forming the Ten-Nation Alliance.
Two major ninja villages, plus ninja affiliated with various countries, and a large number of temporarily hired mercenaries... although the quality varied, they had the numbers. The theoretical troop strength reached over 40,000.
Many small nations didn't have many troops but actively denounced and supported the cause, creating quite a bit of chaos.
Many countries began expelling merchants from the Land of Lightning and the Cloud Village, confiscating their property. There were even numerous violent conflicts targeting citizens of the Land of Lightning. Civilians, kept in the dark, were deceived by their own Daimyo Courts into viewing the Cloud and the Land of Lightning as wolves and tigers.
The Third Kazekage, who had been in a poison-induced coma, miraculously woke up on the day the Ten-Nation Alliance was established. He immediately declared the Eight-Tails rampage in Sunagakure a Cloud conspiracy and that Suna must take revenge. The village high command responded enthusiastically; Elder Chiyo's advice was useless. The Wind Daimyo's Court also uncharacteristically provided massive support.
Within the Ten-Nation Alliance, Suna deployed 10,000 troops, and Iwa deployed 15,000, supported by thousands of samurai and mercenaries. attacking from two directions. However, even though the Cloud was focused on digesting the gains from Konoha and the Land of Fire, they still held absolute superiority in combat power.
Iwa forces were pushed back to the Land of Iron. As one of the Alliance members, the Land of Iron deployed nearly all its thousands of samurai to help Iwa stabilize their footing. The Wind forces were defeated by the "Cloud-Rain Coalition," which even included Konoha ninja in its ranks.
Realizing that group combat was unwinnable, the Ten-Nation Alliance changed tactics. Forces everywhere switched to scattered harassment, using squads to roam, infiltrate, and sabotage along the long borders.
To avoid repeating the mistakes of the Land of Fire and Konoha, they executed the strategy of "Daimyo hides within the country, Ninja Village keeps no heavy troops," scattering all their forces. For a time, the effect was significant, and the Cloud was exhausted dealing with it.
The Cloud subsequently shrank its defensive lines, prioritizing the digestion of existing gains.
Several days later, a new Fire Daimyo ascended—a distant branch member three generations removed from the original Daimyo.
A week later, the "Cloud-Thunder Federation," composed of the Land of Lightning, Land of Hot Water, Land of Rice Fields, and Land of Fire, was formally established.
Thus, the ninja world entered a decade-long pattern of "East-West Confrontation."
While the ninja world was turned upside down, a small group of people was excluded due to various circumstances.
They had fought hard in the Joint Chunin Exams, and one even fell into a coma from poisoning. Just after waking up, they learned war had broken out and left Sunagakure in confusion.
Led by their team leader, they started their return journey. To avoid the battlefield, they detoured by sea, taking half a month to finally return to Konoha.
Obito gaped.
"Kakashi... am I dreaming? Or am I still delirious from seasickness? Why are Cloud ninja helping us rebuild the village?"
Kakashi was equally shocked. What the hell happened?!
My village was so big... I just went for an exam, and it changed when I came back?
Just then, a long-haired man in ancient armor, carrying a log, saw them and smiled. "You must be young ones from Konoha. The main gate is still under reconstruction; just go on in!"
Obito pointed at the man in terror. "Un-Un-Uncle! Your face is cracking! Go to the hospital quickly!"