At the same time, the negotiations between the Bahuth Empire and the Hidden Rain Village were approaching their conclusion.
At a temporary meeting site established after months of tug-of-war battles, the Blood Emperor Jircniv met the Walking Poison Tide, Hanzo of the Salamander, for the second time.
Their first meeting had been deliberately orchestrated by Jircniv.
He had sacrificed one of his own royal guards—someone who knew his personal intelligence—by arranging for the man to be "accidentally" captured by Hidden Rain ninja.
From there, a carefully prepared trap had been set.
Hanzo and his advisers had not been without suspicion.
But the captured guard's memories contained well-organized information, and the details withstood repeated probing.
In the end, the Hidden Rain Village took the bait and arrived with an elite force.
Thus, amid glaciers and infernos, flashing blades and spears, and the howls of the undead, Jircniv—using himself as the centerpiece of the trap—finally encountered the legendary Rain Shadow Hanzo.
The foul poisonous mist was blocked by magical barriers.
Jircniv's once magnificent attire was now torn, his body stained with blood, and his pale face showed signs of exhaustion.
After resisting the first wave of attacks with various magical items and completing his role as bait, he withdrew to the second line.
On the front line, the great magician Fluder activated numerous traps that had been meticulously prepared.
Together with the Morning Star–level warrior "Demon Spear" Lenas, and the Imperial Knights who fought with desperate courage, they forced Hanzo into a furious battle.
The city walls collapsed during the clash.
Standing atop the ruins, Jircniv watched as Hanzo retreated.
He wanted to pursue.
But the Empire had suffered heavy losses and no longer possessed the strength to continue the fight.
That battle also marked the turning point in the Hidden Rain Village's strategy.
From then on, Hanzo of the Salamander began treating Jircniv as a true opponent rather than a foolish native ruler who could be crushed at will.
"Commander Baru, please have a seat."
Hanzo personally invited Uchiha Baru, commander of the Southeastern Ninja Army, to sit down.
Baru's presence represented Konoha's authority and supervision over the negotiations.
After inviting him to the seat of honor, Hanzo cast a deep glance toward the Blood Emperor before calmly taking his own seat.
The long wooden table divided the two factions.
On the Konoha side sat Uchiha Baru, Hanzo of the Salamander, and several key Hidden Rain commanders.
Across from them were Jircniv, Fluder, Lenas, and several senior imperial officials.
"So… this is the true power behind the Hidden Rain Village…"
The Empire's representatives silently reached the same conclusion as they looked toward Uchiha Baru.
Sitting in the main position, wearing the uniform of the ninja battle army, his posture upright and imposing, Baru radiated an aura of quiet authority.
If the Hidden Rain Village had stood alone, the Empire would never have considered negotiations.
Their forces numbered only a few thousand.
Even if each ninja possessed remarkable strength, they were still mortal flesh.
Even Hanzo himself had been wounded by Fluder.
The Empire had Morning Star–level warriors like Lenas capable of matching enemy elites.
And the enormous Imperial Knight Legions could eventually overwhelm them through sheer numbers.
If the Empire were facing only the Hidden Rain Village…
Victory would ultimately belong to the vast and resource-rich Empire.
Unfortunately, reality was cruel.
Behind the Hidden Rain Village stood the entire Ninja World.
Jircniv suppressed his wandering thoughts and focused fully on the negotiations.
Even though the Empire was currently at a disadvantage, the imperial officials were extremely eloquent.
Within moments, their arguments left the Hidden Rain battle ninjas—who were far more skilled in combat than debate—momentarily speechless.
We should have brought those civilian negotiation specialists, Hanzo thought silently.
However, he showed no trace of anxiety.
After all—
Truth always lies within the range of artillery.
The Hidden Rain ninjas might not match the Empire in verbal sparring.
But they simply refused to compromise on their demands.
"The Bahuth Empire must surrender unconditionally to the Ninja World."
"From the emperor downward, all administrative appointments, military forces, political authority, economic systems, and territorial governance will be placed under unified control of the Ninja World."
Faced with such uncompromising demands—and the implicit threat of military invasion if they refused—the imperial officials began sweating heavily.
The tension in the room rose sharply.
At that moment, Jircniv finally spoke.
"The Hidden Rain Village is not the victorious nation in this war."
"Therefore, attempting to annex the entire Empire in one move is impossible."
The imperial officials immediately relaxed.
The crushing pressure that had weighed upon them suddenly lifted.
Some of them nearly collapsed in their chairs from the emotional whiplash.
No one paid attention to their awkward state.
Hanzo had no interest in lengthy arguments.
He simply replied bluntly.
"Indeed."
"The Hidden Rain Village alone cannot annex the entire Empire."
"But you should also understand something."
"The Hidden Rain Village is merely a newly risen force within the Ninja World."
After two months of warfare, Jircniv had already gathered significant intelligence about the structure of the Ninja World.
He understood Hanzo's words perfectly.
The true tiger sat quietly behind the battlefield.
Just like the way Jircniv once manipulated noble conflicts within the Empire—
Watching from above with amusement.
And when he grew bored…
He would crush everything with a single strike.
Hanzo watched the silent emperor and felt a surge of satisfaction.
Once upon a time, the Hidden Rain Village had been the oppressed party.
They had endured the pressure of the Great Ninja Villages, unable to voice their true thoughts.
Now, with Konoha backing them, Hanzo's confidence soared.
His tone carried unmistakable authority.
"You should understand that these negotiations exist only to give you dignity."
"If Commander Baru's ninja army joins the battlefield…"
"…you will not even have that dignity."
Jircniv turned his gaze toward Uchiha Baru, who had remained silent the entire time.
The Radiant Moon insignia on Baru's shoulder and his indifferent attitude made the emperor pay close attention.
"Don't drag me into your conversation."
Baru spoke lazily.
"I only care about the final result."
His deputy Senju Momoka had been requisitioned by the Royal Court Ninja Army, leaving him stuck attending this meaningless negotiation meeting.
In truth, Baru longed to earn battlefield merit.
He wanted to exchange it for the Flame Release Bloodline Seed and become a recognized powerhouse within the Uchiha clan.
Negotiations, however, produced no merit at all.
So… he doesn't actually care about the Empire.
Noticing this from Baru's attitude, Jircniv turned his gaze back toward Hanzo.
"Lord Rain Shadow."
"The Empire is willing to acknowledge the Ninja World as its suzerain state."
"But stripping the Empire of all administrative authority and military power…"
"Is that not treating the Empire with too little respect?"
"In addition to the Empire, the Ninja World is preparing to attack the Council State, the Theocracy, and even the newly emerged Great Tomb."
Baru frowned slightly at these words.
Jircniv paused before continuing in a steady voice.
"Fighting wars on multiple fronts will inevitably consume enormous resources."
"If the Empire retains its autonomy…"
"The Bahuth Empire is willing to become a vassal state of the Ninja World."
"Manpower, resources, and wealth will all be available for the Ninja World's use."
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