Konoha.
The skies were clear, the breeze gentle.
Half a month had passed since Uchiha Akihito's triumphant return. At long last, Kumogakure dispatched a diplomatic delegation to Konoha.
The moment they arrived, they went straight to the Hokage Building to meet the Third Hokage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi received them with exceptional warmth, treating the Kumogakure envoys as honored guests.
When it came to diplomacy, the Third Hokage was an utter disaster.
Konoha had won many wars in the past—yet he had never once demanded reparations from a defeated nation.
Put nicely, that was benevolence. Put bluntly, it was sheer weakness.
Victory bought with blood and tears—only to be exchanged for a flimsy peace treaty.
What meaning, then, did the sacrifices on the battlefield hold?
If one could wage war against Konoha and suffer no reparations even in defeat, then once national strength recovered, wouldn't they simply return?
If one sought lasting stability, the opponent had to feel pain.
Excessive tolerance only bred audacity.
Inside a two-story detached house.
Uchiha Akihito was enjoying an afternoon nap.
Since the Third Hokage hadn't summoned him, he couldn't be bothered with the Kumogakure delegation.
After all, Killer B was still detained under the Police Force's custody. If Kumogakure wanted the Eight-Tails back, sooner or later they would have to pass through Akihito.
Just past noon, Hyuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke were once again delivered to his doorstep.
Neither had yet reached the age to enroll in the Ninja Academy, so Akihito had no choice but to serve as a part-time babysitter.
Hinata was easy enough—obedient from a young age.
Sasuke, on the other hand, was troublesome. Much like Naruto, he had a mischievous streak.
Don't assume Sasuke had always been cold and aloof. Before his family tragedy, he had been lively and spirited.
As usual, Akihito headed out to train in the wilderness in the afternoon.
Since he bore the responsibility of teaching, he brought the two children along.
On the way to the training grounds, he noticed that both Hinata and Sasuke were curious about the lonely little Naruto.
Softening, Akihito pulled Uzumaki Naruto into the group as well.
Naruto, as the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, was shunned by ordinary villagers and even shinobi alike, who feared being tainted by association.
But Akihito had no such concerns.
His relationship with Konoha's higher-ups was already irreparably strained. Whether he approached Naruto or not, suspicion would remain.
Minato and Kushina had hoped the villagers would treat Naruto as a hero.
Instead, under the Third Hokage's secrecy policy, Naruto had become a pariah.
Objectively speaking, Hiruzen had been deeply unfair to the orphaned son of Konoha's hero.
Minato was gone. Jiraiya rarely returned.
The only one left in the village close to Minato and Kushina was Hatake Kakashi.
But Kakashi had been drowning in grief over Obito and Rin for years. Besides, he belonged to the Hokage's faction and naturally trusted Hiruzen's judgment.
Thus Naruto truly became an orphan no one cared about, surviving on expired rations provided by the Third Hokage.
Why did Naruto love ramen so much?
Because a bowl of ramen had once been his childhood dream.
It might be cheap—but for an orphan, even that wasn't easy to come by.
At the training grounds, Akihito tailored different exercises to each child.
Sasuke trained his spiritual power.
Hinata practiced taijutsu.
Naruto worked on chakra control.
At four years old, they were still very young—so he focused on fundamentals.
Once the three gradually settled into their routines, Akihito began his own training.
After the war with Kumogakure, his strength had improved once again.
Closing his eyes, he entered his consciousness space. New data surfaced.
Fire Release Chakra Mode (Proficiency 64.8%)
Mangekyo Sharingan (Proficiency 36.5%)
Konoha-Style Taijutsu (Proficiency 98.7%)
Swordsman-Level Kenjutsu (Proficiency 18.6%)
The war had significantly increased his mastery of Fire Release Chakra Mode and the Mangekyo Sharingan. His swordsmanship had also progressed.
Only one regret remained—Konoha-Style Taijutsu still hadn't broken past the 100% threshold.
Akihito was eager to see what surprises its advancement would bring.
Time flew.
By sunset, he concluded his training.
Turning around, he found the three children had abandoned practice and were playing hide-and-seek.
Seeing the scene, Akihito couldn't help but smile.
In the original timeline, none of their childhoods had been happy. At least now, he could give them something better.
When they noticed him watching, all three faces immediately fell.
"Uh-oh… Sensei's looking!"
Instead of scolding them, Akihito smiled.
"Had enough fun?"
"It's dinner time. What do you three want?"
"Teacher's treating tonight."
Sasuke pondered seriously. Hinata blushed shyly.
Naruto, however, leapt up without hesitation.
"Really?!"
"I want Ichiraku Ramen!"
Sasuke snorted.
"Idiot. What's so good about ramen? I want bonito rice balls."
Hinata fidgeted with her fingers, cheeks pink.
"I… I want ramen too…"
Naruto burst into laughter, pointing at Sasuke.
"See? I told you ramen's the best!"
Akihito was momentarily speechless.
The fated rivalry had already begun?
Outvoted two to one, Sasuke grudgingly followed them to Ichiraku.
"Four bowls of ramen," Akihito ordered.
Naruto slapped the table excitedly.
"Ramen! Ramen! Ichiraku's the best in Konoha!"
Akihito chuckled.
"Eat as much as you want. Tonight's on me."
An hour later—
Sasuke, sulking, ate three bowls.
Naruto devoured six like a starving wolf.
Hinata quietly finished ten—and still looked like she could go for more.
Staring at his empty wallet, Akihito felt speechless.
The Police Force salary really wasn't built for this…
Perhaps it was time to collect meal fees from their parents.
Just after he sent the children home, an Anbu from the Hokage's direct unit appeared.
"Lord Akihito, the Hokage requests your presence tomorrow for the peace negotiations with Kumogakure."
Akihito's eyes flickered.
So it begins.
Hokage Building. Conference Room.
Early morning, the room was filled with key figures.
The Konoha F4. Uchiha Akihito. Hyuga Hiashi. Nara Shikaku. Yamanaka Inoichi. Akimichi Choza.
Kumogakure's delegation was led personally by Dodai, a senior retainer under two generations of Raikage. Darui, Samui, and Mabui accompanied him.
Their lineup demonstrated just how much Kumogakure valued Killer B.
As the Eight-Tails' jinchuriki—and the Fourth Raikage A's sworn brother—his importance was beyond measure.
Once everyone was seated, Hiruzen greeted them politely.
Dodai quickly steered the conversation toward Kumogakure's wartime losses, lamenting shattered families and heavy casualties.
Hiruzen sympathized, speaking of Konoha's own sacrifices.
War wounded both sides.
After much back-and-forth, they agreed on one thing: neither side wished to continue fighting.
Dodai then proposed—
Konoha should release the Eight-Tails as a gesture of goodwill.
In exchange, Kumogakure would sign a thirty-year non-aggression pact.
In short—
They wanted Killer B back for free.
They didn't even mention reparations.
To Akihito's astonishment, Hiruzen was prepared to agree.
The aging Hokage cared only for peace and reputation.
As long as those remained intact, granting Kumogakure a favor meant little.
The two advisors naturally supported him.
Danzo, stripped of office, chose silence. He wanted compensation—but he refused to credit Akihito.
If reparations were secured, the glory would belong to Akihito as commander.
Better to watch from the sidelines.
As Hiruzen and Dodai wrapped up their exchange, Dodai stood and bowed.
"Thank you, Lord Third Hokage, for your generosity."
Hiruzen returned the bow.
"Safeguarding peace is our duty."
Dodai nodded outwardly—while inwardly scoffing.
Expecting the ambitious Fourth Raikage to uphold pacifism?
Laughable.
Once Killer B was recovered, treaties could be broken at will.
Seeing no objections from Konoha's side, Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction.
He was about to finalize the agreement—
When Akihito slowly rose.
"Lord Third Hokage, I have something to say."
Hiruzen shot him a sharp look.
"Akihito, we've nearly reached an agreement."
"What would you like to add?"
Akihito ignored the warning.
"This war cost Konoha dearly."
"As the defeated party, Kumogakure should provide compensation."
Before Hiruzen could respond, Akihito continued calmly:
"I won't ask for much."
"A complete compendium of Kumogakure's forbidden techniques."
"The Amber Purifying Pot used to seal tailed beasts."
"And as for reparations…"
He paused slightly.
"Let's say thirty billion ryo. That should suffice."
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