Uchiha Yusuke's calm words fell—
and the entire conference hall plunged into dead silence.
Both Konoha and Kumogakure were stunned by how brazen his demands were.
A full copy of Kumogakure's forbidden techniques?
That was the accumulated legacy of generations.
The Amber Purifying Pot that could seal tailed beasts?
After the Kinkaku–Ginkaku incident, it was essentially the last remaining Sage Tool Kumogakure still possessed.
And thirty billion ryō in war reparations—"not much"?
That was practically an entire year of Kumogakure's revenue.
Kumo's delegation broke into a cold sweat.
This "Konoha's Flame Oni" wasn't negotiating—
He was opening his mouth like a lion.
Dodai snapped back to reality first, standing up in agitation.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"Your demands are far too harsh—Kumogakure cannot agree!"
Yusuke's opening price blew far beyond Dodai's mental limit.
Dodai had expected Konoha to ask for something—
but not this.
And the worst part?
Yusuke looked like he could actually enforce it.
Dodai's mind screamed one question:
The Third Hokage already agreed to return the Eight-Tails for free—how dare this man overturn it on the spot?
Hiruzen coughed lightly and stepped in, trying to take control of the room.
"Yusuke…"
"Kumogakure has agreed to resolve this peacefully."
"Aren't your conditions… a bit too severe?"
"Let's take our time and discuss this properly."
Yusuke shot it down immediately.
"This war began because Kumogakure provoked Konoha."
"We tried to reason with them—Kumo refused to listen."
"They tried to bully us with force, so Konoha fought back in self-defense."
"If Konoha had lost, do you think Kumo would have let us off?"
"Those demands are fair. There's nothing to discuss."
Hiruzen's expression tightened.
If he forced reparations the way Yusuke demanded, his "kind and merciful Hokage" image would take a massive hit.
So he turned toward the clan heads, intending to pressure Yusuke with a united front.
He drew a deep breath and spoke slowly.
"Everyone—state your views."
The meaning was obvious.
Choose your side.
In the past, this would've been a one-man show.
Hiruzen spoke, everyone nodded.
But ever since Yusuke's rise, the clan leaders' thinking had changed.
Hiashi was the first to stand.
"Third Hokage-sama. I believe Yusuke is right."
"Kumogakure is clearly at fault. They should compensate Konoha."
Then Fugaku rose.
"This war was born from Kumogakure's selfish ambition."
"The Uchiha Clan alone lost over a hundred lives."
"I support Yusuke. Kumogakure must compensate Konoha."
Two heavyweight figures backing Yusuke made Hiruzen's expression darken—
and then Shikaku stood as well.
"Third Hokage-sama."
"During the war, the front line received no support. Every clan suffered heavy losses."
"If Kumogakure wants to ransom the Eight-Tails, asking for compensation is only reasonable."
Shikaku's words carried a second edge.
He wasn't only supporting Yusuke—
he was reminding Hiruzen:
someone within Konoha's leadership had sabotaged the front line.
It wasn't only Kumogakure that owed them.
Konoha's top brass did too.
That reminder forced Hiruzen to face reality.
This matter wasn't clean on his side either.
And worse—
Yusuke was fighting for everyone's benefit.
If Hiruzen stubbornly refused reparations, his reputation could collapse.
Hiruzen's expression shifted several times.
After weighing it again and again, he finally softened.
He looked toward Dodai, forcing a strained, apologetic expression.
"Envoy Dodai…"
"You've heard everyone's stance."
"So perhaps…"
He didn't say it outright, but the meaning was crystal clear.
Pay.
Dodai shot Hiruzen a furious look.
You already promised a free release—
now you're changing terms because of internal disagreement?
Are you putting on a double act with him?!
Hiruzen knew this would offend Kumogakure—
but he had no choice.
Dodai ground his teeth.
"Compensation… is not impossible."
"But Konoha's demands are far too excessive!"
"If you insist, Kumogakure would rather fight to the end!"
A classic veteran negotiator's move—
bargain hard while threatening at the same time.
Don't push us too far, or you'll bleed too.
If both sides are crippled, the other three great nations win.
But Yusuke didn't care.
Before Hiruzen could start any careful bargaining, Yusuke flipped the table with raw aggression.
"Don't want to talk?"
"Then we're done here."
"You want to fight to the end?"
"I'll take men and march straight to Kumogakure."
Then he added, casually lethal:
"And if war is what you want… you don't need to go back."
"Picking you off one by one on the battlefield is annoying."
"I'll just solve it—right here."
Dodai went blank.
I was only negotiating the price—
why are you threatening to execute the entire delegation?!
Only now did Dodai fully remember—
this was the man who had slaughtered Kumogakure's previous delegation.
Uchiha Yusuke was absolutely capable of doing it again.
Dodai broke into sweat, but he couldn't lose face on behalf of a nation.
He forced the words out.
"Konoha is asking for too much."
"I cannot decide."
"I must request instructions from the Raikage."
Konoha's side quietly exhaled.
They'd genuinely feared blood would spill again.
At least Kumogakure had "recognized reality" and backed down.
The moment Dodai said he needed to consult the Raikage, Yusuke's expression shifted instantly—almost cheerful.
"What are you waiting for?"
"Prepare communication equipment for our honored guests."
An ANBU behind Hiruzen slapped his own forehead, like he'd just remembered his job.
"Yes, Yusuke-sama. I'll arrange it immediately."
Hiruzen opened his mouth—
and found he had nothing to say.
Providing comms tools was completely normal.
Dodai stared at Yusuke in disbelief.
This man's face-changing speed was terrifying.
One second: I'll kill you all.
Next second: Let me help you call your boss.
Since Kumogakure needed to report in, the talks were suspended.
Hiruzen announced an adjournment and pushed it to the next day.
On the Way Home
Hiashi and Shikaku walked beside Yusuke, speaking animatedly.
"Yusuke, what you did today was satisfying."
"To return the Eight-Tails for free… the Third Hokage really has become senile."
Shikaku—normally cautious—was openly criticizing Hiruzen to Yusuke's face.
Yusuke only smiled.
"The Hokage is old."
"Still, today worked because you backed me."
Shikaku's expression brightened immediately.
"It's nothing."
"You were fighting for everyone's benefit."
"Of course I had to step in."
Hiashi was in an excellent mood too.
The stronger Yusuke's base became, the more secure the Hyūga's position would be.
If Yusuke became Hokage one day, the Hyūga could finally escape the old leadership's grip.
Hiashi's mind flashed back to the last Kumogakure incident—
even as the victim, the Hyūga had been forced to sacrifice a branch member to appease Kumo.
If Yusuke hadn't disrupted it, Hyūga Hizashi's body would've been shipped out as a "gift."
Hiruzen always preached the Will of Fire as "protect every villager,"
yet he repeatedly traded lives for temporary peace.
That wasn't protection.
That was cowardice.
Hiashi finally asked what everyone was thinking.
"Yusuke… can you really get all that from Kumogakure?"
Yusuke shook his head.
"Getting everything is unrealistic."
"But getting about half…"
"That's very possible."
Hiashi's eyes lit up.
Yusuke's first offer was obviously sky-high.
If Konoha got half, it would still be an unprecedented win.
For years, Konoha paid heavily and gained little.
If Yusuke broke that pattern, he'd win the people's hearts.
Who wouldn't follow a leader who actually brought rewards?
Everyone was sick of the "three days full, nine days hungry" era under Hiruzen's soft diplomacy.
Hokage Office — Konoha F4
Meanwhile, the mood inside the Hokage's office was awful.
Hiruzen, Danzō, and the two advisors sat in silence, glaring at one another.
After a long time, Hiruzen spoke first.
"Uchiha Yusuke has begun to slip beyond our control."
"We must find a way to eliminate this instability."
Danzō stepped forward coldly—
but Hiruzen shook his head.
Acting rashly against Yusuke was too risky.
One wrong move, and Yusuke would seize the moral high ground.
Hiruzen sighed.
"You know Konoha's situation."
"We'll discuss this later."
The Next Day: Negotiations Resume
Everything went exactly as Yusuke predicted.
After fierce bargaining—
Kumogakure ultimately agreed to hand over:
Lightning Release Chakra Mode (the technique and its documentation)The Amber Purifying Pot (琥珀净瓶)
As for reparations—
Kumogakure chopped Yusuke's thirty billion ryō down to fifteen billion ryō.
Konoha got what mattered.
As for Killer B—
they handled it "according to the Third Hokage's arrangement."
With this compensation, Konoha received a massive injection of resources.
Yusuke then proposed another measure:
double the pensions for the war dead and the disabled.
Once the policy passed, his name spread through the village again.
The hero who ended the war—
Uchiha Yusuke—
had practically become Konoha's national idol.
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