19 Peace Talks
Time flew by, and before they knew it, half a month had passed, marking the agreed time for peace talks with Sunagakure.
Tobirama took a moment to visit Konoha Prison, checking on the three siblings. Temari and Kankuro appeared fearful, while Gaara remained indifferent, lost in his thoughts.
After a recent heart-to-heart with Naruto during the Chunin Exams, Tobirama felt it was wise to have Naruto speak with Gaara, hoping to provide some clarity.
He also consulted the system about whether to collect the tailed beasts along with their jinchūriki or just the tailed beasts themselves. Unfortunately, the system didn't offer him the opportunity to act kindly.
Pondering over the feasibility of combining the Ten Tails without a jinchūriki, Tobirama realized the peace talks with Sunagakure were likely doomed to fail unless they were willing to relinquish their jinchūriki. Yet, this seemed improbable given the significance of tailed beasts to a village's strength.
"Hokage-sama, Ebizō, representing Suna, has arrived in the village as a peace envoy. He wishes to discuss the reparation with you," an Anbu interrupted Tobirama's contemplation.
"Ebizō?" Tobirama recalled Chiyo's younger brother, who played a minor role in the original story.
"Very well. Have them escorted to the living room. I'll join them shortly," Tobirama instructed before disappearing from sight, leaving the Anbu to carry out his orders.
Under the guidance of various Earth Release specialists in Konoha, the reconstruction work had long been completed, restoring the village to its pre-disaster prosperity, with tall buildings densely packed together.
"Konoha is truly flourishing..." Several Sunagakure ninjas who trailed behind Ebizō couldn't help but express their genuine awe.
Their Sand Village, surrounded by yellow sands, had only a vast desert, relying solely on ninja missions and the Fourth Kazekage's use of Magnet Release to extract gold dust from underground mines to support the village.
With the Fourth Kazekage now deceased, Sunagakure and its people had lost a significant source of income.
Ebizō, leading the way, couldn't help but feel a twinge of despair upon hearing their remarks.
Indeed, Konoha stood as the strongest ninja village, blessed with abundant land and resources. Their original plan to ally with Orochimaru to besiege Konoha for profit had backfired spectacularly with the resurrection of the Second Hokage. Instead of gaining anything, Suna now had to compensate Konoha to retrieve their Jinchuuriki, while also facing the Second Hokage's potential wrath.
Deep down, Ebizō harbored a secret hope that Tobirama would cause trouble, even if it meant war.
After all, what was more terrifying than poverty?
Suna was so impoverished that they couldn't even afford shoes. Fighting Konoha to the bitter end seemed like their only option. To Ebizō, it was better to fight and potentially gain more in compensation than to suffer in destitution.
Furthermore, Onoki of Iwa had already pledged support. If Sunagakure chose to act, they could jointly wage war against Konoha.
"Guests, please follow me."
The Anbu responsible for reception had already taken the lead with the Sunagakure delegation.
Ebizō was taken aback by what he saw next.
"Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi!" He had anticipated a show of strength from Konoha, but he hadn't expected an elite Jounin like Kakashi to be the one to greet them.
Taking in Kakashi's youthful visage behind his mask, Ebizō couldn't help but sigh as he glanced back at the wide-eyed young Sunagakure ninjas behind him, captivated by Konoha's prosperity.
"Damn it, why does Konoha have so many geniuses!" Ebizō muttered under his breath, seething with frustration. Turning to the Suna juniors, he scolded them sternly before following the Anbu into the living room.
The five sand ninjas sat at attention, awaiting the arrival of the Hokage.
This being a peace negotiation, they dared only to perch on the edge of their seats, afraid to speak for fear of derailing the talks over a trivial matter.
Meanwhile, Ebizō seemed remarkably at ease, reclining in his seat as if he owned the place, mentally prepared for the talks to collapse into war.
Soon enough, accompanied by the distinct sound of footsteps, the Hokage and his advisor, Shikaku Nara, entered the room in succession.
Instantly, the five sand ninjas trembled instinctively, straightening up as if the wind itself had passed through the room.
"Hokage-sama," they greeted Senju Tobirama respectfully in unison.
"Ah," Tobirama acknowledged with a nod, casting a brief glance at Ebizō before taking his seat at the head of the table, with Shikaku settling in next to him.
Observing the Sand ninjas' reverence for Tobirama, Ebizō's eyes darkened, emitting a low grunt of dissatisfaction.
Sensing Ebizō's displeasure, the five Suna ninjas hastily resumed their seats, their trembling betraying their nerves in the presence of the Hokage.
"Speak. How does Suna intend to address these matters?" Tobirama inquired, cutting straight to the chase.
Caught off guard by Tobirama's directness, Ebizō's eyes widened in surprise.
He hadn't anticipated such bluntness from the Hokage, Collecting himself, Ebizō cleared his throat and spoke slowly, "Hokage, the incident was orchestrated by Orochimaru, a traitor to Konoha. Suna was deceived by Orochimaru, unaware of his treachery, even as our Kazekage fell victim to his attack."
Pausing to gauge Tobirama's reaction, Ebizō continued, "However, now that the deed is done, Suna will not shy away from responsibilities."
"On behalf of Suna, we extend our sincerest apologies to Konoha," Ebizō concluded, leaning back in his seat, awaiting Tobirama's response.
"Sincerest apologies, you say? Go on," Tobirama prompted, a hint of a smile playing at his lips.
Ebizō's eyes darkened once more, accompanied by shock from the sand ninja surrounding him.
Was this the Hokage's demeanor? Could it be that all the strong figures during the Warring States Period possessed such unconventional characters?
This was Sunagakure's peace negotiation with Konoha. Shouldn't the Hokage wait for them to present their conditions before making a decision?
How could he inquire about their sincerity right off the bat?
Ebizō felt that he had met his match.
'As expected of the Second Hokage, renowned for his cunning. Quite astute indeed. Even I can't see through him,' Ebizō mused silently, sensing that the peace talks would likely fail.
After a brief silence, Ebizō composed himself and produced a list—the maximum conditions Suna could offer Konoha after days of discussion. He raised his head and addressed Senju Tobirama:
"Hokage-sama, our Village offers five hundred million ryo and 30% of Sunagakure Village's mission rewards over the next ten years as a gesture of our sincerity."
"The five hundred million ryo will directly compensate for Konoha's economic losses in this incident, while the 30% of mission rewards will bring additional income to Konoha. Are these terms satisfactory to the Hokage?"
Ebizō fixed his gaze on Tobirama, awaiting his response.
Five hundred million ryo in cash, coupled with a significant portion of Sunagakure's mission rewards, would be a substantial loss for them. Sunagakure was already struggling financially, and such a price would hinder their progress for the next decade, possibly even dropping them from being one of the great ninja villages.
This offer was negotiated with great effort and determination.
If the peace talks with Konoha failed, Ebizō would bear the infamy of betraying Sunagakure.
Therefore, while he hoped for a refusal from the Hokage, part of him wished for it. Refusal would likely lead to war, but at least Sunagakure would only lose money if defeated.
Though tempting, even Shikaku couldn't help but glance at Tobirama, almost as if he were considering agreeing to the conditions.
Indeed, Sunagakure's terms were generous, with ample funds and resources. But as long as Tobirama refused to return the Jinchuuriki, peace negotiations were futile. And if Sunagakure were to be defeated outright, what would they gain?
"I suppose that's one way to handle it" Tobirama simply responded and seemed unfazed by the offer.
Upon hearing Tobirama's nonchalant response, Ebizō couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth in his cheeks despite his temper.
While he hoped for an attack in his heart, he also didn't want Tobirama to be so dismissive, tarnishing the reputation of the Village.
The ninjas accompanying him were visibly incensed, on the verge of erupting.
One of them, Otokaze, the Sand Ninja closest to Ebizō, spoke through gritted teeth, "What price does Sunagakure need to pay for Konoha's forgiveness?!"
The word "forgiveness" was practically spat out, so intense was their anger.
After Otokaze's outburst, the room fell silent, all eyes fixed on Tobirama, including Ebizō's and Shikaku's, both curious to hear the Hokage's response.
With seven pairs of eyes upon him, Tobirama spoke calmly:
"While I may not have personal use for money and resources, Konoha certainly does."
"Therefore, I agree to your conditions in exchange for Konoha's forgiveness."
"You may also retrieve all the ninjas captured by Konoha."
Ebizō's eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn't expected Tobirama, who had played so many tricks, to inexplicably accept their terms.
But before they could react, Tobirama added, "However!"
"Gaara, Sunagakure's Jinchūriki, must remain in Konoha to receive our teachings. If you agree, I will shake hands with you on behalf of Konoha to make peace. We can even discuss forming a new alliance."
With that, Tobirama leaned back in his seat, smiling silently.
"This is impossible!" Ebizō slammed the table in anger, rising to his feet.
The sand ninjas beside him wore equally grim expressions.
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