Chapter 108: Onoki
Mei Terumi, who had once insisted to her friend that she would sleep alone, had, after a month of being eroded by lonely nights, finally compromised and found solace in Kakashi's warm embrace. Only here could she sleep so peacefully, without letting herself fall into nightmares.
She hugged the person beside her.
The night passed without a word.
In the early morning, without disturbing the still-sleeping orange-haired girl, the silver-haired young man got out of bed with gentle movements. Sara was the earliest to rise and had almost finished preparing breakfast.
"Sara, morning."
"Morning."
After finishing breakfast, Kakashi quickly draped on the black, red-cloud-patterned robe, which had dried overnight. He said goodbye to Sara and headed alone to the leader's mansion in Amegakure.
From the window, the red-haired girl watched the young man depart into the distance and prayed for him in her heart.
Due to the reduced rainfall, the internal buildings of Amegakure had been significantly lowered in height to a level acceptable to civilians. The only thing that hadn't changed was the leader's mansion, which represented the dignity of the Land of Rain.
Just like its architecture, the changes in Amegakure's high command were also surprisingly fast. A year and a half ago, it was still Hanzo of the Salamander. Afterwards, Yahiko took control of the entire village as its leader. He was still the current leader, but major events and foreign policy rights had been shifted to a council.
The council members consisted of the elders of the Land of Rain plus the few strongest individuals.
They were: Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, Obito Uchiha, Fugaku Uchiha, and Kakashi Hatake.
Usually, the council members would not appear at the same time, as there were various matters that required their attention.
The development of a ninja village has its core in its economy, and the foundation of an economy is having enough strong ninja and a good enough reputation.
In this respect, Amegakure, having accepted the Uchiha clan, had a huge advantage. It had leaped to become the ninja village with the most mission requests outside of the Five Great Nations. The changes this brought were obvious, and it was vaguely trending towards surpassing its neighboring country, the Land of Wind.
Although its economy was still lacking, its high-level combat power, aside from not having a Tailed Beast, was already on par with this last-place member of the Five Great Nations.
With the Tsuchikage coming today, how many people will attend the meeting?
As soon as Kakashi opened the door to the Amegakure leader's office, he saw Yahiko with two large, dark circles under his eyes, yet he was full of energy.
"Kakashi, when did you get back?"
"Last night."
"Then you know about the Tsuchikage's visit?"
"Yeah, I know."
"This is an opportunity. Last time, we signed a partial treaty with the Land of Earth. This time, we can definitely..."
"I have to interrupt you. I'm afraid things aren't as simple as you think."
Towards this silver-haired young man who almost had the ability of foresight, Yahiko always held an inexplicable trust. Hearing him pour cold water on his plans, the golden-haired youth immediately calmed down. The continuous good news had gone to his head. This smooth sailing had almost made him forget that it was still wartime, and the kind of brutal battles he and his companions had gone through to sit in this position.
A small mistake could lead to a great disaster. Negotiating with someone like the Tsuchikage, who possessed immense personal power and was backed by a great nation, required the utmost caution.
"I understand, Kakashi. Will you be attending the meeting?"
"I will. What about Nagato and the others?"
"Nagato is on a mission, Konan is distributing food to the refugees, and Fugaku and Obito are transforming the eastern climate. They won't be able to return for now."
"So, it's just you and me attending?"
"Yeah."
Yahiko hesitated for a moment.
"Will it seem like we lack presence? We're up against the Tsuchikage, after all."
"It won't. That old fellow Onoki definitely knew the Uchiha clan was here a long time ago. He probably has some intelligence on Nagato as well. In this situation, even if it's just you, you don't need to worry. As long as he's not out of his mind, he definitely won't make a move."
"Right."
Yahiko nodded. He looked out at the clear sky after the rain, cautiously simulating the possible requests the Tsuchikage might make and thinking of response plans in advance.
"How long until he arrives?"
"Around noon, I'd say."
Kakashi looked up, as if he could see the target through the thick walls of the leader's mansion. In fact, in his perception, a powerful chakra was rapidly approaching in the sky. Accompanying him were two other ninja who could fly, their chakra reactions at the elite jonin level. On the ground, nearly 20 jonin were running towards them, and further away, there were hundreds of chunin.
This kind of lineup was more than enough to defeat a small country. Looking at this imposing force, how did it look like they were here to sign a peace treaty?
"Kakashi, did something happen?"
"They're here."
As his voice fell, Yahiko saw three small dots appear on the distant horizon. A moment later, with his excellent eyesight, he made eye contact with the Tsuchikage.
"The Tsuchikage didn't say he was flying over."
"Don't you read the battle reports? Isn't it common knowledge that the Tsuchikage can fly?"
Yahiko would never admit that he hadn't actually read them. He could only smile awkwardly and walk towards the rooftop terrace on the top floor of the leader's mansion to welcome Onoki's arrival.
Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure in the Land of Earth, was the direct disciple of the First and Second Tsuchikage. He held the title "Onoki of Both Scales." He was proficient in Earth Release ninjutsu and could use the unique nature transformation "Dust Release," a Kekkei Tōta that surpassed Kekkei Genkai. He was also one of the few ninja in the Five Great Nations who could fly.
Unlike his fearsome reputation, Onoki had a comical appearance. His large nose made one wonder if he had rhinitis. He was short, and his hair, beard, and eyebrows were all white, his face covered in wrinkles.
The two jonin by his side were riding on large birds made of clay. Both of them had a mouth on each of their hands, which made a "kaga kaga" sound as they chewed the clay.
Yahiko quickly approached to greet them. Kakashi remained unmoved. In this situation, it was more appropriate for Yahiko to speak. He himself was better suited for negotiation than for receptions.
"Lord Third Tsuchikage."
"So you are the leader of the Land of Rain, Yahiko?"
"Indeed. We have received your request to sign a peace treaty. We can go inside to discuss the specific details."
Yahiko moved slightly to the side, clearing a path that led directly to the leader's mansion's conference room.
"Forget it. Peace is not a child's game. If peace could be achieved so easily, the Great Ninja Wars would not have happened."
"Then, Lord Third Tsuchikage, what is the meaning of this?"
"I am here only to inform you that the Land of Rain, as a nation second only to the Five Great Nations, can no longer remain uninvolved in this war. Next month, we will be engaged in an all-out war with the Land of Lightning."
"Are you seeking reinforcements?"
A ninja from the Explosion Corps at his side let out a cold snort, fiddling with the clay in his hand, ignoring Yahiko's presence.
"We only need some Uchiha clansmen to help us deal with the Third Raikage. If you agree, Iwagakure will form an alliance with you."
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