"Senior Suzaku, what's going to happen to us?"
Ebisu reached up to touch the bridge of his nose, but his familiar glasses weren't there. It seemed they had fallen off during the earlier chaos. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, he scratched his eyebrow, his wandering gaze scanning the Iwa ninja surrounding them, who were tasked with both protection and surveillance.
Their group of five was encircled by dozens of Iwa ninja.
The Iwa ninja stood shoulder to shoulder, almost linking hands to surround Konoha's envoys.
"Punishment? What are you thinking?"
Nara Suzaku didn't even glance at Ebisu. Standing on a rock, he tiptoed to peer at Kitsuchi and the others not far away. It had to be said, the Iwa ninja were quite large. Suzaku's height of 175 cm was average in Konoha, but the average Iwa ninja stood at about 190 cm.
People like Kitsuchi, Bun'ya, and Han were over 200 cm tall. As for Onoki, the Tsuchikage… well, he was an exception, a rare one at that.
"That guy earlier who attacked us, he was the Four-Tails Jinchuriki from Iwa, right?"
Ebisu asked in a low voice.
"Haha! That's a good thing!"
Suzaku let out a couple of light-hearted laughs, sounding cheerful and relaxed.
"A good thing? We almost died..." Ebisu, still shaken by the sudden attack from Roshi, was a bit disoriented. But after hearing Suzaku's words, he suddenly snapped back to reality. "Ah! It is a good thing. I wasn't thinking clearly!"
To become a Special Jōnin, Ebisu wasn't dumb. In fact, in the original timeline, he served as Konoha's elite tutor, known for being quite shrewd and a firm believer in bloodline purity.
"The Four-Tails Jinchuriki's attack was probably his own doing. And the Five-Tails Jinchuriki saving us shows that Iwa doesn't want anything to happen to us..." Ebisu sorted out the chaotic thoughts in his mind, a smile immediately spreading across his face. "Senior Suzaku, does this mean Iwa is...?"
"Exactly, our mission has been a success!"
Suzaku didn't keep them in suspense.
He also let out a sigh of relief. Despite his earlier confidence, in situations like this, no one could predict what could go wrong. But now, things seemed to be falling into place!
The internal conflict among the Iwa ninja proved that the higher-ups had already made a decision, one that favored Konoha. Otherwise, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki wouldn't have tried to kill them.
"Senior Suzaku, someone's coming."
Genma Shiranui noticed Kitsuchi approaching. The Iwa ninja, like a field of wheat swaying in the wind, parted as Kitsuchi walked through, clearing a path that led directly to Suzaku and the others.
Nara Suzaku squinted, his expression becoming serious and formal as he waited for Kitsuchi to approach.
"Mr. Nara."
Kitsuchi greeted them politely. "I deeply apologize for what happened!"
"It was a minor issue, not enough to affect the friendly relations between Konoha and Iwa." Suzaku, adept at diplomacy, was courteous and sincere in return.
Hearing this, Kitsuchi smiled in relief.
Konoha's envoys were dependable, and there was no need to worry about them causing trouble. After all, Roshi's actions had nearly exhausted Iwa's flexibility, making the alliance with Konoha almost certain!
The two exchanged more pleasantries, none of which could be skipped, even if they lacked real substance. Eventually, Kitsuchi led the group to a different location where they settled down again. During their casual conversation, Kitsuchi subtly hinted at the decision made by the Iwa leadership, reassuring them that a definite answer would come soon.
The next day,
Nara Suzaku received an invitation from the Third Tsuchikage and was summoned to meet Onoki once again. This time, unlike their previous meeting with just Onoki and Kitsuchi, the tent was filled with over ten Iwa officials, all of them key figures in the village. Thanks to information provided by the traveling priestess, Suzaku easily recognized each one.
"Tsuchikage-sama, it's an honor to see you again."
Nara Suzaku greeted respectfully.
"So, how did you enjoy yesterday's excitement?"
Onoki tossed out a tricky question right off the bat.
"Speaking of which, I haven't had a chance to thank Lord Han for saving us. I apologize for the delay."
Suzaku skillfully sidestepped the question, turning his gaze toward Han seated nearby, deftly shifting the focus. The Four-Tails Jinchuriki's defection was undoubtedly a heavy blow to Iwa, though Suzaku personally saw it as good news.
However,
This was not something to say aloud or to show on his face.
"Hmph! Nara, Nara... you may call yourselves deer, but I think foxes would suit your clan better. You've stirred up turmoil within our ranks, and now that fool Roshi has defected... I wonder, are you satisfied with this outcome?"
Onoki laid out the problem plainly,
His sharp gaze fixed on Suzaku.
"Konoha never betrays its allies. If you wish to blame us for this incident, Tsuchikage-sama, you're welcome to take my head in anger. But know this: Konoha never forgives its enemies either," Suzaku replied firmly. Since Onoki was insisting on addressing yesterday's events, he couldn't avoid the issue entirely. The alliance between Konoha and Iwa was mutually beneficial; it was not something Konoha was begging for.
"Well said!"
Onoki's harsh words softened, though he still carried a bit of a hostile tone.
He didn't press the matter further, coughing lightly before getting straight to the point: "Nara Suzaku, is everything you said during our last meeting still valid?"
"Of course."
Suzaku nodded earnestly.
"Konoha and Iwa will form an alliance to launch a joint campaign against the Cloud. The spoils of war will be divided based on each side's contribution. Once the conflict is over, the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth will establish a mutually beneficial trade partnership. It's a win-win scenario."
"... A win-win, huh? Let's hope so."
Onoki's attitude kept shifting, from challenging to gradually becoming more agreeable.
In Suzaku's view, Onoki's shifting attitude was more of a performance. The initial difficulty was likely due to some high-ranking officials still being opposed to the alliance with Konoha. After all, during the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha might have been severely weakened, but Iwa suffered significant losses as well.
Many promising young Iwa ninjas like Dong, Hikaru, Oishi, and Majiru were killed on the battlefield, which was a heavy blow. Their talent pool was nearly wiped out!
As Onoki's attitude became more accommodating, it was clear the alliance was now a foregone conclusion. Since the decision couldn't be changed, they could only adapt to the future. Alienating Konoha would only lead to more hostility, not cooperation.
"By the way, I have one more humble request. I hope Tsuchikage-sama will hear me out."
Seeing that the major points of the alliance had been agreed upon and that there would be time later to iron out the details, Suzaku took the opportunity to bring up another matter.
"What is it?"
Ōnoki was currently maintaining a friendly and agreeable demeanor.
"Here's the situation. Not long ago, some merchants and tourists from your country were arrested in Konoha due to inappropriate behavior. At the same time, we have some individuals from the Land of Earth in our prison who have committed minor offenses. If possible, we'd like to exchange these citizens from both countries who have made small mistakes."
This statement really exhausted Nara Suzaku's brain cells.
Spying is something that can never be admitted openly, so it can only be wrapped in diplomatic language to make it sound reasonable.
Ōnoki was stunned for a few seconds, but as a seasoned politician who had led Iwagakure for decades, it only took him a moment to understand what Nara Suzaku was really saying. He wanted to exchange spies... This was something Ōnoki had never even considered.
Soon enough, the Iwa-nin present also realized what Nara Suzaku was implying.
Suddenly, strange looks were directed toward Suzaku. Exchanging spies... Was this a joke? The general rule about spies is they either return successfully or disappear forever. What use is it to retrieve a captured spy? A failed spy is worthless, and there's always the concern that they may have been turned or controlled by enemy techniques.
Because of these concerns, the Five Great Nations and the Five Great Shinobi Villages had never exchanged spies before.
"Lord Tsuchikage, I hope you can show some leniency. I'm not sure where things went wrong, but the news of this situation has already spread in Konoha. Many people are calling for the return of those who were captured, saying that they can't be left to 'shed blood and then shed tears.' Even Lord Hokage has given orders on this matter. I imagine the citizens of your country feel similarly... I'm actually a bit afraid that if I don't handle this properly, I'll be blamed when I return."
This mix of soft and hard persuasion made Ōnoki's expression change.
What did he mean by "shedding blood and then tears"? Was he suggesting that the people of the Land of Earth would feel the same way? If he didn't agree, was Suzaku implying that Ōnoki, as the Tsuchikage, didn't care about the safety of their spies captured by Konoha? Was he trying to use public opinion to pressure him?
Ōnoki had to suppress the urge to curse out loud.
Honestly, after sitting in the Tsuchikage's seat for so many years and having seen so much life and death, Ōnoki didn't care about a little sacrifice. As for being attacked by public opinion, if Konoha's shinobi thought they could stir up public sentiment against him in Iwagakure, they were underestimating him! But he had to consider the current situation. They were already set on forming an alliance with Konoha. If this situation left any lingering problems, that wouldn't be pleasant.
Han's defection had been another heavy blow to Iwa-nin.
Cooperating with Konoha was no longer their choice but an inevitable decision. Kumogakure had clearly shown that they wanted to drag Iwa-nin down with them to bear the brunt of Konoha's pressure. The theory of Konoha being a threat made sense, but it came a bit too late. The rise of the Uchiha clan signified Konoha's rise as well.
Especially with the deaths of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, the internal conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha clan had become visibly solvable. Hoping for civil unrest in Konoha was no longer realistic. At this point, continuing to oppose Konoha would be foolish.
At the very least, Ōnoki sincerely did not want to see three Susano'o tearing through Iwagakure!
"This matter... can be arranged."
Ōnoki agreed.
After carefully weighing the pros and cons, he concluded that agreeing to the exchange was better than refusing. After all, the walking priestess, the most important spy, had already escaped. Honestly, the small fry left in the prison were just wasting food. Iwa-nin had to purchase large quantities of food from outside every year anyway.
Might as well make good use of them!
"However, to be frank, your people caused quite a bit of trouble for us, especially during the arrest. Some of them resisted violently, causing significant damage to the village. If possible, I hope you can help us gather some supplies. Of course, we will exchange equivalent minerals for them."
"No problem, that's a small matter."
Nara Suzaku agreed without hesitation.
This really was a minor issue. For Konoha and the Land of Fire, resources were never a problem. Of course, giving them away for free to Iwa-nin wasn't an option; that would be unacceptable and would result in serious consequences if exposed. But trading them for minerals was no issue at all. The Land of Fire wasn't rich in mineral resources and usually imported copper and iron from the Land of Rivers.
As for the Land of Earth's minerals, they had been under embargo in the past, except for gold and silver ores, which they had a hard time selling.
With major and minor issues resolved, Nara Suzaku, satisfied, withdrew, leaving only Iwa-nin in the tent.
"Tsuchikage-sama, is it really alright to exchange spies with Konoha?"
Bunya couldn't help but ask.
"What's the problem? Don't forget that the walking priestess has already escaped. The rest of the small fry left in the prison are of no use. Since Konoha wants them, let them have them. It doesn't make a difference either way," Ōnoki said nonchalantly.
Bunya was at a loss for words.
The walking priestess had escaped right under his watch.
"Alright, everything has been decided. Talking more about this is pointless. Instead of overthinking, focus on how we can work with Konoha. While we've agreed in principle, we need to iron out the details to begin formal cooperation."
"Kitsuchi, I'm putting you in charge of negotiating with Konoha's emissaries. Any mistakes will be on your head."
"Bunya, handle the situation with the emissaries from Kumogakure. Don't kill them for now, just keep them under control to prevent Kumogakure from noticing anything unusual."
"And also..."
Ōnoki issued six or seven more orders in one breath.
"Understood, Tsuchikage-sama."
Everyone followed Ōnoki's commands and started working. Thousands of Iwa-nin, no, the entire village of Iwagakure, along with the Land of Earth, were now moving in response to these orders. Without Kumogakure noticing, Konoha and Iwa-nin quietly forged an alliance.
A storm targeting Kumogakure was beginning to take shape!
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