Shigure had already noticed the change in Sasori's gaze.
He paused for a moment, then understood.
Even though this was not a private setting—and many eyes were watching—Sasori still could not hold himself back.
He asked directly,
"Do you really have a way for someone to obtain a new body… even if only the heart remains?"
Shigure smiled.
"Of course."
Then he glanced at Sasori and added casually, "So now you want a body again? Why did you abandon it in the first place?"
Back then, Sasori had believed that the human body was nothing but a limitation on his puppetry.
But now, he understood.
The human body was not merely a restraint—it was a foundation for countless other possibilities.
Without a body, he had truly sealed his own path.
Unfortunately, he had realized this far too late.
Sasori possessed a technique that allowed his heart to survive within a special container, but he had no method to reclaim a living body.
And now… Shigure seemed to possess exactly what he lacked.
After receiving confirmation, Sasori turned to look at Gaara.
Gaara understood immediately.
Sasori had once said that his greatest regret was losing his body. With a proper body, he would undoubtedly be far stronger than he was now.
Gaara bowed slightly toward Shigure.
"Please, Lord Mizukage," he said solemnly. "If you are willing to help him, Sunagakure is prepared to extend the agreement by another ten years."
That meant forty years of continuous gold-dust payments to the Hidden Mist.
Such a condition would bind Sunagakure completely.
If this continued, the village would never truly recover.
Shigure smiled faintly, silently weighing whether to help Sasori—or more accurately, whether to help the Hidden Sand.
At that moment, Temari's words from earlier resurfaced in his mind.
She had hoped that he would lend Sunagakure a hand.
There was nothing romantic between them, but she had made her resolve clear:
If he helped Sunagakure, she would become a shinobi of the Hidden Mist and dedicate her life to it.
Shigure exhaled quietly.
A request made by a Hidden Mist shinobi… was worth fulfilling.
He turned his gaze to Tsunade.
"Sit down."
Tsunade frowned, her eyes still fixed on Gaara.
"Aren't we supposed to be fighting?" she snapped. "If so, then let's continue."
Shigure smiled helplessly.
If he let Tsunade fight now, she would vent all her anger without restraint.
"No need," he said calmly.
"Everyone, sit down. I have a solution."
That statement stunned everyone present—even Gaara.
A solution… to the conflicts between all three villages?
At that moment, Sasori stepped forward again, clearly wanting to press the issue of his body.
Shigure ignored him and spoke instead.
"The conflict between the Hidden Sand and the Hidden Mist has already been resolved," he said evenly.
"But the problem between the Hidden Sand and Konoha remains."
He paused, then continued,
"The Hidden Mist promised earlier that we would also mediate between Sunagakure and Konoha."
Shigure looked directly at Tsunade.
"So the explanation that Konoha demands from the Hidden Sand… the Hidden Mist will provide it."
Then he turned to Gaara.
"You offered ten additional years of gold dust to help Sasori obtain a new body, correct?"
"I don't want those ten years," Shigure said calmly. "And I will help Sasori find a new body free of charge."
The next moment, his gaze returned to Tsunade.
"Instead, I will give one-tenth of Sunagakure's gold-dust output to Konoha."
"Consider that Sunagakure's explanation."
One-tenth.
At first glance, it sounded small.
But in reality, this represented thirty full years of gold dust—an enormous sum.
Far too much.
Yet when stretched across thirty years…
In the current situation, that burden suddenly felt bearable.
Shigure was not finished.
"However," he added, "Konoha cannot accept this for free."
"Konoha must assist Sunagakure in training its shinobi."
"In other words, a portion of Konoha's missions will be reassigned to Sunagakure for execution."
He folded his arms lightly.
"This is my proposal. Now, you may consider it."
The gold dust would ease Sunagakure's pressure.
The missions would allow Sunagakure to maintain and develop its shinobi system.
At the same time, it subtly weakened Konoha.
And throughout the entire arrangement—
The Hidden Mist benefited the most.
Shigure was confident that Shikaku would quickly grasp the finer details, even if it took a little time.
In the end, there was no reason for any of them to refuse.
For Sunagakure, the cost had not increased—yet they gained real breathing room.
And the missions delegated by Konoha would indeed help cultivate their next generation of shinobi.
As for Konoha, they had received compensation from Sunagakure.
Not only did this allow them to save face, but the sheer scale of the compensation was more than sufficient.
All Konoha needed to do was transfer a portion of its missions to the Hidden Sand Village—something that would actually make Konoha appear magnanimous and dignified on the surface.
The people of Konoha would not oppose such an arrangement.
However, Shikaku understood clearly that this was, in essence, a subtle weakening of Konoha's overall strength.
At the same time, it was also a way to prop up Sunagakure—an outcome that would inevitably make Konoha uncomfortable.
No matter how one looked at it, the greatest beneficiary of this entire deal was the Hidden Mist Village.
But the crucial point was this—
Even if Konoha rejected the proposal, Shigure could simply withdraw from the negotiations. Sunagakure would still be obligated to deliver gold dust for thirty years regardless.
In other words, Konoha had no better option.
This was an open conspiracy, laid bare in front of them. Yet even knowing that, there was no way to refuse it.
After a moment of thought, Shikaku leaned close to Tsunade's ear and whispered,
"Lady Tsunade… agree to it. This plan is excellent."
Tsunade was still deep in thought.
But after hearing Shikaku's words, she deliberately paused for a moment longer, as if weighing the situation carefully.
Then she turned her gaze toward Gaara.
"I wonder if Lord Kazekage has any objections?"
Gaara met her eyes calmly.
"No objections."
Hearing this, Tsunade nodded.
"Then Konoha also agrees to Lord Mizukage's proposal."
Neither Tsunade nor Gaara had expected Shigure to present such a comprehensive solution.
As they looked at him now, there was a newfound respect in their eyes.
This man did not merely possess overwhelming strength—he also had the vision and decisiveness of a true leader.
To be a Kage in the same era as someone like Shigure was… undeniably pressure-inducing.
"Since everyone is in agreement," Shigure said calmly, "then let us formalize it."
He glanced at Kuji.
Kuji immediately understood and took out several scrolls, swiftly recording all the agreed-upon conditions in precise detail.
"If there are no issues," Shigure continued, "then sign."
As he spoke, Shigure had already signed his name.
He handed the scrolls to the other two Kage for review.
While the Three Kage were signing the treaty—
Far away, in the Hidden Cloud Village of the Land of Lightning—
Flames raged.
The Fourth Raikage stood amid the destruction, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at the figure hovering in the sky.
"This old man…" he growled, his voice shaking with fury, "…will absolutely not let you go."
"How dare you do something like this in the Hidden Cloud Village!"
"No matter where you run—no matter where you hide—this old man will hunt you down!"
(End of Chapter)
💎 100 P.S = +1 Bonus Chapter
🔟 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin
😊 Thank You For Your Support!