The reason everyone could leisurely hold this post-war commendation meeting here was because the Third Raikage was capable enough. Back then, Uchiha Ryun had tricked him into fighting the Iwa-nin with just one piece of information, and now the two villages were still fighting fiercely.
Both villages had even sent envoys to Konoha, asking Konoha not to get involved.
Regarding this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was strange, shifting between gloom and brightness. He decided to first award all individuals and clans who participated in the war before asking Uchiha Ryun what to do next.
"Deputy Commander, Uchiha Ryun has repeatedly led Uchiha clan shinobi to carry out difficult missions, disregarding his own clan's losses for the sake of the entire village."
"Therefore, after deliberation by the Elder Council, the Uchiha clan is granted the title of 'Glorious Family,' with calligraphy by Chief Advisor Danzō Shimura. Additionally, Uchiha Ryun is appointed as a Konoha Elder." Hiruzen Sarutobi announced these matters with a smile.
Instantly, Hyūga Sekijō's expression changed. Both the title of Glorious Family and the position of Konoha Elder made him extremely envious.
As a prominent clan in the shinobi world, he understood how difficult it was to integrate into the village. If not for his father and his strict orders for the Hyūga clan to remain low-key and friendly, they would likely have ended up like the Uchiha clan before, being ostracized.
But now things were different. The Uchiha clan had received the title of Glorious Family, backed by the Hokage and the elders. This meant they were a clan that had made great contributions to the village and earned great honor.
Just this alone surpassed the Hyūga clan's thirty-plus years of planning. Not to mention the Elder position.
Was just anyone qualified to become a Konoha Elder? There were only a few elders, currently held by Danzō Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado. This showed how determined the Konoha F4 were to win over Uchiha Ryun.
The main reason was still Uchiha Ryun's Mangekyō Sharingan. No matter how much was said or how close the relationship, strength was the most important factor.
Tsunade pinched Uchiha Ryun and whispered, "Hurry up and go on stage!" Uchiha Ryun snapped out of his thoughts and quickly stood up to approach the stage.
First, he expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the Hokage for his trust. Then he said he was surprised and honored by the appointment and would discipline himself in the future to protect everyone's legal rights.
After this round of formalities, everyone applauded. Finally, there was a battlefield summary. Part of the reparations would be used as compensation for the families of fallen shinobi, while the rest would be used for village construction. No one objected to this.
When the meeting ended, the clan heads left in an orderly manner, but Uchiha Ryun was asked to stay behind. Seeing this, Tsunade had no choice but to wait outside.
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and waved at Uchiha Ryun. "Ryun, come sit." He pointed to a chair in front of him. This was a seat reserved for elders. Since Uchiha Ryun had just become a Konoha Elder, he naturally had the right to sit there.
Uchiha Ryun nodded and sat down. To his left was Danzō Shimura, who smiled and nodded at him. To his right were Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. Since these two were more focused on administrative duties, they were seated slightly further back.
"Ryun, the Hidden Cloud Village and Hidden Stone Village each sent a letter to Konoha. We've all read them. Take a look." Hiruzen Sarutobi then took two letters from his drawer, one signed by Ōnoki and the other by Raikage A.
Uchiha Ryun opened the envelopes and read the contents. When he was almost done, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke leisurely. "Ryun, your strategy of 'setting a rival to fight a tiger' worked very well. Now, these two are the only ones left fighting in the shinobi world."
"They've both demanded that we not intervene and even sent people to sign peace treaties." He clapped his hands, and the Anbu brought in the representatives: A, the son of the Third Raikage, representing Kumogakure, and Akatsuchi, the son of Ōnoki, representing Iwagakure.
The two representatives entered with anger in their eyes, glaring at each other. Only in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi and the four elders did they slightly restrain themselves. Everything else was fine, but when the two saw Uchiha Ryun sitting among the elders, their eyes flickered.
Though the future Fourth Raikage A was big and dark-skinned, he was actually quite sharp. He thought, "This pretty boy must be here for a reason." So he smiled at Uchiha Ryun.
Uchiha Ryun's lips twitched. Was this the future Fourth Raikage A? He looked quite mature. He smiled back and nodded in acknowledgment.
Akatsuchi was no pushover either. He shoved A aside, bowed to the Hokage first, then to the elders, appearing composed and proper. Then he gave A a challenging look, thinking, "Barbarians have no brains."
"You wanna fight?" A snorted, his muscles tensing.
"Fight? Who's scared of you?" Akatsuchi mocked him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face darkened instantly. He gave Uchiha Ryun a look, and Uchiha Ryun understood. He activated his chakra, his Mangekyō Sharingan spinning, and two giant golden-red hands materialized behind him, pressing down on the two men's shoulders.
A and Akatsuchi's expressions changed as immense force bore down on them. Even A, a shinobi who trained his body rigorously, found it hard to endure, let alone Akatsuchi. But since both were the sons of their respective Kage, they gritted their teeth and refused to show weakness.
"Young people, don't be too arrogant." Uchiha Ryun said with a smile, then retracted his Susanoo. After asking the Hokage for permission to use the tea set, he received approval.
He first poured a cup of tea for Hiruzen Sarutobi, who smiled in acknowledgment. Then he poured tea for Danzō Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado, followed by himself. Finally, he poured one last cup.
He took a sip from his own cup, then held up the last cup. "Oh dear, there's only one cup left. I wonder which of you..." Uchiha Ryun smiled, leaving his hand suspended in the air.
Both men immediately understood. The tea was for the guest, symbolizing peace. In other words, whoever took this cup would establish diplomatic relations with Konoha. So they both reached out at the same time.
But Uchiha Ryun pulled his hand back. "Ah, we're all civilized people. Why resort to violence so quickly?" He chuckled.
"Konoha is a bit short on funds lately. You know, we've just fought two major wars and expended a lot of resources. Right now, we're barely scraping by!" Uchiha Ryun sighed.
This scene made both A and Akatsuchi's eyelids twitch. Even the Konoha F4 felt their hearts skip a beat. This guy was taking advantage of the situation!
Who didn't know that Konoha had won decisively and received huge war reparations? And now you're poor? Poor my foot!
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