The Raikage's face darkened. 'Damn it, you're the one who wants peace talks, yet you also want to give nothing in return. Who the hell do you think you are? How shameless can you be?'
Ōnoki noticed the Raikage's face turning red with anger, but he didn't care. He stiffened his neck defiantly. 'I don't care who you are or how you react. If you want me to pay compensation, there's nothing to discuss.'
"Then there's nothing left to discuss!" The Raikage stood up, his hand crackling with high-voltage lightning. With a slam, the table shattered into splinters that flew straight toward Ōnoki's head.
Ōnoki snorted. A flash of pure white light passed through the air, and the moment it touched the wooden fragments, they vanished as if they had never existed.
A fell silent. 'Stay calm. Stay calm. At such close range, I can't block Particle Style. If I'm not careful, I might lose an arm or a leg. That wouldn't be worth it.'
Yugito's body became enveloped in blue flame-like chakra, her pupils turning into cat-like slits—partial Tailed Beast transformation!
Ōnoki also regained some composure. 'Seems I forgot to bring Rōshi or Han. Tch, having a perfect Jinchūriki here is really troublesome.'
"Please, Lord Tsuchikage, show some understanding and offer at least some compensation," Yugito said, her eyes coldly fixed on Ōnoki.
Ōnoki was about to sneer again—'What's so impressive about a Jinchūriki?'—but Akatsuchi grabbed his arm, making him pause. Seeing Akatsuchi shake his head, signaling that conceding a little wouldn't hurt, Ōnoki reluctantly relented.
"Fine. I'll give you two million ryo as military compensation. That's all I can offer," Ōnoki said, giving his son some face.
The Raikage frowned. 'What can two million even do?'
But A (his son) also pulled him back and shook his head.
The Raikage sighed. In the end, the war between Lightning and Earth concluded with the Land of Earth compensating the Land of Lightning with two million ryo. Neither side lost, and the two million was framed as humanitarian aid.
Raikage got his pride, while Iwagakure suffered no significant economic losses.
Afterward, the two Kage and their escorts returned to their respective villages.
Ōnoki headed west, while A headed east. Their paths would never cross again.
The news quickly reached Konoha. The agreement was signed in the morning, and the report arrived by afternoon. It had to be said, Konoha's intelligence network was truly formidable.
Uchiha Ryun had been leisurely drinking tea in his office when an Anbu entered and informed him that the Hokage had summoned him.
Uchiha Ryun frowned. 'Looks like something's up.'
Without wasting time, he followed the Anbu to the Hokage Building.
When he opened the door, he saw the Konoha Council of Four deep in discussion.
The four brightened upon seeing Uchiha Ryun enter. Danzō even stood up, took his hand, and seated him beside himself.
Danzō Shimura spoke slowly, "Ryun, you might not know yet, but the war between Lightning and Earth has ended."
Uchiha Ryun was stunned. 'So fast? It hasn't even been that long.'
He turned his questioning gaze to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen nodded and handed him a copy of the peace agreement.
After reading it, Uchiha Ryun couldn't help but sigh. He had thought this war would drain both sides significantly, buying the ninja world more peaceful time. Instead, the two nations stopped short, preserving their strength.
At the very least, if they had gone to war while Konoha recuperated, Konoha could have crushed both later. But reality didn't go as planned.
'As expected, I can't underestimate the world. Just because I want things a certain way doesn't mean they'll turn out that way.'
"Ryun, what are your thoughts?" Hiruzen asked with a smile.
Uchiha Ryun sighed. "It's unexpected yet reasonable. I thought they'd fight to the death, or at least suffer heavy losses. Instead, both sides restrained themselves, conserving their strength. I suspect it's largely because Konoha's presence deterred them. So, while unexpected, it's also logical. The Land of Lightning and Land of Earth aren't lacking in smart people."
The Third Hokage nodded in agreement. After some thought, Danzō patted Uchiha Ryun's shoulder.
"Don't worry. This was just a casual move back then. At least it eased the situation on the Amegakure battlefield."
"True. No one can predict everything perfectly. Ryun, you've already done very well," Homura Mitokado added.
Koharu Utatane also nodded. Uchiha Ryun understood their meaning and didn't dwell on it, smiling instead.
"Thank you for your understanding."
"Ah, by the way, Ryun, do you think the Land of Lightning and Land of Earth might realize they've been played and team up to attack the Land of Fire?" Hiruzen suddenly asked, a trace of worry in his eyes.
Uchiha Ryun pondered for a moment before shaking his head.
"Unlikely. Both nations just came out of a war and need to recover. They won't resort to war anytime soon, though there might be plenty of underhanded schemes."
"Ryun, what kind of schemes do you think they'll try?" Danzō asked darkly, his malice directed at Lightning and Earth, not Uchiha Ryun.
Uchiha Ryun considered the plot and replied, "They might sign peace treaties with us on the surface while secretly trying to steal our bloodline limits."
This was based on the Raikage's actions during the Third Shinobi World War.
"They might also attempt to steal classified jutsu, like sealing scrolls. Both are possibilities." Uchiha Ryun listed just these two examples, but they were enough to make the four frown.
"However, with the current security structure of the Konoha Military Police Force, the likelihood of such incidents will drop significantly." Uchiha Ryun smiled.
He explained the current organization, procedures, recruitment, and night patrol deployments of the Military Police Force to the four. Hiruzen was stunned.
'Uchiha Ryun only took over the Military Police Force a few days ago, yet he's already restructured everything from procedures to personnel deployment with such precision!'
Even the night patrols were far stricter than under Uchiha Hirotomo. According to Uchiha Ryun's arrangement, not even a few birds could fly past without the Military Police noticing.
The Third Hokage looked at Uchiha Ryun with admiration and smiled. "Ryun, keep up the good work. I look forward to your continued contributions to Konoha's security and prosperity!"
He patted Uchiha Ryun's shoulder, his eyes full of approval.
Uchiha Ryun quickly replied, "It's all thanks to your guidance, Lord Hokage. In fact, I consider myself your student. The image of your vibrant, flourishing teachings at the Ninja Academy remains fresh in my mind..."
When a leader praises your competence, you must know how to stay humble and give them the spotlight.
Hiruzen's eyes lit up. 'Uchiha Ryun really knows how to flatter! Even Danzō and the others can't compliment me this well!'
"You flatter me, you flatter me. It's mainly because you're outstanding..."
"No, it's all because of your excellent teaching, Lord Hokage."