"Then the armistice is concluded!"
Uchiha Makoto shot Senju Tobirama a teasing look, then was the first to sign his name on the treaty. After him came Uzumaki Shinji, and then the Second Raikage took the pen and added his name in turn.
Right now Tobirama was, of course, thoroughly displeased. He had just thrown himself into the fray to pave the way for Makoto, only to be played yet again: in the entire treaty, only the second clause explicitly listed Konoha by name.
Didn't that mean Konoha had come all this way to sit at the victors' table only to… sip some soup?
How could that be acceptable!
But there was a problem. When Makoto had asked if anyone had objections, Tobirama hadn't spoken. He had assumed Makoto would add Konoha to every clause. Now that all the participating villages had signed, if Konoha were to go back on it and raise objections at this point… well…
Makoto's little flourish just now also enlightened the Second Raikage—so "our side" in the other clauses didn't have to include Konoha. What great news!
In short.
Tobirama's petty calculations drew no notice, and he couldn't air them openly now.
Thus—
After a little over four months, the early-access "First Ninja World War" officially ended.
As the loser, the Second Raikage left the hall first, in gloom. What awaited him now was an almost deranged public opinion back home in the village.
And the Land of Lightning's daimyō—Cloud's big financial backer—would be hard on him. To put it bluntly, Cloud was desperately short of money after the war. Ninety-nine percent of their problems—even the public outcry he was about to face—could be solved with money.
But even a hero can be stumped by not having a single coin.
Cloud had no money!
Money, money, money…
A simple word.
Even as the Land of Lightning's foremost strongman, the Second Raikage had to bend for that one word. When the village was first founded, Cloud had been vibrant and full of growth; never would he have imagined that in just a few short years they would be this strapped.
They absolutely couldn't produce three hundred billion ryō. Even paying in installments, they'd come up short. The daimyō would have to keep nursing Cloud along. He knew the daimyō wouldn't abandon them and would keep funding them—but getting that money would be a deeply unpleasant process.
Who knew how many "compliance tests" he'd have to endure.
The bitterness of it could not be told to outsiders.
With the Second Raikage gone, the First Tsuchikage didn't linger either.
Makoto would have loved to cut him down on the spot.
It was that man who had suddenly brought Iwagakure onto the field midway, pulling the Cloud's third defensive line back from the brink and wrecking Makoto's perfect plan.
After the two Kage departed—
The representatives of the small villages flocked straight to Makoto.
Makoto welcomed the minor powers' goodwill. Another friend is always better than another enemy… and who knew when they might prove useful.
Out of prudence they didn't immediately fall to their knees and swear Akatsuki Village as their big brother, but the trend pleased him.
This kind of treatment used to be Konoha's by default.
Tobirama felt deeply slighted. The scene stabbed at his heart. Some minor villages did gravitate toward him, but it was obvious more of them preferred to cozy up to Makoto. He was being snubbed again… When this kind of reception should be mine!
Makoto sensed Tobirama's cold, envious gaze. The corner of his mouth lifted; he smiled, even hummed under his breath. Born-evil Senju old ghost—can't take it already?
There will be plenty more where this came from.
After chatting a while with the small-fry delegates, Makoto saw the time and had Uzumaki Shinji escort them out.
Even outside the hall, they clung to Shinji for a while of polite small talk. The Uzumaki weren't as mighty as Konoha or Akatsuki Village, but those two great villages were the Uzumaki's allies.
At critical moments, the Uzumaki could speak to both Konoha and Akatsuki.
For the minor powers, great villages were still too lofty to reach. The Uzumaki's status was just right: if they could get early word of a great village's next move and prepare investments or defenses in advance, that would already be excellent.
So—the Uzumaki must also be courted!
Makoto rested a bit in the hall, planning to wait for Shinji to return so they could shut the door and talk like adults—about how to split the spoils.
Three hundred billion ryō was no small sum!
Cloud obviously couldn't pay at once; they'd preliminarily agreed to five years, but sixty billion ryō a year was still a hefty income!
Akatsuki's shinobi were already eyeing that first payment like hawks. Why did they become shinobi? For love and peace? To walk their ninja way? To prove loyalty to their village?
Perhaps some of that.
But most of all—for hard cash!
How many they cut down on the field, how many wounds they took, what parts they lost, or if they fell in battle—how much the village owed them was clearly set out in Akatsuki's regulations. They'd worked themselves to death, bled on the front, all for this moment!
The war was over!
Time to take the cash home and be happy!
Of course, Akatsuki couldn't swallow all of it; a portion had to go to the Uzumaki. Whirlpool Village had come in full force this time and fulfilled every duty of an ally… If Akatsuki hogged the money and refused to share, who would ever work with them again?
"Senju Tobirama, why are you still here? I don't serve you dinner!"
Makoto was just about to wait for Shinji and have an adults-only talk when he noticed that born-evil Senju old ghost was still in the room.
Naturally—
Makoto started shooing him out.
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