Hashirama?
Ruri was the first to react, staring speechlessly at Hashirama, who had just slammed his head heavily onto the table.
"In the past, there were indeed many conflicts between us, all to protect our respective compatriots and clans. Sometimes, it might have been unavoidable, a necessary move."
"And even if the six nations successfully sign the agreement today, no one knows how long it can be maintained or how long everyone can persist. But I have always dreamed..."
"That one day, shinobi can transcend national borders, help each other, unite, and work together as one. This is the future... of my dreams!"
Whether it was the impulsive Byakuren or the aggressive A, everyone wore a grave expression.
This man, Senju Hashirama, hailed as the strongest, had always dominated every battlefield. Everyone had suffered losses at his hands. Although they now sat as equals under the title of the Six Kage, Hashirama remained an insurmountable mountain.
Yet now, this mountain was before them, disregarding all decorum, kowtowing and speaking his most sincere ideal.
Everyone was moved, even Ruri. If an ordinary person acted this way before them, it might not have meant much.
But when the person expressing his ideal with such genuine sincerity was the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama, it was entirely different.
Whether it was an act or true feeling, at the very least, this God of Shinobi had set aside the dignity belonging to the strong in front of everyone, striving purely for peace in the shinobi world.
"I sincerely beg you all to let today be the first step towards peace. I sincerely... sincerely... sincerely... sincerely... beg you all..."
He said "sincerely" four times in a row. Hashirama's head remained bowed on the table, his supporting hands trembling uncontrollably.
"First Takikage, Amemiya Ruri, signs unconditionally on behalf of the Land of Waterfall."
After a long moment, Ruri was the first to speak. A non-aggression peace agreement was nothing but beneficial for a small country like the Land of Waterfall.
Supporting Hashirama at such a time to gain his favor was acceptable. Since the outcome would be a successful agreement anyway, he might as well be the first to show goodwill to Hashirama.
"Thank you..."
Hashirama responded, his head still not raised.
"First Kazekage, Reto, signs on behalf of the Land of Wind. The funds requested earlier... will be reduced to twenty percent."
Next was Reto. Among everyone present, his desire for peace in the shinobi world was second only to Hashirama's. Sunagakure truly needed time to recuperate and improve its environment.
Reto made a concession, asking for only twenty percent of the Tailed Beast purchase funds to be transferred to Sunagakure—an acceptable result.
"First Raikage, A, signs on behalf of the Land of Lightning."
"First Tsuchikage, Ishikawa, signs on behalf of the Land of Earth."
Byakuren was somewhat reluctant. Kirigakure, isolated overseas, also suffered from funding shortages. If Sunagakure received that twenty percent, its development speed would surely surpass Kirigakure's.
However, under the gaze of the others, buckling under the pressure, he had no choice but to speak: "First Mizukage, Byakuren, signs on behalf of the Land of Water."
Byakuren could only comfort himself that now, with the Land of Waterfall, he wouldn't be the weakest among the six nations...
"Thank you, everyone!"
Hashirama expressed his gratitude once more.
With peace on paper finally achieved, the next phase was distributing the Tailed Beasts. The due benefits couldn't be missed.
"Kumogakure requires the Eight-Tails."
A was the first to speak, assertive and determined to acquire the Eight-Tails.
The other Kage had little to say about the Raikage's determination. Kumogakure was the most powerful shinobi village after Konoha, and the Land of Lightning was the most prosperous nation after the Land of Fire. They couldn't compete.
Even though they couldn't compete, there was no resentment. With nine Tailed Beasts, excluding the Nine-Tails reserved for Konoha and the One-Tails already in Sunagakure, a full seven remained. Even if the Land of Waterfall scraped together everything to buy one, the remaining three villages could still get two each.
And since Kumogakure had chosen the Eight-Tails, the weakest Two-Tails would undoubtedly be left for the others. A basic balance could be maintained.
Everyone judged the strength of the Tailed Beasts by the number of their tails—except for Reto.
Even if there was a disparity in the Tailed Beasts' strength, it couldn't be too significant. Besides, he felt that Tailed Beasts ultimately couldn't compare to shinobi combat power; otherwise, the One-Tail wouldn't have been sealed by a few old monks in the Mōrinji Temple.
"As for the Seven-Tails, I wonder if the Land of Waterfall has sufficient funds to purchase it? If funds are short, Konoha can provide a loan covering one-third."
While everyone was discussing the distribution of the Seven-Tails, Hashirama spoke up.
He had witnessed the Land of Waterfall's rapid economic growth in recent years. Even if Ruri weren't present, and the Six Kage Summit reverted to the original Five Kage Summit, he would still send the Seven-Tails to Takigakure. Small countries and villages needed a representative.
While Tailed Beasts weren't immensely powerful in the eyes of the Kage, for those small countries and villages whose leaders were only Elite Jōnin, or even just Jōnin, they were weapons of mass destruction.
The Five Great Nations were already powerful, and if they also mastered Tailed Beasts capable of annihilating the smaller nations, how could the latter rest easy?
Therefore, the Land of Waterfall, as the most representative of the small countries, needed a Tailed Beast to reassure everyone.
The other Kage understood Hashirama's intention upon reflection. Given the representation of small countries and villages, plus the Takikage's strength, they had no reason to oppose.
"Big Brother..."
Tobirama, still young and impulsive, didn't think too deeply. He was somewhat reluctant, instinctively feeling that a Tailed Beast would turn the Land of Waterfall into a powerful nation.
Another powerful nation meant another difficult-to-control force, which didn't align with his concept of peace. However, since it wasn't being given away for free this time, it was somewhat more acceptable to him.
"Thank you for the Hokage's kindness. The Land of Waterfall will purchase the Seven-Tails in full."
Ruri said with a smile. By this point, his goal in participating in the Six Kage Summit was largely achieved. Returning to the village with the Seven-Tails and having gained the recognition of the Five Kage—such a monumental achievement would silence any opposition in Takigakure.
"Hahaha, the Land of Waterfall's development in recent years has indeed been rapid!"
Hashirama breathed a sigh of relief. Lending money to the Land of Waterfall to buy the Seven-Tails would come from Konoha's funds, not the Land of Fire's treasury. While the sum might not be huge for a great nation, it was already Konoha's limit. So, avoiding the loan made Hashirama quite happy.
"The Six-Tails and Three-Tails will be purchased by the Land of Water. The Land of Water is on an isolated island with limited competitiveness. They need the Six-Tails to ensure they aren't invaded by other nations."
Byakuren glanced at Ruri. He was somewhat surprised that the Land of Waterfall had the financial means to purchase the Seven-Tails outright, but now wasn't the time to ponder others.
The Six-Tails was the strongest among the remaining Tailed Beasts, and the Three-Tails could use Water Release, which synergized well with Kirigakure. This combination of one strong and one weak beast wouldn't provoke hostility from the other five Kage.
Finally, Ishikawa had no choice but to select the Five-Tails and Four-Tails. He couldn't very well choose the weakest Two-Tails.
Fortunately, Ishikawa didn't mind. The Land of Earth was easy to defend, and Earth Release ninjutsu represented the pinnacle of defense. They didn't have much need for Tailed Beasts, viewing them merely as strategic weapons for large-scale casualties during war.
The remaining Two-Tails naturally went to Kumogakure. And so, all nine Tailed Beasts were distributed.
Just as the Kage were about to discuss future cooperation, Tobirama, who had been silently observing the smiling Ruri, suddenly spoke, "Aren't the esteemed lords planning to inspect the goods?"