Hokage Building.
It was still quite well-preserved here since the chaos outside hadn't breached the administrative heart of the village.
Everyone was having final discussions in the Hokage's office.
Neither Kurotsuchi nor Mei Terumi made any demands.
They simply sat to the side, sipping tea, showing their unwavering support for Makoto.
The Flying Thunder Formation that Makoto wanted was ultimately meant to connect transportation between various countries.
It would facilitate travel, trade, and logistics, which would bring massive economic benefits to their villages.
Secondly... they were genuinely grateful to Makoto.
As the saying goes, you don't know the value of rice until you run a household.
Without being in leadership positions, Mei Terumi and Kurotsuchi never realized how wealthy their countries actually were—or rather, how much potential wealth was being wasted.
Admittedly, the Water and Earth Nations couldn't compare to the Fire Nation's abundant resources.
But even maintaining the status quo, their villages could easily support twice their current population if managed correctly.
Makoto had opened their eyes.
Moreover, it wasn't until they met Makoto that they realized the previously ingrained concept that the daimyo "supported" the ninja villages was false.
The fixed basic allowance issued in the daimyo's name was almost insufficient to sustain a normal ninja's livelihood - a ninja's main income came from taking on various missions.
In this context, ninjas were essentially high-end laborers.
Furthermore, Makoto taught them history.
He revealed that the earliest ninjas—the Shinobi Sect—used Ninjutsu to assist production, not just for war.
Water Release for irrigation.
Earth Release for construction and tilling.
Wind Release for milling.
Under these reforms, the danger coefficient for missions plummeted, while income skyrocketed.
Ninjas were almost being treated like Pokemon slaves, working tirelessly for profit.
But even so, the ninjas loved it.
'I could have tolerated the firefly's faint light, if I hadn't seen the flashlight of capitalism.'
'Ah, I shall enslave you all! You will work six hours daily with only two-hour noon breaks!'
'You will get milk for breakfast! And you will rest on weekends!'
In any case, although it was a group discussion, only Makoto and Hiruzen were actually communicating.
"Alright then, it's settled." Hiruzen sighed and signed his name on the scroll, fulfilling his promise.
What puzzled Hiruzen was why Danzo hadn't shown up to cause trouble.
Usually, the old warhawk would be screaming about "selling village secrets."
Could it be that the Root operatives informed Danzo about his enemies being in Amegakure? Is he hiding?
The requested items were as follows:
Fundamental Ninjutsu Theory: Basic textbooks.
This was the biggest distinction between major and minor villages.
While Orochimaru could write them, having him waste time on elementary materials was inefficient.
It was simpler to just ask Konoha directly. After all, this was nothing compared to the other requested items.
Flying Thunder God & Formation: The training methods for Minato's jutsu, plus guidance from his three surviving guards.
Hyuga Hanabi: A five-year "study abroad" program in Amegakure.
None of these conditions broke Hiruzen's bottom line.
The first was self-explanatory, while the third was a separate matter unrelated to the assistance regarding Orochimaru's invasion of Konoha.
It all came down to the Flying Thunder God.
Hiruzen understood that with space-time ninjutsu, the rarest element wasn't the scroll—it was the talent.
Without innate talent, the scroll was just waste paper.
He deduced that Ame, Kiri, and Iwa were actually targeting the Formation Technique—the collaborative version used for transport.
As for the main technique? He assumed they were just chasing the legend of the Yellow Flash.
Good luck with that.
Moreover, if what Makoto and Orochimaru said was true—that a common enemy would appear—then he wasn't aiding enemies, but supporting future allies.
Hiruzen summoned the three former guards of the Fourth Hokage: Genma Shiranui, Raido Namiashi, and Iwashi Tatami.
"Hokage-sama... this..."
The three men's expressions darkened at the command.
The Flying Thunder Formation represented their honor.
It was their connection to Minato.
Now they were supposed to teach it to outsiders?
"This is an order," Hiruzen said, his tone stern. "Amegakure will be our ally from now on. This is to facilitate communication between allies."
'This was merely an excuse.
Hiruzen was stepping down soon. Whether the next Hokage honored the alliance or not was their problem.
"Very well. As you command." Reluctantly, the three men accompanied Makoto to an adjacent room.
To their credit, they were honest and withheld nothing.
Truthfully, there was nothing worth hiding. The theory was simple: One marks the coordinates. One locates the space. One supplies the chakra.
It was just like Jiraiya summoning the Toads for Sage Mode.
Simple in theory, hellish in practice.
Makoto recorded the key points and put them away
This technique was clearly developed by Minato specifically for his guards, which was why Makoto had specifically requested these three to explain it.
Otherwise... Wouldn't it be simpler to just have Orochimaru use Impure World Reincarnation on Tobirama Senju and have him teach the technique directly?
By the time Makoto returned, the Sand Village delegation had finished their "negotiations."
Temari and the others used Makoto's strategy: Mix truths with lie.
They claimed Orochimaru killed Rasa and impersonated him to trick the Suna into war.
Hiruzen, being a veteran politician, knew they were lying.
But Konoha couldn't afford another war. Especially not against a bankrupt neighbor who had nothing to lose.
So, he signed a peace treaty and the matter was settled.
...
The Next Day.
Konoha Main Gate.
Everyone was preparing to leave.
Kakashi, who had recovered from his chakra exhaustion, arrived at the gate with Team 7 to see them off.
Several members of the Hyuga clan were also present.
Hiashi Hyuga walked up to Makoto. Behind him, Hanabi Hyuga followed with her head lowered.
She wore a bandage on her forehead.
Underneath it was the freshly engraved Caged Bird Seal.
Neji Hyuga stood further back, watching the scene with a sorrowful expression.
It reminded him of his own father's fate.
"You're quite heartless, Clan Leader Hiashi," Makoto said coldly.
He reached out, lifted Hanabi's bangs, and gently touched the green curse mark on her forehead.
"Hanabi, did it hurt?"
"Mmm-mmm," Hanabi shook her head stoically.
"Here," Hiashi handed a scroll to Makoto, ignoring the jab. "This contains the essence of the Gentle Fist training. Outsiders can't practice it without the Byakugan. Make sure Hanabi continues her training. Don't let her skills deteriorate."
Hiashi clearly didn't believe Makoto's claim that he could make Hanabi stronger than the clan could.
He just wanted to ensure she didn't forget her roots.
"To take Hinata's sister away, only for her to be branded with the Caged Bird seal... Can that really be considered for her own good?"
Sakura whispered to Naruto and Sasuke while clutching her chest.
The matter of the Caged Bird seal and Makoto's promise to train Hanabi was no longer a secret.
Makoto ignored Hiashi and of course, he also ignored Sakura.
He turned to Kakashi.
"Kakashi," Makoto smiled faintly. "Did you know? There's a simple method to break a curse mark. Watch closely."
"Huh?"
Kakashi frowned beneath his mask.
'Why bring this up now? A curse mark? Does he mean the one Orochimaru put on Sasuke?'
'Wait!'
'Did he said "watch closely"?'
'Could he mean the Hyuga clan's Caged Bird seal?!'
BANG!
The moment Kakashi lifted his forehead protector to activate his Sharingan, he witnessed something terrifying!
"Huh?" Hanabi blinked.
She scratched her forehead, looking up at Makoto in confusion.
"For a moment... it felt like my head was itchy."
There was no blood and no pain.
"It's done," Makoto patted Hanabi's head.
"Clan Leader Hiashi," Makoto opened his other hand.
A green, glowing sigil crumbled into dust in his palm.
"Care to engrave it again?"
"..."
Hiashi stood frozen as his jaw hit the floor.
The absolute seal... the curse that had bound the Branch House for centuries... was erased with a single punch?
On the other side, Kakashi lowered his forehead protector.
His visible eye was wide with shock.
But then, a darker thought crept in.
He looked at Makoto's power and he thought of Rin.
Rin, whom he had pierced through the heart with his Chidori to stop the Three-Tails from rampaging.
If this man existed back then... Could he have saved her too?