"I heard from my brother..."
Hiruzen smiled faintly. "Oh, I mean Kujō Gen. Our families are connected by marriage. He told me that you and he are also related by blood, so if you trace it through, we're actually all family."
The Land of Water's Daimyō's eyes lit up. "Yes, yes! You're absolutely right. We're family!"
That single sentence was enough for the Land of Water's Daimyō to understand that the Hokage intended to reason things out with him.
First, both sides would give each other a way to step down gracefully and place all responsibility squarely on the Third Mizukage. Konoha and the Land of Water had both meant well; it was simply that bastard Kiritori who had ruined everything in the execution.
As for the Land of Water's Daimyō, this was also a crucial move in Hiruzen's plan.
Given the distorted political ecology of the shinobi world, although a hidden village represented the core military force of a country, legal legitimacy remained in the hands of the Daimyō, who controlled the majority of the population.
Thus, with Kirigakure already collapsed and the Land of Water descending into chaos, the fastest way to secure legal legitimacy was for Hiruzen, acting in his noble capacity as Shōgun, to establish direct relations with the Land of Water's Daimyō.
That way, everything Konoha did afterward would become legitimate and proper, greatly reducing unnecessary internal friction.
"I can understand how helpless you must have felt..."
Hiruzen patted the Land of Water's Daimyō on the shoulder, his expression becoming slightly sterner.
"But as the Daimyō, both you personally and the Land of Water still bear responsibility for this war, even though that deranged Third Mizukage was the one causing trouble from within..."
The Land of Water's Daimyō's heart stirred.
For him, this was about as favorable a declaration as he could possibly have hoped for!
By defining the Third Mizukage as the root of the problem from the outset, ninety percent of the matter had already been resolved...
As for Hiruzen's meaning, the Land of Water would naturally have to pay some price and compensation.
But in the Daimyō's view, that was only proper.
In fact, if Hiruzen demanded nothing at all, the Land of Water's Daimyō would instead feel deeply uneasy and would go out of his way to force compensation upon the Land of Fire and Konoha...
What was free was always the most expensive, because it meant the price could be named arbitrarily—including his own life.
"You're absolutely right!"
The Land of Water's Daimyō nodded repeatedly, his tone and posture exceedingly sincere.
"The Land of Water is willing to show the utmost sincerity in seeking your forgiveness. We pray that the Will of Fire may descend upon this land filled with malice and cleanse it..."
Hiruzen nodded and motioned for a table and chairs to be brought over.
The two sat down.
Hiruzen handed him a document. It was a comprehensive plan he had drawn up for the Land of Water and the future reconstruction of Kirigakure, combining his own observations with Tenzō's investigation.
The Land of Water's Daimyō was ready to agree without even reading it.
"No. It's better if you read it..."
"Establishing a framework for cooperation and setting standards that can be carried out over the long term is what's most beneficial to both our countries. I don't like forcing people into deals."
Hiruzen spoke calmly.
The Land of Water's Daimyō's expression turned solemn. After a brief pause, he nodded seriously.
"I was too rash. My apologies, Shōgun!"
He could sense Hiruzen's sincerity.
Even with the Land of Water now in a completely disadvantaged position, Hiruzen still maintained an attitude of "cooperation" and afforded him basic respect as a person.
The treaty was as follows.
Konoha would assist in eliminating the Third Mizukage and his followers, enemies of the state responsible for rebellion and massacre.
Konoha would not harm cooperating civilians, shinobi, or nobles of the Land of Water, would uphold the legitimate position of the Land of Water's Daimyō, and would provide him with the highest level of security protection.
The Land of Fire would provide the Land of Water with urgently needed food, supplies, and medical support, and assist the Land of Water in restoring order nationwide. The costs would be calculated at fair prices.
But correspondingly, even taking the Third Mizukage's actions into account, the Land of Water would still have to pay appropriate compensation.
The Land of Water would pay war reparations to the Land of Fire for this Shinobi World War, with the total to be paid off over ten years.
The reparations would primarily take the form of physical resources such as marine products, rights to use maritime shipping routes, rare minerals, and aquatic food supplies.
Restrictions were also imposed in the military sphere. The Land of Fire would have the right to conduct an annual supervisory inspection of Kirigakure's Kinjutsu research and development.
The Land of Water would fully cooperate with Konoha in holding war criminals from this conflict accountable, with absolutely no leniency.
There were also long-term strategic binding clauses.
The Land of Fire would receive exclusive priority rights to use all ports and maritime shipping routes in the Land of Water, while Land of Fire merchant ships would enjoy reduced taxes at Land of Water ports.
For the development of the Land of Water's marine resources and mineral deposits, priority had to be given to cooperation with Land of Fire merchant caravans and nobles. The Land of Water was forbidden from signing exclusive agreements with the other three great nations, and its minting rights would be placed under Konoha's supervision.
In all international affairs, including Five Kage Summits and shinobi-world alliances, the Land of Water would maintain a position consistent with the Land of Fire and could not independently sign any agreement with the other three great nations directed against the Land of Fire.
The two countries would establish a permanent mutual military defense alliance. If either side came under an unprovoked attack by a third party, the other side would deploy forces to assist unconditionally. Flying Thunder God defensive base stations would also be constructed within the Land of Water.
There would be deep cooperation between their shinobi systems. Konoha and Kirigakure would establish a permanent shinobi exchange mechanism. Kirigakure could send shinobi to Konoha every year for advanced training, while Konoha would dispatch jōnin to Kirigakure to teach and provide guidance.
The Land of Water's overall system would also be brought comprehensively closer to that of the Land of Fire. As a show of sincerity in the cooperation, Konoha would provide precious quotas of Sage Region Pills to the various nobles and bureaucrats who demonstrated sufficient sincerity.
The final clause was intended to ensure continuity of policy.
A portion of the Land of Fire's bureaucrats and Konoha's shinobi would remain long-term in Kirigakure and the Land of Water as advisors, with their numbers kept within reasonable limits, to ensure that the treaty was firmly implemented.
"Phew..."
The Land of Water's Daimyō let out a long breath and nodded firmly. "Thank you, Hokage-sama!"
"I've read every single word. Please allow me to once again express my gratitude for your generosity. May the Land of Fire and the Land of Water remain forever on good terms and become true brothers closer than blood!"
The treaty certainly contained controls over the Land of Water's economy and military, but by the standards of the shinobi world, the terms were already quite lenient.
For a Land of Water that had already become half-scorched earth, core powers such as "minting rights" and "garrison rights" had effectively become empty titles.
Hiruzen's willingness to step in and help was preventing the Land of Water from sliding back into the chaos of the Warring States Period. In a sense, he was doing the same kind of thing the First Mizukage, Byakuren, had once done.
On that basis alone, the fact that Hiruzen hadn't declared himself Mizukage or Daimyō of the Land of Water was already surprising enough!
As for Hiruzen, he wanted nothing to do with either position.
Just as Mū had said.
Governing a country and a hidden village required enormous resources. Hiruzen had no intention of wasting too much of Konoha's and the Land of Fire's precious population here.
He only needed to control the key points and steadily channel the Land of Water's finest resources back to Konoha over the long term.
Because of the Third Mizukage's isolationist policies and the Bloody Mist, even after signing this treaty, life in the Land of Water would still be far better than it had been before...
Hiruzen was used to eating the meat while still leaving others some soup to drink.
In a certain sense, the Third Mizukage really had laid an extremely solid and indelible foundation for cooperation between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire...
"Good. Then let's sign it!"
"After this, please have Hizashi accompany you and quickly announce the cooperation treaty in the Land of Water's capital so that officials at every level are aware of it. Afterward, head to the Land of Fire's capital and stay there for a while..."
"Once I've cleaned up the remaining sources of instability in the Land of Water, you can return..." After the treaty was signed, Hiruzen smiled faintly, and his tone became more courteous as well.
"Hokage-sama, if you don't mind, please call me your sworn brother as well!" the Land of Water's Daimyō immediately seized the opportunity to say.
Hiruzen laughed heartily. "Of course, of course!"
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Land of Water.
As the leader of the strongest shinobi group currently remaining in the Land of Water, Nakamaro had secretly communicated with Tenzō after Kirigakure fractured and had learned about Konoha's series of actions.
Under his command were Kisame, Snow, Terumī Mei, Biwa Jūzō, and Hōzuki Mangetsu.
There were also carefully selected members of the Kaguya Clan and Ice Release bloodline clans, bloodline shinobi he had protected during the Bloody Mist era, and large numbers of Kiri shinobi who looked up to his reputation.
At first glance, Nakamaro's faction looked almost like a miniature Kirigakure with a strict internal hierarchy!
"Sigh..."
After learning that the Land of Water's Daimyō had entered into cooperation with Hiruzen, Nakamaro was inwardly ecstatic. Even so, he didn't rush to reveal anything to the shinobi beneath him. Instead, he deliberately put on an anxious, deeply troubled expression and convened a general assembly.
"What do you all think we should do now?"
"Kiritori, that traitor! I'd questioned him for a long time already, but I never imagined he'd become so utterly deranged that he'd cast aside even basic humanity and any feeling he had for Kirigakure..."
Nakamaro's expression was extremely gloomy.
The shinobi below nodded in agreement.
To outsiders, Nakamaro had always seemed like a blade wielded by the Third Mizukage. But the shinobi he had protected all knew that this mysterious lord had never truly been of one mind with the Mizukage.
Over the past few days, the surviving Kiri shinobi he had gathered under him had also gradually come to understand this. They were deeply shaken by Nakamaro's ability to remain composed and capable even within the Bloody Mist, while still retaining humanity, wisdom, and conscience.
"Now, the Third Hokage and the Land of Water's Daimyō have established an alliance..."
"Take a look."
Nakamaro let out a long breath, his expression visibly hesitant.
He was doing this because the relationship between Kirigakure and the Land of Water had always been fractured, and these Kiri shinobi had only recently been fighting Konoha. If he suddenly led them straight under the Hokage's banner, the psychological transition might not go smoothly.
For the sake of his own future career, Nakamaro decided to use a little performance to settle their hearts once and for all.
"This..."
"Hokage-sama is actually this generous? This whole thing is about cooperation! I thought he was going to sink the Land of Water!" one Kiri shinobi exclaimed in shock.
"Exactly! All this stuff about ports and tax exemptions—we were closed off from the outside world before anyway. None of that was even useful to us! If Hokage-sama wants it, he can take it. Who cares..."
A member of the Kaguya Clan spoke bluntly. "Just being able to have goods from the Land of Fire shipped in so we can actually buy them is already an enormous blessing!"
Joy appeared in the eyes of quite a few people.
What they had feared most before was Hiruzen, who seemed like some kind of demon god. If he carried out indiscriminate attacks throughout the Land of Water, what were they supposed to do?
Surrender, or resist?
Now that a respectable path had suddenly been laid out before them, most of the Kiri shinobi were already wavering.
"I don't think it's a good idea!"
"This treaty may be fair, but can there really be trust between shinobi?" Nakamaro deliberately said.
"Besides, Kirigakure was still the side that started the war. What if there's some kind of trap hidden in all this?!"
Terumī Mei's thoughts stirred. Smart as she was, she had already understood Nakamaro's intentions. She frowned and said, "Nakamaro, don't be so extreme! If it were some other Kage, what you're saying might make sense, but that's the Third Hokage. Don't you know what kind of reputation and credibility he has?"
"He even spoke up for someone like Kiritori, all for the sake of establishing an alliance between the two sides!"
"You know how Hokage-sama treated Kusagakure! He only executed the chief culprits, took the compensation that was rightfully due, and then even helped Kusagakure's dove faction rebuild their homes. He even released the prisoners from the other hidden villages and sent them back the way they came..."
Kisame exchanged a glance with Nakamaro and, following the script, picked up right where she left off.
"Hokage-sama never wanted to start a war with Kirigakure in the first place. Konoha never even tried to hide its aerial strength from us. They were clearly trying to stabilize the alliance by showing their muscles!"
"It's all Kiritori and Genji's fault for losing their minds. Even then, they still insisted on betraying the peace agreement..."
Snow gave a light cough. All four Konoha exchange students had now joined the battle for public opinion.
"When you were in Konoha, didn't you know what things were really like there? To put it harshly, I don't think the current Kirigakure or the Land of Water is worth Hokage-sama ruining his reputation over..."
Snow vividly described Konoha's prosperity, shinobi welfare, and its many other advantages. The Kiri shinobi listened with their mouths unconsciously hanging open.
Their eyes were filled with longing, but the anger in their hearts also burned hotter and hotter.
That damn Third Mizukage and Genji deserved to be cut to pieces! Hokage-sama hadn't hidden a damn thing from them, and they still couldn't figure out who was stronger and who was weaker? Yet they still stubbornly charged straight into him?
They really deserved to die!
"Hokage-sama's reputation truly is unlike that of any other shinobi..."
"Although I do have a close relationship with Tenzō-ojiisan, the head of the Hyūga Clan. He's now a Konoha Council Member, someone in a position somewhat similar to Genji..."
Nakamaro sighed.
"But everyone knows what Kiritori has done. Even though Hokage-sama is generous and good-tempered, you all saw what he looks like when he's angry..."
At the mention of Hiruzen's performance on the battlefield, the Kiri shinobi all shuddered.
It had been truly terrifying...
"I'm very worried that some among us still retain bad habits left over from the Bloody Mist. If we answer the Land of Water Daimyō's call and join Hokage-sama's efforts to rebuild the country..."
"If someone crosses a line, they could drag all of us down with them!"
Nakamaro shook his head.
"And I'm not someone who wants to turn on my own comrades. To avoid being forced into an impossible position, please forgive me, but right now I genuinely don't know what I should do..."
"Besides, I'm a Kaguya, and I really do have an unusual connection with Konoha's Hyūga Clan. If I lead all of you to seek out the Hokage, I'm afraid you might start looking at me differently."
"Everyone should simply follow their own wishes. I'll retire and return home now, find some quiet place in the Land of Water, and live in seclusion from now on."
The Kiri shinobi looked at one another, surprise and delight filling their eyes.
What?!
Nakamaro-sama actually knew Konoha's "Genji," and they were even close?
Wouldn't having someone they knew there make things even safer?
Especially after Mei's reminder, the Kiri shinobi finally snapped out of their fear of Hiruzen's combat power and remembered that this man was famously kindhearted and generous...
Even the Third Mizukage himself had repeatedly said in Kirigakure:
"Sarutobi Hiruzen is a good man, but not a good Hokage. He's generous, but not smart enough."
At this point, both sides had practically certified the same thing from opposite directions.
"Nakamaro-sama, what are you even saying?!"
"You can't leave! We would never judge you with such despicable suspicions!"
"Please don't abandon us! Without you, we won't feel secure. You were the one who saved all of us!"
"We'll strictly follow Hokage-sama's requirements! If anyone causes trouble, I'll kill them myself!"
"Right! Kill anyone who refuses to follow the rules! We absolutely can't let them ruin Nakamaro-sama's plans or the Land of Water's future!"
Requests rose one after another, nearly loud enough to blow the roof off.
Nakamaro smiled inwardly.
This was a little trick Tenzō had taught him.
If you wanted to open a window, first propose tearing off the roof. Then everyone would be willing to compromise.
"Sigh..."
"You people... You're really making things difficult for me!"
"Very well. Whether I am understood or condemned, let history be the judge." Nakamaro slowly rose to his feet.
"I hope everyone remembers what they said here today!"
"Come on. Let's go see the Hokage!"
And just like that...
Although Hiruzen transferred half of Konoha's forces in the Land of Water back to the other battlefronts, the addition of Kirigakure's younger generation under Nakamaro actually left him with even more manpower than before.
Not only that, with the legal legitimacy provided by the Land of Water's Daimyō and an administrative force composed primarily of Kiri shinobi, acceptance among the common people and nobles increased dramatically.
The people practically welcomed them with food and drink as a righteous army!
Over the following month, under Hiruzen's leadership, cheers and celebrations greeted them wherever they went. They rapidly absorbed Kirigakure's remaining scattered forces while crushing the rebels who had degenerated into wandering shinobi...
Gengetsu and Mū, who still hadn't received any further orders, silently watched all of this unfold.
Both men were dumbfounded.
What the hell was this supposed to mean...?
The Hokage was actually leading Kirigakure's younger generation and steadily restoring order throughout the devastated Land of Water?
Wait...
Just who was the Mizukage of Kirigakure here, Kiritori or Hiruzen?!
"Sarutobi Hiruzen is actually doing a damn good job..."
"Isn't this much better than things were before the war? The civilians can basically all get enough to eat now. He's implemented that policy called 'work relief,' and now they even have jobs..."
"What a shame. If only the Land of Water under my rule had been like this!"
Gengetsu sighed with complete sincerity.
"Hey..."
"I understand what Senju Tobirama wants you to do now," Mū said thoughtfully.
"What does he want me to do?" Gengetsu froze for a moment.
"He wants you to kill Kiritori first, then attack Sarutobi Hiruzen. Do you understand what I mean?"
Mū spoke in a low voice.
"Why? I've got no problem killing Kiritori, but why attack the Hokage?" Gengetsu's face fell.
"Leaving aside whether I could even beat him, I don't want to interfere while he's here helping the Land of Water. I was the Second Mizukage who genuinely cared about the people, damn it! I'm not that bastard Kiritori!"
Mū gave a cold laugh.
"Idiot. It's about legitimacy!"
"You, the Second Mizukage, killing the Third Mizukage would nail him forever to the pillar of disgrace. It would completely repudiate everything he did throughout his thirty years as Mizukage and erase the last traces of resistance among the Kiri shinobi."
"And as for you attacking Sarutobi Hiruzen..."
"Doesn't Kirigakure choose its Mizukage based on who has the strongest fist? At least, that's how it works on the surface."
"If you lose to Sarutobi Hiruzen in a fair fight, wouldn't that amount to you, the Second Mizukage, handing the position of 'Mizukage' over to him?"
"That would give Sarutobi Hiruzen enough legitimacy to call himself Mizukage. All you'd have to do is say a few key words..."
"Something like, 'I hope you'll take care of Kirigakure and the Land of Water'..."
"The only question is whether you're willing to do it..." Mū said quietly.
"Senju Tobirama could actually force you to do all of this under his control, but he hasn't. He's not satisfied with merely killing you—he wants to break you too!"
Gengetsu blinked hard.
Huh? So that's what this was about?!
That...
Actually didn't sound so bad...
In fact, it sounded pretty damn good?
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