Arrogant! Utterly arrogant!
As everyone looked at the young man standing at the center of the hall, openly challenging the Four Great Ninja Villages with his sharp, unrestrained confidence, they were so shocked that they could barely find the words to speak.
His face was still youthful, his features carrying the refined handsomeness unique to someone his age, yet the way he stood in the middle of the conference hall exuded the bearing of one who looked down upon the entire world.
It was as though he were destined to become the future overlord of the Shinobi World, as though the elites of the Four Great Ninja Villages were nothing more than chickens and dogs in his eyes.
Kazahana Doto, representing the Land of Snow, was even more agitated. He stared fixedly at Shinichi's figure, his eyes filled with awe and admiration, feeling that this was how a true man ought to be.
As for the representatives of the Four Great Ninja Villages, who had been directly challenged, and even threatened, by Shinichi Higashino, there was naturally no way they could tolerate it.
Especially the hot-tempered A Yotsuki, who instinctively slammed his hand down to pound the table, only to realize awkwardly that the round table had long since been overturned by a certain samurai, leaving nothing for him to strike.
As he stiffly withdrew his hand, the fury in A Yotsuki's heart surged even higher. In an instant, arcs of lightning crackled around his body, and it seemed that in the very next moment he would charge forward.
But just then, General Mifune, acting as the mediator, immediately stepped forward and positioned himself between them.
"A-sama, please calm yourself."
He glanced at A Yotsuki, then turned toward Shinichi Higashino and said in a deep voice, "Shinichi-sama, as the initiator of this conference, Konoha has the trust of the Land of Iron that it came here in good faith. However, with words such as these, I fear they are not conducive to the proceedings."
Shinichi gave a slight nod and offered General Mifune a simple salute.
"Mifune-sama, first of all, I would like to thank the Land of Iron for the tremendous support and convenience you have provided for this conference. Konoha is deeply grateful."
"Konoha has naturally come here in good faith. There is no doubt about that. The original purpose of this agreement was to establish rules for the Shinobi World, reduce unnecessary casualties, and ensure that even in war, some bottom line remains. Mifune-sama understands as well that, if we were not acting in good faith, Konoha would never have initiated this conference."
"But!"
Shinichi abruptly changed the subject, his gaze returning to A, Kitsuchi, Yagura, Pakura, and the others as he said calmly, "Good faith must come from both sides. The conference has not even officially begun, and the agreement has yet to be discussed clause by clause. Yet, some people immediately joined forces to attack me, singing the same tune, trying to fabricate charges against me, Shinichi Higashino, and pin labels on Konoha. Since they did not come here to negotiate an agreement but to force Konoha to confess its crimes, then I have no choice but to accompany them to the end."
"So, Mifune-sama, what I said just now was neither meant as disrespect toward the Land of Iron nor a sign that Konoha lacks sincerity. I merely wanted certain people to understand this: if they wish to negotiate, Konoha will oblige; if they wish to fight, Konoha will oblige as well. But if they intend to use negotiations as a pretext to coerce us, then, just as Isshin-sama said earlier, this conference might as well not be held."
"And one more thing!"
At this point, Shinichi revealed a faint smile that carried a deeper meaning.
"When you were reading this agreement, I imagine all of you thought there were too many clauses and too many restrictions, that these rules were obviously aimed at you, tying your hands and feet while protecting Konoha, didn't you?"
Shinichi paused, letting his gaze sweep slowly across the faces of every representative.
"You don't actually think these clauses are meant to restrict only you while protecting Konoha, do you?"
"Wrong."
"This agreement is what protects you."
"Oh?"
Fumonon Tokotama adjusted his glasses and asked impassively, "And what makes you say that, Shinichi-sama?"
From the Village Hidden in the Sand's perspective, this agreement imposed far too many restrictions on them, especially the clause that explicitly prohibited the use of poison techniques, particularly large-scale poison techniques.
The reason given was that they were inhumane.
But whether it was poison techniques or Ninjutsu, both were merely methods of killing. Neither was inherently nobler than the other. On what grounds should poison alone be singled out and banned?
After all, the Village Hidden in the Sand was renowned throughout the Shinobi World for its poison and puppet techniques. Forbidding poison was tantamount to severing one of the Village Hidden in the Sand's arms!
If this clause was not aimed specifically at the Village Hidden in the Sand, then what else could it be?
What infuriated the Village Hidden in the Sand even more was that Konoha clearly intended to use this opportunity to stigmatize poison techniques.
Once this agreement passed, poison techniques would forever be branded as inhumane in the minds of the world. It would be a tremendous blow to both the Village Hidden in the Sand's reputation and its entire tactical system.
One of the most important reasons the Village Hidden in the Sand had ultimately decided to attend this conference was to settle this matter once and for all. They absolutely could not allow Konoha to permanently pin that label upon the Village Hidden in the Sand.
"You believe that your poison techniques stand unrivaled in the world, and that Chiyo's mastery of poison is the greatest in the Shinobi World?"
Shinichi glanced at Fumonon Tokotama and asked casually.
"Our poison techniques are naturally profound and extensive, and Elder Chiyo's mastery of poison is second to none." Fumonon Tokotama replied with a calm nod.
"Heh, really?" Shinichi smiled faintly.
"Kid! If you've got something to say, then say it directly. Stop beating around the bush!" Pakura, who had remained silent with a cold expression until now, finally snapped.
"What I'm trying to say is this!"
Shinichi's gaze sharpened as he declared, word by word, "When it comes to poison techniques, the true number one in the world today is neither your Village Hidden in the Sand's Chiyo nor Hanzo of the Salamander from Amegakure."
"It is me."
"I, Shinichi Higashino, am the true greatest master of poison techniques in the world!"
The moment those words fell, the hall erupted into another uproar.
Most people instinctively refused to believe such a claim, but after giving it some thought, they found it surprisingly plausible.
Since ancient times, medicine and poison have always gone hand in hand.
Shinichi Higashino had long been renowned for his exquisite Medical Ninjutsu, and afterward he had successively created medical scrolls, three Light Water, and penicillin, innovations that could only be described as medical revolutions.
In the eyes of the world, the medical attainments of this eleven-year-old boy had perhaps already surpassed those of his teacher, Tsunade, who was universally acknowledged as the greatest Medical Ninja in the Shinobi World.
Not to mention that on the battlefield between Konoha and the Village Hidden in the Sand, Chiyo's once-invincible poisons had repeatedly been neutralized by the young man before them with astonishing speed, precision, and completeness.