“Not pursue the matter?”
Shinsuke almost laughed.
“Does Sunagakure still have the ability to pursue anything?”
He slowly folded his arms, his gaze sweeping across the gathered Suna-nin before him.
“You claim you’ve come here for peace talks, yet I don’t see the slightest bit of sincerity.
You expect us to withdraw with nothing but empty promises?”
His voice suddenly turned cold.
“If you’re unwilling to give us anything, then we’ll simply take it ourselves!”
“And if any of you have a problem with that, you’re welcome to settle it with us on the battlefield!”
The moment he finished speaking, Uchiha Shisui, Yūhi Shinku, and Hyūga Hizashi all stepped forward simultaneously.
Several hundred Konoha ninja behind them tightened their formation, weapons in hand, confronting the Suna-nin across from them.
The atmosphere instantly became so tense that it seemed a fight could erupt at any moment.
Watching the opposing formation, Chiyo let out a silent sigh.
The Konoha of the past had never been like this.
In previous years, Sunagakure would repeatedly violate treaties and raid the Land of Fire’s border settlements.
Once Konoha reinforcements arrived, both sides would clash briefly before Sunagakure proposed peace, and Konoha would almost always agree without hesitation.
Then, when the next period of unrest arrived, Sunagakure would once again tear up the agreement and invade.
The cycle repeated endlessly.
But now…
Since when had Konoha learned to negotiate?
Worse still, she didn’t dare reject them.
The enemy possessed more Jonin and greater overall combat strength.
If a battle truly broke out, Sunagakure would gain nothing.
Rasa clearly understood the situation as well.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward half a pace and spoke in a restrained tone.
“Konoha may state its conditions.
As long as they’re reasonable, Sunagakure is willing to accept them.
But you must immediately stop the looting and withdraw to the Land of Fire.”
Shinsuke raised an eyebrow.
“We want war reparations.”
He extended a finger and began counting them off.
“Konoha spent an enormous amount of manpower and resources dealing with your invasion.
Let’s not mention everything else.
I alone used one hundred thousand Explosive Tags.”
“Each tag costs five thousand ryō.
That’s five hundred million ryō right there.”
At that, he spread his hands with a faint smile.
“You people only lost a bunch of cold, lifeless comrades.”
“But Konoha lost warm, hard earned money.”
Rasa’s chest rose and fell violently.
For a brief moment, he wanted nothing more than to order an attack.
But reason prevailed.
If they suffered another defeat, Sunagakure would completely lose the Daimyō’s trust.
Having their budget reduced would be the least of their worries.
Even his position as the future Kazekage would likely be in jeopardy.
Forcing himself to remain calm, he asked in a low voice,
“How much do you want?”
Shinsuke held up a single finger.
Rasa quietly relaxed.
“If it’s ten billion ryō…”
“Ten billion?”
Shinsuke sneered and interrupted him.
“Do I look like a beggar?”
“I can loot more than that from a single city.”
“I want one hundred billion.”
The entire area fell silent.
Even the Konoha ninja thought their commander was asking for far too much.
Chiyo immediately stepped forward, anger written all over her aged face.
“Impossible!”
“Absolutely impossible!”
“One hundred billion is Sunagakure’s entire financial revenue for four years!”
“That’s exactly what I want.”
Shinsuke’s smile disappeared.
“Otherwise, what’s stopping you shameless people from recovering your strength and tearing up the treaty to invade the Land of Fire again four years later?”
His eyes swept across the gathered Suna-nin.
“I’d rather cripple your development for a few years.”
“That way everyone gets some peace and quiet.”
The Suna-nin found themselves speechless.
Refute him?
The problem was…
that was exactly how Sunagakure had behaved all these years.
Finally, Rasa spoke again.
“One hundred billion is far beyond what we can afford.”
“Could you lower the amount?”
Shinsuke shook his head mercilessly.
“Don’t even think about it.”
“If you can’t pay, then we’ll simply take it ourselves.”
“How about this?
We promise to stop as soon as we’ve looted one hundred billion.”
Rasa’s face turned completely dark.
They absolutely could not allow Konoha to continue pillaging.
If the Land of Wind’s Daimyō became enraged, Sunagakure would pay an unbearable price.
At that moment, Pakura, who had remained silent until now, suddenly raised her head and stared at Shinsuke with blazing eyes.
“Uchiha Shinsuke…”
“After treating the civilians of the Land of Wind like this…”
“Don’t you feel you’ve disgraced the ancestors of the Uchiha Clan?”
Shinsuke looked at her, then suddenly smiled.
“Oh?”
“Trying to use morality against me?”
He slowly shook his head.
“What a pity.”
“I don’t have any morals.”
“So you can’t use them to bind me.”
The negotiation once again reached a stalemate.
After a long silence, Shinsuke suddenly spoke again.
“Actually…”
“I could lower the amount.”
“But…”
Rasa’s eyes immediately lit up.
“But what?”
Every Suna-nin turned to look at him.
Instead, Shinsuke’s gaze settled on Pakura, a faint smile on his lips.
“I can settle for fifty billion.”
The Suna-nin collectively let out a sigh of relief.
Although fifty billion was still an astronomical amount, it was half of the original demand.
More importantly, it was also Rasa’s psychological limit.
Shinsuke continued,
“But Pakura comes back to Konoha with us.”
Pakura’s pupils instantly contracted.
“…What?”
“What?”
“Aren’t you the one preaching morality?”
“Trading one female ninja for fifty billion ryō is an incredible bargain.”
“Countless citizens of the Land of Wind would be spared because of you.”
Beside her, Chiyo fell silent.
Rasa even appeared tempted.
He suddenly walked over to Pakura and lowered his voice.
“Pakura…”
“The village really can’t come up with that much money.”
“Please agree to it.”
Pakura stared blankly at him, disappointment filling her eyes.
She had bled for Sunagakure.
She had carried out countless dangerous missions.
The name of Scorch Release Pakura had once terrified innumerable enemies.
Yet now…
She was nothing more than a bargaining chip.
Chiyo slowly walked over as well.
“Pakura.”
“This is the village’s decision.”
“And your mission.”
A mission.
That’s right.
Wasn’t carrying out missions the very purpose of a ninja?
Even as an elite Jonin, how many missions would she have to complete before earning fifty billion ryō?
Her lips trembled as her gaze moved from Chiyo’s face to Rasa’s, then to the silent Suna-nin standing behind them.
For the first time…
She felt cold.
Should she resist?
But if she left Sunagakure…
Where else could she go?
And if she refused the mission…
Could she still call herself a ninja?
In the end, she lowered her head.
“…Understood.”
She slowly walked toward the Konoha ranks.
Hyūga Hizashi stepped forward and rapidly struck several of her chakra points with Gentle Fist, sealing her chakra flow.
The familiar sensation of chakra instantly vanished.
She had just been abandoned by her village.
Now even the chakra she had relied upon since becoming a ninja was no longer under her control.
A deep sense of helplessness washed over her.
Watching Pakura arrive at his side, Shinsuke couldn’t hide his delight.
That meant after Dual Cultivating with her…
He would receive another luxurious S Rank treasure chest.
Turning toward Rasa, he said,
“As for the remaining fifty billion…”
“Prepare it within three days.”
“When the money arrives, we’ll leave.”
Rasa looked toward Chiyo.
She slowly nodded.
“…Very well.”
He turned and departed with over a hundred Suna-nin.
Three days later, Rasa returned and handed a Sealing Scroll to Shinsuke.
After ordering his men to verify its contents, Shinsuke confirmed that everything was correct.
Fifty billion ryō.
Not a single ryō was missing.
Putting away the scroll, he raised his voice.
“Konoha!”
“Withdraw!”
“ROAR!”
Thunderous cheers erupted behind him.
“Take your time.”
“Make sure everyone in the Land of Wind remembers the backs of the victors.”
Afterward, Shinsuke had his men bring over a camel drawn wagon with an enclosed carriage and climbed aboard.
The convoy slowly departed, leaving behind the furious and humiliated gazes of the Suna-nin.
After traveling several miles, Shinsuke knocked lightly on the carriage wall and gave an order to those outside.
“Someone.
Bring Pakura inside.
I’ll personally interrogate her.”
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