Minor update:Made some slight adjustments, nothing too important to see again.
(Akio's POV)
—---
After a long day spent torturing captives—a task that brought back the all-too-familiar ringing in my ears that had been blissfully absent for weeks (and I certainly hadn't missed it)—I found myself observing the subtle and not-so-subtle body language of the Anbu operatives from my designated spot. Every shift, every glance, every slight movement was noted and compiled into a thorough report on their behavior, which had become as routine to me as breathing. By the time I completed the report, it was already 6 p.m., the time specified in the message I'd received earlier via scroll. Following those exact instructions, I made my way to Sandaime-sama's office.
As I walked, my usual sixth sense warning me that something particularly undesirable was on the way. Yet, with that awareness came a peculiar curiosity, a need to know what fresh hell awaited me in that office.
"Welcome, Nezumi Ichi. I hope your day went well," he greeted me with that ever-present smile, his smoking pipe resting comfortably in his mouth as if it had been there since the dawn of time.
The fact that he addressed me by my codename right from the start indicated that we wouldn't be dancing around the subject for long. The mission briefing would come swiftly, and with it, the inevitable exchange of hollow pleasantries. But first, I would have to endure yet another one of his "Will of Fire" monologues—speeches that drained me far more than any of the physical work I did.
'There are moments when I'd rather be in the company of Blamekage; at least with him, I don't have to endure that infuriatingly overbearing smile or listen to the hypocritical nonsense that follows…'
When his tiresome lecture finally came to an end—during which I had to suppress the strong urge to remind him that, mentally speaking, I'm at least 20 years older than him and far too old to be subjected to such drivel—he handed me a scroll.
Assuming it was simply the mission details, I unsealed and unrolled the scroll, fully expecting the standard briefing. But the title on the document caught me off guard.
—------------------------------------------------------
THE
TREATY
OF
PEACE, AMITY,
AND
COMMERCE
BETWEEN
KONOHAGAKURE NO SATO
AND
SUNAGAKURE NO SATO
—------------------------------------------------------
I looked up at him, seeking confirmation
of its legitimacy, he simply nodded in response, confirming my thoughts.
'So this is an official treaty signed between them,' I mused, my fingers tracing the signatures of Sandaime-sama and the current Fire Daimyo.
It's not particularly difficult to forge documents; I do it regularly, like when I faked papers to bring a certain bounty hunter into the fold. But there's a catch—almost no one is privy to the chemical formula of the ink used here except for the ink maker himself. This ink isn't ordinary; it has a unique property of absorbing chakra from the signer's blood and then emitting that chakra when touched, allowing anyone who comes into contact with it to sense the signature.
This special ink is prepared on the spot, specifically for the official signing of documents related to the Daimyo of their respective nations. Every person who signs these documents uses ink that carries and emits their unique chakra signature.
The ink is incredibly sensitive; any slight damage to the paper, such as a cut or even a minor bruise, would cause the ink to dissipate instantly. As a result, the scroll must be preserved with utmost care between the two parties to maintain the treaty's authenticity. (So, I have to be exceptionally cautious when handling this.)
This is also why replicating the ink is impossible, and kidnapping the ink maker or one of his family members is out of the question. Attempting such an act would immediately brand you a 'war criminal' in all nations, marking you as a high-priority target to be tracked down and hunted relentlessly, even during times of war.
Since I'm familiar with their chakra signatures—Sandaime-sama once demonstrated the ink's properties to me a few years ago—
Wait a minute, why am I seeing this now?
"Sandaime-sama... shouldn't you be showing me the mission details instead?" I asked, keeping my expression as neutral as always.
Other than the material I proposed to be included, which eventually got approved, there isn't much about this treaty that interests me.
"I just want your perspective after you've finished reading it," he replied calmly. With a few taps on his table, his hidden guards appeared and quickly set up a sound barrier around us, ensuring that no one, not even they, could listen in on our conversation.
'Great, this is going to be a long day,' I thought, suppressing a sigh as I began to read through the treaty.
I could already smell the stench of politics wafting off the scroll.
"Let's see what benefits our side got."
First off, Sandaime-sama secured a significant advantage by acquiring a ninety percent share in a newspaper company that was under the ownership of a minister from the Wind Daimyo's court. With this, we've been granted the liberty to publish anything we desire, provided it doesn't cast a shadow over the Wind Daimyo or Sunagakure. However, the deal does come with a understable restriction: we're barred from using the publication to spread any propaganda aimed at recruiting their citizens or shinobi into our ranks.
The Land of Fire also managed to clinch exclusive rights to the trade of specific materials and products sourced from the Land of Wind. This includes Suna's potent toxins, their specialized medicine, chakra threads, potassium nitrate (saltpeter), sulfur, charcoal, and the elusive 'combustion liquid' found in the reservoirs of the Land of Wind. We've also gained access to animals and plants unique to their region—all at a generous 30% discount.
On top of these, our village is set to receive a substantial sum of 500 million Ryo, with the full payment scheduled to be completed within the next ten years.
"Looks good so far, let's see what they got in exchange..."
Hmm... Sunagakure negotiated an exemption from import taxes when it comes to selling iron sand and gold dust to civilian industries within the Land of Fire. Furthermore, they've secured the right to sell these materials to Land of Fire weapon and jewelry industries, as well. I anticipate a favorable response from the Uchiha clan, given their involvement in the weapon industry, and the Hyuga clan, who have deep ties to the jewelry sector.
Additionally, they've secured a 30% discount on supplies of wood from the Land of Fire—vital for both their energy needs and puppet production—along with discounted food and water.
...
"So what is the problem here?"
On the surface, this treaty leans in our favor.
We've achieved most of our goals, albeit at a slightly higher cost than we initially aimed for. But the resources we are providing will place them in a position of dependency on us. Should we ever deny them access to our markets and restrict sippy of resources, their economy would take a significant hit. In such a scenario, they would be financially crippled and unable to consider waging war against us, fully aware of the advantages we can revoke if they dare to oppose us.
And while this alliance treaty is set only for a decade, the likelihood of renewal is high if they continue reaping the benefits it offers.
In essence, we've maneuvered them into becoming our second satellite organization. On top of that, we've secured the right to utilize a second tailed beast during wartime, sparing us the trouble of raising one ourselves. (And with a little persuasion, I can ensure tail beast would not attack us.)
Of course, the real kicker of the treaty was in the last section of the treaty.
--—----------------------------------------------------
·Hosting biennial Joint Chunin Exams to commemorate the friendship between the two villages.
—------------------------------------------------------
"A Joint Chunin Exam in the middle of a war?"
"When is the upcoming Joint Chunin Exam?"
"In six months."
"What is the venue for the exam?"
"Konoha."
"Did they keep insisting on having the Chunin Exam?" I asked after a few rapid questions, knowing he wouldn't agree unless they refused to meet our demands and left no room for negotiation. (Unless he went senile at the early age of thirty-four.)
"Yes, the representative from Sunagakure insisted to the point that the negotiations dragged on for days and were going nowhere," he says, maintaining his composure and smile.
"After prematurely announcing peace between the two villages indirectly when both villages withdrew troops from the Land of Rivers, it wouldn't look good to resume the war. They might accuse us of being unreasonable for not accepting the terms, which would damage my reputation."
So, you signed it…
'Yup, the whole thing is a red flag...'
It reminds me of the Chunin Exam in the anime, where they launched an invasion to attack Konoha during the exam.
However, the context of the situation and timing of both Chunin Exams are different, which makes it stand out.
That Chunin Exam happened during peacetime when they had an official alliance, so Konoha had its guard down, least expecting an attack from Sunagakure. It was obvious that Blamekage assisted them through Orochimaru, who instigated Sunagakure to attack. (Or else the incompetence of the Anbu force was very alarming in that generation.)
While in the present, they are insisting us to host the upcoming Chunin Exam after six months during a time when we've just established this 'alliance,' so we'll definitely have our guards up and be suspicious of every move they make.
If they really want to attack, they won't do it now, when they know we'll be on guard and do everything to prevent any funny business, especially since this would be the first Joint Chunin Exam, where everyone will pay extra attention.
But it begs the question: why would they insist on having the Chunin Exam hosted by us?
On the surface, the Chunin Exam is nothing more than a glorifying show for the Daimyo and his ministers, presented by the respective village to entertain them. However, it's important to hold it every six months as they also judge the quality of shinobi in the exam, where we need them to believe their funding to their respective villages is worth it.
Hell, if common and untrained folks like them could observe the movements of a C-B rank shinobi without getting dizzy, we would also have the Jonin Exam as well.
So, they're definitely going to send a few teams of highly competent Genin to compete in the Chunin Exam, or else their funding from the Wind Daimyo will be cut if the Suna teams perform underwhelmingly.
Considering they should have reservations about the protection of the teams they send, they should also send a good number of shinobi as protection, who could actually be the force carrying out the attack during their supposed invasion. But this would also reduce their manpower for fighting against Amegakure and Iwagakure, where they would face substantial losses on the battlefield against Amegakure and Iwagakure.
So there's a very low chance they would bother to pull off an invasion when the odds and cost of opportunity are stacked against them.
"If you've finished reading, tell me your perspective on their supposed reason for wanting the Chunin Exam?" he said after puffing some smoke.
After thinking for a while, I sighed and said what seemed reasonable based on what I understood.
"They're not likely to plan an invasion during a time of war, as it would be too obvious, and we'd be on guard against their supposed scheme. However, they wouldn't be so insistent on us holding the exam in our village in six months unless they have an ulterior motive..."
"I truly don't know what kind of motive they have that would allow them to spend time on us rather than concentrating on Amegakure or Iwagakure, who are weaker than us by a sizable margin..."
"Unless... there's a chance they planned with Iwagakure and Amegakure where the latter two will launch a full-on assault on us in the village during the last phase of the Chunin Exam, while our attention is on Sunagakure's force in Konoha..."
Of course, this is just speculation, as Suna's suspicion of the two villages for the sudden demise of the Ryuka clan and the attacks on caravans which killed the guards and the One-tailed Jinchuriki still exists, though it's not expressed directly. So I can't say for sure they would agree to negotiate with them in the first place.
Puffing smoke, he sighed before his face turned stern, "I have a question. If, in any case, the Jinchuriki of the Four-tails, One-tail, and newly selected Five-tails are used to attack our village, can you hold them off with your Genjutsu like you did last time? And if so, how many can you hold off?"
"I can manage all three of them, but I won't be able to move and will be defenseless against enemy attacks," I confirmed.
Calling them by their name, mentioning the name of the Six Paths and telling the supposed 'future' of our world will be enough to convince them to stay still when I trap them with my 'Genjutsu,' which is really just me using the Mind Body Transmission Technique to communicate with them. (They don't like their hosts yet, so they wouldn't hesitate to listen to me over them.)
After a pause and a look out the window at the village, he kept puffing smoke from his pipe before breaking the silence with a sigh.
"You will be the head organiser and head proctor of the upcoming Chunin Exam, and the Anbu Black Ops division in the village will be under your control during that time.
Also... I will negotiate with Uchiha Clan head Fukashi and Hyuga Clan head Ryuji to send their clan members to assist you during that time as well."
Blamekage will hate it, but he won't deny that we'll need help from both the Uchiha and Hyuga to prevent any mishap from happening while maintaining manpower spread across the Land of Fire. The two clans will also have a rare chance of warming ties between them and the Hokage faction, and their clans—whether it's genuine or not is not my concern—which would be good overall to tip the balance, in my favor of course.(can't let one side be too strong.)
Though it would be such a pain to organise the Chūnin exam from top to bottom, it's better than letting them get their Genins killed during the exam as no way I would just let them waste resources.
Anyway, knowing he was going to finalize it in the upcoming Jonin meeting, I guess there's no need to stay longer.
As I was about to get up, he casually placed a file on the table and, with a deliberate push, slid it across toward me.
"Here are the details of the mission I'm assigning to you and your colleagues," he said, his tone changed drastically from exhausted to 'matter-of-fact'.
'About time you show it…' I thought, feeling a twinge of impatience.
Flipping open the cover of the file, I quickly noticed that the mission was designated as S-rank, specifically assigned to Nezumi Ichi (me), Inu Ichi (Sakumo), and Itsuru Ichi. It felt obvious its a high-stakes mission if they assign all three of us, but something felt off especially how his tone change.
As I flipped through the pages, scanning the details, my confusion only deepened.
'Why are we being assigned as instructors for the Anbu Trainee A batch?'
This batch, known for its potential to produce at least one A-rank shinobi, where typically the weakest members meet the bare minimum of B-rank—hence, they are dubbed the A batch.
From what I remember, the responsibility for training the Anbu Trainee A batch should have fallen to the Blamekage. After all, he had practically fought tooth and nail over this matter, eager to influence their minds before Sandaime-sama could, where end result arw the recruits who has split loyalty between the later and the former.
"Shouldn't Ojii-sama be the one responsible?" I asked, genuinely curious about why they had chosen us three for this role instead.
I'm well aware of how obsessive the Blamekage became with the Wood Release project after losing his arm. I had to manage his clan as the acting representative of the Shimura clan leader. (Times like this, I'm grateful I studied accounting in my previous life.)
[Food for thought: Sometimes, what you study in university becomes surprisingly useful in another world that has no clue about such things, or at least very limited knowledge. :)]
But it's odd for him to pass up the chance to have a potential A-rank shinobi under his sway, especially since the Root hasn't been formed yet to carry out his orders without question and that includes orders as extreme as attacking civilians, fellow villagers, or even Sandaime-sama himself.
Moreover, A-rank shinobi are a rare, with the village currently only having seventy of them where eighty-five percent of them are permanently stationed in major cities, the capital of the Land of Fire, and the estates of noble families like the Homusubi dynasty, to which the Fire Daimyo belongs, along with ministers close to him. Due to an agreement Sandaime-sama made with the Fire Daimyo to solidify his position as Sandaime Hokage after the First Shinobi World War, they can't be recalled. I can't imagine the Blamekage simply ignoring this prospect.
"Well, if you read further, you'll see there's a particular variable in the batch that I want you to manage for the time being," he said, his face showing a rare, conflicted expression.
'What do you mean by that?'
I'm already going to deal with the security and logistics of the upcoming Chunin Exam. What more mess do you want me to handle now?
With a sigh of resignation, I turned the pages, scanning the list of shinobi assigned to the batch.
'Sarutobi Shinnosuke,… Mukai Kohinata, … Nonō Yakushi, … Uchiha Mikoto, Hataka Fuuna,… Haruka, … Aburame Shikuro,… Aito Junko,…'
??
'Mikoto?!'
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Author note:·The chapter might be too informative, equivalent to three chapter(around 3000 words) , but this is also beginning point for two or three future arcs where I layout details that foreshadow those arcs, where timeline will stray even further away from canon.
Haruko is the second name of Pakura after wiping out her memories of her previous life.
·Who else feeling the stress of handling two hot potato at the same time?