Konoha now was not as strong as before, lacking the capital to go through another Ninja World War.
Tsunade couldn't risk destroying the entire village in a moment of impulse.
She couldn't afford to drag the whole of Konoha into war, even if it meant risking her position as the Fifth Hokage.
"Elder Koharu, the Sand Shinobi have already attacked us. Are you still going to help them recover their losses?" Tsunade said with a cold smirk.
"Tsunade, you!" Turning red with embarrassment and anger, Koharu glared at Tsunade.
She didn't expect Tsunade to completely ignore her position, no matter what she was still a Hokage advisor.
The Sand Shinobi exchanged glances. They dared to be so aggressive because they knew Konoha was currently in decline.
They also viewed Tsunade as a newly appointed Fifth Hokage.
They thought being assertive could suppress Tsunade's arrogance, but Tsunade's sudden slap on the table and cold laughter showed otherwise.
"If Sand Village wants to negotiate properly, then put away your petty attitudes. Don't think that just because Konoha is currently weakened, you can intimidate us!" Tsunade declared.
"What power does your Sand Village have to negotiate compensation with us, Konoha?"
"If anyone's compensating, it'll be your Sand Village!"
"Tsunade!" Koharu angrily stared at Tsunade.
But Tsunade paid no attention to Koharu. These higher-ups of Konoha had grown accustomed to peaceful days, thinking that avoiding war was the best course of action.
It was because of their weak nature that the Sand Village dared to ally with Orochimaru and attack Konoha.
If Konoha had been more assertive, even with a hundred times more courage, the Sand Village might not have dared.
Now that she had taken on the position of the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade was determined to eradicate the village's weak leadership mentality.
Compromising was futile; only strong power could deter enemies.
Ryujiro couldn't help but look at Tsunade with newfound respect. Tsunade's assertiveness surpassed his expectations.
It seemed Tsunade had fully adapted to her role as the Fifth Hokage. Konoha needed a more assertive leader to thrive.
"Tsunade-sama is right. You have no right to negotiate terms," Ryujiro's cold voice echoed in the meeting room.
"Outrageous! Who do you think you are? Just a mere Anbu ninja."
"Is this how the Hokage manages her subordinates?"
The Sand Village delegates stared disapprovingly at Ryujiro, even Koharu's expression darkened.
Was this Anbu ninja out of his mind? This was a negotiation between two countries; he, as a mere Anbu ninja, had no right to intervene.
Tsunade scanned the faces of the Sand Shinobi with a cold gaze and said.
"He does have the right to speak. It seems you all have forgotten the pain you suffered, forgotten who defeated you back then!"
When Ryujiro removed his mask, all the ninjas who had fled from Konoha drew in a sharp breath, fearfully avoiding the face they didn't want to remember.
"Elder Chiyo! It's him! He's the one from Konoha, the genius swordsman who defeated Gaara." Koharu's eyes widened in shock.
Koharu had heard rumors before, but she never expected Ryujiro to be this young. Konoha had produced a monster even more terrifying than Haku.
But why?
Koharu frowned. Ryujiro didn't exude the sharpness she expected; instead, he seemed like a refined scholar.
But often, such people were the most dangerous.
Having the power to defeat tailed beasts and yet disguising oneself as a seemingly weak ninja, this kind of nature was the most frightening.
Chiyo's gaze became solemn.
Tsunade actually recruited such a person into Anbu. This Hokage was indeed not to be underestimated.
"Do you really have the right to say such things? But aren't you afraid that your words will affect the relationship between our two villages?" Ryujiro sneered.
"Did you consider the relationship between our two villages when you launched the sneak attack?"
Chiyo fell silent.
"Even if Konoha is weakened, your village is still the weakest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages."
"Negotiate terms? You're not even worthy." Tsunade looked at Ryujiro with some appreciation. This kid was indeed promising.
The faces of the Sand Village delegation turned extremely ugly. Konoha was too assertive.
Their assertiveness caught them off guard. This negotiation was supposed to be their home ground, but Konoha's strength made them feel somewhat helpless.
"Ryujiro, Tsunade!" Koharu was still worried about the worsening relations between the Land of Wind and Land of Fire.
She was worried that Konoha would not be able to sustain its national strength until the end of the war.
But she didn't realize that powerful ninja villages were never judged by their overall national strength.
If they had enough high-end combat power to influence the entire war situation, that was enough.
Moreover, Ryujiro didn't mind if war broke out, he wanted more souls for Hogyoku .
"Escort the Hokage advisor down. This negotiation doesn't need the Hokage advisor present," Tsunade said coldly.
Koharu looked at Tsunade in disbelief as she was forcibly taken away by Anbu.
Chiyo and the sand shinobi broke out in cold sweats. How would they handle this situation now?
With both Tsunade and Ryujiro present, the pressure on the sand village side was undoubtedly the greatest.
Just then, ninjas from the sand village entered, whispered something in Chiyo's ear, and then their expressions changed rapidly, glaring coldly at Tsunade.
"Fifth Hokage."
"What a clever move."
"All the ninjas that were sent to spy near the Land of Fire have died."
"You've angered several ninja villages at once. Aren't you afraid of another Ninja World War?"
If it was a deadlock just now, their situation was now revitalized, and they could even use this as a reason to pressure and intimidate Konoha.
Tsunade inwardly thought it wasn't good.
The sand village ninjas had found out about the situation near the Land of Fire border.
Ryujiro looked at the Sand Village and Chiyo with a deep gaze, and in an instant, a terrifying aura swept through the entire meeting room like a landslide and tsunami.
Except for Konoha's ninjas, the Sand Village ninjas and Chiyo all felt as if they were carrying a weighty mountain on their shoulders.
Ryujiro looked at the sand village ninjas impassively.
"It seems you still haven't understood the situation. You never had the power for equal dialogue in negotiation from the beginning."
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