The Third Hokage wore an expression that said it all—as if he expected this reaction from Tsunade. He knew she wouldn't accept the terms, or at least, not all of them.
"Old man, have you lost your mind?"
Ignoring the ruined floor she had stomped on, Tsunade looked like an enraged bull. Her eyes were wide, and even her nostrils flared with fury.
The rage in her eyes almost overwhelmed the Third Hokage.
She slammed the document onto the table, not caring whether the desk could handle the impact, and angrily demanded, "This is the outcome of your insistence on leading the negotiations?"
What on earth had happened?
Did Hiruzen agree to some harsh terms that were disadvantageous to Konoha?
Startled, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged bewildered glances, staring as Tsunade yelled at the Third Hokage.
"Look at these conditions yourself! I understand the unconditional release of Rasa—it's the basis for the Sand Village's negotiation. Fine, let him go; he's not much of a threat. But what is the meaning of wiping out the war reparations for the Sand Village?"
"Has Konoha suddenly become so wealthy that we don't need reparations anymore?"
"What on earth were you thinking?"
Tsunade felt like her lungs were about to explode from sheer anger. She wanted nothing more than to smash the Third Hokage into pieces.
"And this too—Konoha is barely able to support itself. The daimyo's resentment is already deep, and you just came back from the daimyo's palace not long ago. Are you not aware of this?"
"And yet, you agreed to support the Sand Village's development?"
Are you insane, or am I losing it?
What kind of ridiculous negotiation is this?
If she had known it would turn out like this, Tsunade would never have let the Third Hokage leave Konoha. She would rather have gone herself, or even sent Koharu and Homura.
Those two old foxes loved stirring up trouble and scheming, but at least when it came to major external affairs, they wouldn't compromise.
If it had been them in charge of the talks, they wouldn't have let the Sand Village get away without taking a big hit.
Now, look where they stood.
Tsunade was simply astonished. Nothing had been negotiated.
No reparations, Rasa released, and Konoha still had to lend a hand to help the Sand Village. What nonsense was this?
All for an ally that may or may not be reliable?
Or maybe for the support of a thousand Sand shinobi?
One thousand additional troops were not going to tip the scales for Konoha against the Mist Village.
This war was far from over, and no one knew how long it would last or how it would end.
The current stance of the Mist Village was clear—they were ready to fight Konoha to the death.
"Cough, cough! Tsunade, I didn't want this either, but we need to end the war as soon as possible," the Third Hokage interjected hastily.
Homura and Koharu snapped out of their shock. They were both at a loss for words.
"Hiruzen, don't tell me this is all true. Is this really the outcome of your negotiations?"
They hadn't even seen the documents yet, but from Tsunade's furious shouting, they could tell that Konoha had taken a massive loss.
Countless lives had been lost, vast sums of money and supplies had been used, time had been wasted, and all they had gained in return was an unreliable alliance and a thousand shinobi as reinforcements.
Did Konoha need reinforcements?
Yes.
But not to the point where they were at their wit's end. Even if the Mist Village was determined to fight to the death, Konoha could still hold its ground.
In other words, this thousand-strong reinforcement force was almost inconsequential.
The most frustrating part? Konoha had to bear the cost of supporting these reinforcements.
Were they allies or freeloaders?
The Sand Village lacked resources, but was Konoha overflowing with them?
It only got worse from there. After the war, Konoha would be responsible for supporting the Sand Village's recovery...
All these bizarre and one-sided terms almost made Tsunade cough up blood.
"Sigh..."
The Third Hokage sighed.
"I know these terms are harsh and detrimental to Konoha, but what we need is time and stable development. Even if we agreed on substantial war reparations, Konoha wouldn't be able to reap any benefits in the short term."
"That's why I..."
"Enough!"
Tsunade cut him off, waving her hand dismissively.
"You insisted on going to the negotiations, and now everything is settled. My objections are useless now. I'll make sure everything is made public, so you better be prepared."
Prepare for the villagers and shinobi to rise up against you.
Given these terms, Tsunade didn't think she could stay in the Hokage's office any longer. She feared that she might lose control and kill the Third Hokage on the spot.
"I've already prepared myself. This is my responsibility, and I'm willing to bear it. No matter how the villagers and others view or criticize me, I'll accept it. As long as it brings a swift end to the war and peace in return."
The Third Hokage nodded solemnly.
He knew the impact of making this announcement would be immense. Nara Shikashige had warned him as much.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of ally your concessions get us!"
Tsunade slammed the door as she left. She needed to find a place to cool off.
If possible, maybe drink some alcohol to calm the urge to scream and hit something.
Alliances were a luxury for the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
So-called alliances could break at any moment, and the Sand Village's constant back-and-forth wasn't new.
No one should assume that with the Third Kazekage dead and Rasa in power, the Sand Village would settle down.
Rasa wasn't a stable leader.
Otherwise, in the original story, he wouldn't have accepted Orochimaru's offer to target Konoha.
The betrayal earned them infamy, and Rasa didn't even make it to Konoha before being killed.
At least Gaara had some sense of loyalty.
But unfortunately, during that time, the Sand Village was too weak to act, and even if Gaara resisted, it wouldn't have made much of a difference if the other leaders decided to revolt.
"Hiruzen, you... sigh."
Koharu and Homura quickly skimmed through the document, and both were left speechless.
"I hope you can understand my intentions," the Third Hokage said.
There was no turning back now. If Konoha reneged, the Sand Village would simply issue an announcement, which would make Konoha look foolish.
Besides, the Third Hokage had no regrets.
Compared to war reparations or other compensations, he valued time for Konoha to rest and recover.
He still believed that the elite forces led by Chiyo would be helpful in the war against the Mist Village, and an alliance between the two villages would put pressure on the Mist Village.
The Third Hokage thought things through thoroughly, even envisioning using pressure from other villages to force the Mist Village to end the war.
What he hadn't foreseen was that the Third Mizukage was a madman under someone else's control.
The reason for starting the war was to continually weaken the overall strength of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
The way the Mist Village recklessly attacked Konoha's positions showed that the Third Mizukage didn't value the lives of his own shinobi.
There was no way he would be intimidated by an alliance between Konoha and the Sand Village or choose to end the war.
If anything, he would be thrilled for the Sand Village to join in so that three villages could continue the fight—preferably until they all destroyed each other.
Faced with the Third Hokage's determination, Koharu and Homura could only sigh.
The two of them stayed silent for a long time.
"If that's the case, then Hiruzen, you must be ready to face criticism and insults. This will tarnish your reputation significantly."
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Next Bonus: 1000
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