Homura watched as Yahiko suddenly changed his demeanor, his eyes flickering slightly. What did this expression mean? Was Yahiko truly unaware of everything?
However, what Homura was truly concerned about was whether the alliance could be formed. After thinking for a moment, he decided not to push Yahiko further. Instead, he said, "Konoha is unwilling to add more bloodshed. Ending the war as soon as possible is beneficial to everyone, but if someone thinks they can use this situation to pressure us, they are simply dreaming."
Yahiko didn't respond but remained silent, sitting there without saying a word.
Asahi gently nudged him under the table, hoping to get a reaction, but Yahiko remained unresponsive.
At this point, Konan, who had been quietly observing, cast a worried glance at Yahiko. She too had been shocked by Homura's statement, and immediately guessed that Yahiko might be struggling to accept the situation even more.
Asahi decided to speak up first. "One of our representatives is feeling unwell. We should pause the negotiations for now."
Homura frowned at this but didn't press further. After a brief pause, he spoke again, "Yahiko-san, if you truly want to end the war quickly, you must show genuine sincerity."
With that, Yahiko, Asahi, Konan, and Kyusuke stood up to leave the room, and the rain ninja who had been taking notes also departed.
Only the two Konoha advisors remained in the room. Koharu turned to Homura and asked, "What's going on with him?"
Homura pondered for a moment. Before coming here, they had investigated the current situation of the Rain Country, and they knew that a group called the Akatsuki, led by Yahiko, was active in the region. The organization advocated for peaceful negotiations and opposed the use of force.
At first, Homura hadn't paid much attention to this, dismissing Yahiko as just another figurehead. But now, seeing that it was Yahiko who had come to negotiate with them, he couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Perhaps Yahiko was just another one trying to gain fame.
But now, it seemed Yahiko are more important than they realized. Had they misjudged him? And why had Hanzō sent someone like him to negotiate?
They had previously dealt with Hanzō, the leader of the Rain Country, when they were enemies. Hanzō was known for his deep schemes and dangerous methods.
Meanwhile, outside the room, Asahi, Kyusuke, Konan, and Yahiko arrived at a secluded area. Once they confirmed that the rain ninja hadn't followed them, Konan asked worriedly, "Yahiko, are you alright?"
The rain continued to fall, muffling their voices.
Yahiko clenched his fists, and after holding back for a moment, he couldn't contain his frustration any longer and slammed his fist into the nearby wall.
"We've been deceived!" he ground out through clenched teeth.
Originally, if Konoha and the Sand Village had successfully allied, the war could have ended smoothly. But Hanzō had secretly interfered, preventing that from happening and even dragging the Rain Country into the conflict.
Why? Did Hanzō, like the leaders of the Five Great Nations, want to profit from the war?
Kyusuke angrily chimed in, "I never expected Hanzō to be this kind of person. I truly thought he was a visionary leader. What's the difference between him and the other leaders of the Five Nations now?"
Yahiko took a deep breath. "I need to see Hanzō and confront him about this."
Just as he was about to turn and leave, he noticed Asahi's calm expression, and instinctively paused.
"Asahi, what do you think?" Yahiko asked.
Asahi pondered for a moment before responding, "I think Hanzō is trying to use this opportunity to expand the Rain Country."
"Expand?" Yahiko furrowed his brow. "Where would we expand?"
Asahi explained, "No matter what, the Rain Country is still a small nation. Compared to the Five Great Nations, it's too small, and the number of ninjas it can produce is extremely limited. Even if the war ends, the Rain Country won't have a real chance to talk with the Five Nations as equals."
Yahiko grew furious. "But this way, using the war as a tool, is not for peace!"
Asahi remained noncommittal. Hanzō had been in power in the Rain Country for decades, and the path the Akatsuki was now walking was certainly something Hanzō had once tried.
Yahiko stared at Asahi with wide eyes, disbelief written on his face. "Asahi, do you think what he's doing is right?"
Asahi calmly replied, "From the perspective of a leader, using war to expand the nation is indeed an effective strategy."
Yahiko's eyes widened even further, and he stared at Asahi in shock. "You…"
Yahiko slumped against the wall, his gaze cast downward as he muttered, "Asahi, how can you be so cold?"
Asahi replied calmly, "Hanzō is getting old. A vision of world peace may be too distant for him."
The rain continued to pour, water streaming down Asahi's cloak, while Yahiko's hair and face became drenched. He gazed upward at the overcast sky, remaining silent.
What should they do now? Should they refuse everything? But the fate of the Rain Country was still in Hanzō's hands. He couldn't do anything, and even if they left now, Hanzō would just send someone else to handle the negotiations.
"Asahi... tell me, what should we do to make things right?"
Asahi looked at Yahiko's face, the rain blurring his features. "The road is always rough. In the future, we might not consider Hanzō as a companion on this path, but we can't avoid him."
Yahiko smiled bitterly. Hanzō had always been able to look down on them from above. The path he set was the only one they had to follow. Before reaching the end, Hanzō would always be the first mountain they had to climb.
The rain seemed to grow heavier, and Yahiko wiped his face, shaking the water from his hood before putting it back on. The cold water ran down his neck, helping clear his thoughts.
"Let's go. The Konoha people are still waiting for us."
Kyusuke , still confused by the conversation, asked, "Yahiko, are we still going to continue the negotiations?"
Yahiko's voice was strangely calm. "What else should we do? Leave?"
He took two steps forward, then paused. "I suddenly believe that when Hanzō was younger, his desire for peace wasn't fake..."
"But we're different from him. We won't change!"
Yahiko and the others returned to the previous Rain ninja, informing him that the negotiations would continue.
The ninja glanced at Yahiko's soaked appearance and said, "Lord Yahiko, would you like to change into dry clothes first?"
Yahiko shook his head. "It's nothing. Just some tears."
The tears of this country...
The Rain ninja was left momentarily puzzled. What tears? What was he talking about? Had the rain gotten into his head?
Upon reaching the door to the negotiation room, Yahiko suddenly whispered to Asahi, "Asahi, you lead the negotiations this time. You can do whatever you want. Everything we're doing now isn't for Hanzō; it's for this country."
Asahi glanced at him in surprise.
But Yahiko didn't give him a chance to refuse and walked into the room ahead of him.
"Apologies for keeping you waiting," Yahiko said, removing his cloak. Homura watched him with an impassive expression, seeing Yahiko drenched to the bone.
"No matter. We are discussing matters of great importance between our two countries. It's good to be cautious," Homura replied.
Yahiko sat down in the seat originally intended for Asahi. Konan hesitated for a moment before sitting beside him.
Homura and Koharu were surprised by Yahiko sitting in the wrong seat, but then they noticed another young face sitting in the opposite seat.
"Yahiko-san?" Homura asked.
Yahiko looked at the two older men with a grin. "This is Asahi. Lord Homura, Lord Koharu, let's continue."
Asahi? Homura and Koharu both recognized the face. As ninja, they would never miss such details. He had been following Yahiko around at the Konoha camp in the Land of Grass.
Until now, they had only seen him as one of Yahiko's subordinates.
In Homura 's mind, Yahiko wasn't someone worth paying attention to, let alone one of his subordinates.
Homura turned to Yahiko and said, "If you still wish to form an alliance, we can offer additional conditions on top of the tenfold amount of funds and supplies that were previously agreed upon. The Fire Country can provide you with sufficient logistical support."
Yahiko didn't respond or show any intention to speak. Homura frowned, then slowly turned his gaze toward Asahi.
"And your stance?" he asked.
Only when Homura 's gaze fell upon him did Asahi calmly speak, "Our demand has always been clear from the beginning: twenty times the amount, not a single less."
Homura let out a cold laugh. "Are you truly here to form an alliance?"
Asahi responded, "It's hard to say. But you are the ones seeking an alliance, aren't you?"
Homura 's expression darkened slightly.
Koharu spoke up, "Twenty times is impossible! And if you continue with this attitude, I believe the Sand Hidden will eventually learn the truth about Ebizo's death."
Asahi shook his head gently. "That's too far ahead. We should focus on the matter at hand. Twenty times—will you agree or not?"
Homura 's face turned cold. "Arrogant children! Do you think you can dictate terms to the Five Great Nations?"
Yahiko, with a blank expression, watched the unfolding scene.
The Five Great Nations? Just not long ago, even he had considered them to be untouchable entities. When Hanzō first entrusted him with the peace negotiations with Konoha, he had been so excited he couldn't sleep that night.
Asahi remarked, "The Five Great Nations are indeed high and mighty. If that's the case, why are they seeking our help?"
The sarcasm in his words stoked even more anger in the two Konoha advisors.
Homura 's face remained expressionless. "In that case, let this negotiation end here. Konoha will remember today. I hope you won't regret this later."
He stood up, and Koharu followed suit, seemingly ready to leave.
At that moment, Konan and Kyusuke felt uneasy, worried that they had truly angered the two Konoha representatives. Had the alliance already failed?
Asahi, unfazed, spoke calmly, "Fine. There's no need to waste any more time. You still have a war to fight, and we have another negotiation to attend to."
Homura paused, his gaze turning toward Asahi. "What did you say?"
Asahi smiled. "What, Lord Homura, do you think we in the Amegakura can't receive a letter of alliance from Iwagakure ? Kusagakure has already allied with them, so I would imagine the terms from Iwagakure wouldn't be too bad."
Homura sneered. "You've already declared war on Kusagakure. Do you think such a lie will fool me?"
It was no surprise to Homura that Iwagakure would send an alliance letter to the Amegakure. The larger countries were always trying to win over the smaller nations, especially in times of war.
Asahi responded, "It's only a declaration of war; it hasn't officially begun yet. If Iwagakure mediates between us, we can't exactly refuse them."
Homura's gaze grew darker.
Asahi continued, "It seems that Konoha is already convinced that we, Amegakure, will stand by your side. Is that why you're threatening us?"
"War causes death. We could stay out of it, but we're willing to help you to end the war sooner. Lord Homura, if you truly view us as future allies, you must show us some sincerity. But we have yet to see that from you."
Now, it was Asahi's turn to speak in a righteous tone.
Homura stood there, staring at Asahi for a long while before sitting back down.
"Fifteen times. Any more, and it would affect Konoha's own logistics," he said.
The bargaining resumed.
Asahi calmly met his gaze without responding.
Homura's expression darkened further. "Eighteen times, kid. Know when to stop."
Asahi nodded slightly. "Fine. Fifteen times is acceptable."
Homura was taken aback, but Asahi's next words ignited even more fury within him.
"But the Amegakure won't send troops. We can offer you our land instead."
Homura exploded in anger. "Are you mocking me?"
Asahi said, "Konoha is our future ally, and of course, we don't want to jeopardize your logistics. But we can't join a war if we don't have the necessary supplies."
Koharu spoke up. "We, the Land of Fire, will support your logistics."
Asahi raised an eyebrow. "But didn't you just say that fifteen times would impact Konoha's logistics?"
Koharu faltered for a moment before responding, "We can manage, with some adjustments."
Asahi sighed. "Our ninja casualties need compensation. The Amegakure has a small population, and the cost of training is high. Each life is precious to us. So, we won't send troops, but to help end the war sooner, we're still willing to offer our land, as long as you can guarantee the safety of our citizens."
Homura took a deep breath before finally saying, "Fine. Twenty times, it's settled. But we have additional conditions."
Asahi smiled. "The additional condition is that the Amegakure will send troops. There are no other extra conditions."
Bang!
Homura slammed his fist onto the table, his eyes locked onto Asahi.
He slowly stood up, the atmosphere growing tense.
Just as Konan and Kyusuke braced themselves for the confrontation to escalate into violence, Homura surprised them by extending his hand.
Asahi didn't reach for it but instead gestured to Yahiko. Yahiko stood up at the right moment, extending his hand to shake Homura 's.
Homura forced a smile. "May we work together to defeat Iwagakure."
Yahiko replied, "For peace."