Naruto squinted at the distant machinery. "Is that a giraffe?"
Baki let out a dry chuckle. "That's an oil drilling rig."
Jiraiya and Naruto stared, eyes wide, as rows of massive drilling machines stood tall against the desert backdrop. The sight was unlike anything they had ever seen in Konoha—or anywhere else. The sheer scale of the operation was overwhelming. The closer they got, the more awe-inspiring it became.
Jiraiya and Naruto finally spotted Kazekage Mufasa, standing atop a stack of steel ingots. Before they could call out to him, he clapped his hands together, and in a flash of dazzling lightning, another oil rig materialized out of thin air.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "Did… did he just summon a machine?"
Jiraiya swallowed hard. "This must be what Kakashi was talking about… 'unscientific ninjutsu.' But this… this is on another level."
Jiraiya prided himself on understanding all forms of jutsu, yet he had no idea how Mufasa had done that. It defied everything he knew.
Workers immediately swarmed the newly summoned rig, setting it into motion as Mufasa descended effortlessly, landing in front of the oil field's operations center. The car carrying Jiraiya and Naruto pulled up beside him, and Yegui stepped out first.
"Kazekage-sama, the Konoha envoys have arrived."
Mufasa turned, his expression unreadable. "Ah, Jiraiya and Naruto. Welcome. Come inside."
The four of them entered the office, a simple yet functional space. Mufasa gestured casually. "It's nothing fancy. Make yourselves comfortable."
Jiraiya inclined his head respectfully. "I appreciate your time, Kazekage-sama."
Naruto, always less formal, grinned. "Thanks, Uncle Kazekage!"
Mufasa gave a small smirk before settling into a chair. Yegui stood at his side, ever watchful.
"So, what brings you here?" Mufasa asked.
Jiraiya sat up straight, putting aside his usual easygoing nature. "Hokage Tsunade-sama has requested a meeting between the two of you—to resolve the lingering conflict between our villages. She has sent us to ask for your thoughts on the matter."
Mufasa's lips curled slightly. "And what is Konoha's stance?"
Jiraiya's tone remained firm. "The attack by Sand and Sound caused immense damage to Konoha. We lost our Third Hokage. We believe it's only fair that Sand takes responsibility for its part."
Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "Responsibility? And what exactly does that entail?"
"Punishing those involved… and compensation for Konoha's losses."
Mufasa laughed. It wasn't a friendly laugh.
The air in the room grew tense as his sharp gaze locked onto Jiraiya. The weight of his presence made the legendary Sannin feel like prey caught in the eyes of a predator.
Sensing the shift, Jiraiya quickly adjusted his tone. "Of course, we understand Sand was manipulated. The Fourth Kazekage was assassinated. We're willing to be reasonable about the compensation."
Konoha never expected Sand to pay a fortune; they weren't exactly rich. Tsunade and the Konoha Council had already discussed using economic leverage instead—forcing Sand to sign a new treaty that would allow Konoha more control over their resources.
"We know your village has issues with the Wind Daimyo cutting funding," Jiraiya continued. "We could negotiate on your behalf, ensuring he assigns more missions to Sand Ninja."
Mufasa scoffed. "More missions? You mean petty jobs like finding lost pets?"
"No, we—"
Mufasa waved a hand, cutting Jiraiya off. "You've been in the village for days. I thought you would have understood by now, but I see you still don't get it. Or maybe you're just pretending."
Jiraiya's expression tensed. "What do you mean?"
Mufasa leaned forward. "Sand has decided to stop taking missions. We are not like Konoha. We are not like any other village. We will not be the ones taking assignments anymore. We will be the ones giving them."
The air in the room shifted. Metal objects trembled, vibrating ominously. Jiraiya could feel the pressure mounting.
"You're talking about sending us more work? Are you trying to insult us?" Mufasa's voice was laced with irritation.
Jiraiya silently cursed to himself. This was not going well. He had underestimated Mufasa's ambitions.
"I swear, that was not our intention," Jiraiya said quickly in apology.
Naruto chimed in. "Uncle Mufasa, we really are here to talk about peace!"
Mufasa let out a slow breath, the tension in the room easing—slightly. "Fine. Let's talk."
Jiraiya, seizing the opportunity, asked, "Then what are your conditions, Kazekage-sama?"
Mufasa's first demand left Jiraiya and Naruto stunned.
"First, Konoha compensates Sand Ninja."
Jiraiya's eye twitched. "You want the victim to pay the attacker?! That's insane! Kazekage-sama, you can't seriously be trying to twist the situation like this!"
Mufasa leaned back, his expression unreadable. "Tell me… what was the real cause of this war?"
Jiraiya furrowed his brow. "The real cause? What do you mean?"
Mufasa crossed his arms. "You've been traveling the world, writing your little novels, living carefree... Have you ever really stopped to think about this?"
Jiraiya hesitated. Truthfully, he hadn't.
Naruto, on the other hand, groaned. "Ugh, this is way too deep."
Mufasa's eyes narrowed. "So, you haven't thought about it?"
Jiraiya gave a reluctant nod.
Mufasa scoffed. "Konoha is arrogant. When a problem arises, you blame everyone else but never consider your own mistakes."
Jiraiya straightened. "And what exactly is Konoha's mistake, Kazekage-sama?"
Mufasa leaned in. "Tell me, why didn't the Hidden Mist, Stone, or Cloud join this war against you?"
Jiraiya blinked. "...What?"
"Because they had no direct conflict with you. They weren't being crushed under Konoha's heel like we were."
Jiraiya frowned. "Konoha has always worked toward peace with its neighbors."
Mufasa's laugh was sharp. "Jiraiya, you fought in the last Great Ninja War. Do you really believe that? How many wars has Konoha started?"
Jiraiya exhaled. "We've had peace for thirteen years."
Mufasa's gaze sharpened. "And in those thirteen years, did Konoha ever loosen its grip on the Sand Village?"
The room grew heavy with tension.
"Your Daimyō, influenced by Konoha, kept slashing our military budget. The high-paying missions that should have been ours? Konoha took them."
"You didn't launch a direct attack. No, you waged an economic war."
"You wrapped an invisible noose around our village's neck and kept pulling it tighter."
"When our shinobi were left jobless, when our civilians were starving, when we had no other options... What were we supposed to do? Sit and wait to die?"
Jiraiya felt sweat forming on his brow. He had known about Sand's struggles—but he had never thought about it in these terms.
Konoha stood tall, basking in the sunlight. But beneath its branches... there was always a shadow.
Naruto suddenly stepped forward, full of confidence. "Kazekage-sama, we understand your pain! That's why we should work together—to build a better future and break this cycle of hate!"
Mufasa chuckled. "Understand? You, a boy raised in Konoha's safety, think you understand our suffering?"
Naruto opened his mouth, determination burning in his eyes. "I do! Even I los—"
"Stop."
Mufasa waved a dismissive hand.
"Kid, everyone in this world has lost someone. You're not special."
Naruto gritted his teeth. "But—"
"Come here."
Naruto hesitated but stepped forward.
Mufasa moved fast.
Lightning crackled, and Naruto's stomach burned. A grid-like seal spread over his belly, locking his chakra away.
Naruto stumbled, clutching his stomach. He couldn't feel Kurama's chakra at all.
Inside him, the Nine-Tails snarled. A glowing barrier now blocked the seal's gate—any chakra that touched it was instantly crushed.
Jiraiya tensed. "What did you just do?!"
Mufasa stayed calm. "Relax. Didn't he say he understood us? Words aren't enough. Baki, take him to the construction site. He'll work with the laborers, eat when they eat, rest when they rest."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait, what?!"
Mufasa smirked. "You want to understand us, right? Work in the desert heat for a few days. Then we'll talk."
Baki grabbed Naruto by the collar and dragged him out.
Jiraiya didn't stop them.
Mufasa wasn't going to harm Naruto.
Jiraiya remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Kazekage-sama, I still don't understand your full intentions."
"Then let me make it simple." Mufasa leaned back. "You came here for negotiations, right? Here are my terms."
Jiraiya nodded. "I'm listening."
"First, Konoha compensates the Sand Village."
Jiraiya scowled, but remained quiet.
Mufasa ignored him. "Second, both villages exchange prisoners of war."
Jiraiya exhaled. "That's reasonable."
"Third, we re-sign the alliance treaty—but with an additional economic trade agreement."
Jiraiya frowned. "Economic trade agreement?"
Mufasa nodded. "Yes. This war happened because of economics. If we don't address that, it will happen again. A trade treaty would ensure stability."
Jiraiya scratched his head. He wasn't an expert on economics, but Konoha was stronger financially. It didn't seem like a big issue.
"That should be manageable," he said at last.
Mufasa smirked. "Don't be so quick to agree."
With a flick of his fingers, a scroll floated toward Jiraiya.
"Take it back to the village. Study it carefully."
Jiraiya caught the scroll and nodded. "Thank you, Kazekage-sama."
Mufasa's expression turned serious. "There's one last matter."
Jiraiya inhaled sharply. "Which is?"
Mufasa's eyes locked onto him. "The redefinition of the One Country, One Village law."
_____________
Word count: 1504
BTW, I posted a new translation. "HP: With a System in the Wizarding World". It's an HP fanfic. Read it for if you're interested. It's quite good! It has the same potential as this one, if I'd say.
Also, if you're interested in reading some advanced chapters, you can support me on my patreon.
patreon.com/Rai_jin
Thanks for reading guys.