Konoha: Rebuild the glory of the Uchiha!

Seeing that her son agreed with her opinion, Mito Uzumaki nodded with satisfaction.

Hiruzen, don't blame me.

At least on the issue of dealing with the Uchiha, the Senju clan and I support you. If you can resolve the Uchiha issue, then the Senju will not be an obstacle for you.

As for Mito Uzumaki's promise to Hiruzen Sarutobi to help him deal with the Uchiha clan, Mito Uzumaki has selectively forgotten about it.

Times have changed. Back then, there weren't any Uchiha ninjas who had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Chapter 28 Yunyin comes

Compared to Konoha, Kumogakure selected its Third Raikage much faster. Kumogakure's style is exactly like that of the mafia. After the Third Raikage, A, quelled the coup led by Kinkaku and Ginkaku, he naturally inherited his father, the Second Raikage, from the position of Raikage.

Having ascended to the throne hastily, the Third Hokage, A, is left with a mountain of problems to deal with. The most pressing issue now is how to quell Konoha's anger.

The Third Hokage, A, was agonizing over the sight of Tobirama Senju's corpse. If not handled properly, the Hidden Cloud Village might be at risk of being wiped out.

This is not a good problem to solve!

They agreed to negotiate and stop fighting, rest for a few years, and then have a rematch. However, the Hidden Cloud Village failed to manage the Gold and Silver Brothers, and instead launched a coup, killing the Second Hokage who came to negotiate.

Although the Second Raikage is dead, Konoha certainly doesn't care. What does it matter to Konoha whether your Raikage lives or dies? We agreed to negotiate and stop fighting, but your family launched a sneak attack.

Do they even respect the dignity of the largest village in the ninja world?

If the Third Hokage, A, put himself in Konoha's shoes, he would inevitably go on a rampage until the very end.

Now that things have come to this, we can only hope that Konoha can restrain itself and not go so far as to destroy Kumogakure together with it.

In that case, the Third Hokage A would have no choice but to fight to the bitter end with Kumogakure and Konoha.

A few days later, the envoy from Kumogakure arrived in Konoha, wanting to renew the peace treaty and discuss issues such as returning the body of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

Given that the Hidden Cloud Village was in the wrong, they can make concessions on the previous agreement.

In response, Konoha held an emergency meeting. With Tobirama Senju's body to be returned, there was no point in Mito Uzumaki trying to delay any longer; they had to face reality.

The argument at the conference was very heated. The Jonin of the Senju clan had a simple demand: to fight to the bitter end!

Their own clan leader and Hokage were killed by an enemy village, and they didn't even utter a sound. Konoha might as well just disband and go their separate ways.

Konoha must take revenge!!

Blood for blood!!!

Such voices have been heard repeatedly and have almost become the mainstream.

But reality is very cruel. War is a matter of great importance to the nation, a matter of life and death, and cannot be ignored.

Konoha is no longer capable of launching a decent battle; they're simply out of money.

No Money!

War is expensive!

Who pays?

We can't rely on those noble lords from the Land of Fire!

However, you can't say such things out loud; don't you understand political correctness?

The slogan "Avenge the Hokage" is correct.

Even though Uchiha Nan was sitting below, secretly wishing he could clap and cheer, he had to put on an expression of righteous indignation, as if he wanted to rush to the battlefield and fight the Cloud Village to the death.

Slogans must be shouted loudly!

However, if they were to actually send troops to fight Kumogakure to the death, the clan leaders of the various ninja clans present would have to consider how long their businesses could last. They couldn't very well sell their ancestral property to those unscrupulous bankers in the Land of Fire.

Those molting animals are a bunch of heartless devils.

They're sitting on their laurels; as long as you dare to sell, they'll offer a price that even they themselves find out to be incredibly low.

It doesn't matter if you don't sell; the price will be lower later.

Mito Uzumaki looked down at the ninja below, who were clamoring for revenge. The clan leaders of each family were filled with sorrow and remained silent, their attitude already quite clear.

Revenge is possible, but not now.

Konoha is almost exhausted; if the fighting continues, everyone will be finished.

After a major battle, it's not just Kumogakure that will be dealt with; there might also be Iwagakure and Kirigakure added to the mix. It could be a three-on-one fight.

Finally, Mito Uzumaki led the heads of various clans to a small room for a final meeting.

After a discussion among the clan leaders, it was decided that fighting was out of the question, but a proper show of force was essential to prevent the surrounding ninja villages from perceiving Konoha as weak. They wouldn't dare utter a sound even after the Hokage's death; otherwise, how could Konoha lead its neighboring villages, like the Grass Ninja Village?

Uchiha Nan naturally had no objection to this, since it wasn't a member of the Uchiha clan who died, but Tobirama Senju.

Mito Uzumaki personally mobilized the Konoha ninja for war, vowing to seek justice and pay for the blood debt.

However, in secret, the heads of various clans issued orders to the clan ninjas heading towards Kumogakure, instructing them to exercise restraint.

We cannot take the initiative to attack. Of course, if the Hidden Cloud Village still dares to send troops to attack, then there is really no point in negotiating, and we might as well perish together.

"If Kumogakure doesn't give a satisfactory answer this time, Konoha will fight Kumogakure to the death!"

Faced with the ninjas from Kumogakure, Konoha issued the strongest diplomatic rhetoric, making the Kumogakure envoys feel that this trip to Konoha might be their last.

However, due to his mission, he still negotiated with Konoha.

Based on the original peace agreement, Kumogakure is willing to pay Konoha an additional 4 billion ryo, with 1 billion ryo to be paid in the first year and the remaining amount to be paid off over five years.

The impoverished Cloud Village, feeling guilty, made significant concessions. They had no money left; they couldn't possibly offer any more, as people were already starving to death in the village.

Grain merchants have already driven grain prices to astronomical levels, three times higher than peacetime prices.

Raikage naturally dealt a heavy blow to these unscrupulous merchants, killing several of them, but unfortunately it was to no avail.

But this is a business with profits several times over, enough to make people risk their lives.

Moreover, grain merchants have powerful backers. They make a fortune by raising grain prices during wars, and it's not like they're making money off just one company. Every country's grain prices have fluctuated wildly.

Look at the neighboring Sunagakure Village, the price of food has almost increased five or six times, and they haven't said a word. Is your Kumogakure Village the only special one?

Then the Raikage who killed the merchant was warned.

Seeing that the Hidden Cloud Village had lowered its stance, the rest would be much easier.

Intimidation, exorbitant demands, wrangling, exchanging harsh words, and if that doesn't work, a fight to the death, ultimately returning to reality.

Konoha demanded an additional 500 million ryo, and the Third Raikage gritted his teeth and accepted it.

Money is just money, something external to us.

The death of ten people from starvation is a number, and the death of ten thousand people from starvation is also a number.

He couldn't do anything about it; reality is just that cruel.

He will suffer the hardships of the villagers of Yunyin Village and bear the infamy.

The final topic of discussion at the meeting was when Tobirama Senju's body would be returned, a major event for Konoha.

We must hold a grand village funeral for Tobirama Senju!

All the clan heads of Konoha must attend in person; the event must be grand!

The nobles of the Land of Fire must also be notified to attend the funeral.

Konoha is going to collect funeral fees from nobles, using the Hokage's funeral to make money, even though it's a bit shameful.

But making money isn't shameful.

The family is on the verge of starvation; continuous fiscal deficits have left Konoha unable to make ends meet.

If Tobirama Senju were alive, he would probably agree, wouldn't he? He contributed to Konoha while alive, and he continued to dedicate himself to Konoha even after death.

This is the Will of Fire—dedicating oneself to the cause until death!

Dear readers, can you use your monthly votes to slap me in the face?

Chapter 29 Burial

Rainy

Since everything was settled with the Hidden Cloud Village and Tobirama Senju's body was returned to Konoha, Konoha has been shrouded in continuous rain.

It was as if even the heavens were sending a message of mourning to Tobirama Senju.

The Senju family rushed to commission a luxurious coffin, made entirely of golden nanmu wood, which they purchased from the Land of Fire at a high price.

It is said that the craftsman who made this coffin has been making coffins for the nobles of the Land of Fire for generations. Those who can afford to use such a coffin are basically the daimyo and royal family of the Land of Fire.

It's a bit of a shame that by the time Tobirama Senju got to enjoy it, his body was already covered in lividity and still smelled of decay.

Under Mito Uzumaki's management, the funeral proceeded in an orderly manner. By the time news of Tobirama Senju's death reached the ears of the daimyo of the Land of Fire, it was revealed by an insider.

The daimyo of the Land of Fire was overwhelmed with grief, crying until his voice was hoarse and he almost fainted.

Everyone around him was moved to tears, praising the Daimyo as a man of true character, and saying that the relationship between the Land of Fire and Konoha was stronger than gold.

After the daimyo calmed down, he announced that he would suspend court for three days to mourn Tobirama. At the same time, he sent his eldest son to Konoha to attend the funeral and to express his condolences in a generous manner, so that the hero who protected the Land of Fire would not shed blood and tears.

Other dignitaries who received invitations from Konoha were equally saddened and sent important members of their families to attend the funeral, offering equally generous condolences!

The funeral preparations took several days to complete, and Tobirama was finally able to be laid to rest!

Central part of the mourning hall

A coffin made of golden nanmu wood sat there, and on the table in front of it was a portrait of Tobirama Senju, along with an incense burner, candles, and the food that Tobirama loved most during his lifetime as offerings.

The funeral hall was surrounded by white wreaths.

"The filial son smashes the basin!"

Standing at the very front of the coffin, Senju Momoma smashed the jar in her hand with a snap, then knelt down, followed by a chorus of cries and wails.

Since Tobirama Senju had no son, Momoma Senju was the most suitable person to break the basin for him.

After burning the paper money, a brief offering is made.

"Lift the coffin!"

Four strong Senju clan members carried Tobirama Senju's coffin toward the Konoha cemetery. They were the closest relatives to Tobirama Senju, his nephews and nieces.