Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

Onoki could grasp to some extent the thoughts and ideas of people like Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Fourth Raikage, A. To put it bluntly, he could see that Iwagakure was showing even a hint of its intention to further squeeze out or even destroy Sunagakure!

Konoha and Kumogakure will definitely cease hostilities immediately and join forces to suppress Iwagakure!

Often, threats and benefits are viewed as equals. The most important thing a 'Shadow' should do is to keep the two in a proper balance!

Moreover, no further explanation is needed.

Onoki could have predicted that Konoha and Kumogakure would be surprised and suspicious of such a huge victory for Iwagakure. They might not necessarily stop fighting and turn their attention to them, but they would definitely control the scale of the conflict and keep an eye on Iwagakure's movements!

Therefore, Onoki would definitely not do anything unnecessary here. The gains he had made this time were already substantial enough. The northern fortress, the deaths and injuries of more than two thousand Sand Ninja, the capture of many precious metal producing areas including 'lanthanum', and the hundreds of Sand Ninja prisoners he was holding captive—all of this was a fortune!

If you already have enough and are still greedy, you are very likely to overeat and kill yourself. This is not something a rational person would do!

On the Iwagakure side, including Kyoto and Shoji, under Onoki's orders, they remained on standby and did not show any signs of exerting pressure. Even when the Sand Village clearly sent an additional thousand reinforcements, the Iwagakure side remained unmoved. Kyoto and Shoji knew very well that if the Sand Village only sent a thousand reinforcements, it was definitely to protect themselves.

If the war really continues...

Without transferring two or three thousand more, it's impossible to truly threaten the northern fortress!

When Rasa saw that the Iwa ninjas were not taking any further dangerous actions, and that the Iwa ninjas on the northern fortress front line had even retreated a little, the tension deep in his heart finally eased a little.

While nothing can be definitively confirmed yet, this gesture is at least a positive sign.

By the morning of the third day after the war, the negotiations between the two sides were almost complete. The negotiators had been selected, and the location was arranged in the buffer zone between the northern fortress and the Sand Ninja front-line base camp.

Negotiations on rock and sand have officially begun!

As agreed beforehand, each side arranged for two negotiators, and no more than five bodyguards were allowed to accompany them.

The negotiators from the Sand Village side were Maki and Fushigi.

The guards were also elite members of the Dark Guard personally arranged by Luo Sha.

Although they were on the losing side, Rasa, as the Kazekage, would not appear in such a situation without Onoki's presence. Even though his dignity had already been torn away by Shoji on the battlefield, his status as the Kazekage was still there.

This can be considered the last bit of self-respect.

The negotiator for the Iwa ninja was Date, who was summoned by Onoki to temporarily set aside the matter of the Land of Snow and immediately dispatched to the front line. Although there were many reliable personnel in the village, Date was the most experienced and the person Onoki trusted the most. His assistant was Hoshino, a member of the Jonin class under Akita's command.

The two are also equivalent in status to Maji and Fuyi.

This was also a negotiating arrangement that both ninja villages could have foreseen.

Only in terms of the guards.

Huang Tu originally planned to send a few strong Jonin to accompany and protect him, but he did not expect that Jiang Si would volunteer himself. Of course, Huang Tu and Date were both a little surprised, but they did not refuse Jiang Si's request.

Moreover, this directly saves a lot of trouble.

With Shoji there, there's no need to arrange any other guards. Date doesn't need to worry about his safety at all. Based on his performance in the war, his 'colleague vice-squad leader' is truly one of the most outstanding individuals in the ninja world today.

To kill Uchiha Shoji, Sunagakure would either have Rasa and One-Tailed attack together, or they would have to deploy at least two or three thousand Sunagakure ninja to besiege Shoji alone!

Of course, success is not guaranteed. In the former combination, the Mangekyou Sharingan's ability to suppress the tailed beast's chakra is no joke. As for the latter, even if they can't win, can't they just run away? The Third Raikage was trying to cover the retreat of his village's main force, which is why he got trapped in the Iwa ninja's encirclement and couldn't escape.

This is the kind of ecological environment a 'Kage-level powerhouse' should have!

And at the negotiation location.

When Maki, Fugi, and the five elite Anbu guards who came to escort them saw Shoji's figure, their pupils suddenly contracted, and their bodies trembled involuntarily, which proved the shock deep in the hearts of Maki, Fugi, and the other five Sand Ninja.

'What is this? Could it be?'

'No! That's highly unlikely!'

Maki and Fuki exchanged glances, just like the five Sand Ninja Anbu who were about to take a fighting stance. But it was only a moment of tension. In reality, they all knew that the Iwa Ninja would not do something so stupid; it was simply pointless.

After all, it wasn't their own Kazekage who came.

Moreover, Date and Hoshino were already seated at the negotiating table, which both sides had prepared and checked in advance.

Jiang Si stood to the side, looking utterly bored, but only when Ma Ji appeared did a hint of bright color seem to appear in his pupils.

Maki and Fuyi took a deep breath, then strode to the negotiating table, bowed slightly in greeting, and were greeted in return by Date and Hoshino.

The two of them took their seats at the same time.

239. Extremely Difficult and Harsh Negotiations (Third Update)

Although he still felt a little restless and was very concerned about why Shoji was in this situation, Maki calmed himself down and reminded himself to focus all his attention on the upcoming negotiations. Even though his own village was in a disadvantageous position, Maki wanted to do everything he could to secure a barely acceptable peace agreement for his village, no matter how bad the situation was.

Therefore, even though Maki felt that the gaze that Uchiha genius seemed to be fixed on him was a bit strange, Maki endured it all and went straight into the peace talks with Date and Hoshino in front of him.

In fact, Maki did not misjudge.

Shoji was indeed very interested in Maki. He volunteered to participate in the peace talks this time, mostly because he was interested in the peace talks between ninja villages and felt that it would be 100% useful to Konoha in the future. He wanted to learn about it in advance. The other part was because of Maki, a Sand Ninja who was considered an elite Jonin in the original work.

Although there isn't much of a plot.

There were very few battle scenes, but the fact that Maki could easily kill Hayate Gekko is enough to prove his personal strength. As a genius ninja in the Gekko clan, Hayate Gekko may seem like he is about to die, but his personal strength is definitely at the Jonin level. Maki was able to kill Hayate Gekko without being hurt at all!

The difference in strength here is obvious!

This level of strength is absolutely among the top two below the Kage level. Of course, some players who use cheats are another matter, and they are not included in the normal range here.

Moreover, in the original work, he appears as the Jonin leading a trio of Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari!

These two points alone are enough to explain Maki's specialness, yet he is also an 'ordinary person'!

Having achieved such a high status and accomplishment in Sunagakure, Shoji would definitely be somewhat interested!

While Maki was earnestly conversing with Date and Hoshino, negotiating some important terms, Shoji's gaze was mostly focused on assessing this confidant of the Fourth Kazekage, making Maki feel quite nervous.

After all, Jiang Si did not hide his gaze or intentions.

As one of the best Jonin, Maki was particularly sensitive to this kind of gaze.

Under normal circumstances, Maki would have exploded long ago if someone looked at him like that, but now, not only is he under someone else's roof and has to bow his head, but more importantly, the person looking at him is Uchiha Shoji, who just broke through the northern fortress on the battlefield by his own strength and defeated his own Kazekage in a head-on confrontation. No matter how disgusted or unhappy he is, he has to endure it.

Maki could only pray that the negotiations could end quickly and smoothly, otherwise it would indeed be quite agonizing.

However, it is clear that this negotiation will not be so smooth or end so quickly. After both sides reached an agreement on some minor details, they got into their first dispute on the main issue – the main clause that Sunagakure must pay compensation!

"Such terms are absolutely unacceptable to our Sunagakure village. How can we possibly cede such a large territory, including our northern fortress? Let alone the Kazekage, even if our village could tolerate it, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind would never accept this! Please do not be so unreasonable!"

Maki's face was somewhat distorted as he pointed to the 'territory cession' clause in the negotiation terms provided by Iwa ninja, suppressing the anger deep within him, and said in a deep voice.

At this moment, Fu Yi, who was standing to the side, also revealed a very ugly expression.

This one clause alone is difficult to overcome. There are also clauses such as compensation, material restitution, and ransom for prisoners. Each of these clauses is already hard to accept on its own. When all of them are combined, although it is not as bad as the worst situation that they and Luo Sha had previously predicted, these clauses are still like knives cutting into their bones.

Moreover, Maki wasn't making things up. How could their ninja village have any say in matters like land cession? To put it bluntly, under the nation-ninja village system, the five major ninja villages can only be considered the nation's military forces. Although they can set up outposts in various locations throughout the nation, in reality, they can only govern the area of ​​their own ninja village.

To cede these lands, wouldn't we still have to get past the daimyo of the Land of Wind? That's not something Rasa can decide.

"Hehe, whether it's serious or not, I think Maki-kun and Fugi-kun should know very well. These lands have already been effectively occupied by our Iwagakure. Is there any reason for the victor to return the land? As for the Daimyo's land, you two don't need to worry about it. All we need right now is your Sunagakure's recognition and for the Kazekage to sign the agreement. The Daimyo will naturally have other ways to negotiate!"

"We haven't demanded excessive amounts of other territories. If even this is unacceptable to your Sunagakure, I seriously doubt whether your Sunagakure has any sincerity in negotiating!"

Ida slightly opened his eyes, a sharp glint in his pupils, and coldly looked at Maki and Fuyi before him, saying this.

"!?"

Both Maki and Fuyi's expressions changed again upon hearing Ida's words.

"But this is still too big! We can agree to the territory of the northern fortress, but the territory in the Lianyuan Mountain area to the west of the answer has nothing to do with this negotiation, right?! We, the Sand Village, will naturally show sincerity, but we also hope that the Iwa Village can show corresponding sincerity!"

After taking a deep breath, Maki still looked at Ida with a very determined expression and said this.

The fact that the northern fortress cannot be reclaimed is something that all the high-ranking members of Sunagakure, including Rasa, were mentally prepared for. No one would allow it to be returned. Sunagakure is barely willing to accept Iwagakure's offer to add a nearby territory.

However, Rasa could not accept any further territorial demands!

Even if it's a defeat clause, it has to be within one's bottom line. If the bottom line is easily trampled on, then what is worth leaving behind?

For the sake of the village, for the sake of their own Kazekage, and for the future of them, the Sand Ninja, there are some things they must persevere in!

'He really is a very determined guy!'

Looking at Maki, who was ten years younger than in the original story and only in his early twenties, Jiang Si raised an eyebrow, a faint smile on his face, and thought to himself.

At that moment, Date, who was sitting opposite Maki, also frowned slightly, and exchanged a glance with Hoshino beside him.

"Alright, in that case, we, the Hidden Stone Village, can also back down. We'll even give up the territory south of Mount Genzo, but we absolutely cannot concede any more territory to the north!"

240. Might makes right, and weak nations have no diplomacy!

Before arriving at the front lines, Onoki had already explained his village's bottom line requirements. As for territory, taking the northern fortress and the nearby land containing 'lanthanum metal' was sufficient. Other territories were not really necessary for the Land of Earth or the Hidden Stone Village.

Frankly, the territory around Lianyuan Mountain could be discarded, but Date considered that the northern fortress had already fallen into their own ninja village. In terms of the overall defense line, Lianyuan Mountain was in a relatively important geographical position. They didn't need too much. As long as the northern mountain range could be included in the defensive radiation range of their Iwagakure village, their Iwagakure village would be in a very advantageous position in the upcoming border defense adjustments.

If we don't want that southern area, then we don't need it.

It's not a big deal at all.

Upon hearing Ida's words, Maki and Fuyi's faces lit up with a slight joy. They weren't afraid of difficult conversations, but rather of no conversations at all. No matter how difficult the terms were, as long as they could be negotiated, Maki and Fuyi were willing to endure some hardship. Their only fear was that the other party wouldn't give them any chance at all!

We can try to win back another piece of land.

This is fantastic news!

Maki steadied himself and decided to try again to see if he could take back the entire Lianyuan Mountain. If so, the Sand Village would barely be able to accept the territorial terms!

However, before Maki could say anything.

It seemed as if Date had foreseen this.

"This is our bottom line on the territorial terms. We hope that the people of Sunagakure will not push their luck any further, otherwise neither of us will look good!"

A solemn look appeared in Date's eyes as he spoke in a very low voice.

These words didn't sound particularly harsh.

This made Ma Ji and Fu Yi's hearts skip a beat. After exchanging a glance, they could only shake their heads with a wry smile and skip over this point.

Anyway, they have already made concessions.

The territorial issue didn't exceed the bottom line set by their own Kazekage by too much. Although it did cross the line slightly, Maki believed that their Kazekage would approve it. Besides, the agreement would only take effect after both Kazekage recognized and signed it.

If our own Kazekage really disagrees, then we'll see!

The first one is over.

Articles two, three, and four, however, have become embroiled in deep disputes!