Ninja World: I, Kisame Hoshigaki, am no longer human!

Seeing this, everyone else was somewhat surprised. Hyuga Hiashi, who was standing next to Fugaku, asked curiously, "Do you know this envoy from Kumogakure?"

"We met once before," Fugaku said evasively, his expression somewhat unnatural.

Minato Namikaze seemed to be deep in thought, then turned his gaze back to Kisame and said in a deep voice, "The envoy from Kumogakure has come from afar. On behalf of all the villagers of Konoha, I extend my welcome to you."

"I've heard so much about the Yellow Flash, and today I finally meet him in person. He's even younger and more handsome than I imagined. I've heard that the Hokage has been invincible on the battlefield all his life. Enemies would surrender or flee at the mere mention of the Yellow Flash's name. No wonder he became Hokage at such a young age, such a heroic ninja."

Kisame immediately launched into a barrage of flattery.

"You flatter me. Actually, I'm not that great. I'm not invincible. I've experienced some failures occasionally."

Minato Namikaze remained humble in the face of praise.

However, to his surprise, Kisame immediately replied:

"Oh, I know that. The Hokage suffered a humiliating defeat during the Third Shinobi World War, when he was routed by Kisame Hoshigaki in Kirigakure and had to flee, abandoning five thousand of his Konoha comrades. The once invincible Yellow Flash fell from grace from that moment on. Am I right?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone in the office became strange.

This Cloud Envoy is really good at talking!

""

Upon hearing this, Minato Namikaze's expression stiffened. It turned out that this guy's initial effusive praise was a ploy to belittle him; his true purpose was to belittle him.

Unfortunately, although what the other party said was harsh, it was all true.

Minato Namikaze was not provoked.

He gazed calmly at Kisame and replied in a detached tone, "Your memory is excellent, reminding me of my past defeats, for which I am grateful. To me, Kisame Hoshigaki was a formidable opponent, but as you just said, no one is invincible. Even someone as strong as Kisame suffered the greatest defeat of his life at the Five Kage Summit, even losing his life. Witnessing his death firsthand still fills me with regret."

He first admitted his defeat, then reminisced about his opponent, and implied in his words that temporary setbacks are nothing, and only those who survive to the end are the winners.

Upon hearing Minato's words, Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi exchanged a glance, both feeling gratified.

As Hokage, Minato displayed magnanimity and composure, remaining composed even when faced with a verbal trap set by his opponent.

"Hahaha."

Upon hearing this, Kisame couldn't help but laugh out loud. Minato Namikaze regarded him as a formidable opponent, but in Kisame's eyes, Minato had never been qualified to be his opponent. These words from the other party were nothing more than self-praise and self-aggrandizement.

"Cloud-Hidden Envoy, what are you laughing at?"

Jiraiya couldn't stand it any longer and frowned as he asked.

"It's nothing. I just remembered something funny after hearing what the Hokage said."

Kisame shrugged, then took out a scroll and threw it directly at Minato Namikaze. "Alright, enough with the pleasantries, let's get down to business. Inside is the peace treaty drafted by Lord Takemikaze. Please take a look."

Snapped.

Minato reached out and grabbed the scroll, his gaze sharpening. He placed it on the desk and slowly unfurled it.

Before opening the scroll, Minato had assumed that Takemikazuchi would be aggressive and write down a bunch of unreasonable and excessive demands in the treaty.

After all, Cloud Shadow Village has always been warlike and extremely greedy towards outsiders.

Moreover, just three days ago, Kumogakure and Kirigakure seemed to have formed an alliance. If Takemikazuchi and Tsunade join forces to launch a war, not to mention Konoha, the entire ninja world would probably fall into their hands.

Under such circumstances, Konoha would have to pay a heavy price to maintain peace.

Minato Namikaze and other high-ranking officials of Konoha were also mentally prepared in advance. As long as the other party's demands did not cross Konoha's bottom line, they were willing to negotiate.

However, to Minato's surprise, when he saw the contents of the scroll, he realized that he had misunderstood Kumokage Village and Takemikazuchi.

The terms in the scroll were very simple, with only a few clauses. The basic idea was that Kumogakure and Konoha promised not to invade each other's territory, and on this basis, they would freely engage in trade and regularly send ninjas to conduct military exchanges, such as jointly holding the Chunin Exams.

Gone.

For Konoha, who were at a disadvantage, this was incredibly good news.

Minato Namikaze snapped out of his reverie and handed the scroll to Fugaku and the others, allowing them to read it in turn. After reading it, everyone except the preoccupied Fugaku showed expressions of mixed surprise and delight.

"Takemikaze is a compassionate man who has no intention of starting any form of war, and he certainly doesn't want to see a large number of innocent ninjas and civilians killed or wounded. For Kumogakure and Konoha, peace is always the most important thing. What do you say, Hokage?"

Kisame stared intently at Minato Namikaze and asked.

Although he portrays himself as a villain, Kisame never initiated a war; he always acted in self-defense. On the contrary, Konoha fought right up to Kirigakure's doorstep during the Third and Fourth Shinobi World Wars, making them outright invaders.

Perhaps, Kisame is a peace-loving person at heart.

Minato Namikaze's expression turned serious. He stood up from his seat and said to Kisame:

"Please convey my gratitude to Lord Takemikaze. Konoha cherishes the opportunity for peace. I, Minato Namikaze, promise that as long as I remain Hokage, I will never wage war against Kumogakure."

"Alright, with the Hokage's words, I can go back and report." Kisame laughed heartily.

The signing of the peace treaty went more smoothly than expected.

In less than an hour, Minato Namikaze and Kisame reached a consensus on the specific details of the treaty, and there were no more questions or objections.

Next, Minato Namikaze wrote his name on the treaty, and Kisame took out the Raikage's seal and stamped it on the treaty.

That completes the process.

However, there is one last thing left.

Minato Namikaze glanced at Fugaku Uchiha beside him, noticing the latter's silence and tense expression. After a moment's consideration, he spoke to Kisame, making a request:

"Excuse me, did your village detain a ninja named Uchiha Itachi a few days ago? To be honest, Uchiha Itachi and his companions were on my orders to carry out reconnaissance work in Kumogakure. I apologize to Takemikaze and Kumogakure for my decision and the reckless behavior of Uchiha Itachi and his companions. I hope your village can release Uchiha Itachi. If necessary, Konoha is willing to pay a ransom."

Minato hadn't forgotten that Fugaku's son, Uchiha Itachi, was still in the hands of Kumogakure. The reason he hadn't mentioned it earlier was that he didn't want this matter to affect the signing of the peace treaty.

Now that the situation is settled, Minato, relieved, tries to redeem Itachi Uchiha.

"Oh? Didn't Chief Fugaku tell you, Hokage-sama?"

Kisame looked surprised upon hearing this, and pointed at Fugaku Uchiha, saying, "Last night, Clan Chief Fugaku visited me at the hotel and welcomed me in the unique Uchiha clan way. I also returned Clan Chief Fugaku's son to him as instructed by Lord Takemikazuchi, right?"

"Is that so?"

Minato was startled, then frowned and asked Fugaku Uchiha.

If what the Cloud Village envoy said is true, then Fugaku had made private contact with the other party beforehand, without informing him, the Hokage, and other high-ranking officials of Konoha.

Furthermore, Minato also sensed the dissatisfaction in Kisame's words. "The Uchiha clan's unique way of welcoming people"—even a fool would know that it wasn't a pleasant way to welcome someone.

Fugaku undoubtedly made a huge mistake.

Under Minato's scrutinizing gaze, Fugaku's eyes darkened, and his expression grew increasingly grim. He didn't answer immediately, but subconsciously glanced at Kisame, who wore a half-smile, yet his eyes concealed a threat that only Fugaku could decipher.

In that instant, Fugaku realized that if he told the truth, Itachi would probably never come back to him.

So, after a fierce internal struggle, Fugaku suddenly knelt on one knee before Minato Namikaze, bowing his head and apologizing to the latter:

"Lord Hokage, I did indeed contact this envoy from Kumogakure without your permission. I am willing to accept any punishment."

"Fugaku, you should know your place very well. You've disappointed me greatly."

Minato Namikaze shook his head, his gaze cold.

However, he did not punish Fugaku immediately. Instead, he looked at Kisame apologetically and asked for the latter's opinion. "Kumakuna envoy, may I ask if Uchiha Fugaku made any verbal or physical threats to you? Please do not be afraid, speak boldly, and I will definitely sentence him to a severe punishment and give you a satisfactory answer."

"Forget it."

Kisame waved his hand and responded magnanimously, "Clan Chief Fugaku was only anxious to save his son and acted impulsively, which is completely understandable. I hope the Hokage will not punish Clan Chief Fugaku, otherwise I will feel guilty."

Upon hearing this, Minato Namikaze felt a deep respect for Kisame.

His first impression of the Cloud Envoy was not good; he felt that the man was fierce and violent on the outside, arrogant and mean on the inside. However, after getting to know him, he found that the man was actually very easy to talk to, not only loved peace but also had a magnanimous heart.

You really can't judge a book by its cover.

Thinking of this, Minato said to Fugaku, who was kneeling on the ground, "For the sake of the Cloud Village envoy speaking up for you, I will let you off this time and will not pursue your responsibility any further. Get up, go back to take care of your son, and stay at home to reflect on your actions."

"Yes."

Fugaku stood up, bowed to Minato Namikaze, then quickly walked past Kisame with his head down and left the office.

"Are you just going to let him go like this? I suggest we revoke Fugaku Uchiha's status as an elder, otherwise he'll do something even more outrageous sooner or later."

Hiashi Hyuga, who had been watching the whole thing unfold, frowned and expressed his dissatisfaction.

"Elder Hiashi, let's discuss this matter later."

Minato glanced at Hiashi, signaling him to shut up. The Cloud Village envoy is still here; don't fight amongst yourselves in front of them, aren't you ashamed?

Then, Minato glanced at the clock on the wall, smiled, and extended an invitation to Kisame:

"It's getting late. If the Cloud Envoy is willing, we can have lunch together to celebrate the signing of the peace treaty."

"Of course. I've heard that Konoha has a lot of delicious food. Now that I've come all this way, I'm going to eat my fill."

Kisame readily agreed; after all, who doesn't like getting a free meal?

So, accompanied by elders Hiashi Hyuga and Shikaku Nara, Minato Namikaze went to the banquet hall with Kisame for lunch.

The meal was a pleasant one for both host and guests.

At the dinner table, Kisame let out a burp, patted his bulging belly, and said to Minato Namikaze:

"I plan to return to Kumogakure early tomorrow morning to report to Lord Takemikaze. Therefore, I would like to spend this afternoon and evening wandering around the bustling Konoha Village. I would be extremely grateful if the Hokage could provide me with a guide."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted intentionally or unintentionally toward Hiashi Hyuga standing to the side.

"That's natural."

Upon hearing this, Minato Namikaze immediately thought of Jiraiya.

Jiraiya is not only powerful enough to protect the Cloud Village envoy, but he's also an expert in all things pleasure and entertainment, having frequented brothels in the past. They'll definitely be very satisfied with him as their guide.

However, Hiashi Hyuga's eyes flashed, and before Minato could speak, he volunteered himself:

"Lord Hokage, let me do it. I hit it off with the Cloud Village envoy immediately and will definitely give him a warm welcome, making him feel right at home."

After a series of observations and the conversation at the dinner table, Hiashi Hyuga had keenly realized that the envoy from Kumogakure in front of him was definitely closely related to Takemikaze and probably held a very high position in Kumogakure.

He is a truly important person.

If they can take this opportunity to build a good relationship with the other party, it would be a great thing for the Hyuga clan.

"This"

Upon hearing this, Minato hesitated for a moment before looking at Kisame, seeking his opinion with his eyes.

"Oh dear, I'm truly flattered. Then I'll leave it to the Hyuga clan leader." Kisame smiled meaningfully.

And so the matter was settled.