As a member of the Hokage, one dares not be a loyal subject of Konoha!

Raikage narrowed his eyes and looked at Onoki.

"Cooperation! Same old rules. I'll take the Sharingan and go cause trouble for the Uchiha. You can handle the Hyuga side."

"Regardless of success or failure, we must proceed according to plan and provide assistance to the other party!"

Onoki thought it was feasible more and more, so he immediately decided to discuss the specific details with the Raikage. Moreover, if the Hokage were to come forward, it would just be a pair of Byakugan and a pair of Sharingan, and they could just pretend that they bought them at a high price.

No matter how you look at it, the Hyuga and Uchiha shouldn't risk their lives for such a trivial matter.

This has great potential!

What delighted the Raikage and Tsuchikage even more was that when they met Shimura Danzo, the envoy who had traveled from Konoha a few days later, his first words were:

"Give me some face, could you perhaps reduce the compensation Konoha is offering you?!"

I'll return one at 6 PM; I'm asking for monthly votes at the beginning of the month.

He started going crazy in Chapter 93, slapping the Third Generation's face until it was bruised and battered.

Ninja world.

Outside the stronghold where the Tsuchikage and Raikage reside within the Land of Lightning.

Danzo walked out with a bewildered expression.

The outcome was somewhat different from what he had imagined.

He came here to sound him out and see if he could get a smaller compensation.

Because he assumed Konoha was the defeated party, Danzo had already prepared himself for ridicule and sarcasm even before he arrived.

Unfortunately, judging from the outcome, Iwagakure, where Onoki lived, was indeed led astray by him. Even if Danzo's original intention was to help Konoha find reinforcements, he deserved to take the blame for failing to do his job well.

So he had mentally prepared himself, and as long as Onoki's words weren't too outrageous, he would just treat the Tsuchikage as talking nonsense and endure it as much as he could.

Strangely, the meeting to confirm the truce among the three major powers went surprisingly smoothly.

Even regarding the issue of compensation, the Tsuchikage and Raikage have always believed that it can be discussed. Since the war is over, everyone should put aside their hatred and even form an alliance. The so-called compensation is just a formality. They will send a professional team to negotiate with the Hokage regarding the specific details. They assure the Hokage that the compensation amount will not cause him any trouble.

This is like a windfall for Konoha!

"As expected, my influence still holds true."

After pondering for a while without coming up with a solution, Danzo smiled slightly, and a proud look returned to his face.

With just a simple mission, he was able to save the village a huge amount of compensation money. Only Danzo Shimura in the entire Hidden Leaf Village could do that!

No matter how you look at it, this is a great achievement!

In a sense, this can be considered making amends for one's mistakes and achieving a merit!

Who knows, when the Fifth Hokage is chosen, that person might reappoint me to a high-ranking position in recognition of my contributions this time!

Thinking this, Danzo left the base with cheerful steps.

He planned to hurry back and tell his old friend Hiruzen Sarutobi the good news.

But Lord Danzo, who had just performed a meritorious service, was obviously unaware of this.

Just as he stepped away from the base, Onoki and Ai exchanged a glance, then couldn't help but burst into laughter. The mocking laughter sent chills down the spines of the guards standing at the gate.

After a long while, Raikage coughed and finally suppressed his smile.

"I have overestimated Hiruzen Sarutobi. What is this? Is he trying to make goodwill towards us in a roundabout way?"

Konoha's tacit acceptance of being the defeated party, from their perspective, was a significant concession to the Land of Lightning. Even if it was only a nominal victory, it would still enhance the Hidden Cloud Village's influence in the ninja world.

Moreover, this time, the Hokage of the number one ninja village adopted a sufficiently humble attitude.

Not only did he acknowledge the victory of Kumogakure and Iwagakure, but in addition to reputation, he also planned to provide financial compensation. To be honest, he didn't care how much money he could get, but through this incident, he and the Tsuchikage seemed to have a better understanding of the Third Hokage's personality.

"I used to think he was very capable, but it seems I was blind."

Onoki sighed slightly, realizing he had overestimated Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Judging from the Hokage's attitude toward this matter, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will definitely be able to take the lead in this negotiation with Konoha."

"At that time."

Going to negotiate as a victorious nation is different from the approach taken by the defeated nation discussed earlier.

After our defeat, our past negotiations were a show of sincerity, demonstrating that we genuinely wanted a ceasefire.

But if we are the victors, and we go there in person, that would be giving face to Konoha, and Konoha would have to show some attitude! It would also make it easier to use this as an excuse if a conflict were to break out.

Furthermore, they agreed to Danzo's request, but in return, we asked for less money. Shouldn't you also make things easier for us?

"It seems that the situation in Konoha is worse than we imagined."

Ōnoki was shrewd and calculating; he analyzed a great deal of information simply from Danzo's hesitant and uncertain tone.

"They want the war to end even more than we do!"

When people are afraid, they become weak.

Konoha is nearing its end, and they can even threaten to start another war; in short, they have enormous room to maneuver.

"I was also somewhat surprised."

Raikage frowned.

"Based on the frictions I arranged at the border of the Land of Fire, as well as the numerous probes, the conclusion is clear that the Hyuga clan has not suffered any serious damage."

"Moreover, as the Uchiha clan of the Konoha Guard, although they suffered heavy losses in the war, Fugaku of the Mangekyou Sharingan and Uchiha Shisui, who could influence the course of the war, are still alive. Given their ability to suppress the Tailed Beasts, they are not very afraid of the Jinchuriki of your village."

"If we continue fighting, we might very well be the ones who lose!"

"But the Hokage seems so lacking in confidence."

There's something wrong here!

It seems that the village is not united, and there must be internal conflicts.

Onoki and Ai exchanged a glance, seemingly having discovered a blind spot.

Ultimately, the two revised their plan from the perspective of the victorious nation.

The plan is as follows.

First, send a delegation to gather information within Konoha, and then further probe the relationship between the Hyuga clan, the Uchiha clan, and the Konoha leadership to obtain firsthand intelligence.

Second, contact the daimyo of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth, and have the daimyo of the Land of Fire personally go to Konoha to act as a witness to the peace talks. Ideally, the daimyo of the Land of Fire should personally preside over the peace talks.

Third, secretly contact the Hokage to test Hiruzen Sarutobi's attitude, find out if he is against the leakage of his bloodline limit, and whether there is a possibility of cooperation. If the other party agrees, it is not impossible to make concessions on compensation.

After much deliberation, the Tsuchikage and Raikage finally identified three main directions and then began to work on arranging the dispatch of the envoy delegation.

As their actions grew larger, news of an impending truce between the Land of Lightning, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Fire spread throughout the ninja world.

This is not good news for some people.

Among them was Sunagakure, a village that lacked the resources to participate in the war but was delighted by their head-on clashes.

According to rumors, after hearing the news of the peace talks between the three great nations, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, flew into a rage in his office and secretly summoned the elders, seemingly to make some arrangements.

However, whether it is authentic or not remains to be seen.

Fire Nation.

Konoha.

This time, Danzo, who returned as a hero, did not have the Third Hokage and everyone waiting for him at the village entrance. Instead, he rushed straight to the Hokage Building and reported all his gains in one go.

With that, his mission was successfully completed, and Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief.

Danzo's safe return to the village signifies that the peace between the three great ninja villages was not merely a verbal agreement in a letter, but a genuine agreement reached through actual negotiations, thus possessing authority and authenticity!

Now, it's time to pass this message down to the lower levels!

Danzo even brought back more favorable news, suggesting that Iwagakure and Kumogakure had made significant concessions on the issue of compensation.

This is a genuine achievement!

While it might not secure his position as Hokage, if he handles this matter well, a safe retirement is not a problem at all.

It can also greatly enhance one's influence in deciding who will become the next Hokage!

There are many different opinions in the village about who should be the Fifth Hokage. If possible, Hiruzen Sarutobi would like to choose a Hokage who is obedient, similar to the Fourth Hokage.

And if you're lucky, what if a miracle really happens?

"Gentlemen, peace has arrived!"

Having finally gotten a chance to shine, Sarutobi seemed a little eager.

After urgently summoning a group of high-ranking officials and the clan leaders of Konoha, the former Hokage in the meeting room announced the arrival of peace.

Below, the representatives of various ethnic groups fell silent.

A silence began to spread.

The expected cheers did not materialize; instead, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

The people's eyes did not reflect ecstatic joy; their numb emotions contained only the relief of surviving a catastrophe and the lingering fear of war.

In a corner of the conference room, Tsunade leaned silently against Hinata Hyuga, her eyes closed in slight pain. Her mind was filled with images of the faces she had failed to save this time. Hyuga Hyuga, the clan leader, did not speak, but simply held her hand, offering silent comfort.

In fact, just minutes before, when they suddenly received the news that Sarutobi had summoned them for a meeting, their nerves immediately tightened. Many of them even thought that because of the recent news about peace, they had become complacent and given the enemy an opportunity to take advantage of them.

After all, the Tsuchikage and Raikage had done this before, deliberately releasing news of peace talks and then escalating their efforts to catch someone off guard.

Now that Hiruzen Sarutobi has truly announced the arrival of peace, they feel as if they are in a dream, and for a moment they are still in a daze.

Many people who were tense suddenly relaxed, and a bitter look appeared on their numb faces. Many others secretly shed tears, thinking of their brothers and sisters who died yesterday.

Even Fugaku, unusually, didn't put on airs; he simply leaned back in his chair and sighed. Their only attitude towards war now was one of awe.

Evenly matched battles always turn out to be this brutal.

Only a one-sided crushing victory can make people enjoy it.

As Hyuga Hiroko watched all this, his grip on Tsunade tightened considerably.

Fortunately, compared to a year ago, he has completely mastered the power of the Tenseigan, and the connection with the Golden Wheel Tenseigan has become much closer. He is not far from completely mastering it.

He was one of the few people qualified to lead his people in war, but no one like Hashirama Senju stood up to stop him in that era.