When Homura finished reading the demands, both the Stone and Cloud delegations felt the same involuntary twitch at the corner of their eyes.
The numbers were outrageous, the military restrictions even more so. The public acknowledgment clause? That was humiliation wrapped in parchment.
But beyond the numbers, something else unsettled them.
The Leaf wasn't bluffing, they weren't posturing nervously to cover instability, they were calm and that was wrong.
From an outside perspective, Konoha should have been in a vulnerable phase. A top-ranking elder, Danzo Shimura, had just been executed for treason. That alone signaled internal fracture. On top of that, reports from spies had indicated something deeply unusual in the Uchiha compound: the heavy scent of blood, abnormal ANBU lockdown, restricted access. Something had happened inside the clan, and no one outside the Leaf knew what.
Internal purge? Civil conflict? Controlled suppression?
Whatever it was, it should have weakened them. At the very least, it should have made them cautious.
Instead, here they were, demanding territorial demilitarization and massive financial compensation as if they were the undisputed superpower of the continent. They weren't asking for peace, they were dictating it.
Darui's gaze shifted slowly toward Ren and Itachi.
'Are they the source of this confidence?' he wondered.
'Ren Senju's strength is already gaugable. After the border clash and the hostage situation, it is clear that unless the Raikage-Sama himself or B-sama personally intervened, Ren is untouchable in open confrontation. But Itachi Uchiha…'
Darui's eyes lingered on him.
'The last formal report from Cloud intelligence had labeled Itachi as peak Jonin level. Exceptional, yes. Dangerous, absolutely. But still within calculable parameters.'
But to Darui, the one sitting here now did not feel like that report.
He wasn't radiating chakra aggressively, he wasn't even posturing, he was simply sitting there and yet, Darui felt a faint pressure just from being in the same enclosed space.
'Just how strong did he become?' Darui wondered. 'And how?'
His eyes focused on Itachi's eyes briefly.
'The Sharingan. three tomoe, last reported. But could it grow beyond that?'
Cloud intelligence had some records of the Mangekyo Sharingan, yes, but it was rare, unstable, self-destructive. Yet something about Itachi felt… stabilized.
Before Darui's thoughts could spiral further, Ren's voice cut through the tent casually.
"You should focus on the negotiations right now. If you need confirmation," Ren continued lazily, resting his chin on his knuckles, "you're welcome to send another ambush. This time for Itachi."
The words landed without humor and the tent stilled.
Darui's gaze snapped from Itachi to Ren and he let out a slow breath and shifted his posture slightly.
"Forgive me," he said calmly. "I was merely considering resource allocations back in the village."
His tone was smooth and polite, almost apologetic. Anyone who didn't know better would accept that explanation.
Ren did not react, he didn't call the bluff and he didn't press further.
He simply leaned back and waited. That, more than anything, unsettled Darui. The Leaf delegation had anchored aggressively, they had demonstrated willingness to escalate physically, they had exposed no visible cracks despite recent internal upheaval.
And Ren had just casually implied that attacking Itachi would be a mistake worth testing.
Darui's mind recalibrated.
If both Ren and Itachi were operating at or near Kage-level threat, then the balance of top-tier power among the Five Great Nations was shifting rapidly. Cloud could not afford direct war unless absolutely certain of overwhelming advantage.
Stone, even less so. Onoki might be experienced, but he was aging, and the only other top level combatant they had was another old man, Roshi, so they were also desperate for younger talents, and couldn't afford a war right now.
After listening to Homura's demand Aoto did not immediately respond to Homura's demand list.
He allowed a measured silence to settle, as if calculating every clause carefully. When he finally spoke, his tone was controlled and polite on the surface, but firm underneath.
"Your demands are… expensive," he began, choosing the word carefully. "The financial component is one matter. Compensation can be discussed, but public acknowledgment?" He shook his head lightly. "That is impossible."
He leaned forward slightly.
"The Stone and the Cloud were conducting a joint military exercise near the border, as has been customary for years. There was no declaration of aggression. No formal act of war."
His gaze shifted slightly towards Ren.
"Yet we were attacked without prior communication. From our perspective, we are the aggrieved party."
The phrasing was deliberate victim positioning.
"Even then," Aoto continued, spreading his hands slightly as if being magnanimous, "we are willing to pay to secure the safe return of our shinobi. We are willing to de-escalate tensions. But to demand public admission of guilt for something we did not do… that is unreasonable."
He finished with a faint, almost rueful shake of his head, as though disappointed in how far the Leaf had fallen from reason.
Everyone in the tent knew it was carefully structured nonsense. But negotiations were not about truth, they were about leverage.
The Cloud delegation remained silent, they did not nod in agreement but they did not contradict him either.
Darui's face remained calm, unreadable. Killer B leaned back, arms crossed, watching the verbal exchange like a spectator at a match.
Homura listened without interruption, he did not contest the military exercise narrative immediately. When Aoto finished, Homura adjusted his sleeve calmly and spoke.
"The location where we are currently seated," he said evenly, "how far do you believe this is from the Fire Nation border?"
It was clearly rhetorical and no one interrupted.
"At least ten kilometers," Homura continued. "Ten kilometers inside sovereign Fire territory."
His voice remained calm, but the weight behind the words shifted.
"Even one kilometer inside a nation's border without prior approval constitutes grounds for war under shinobi treaty law."
He looked directly at Aoto now.
"Your forces were not one kilometer inside, they were ten."
The tent grew heavier but Homura did not raise his tone.
"You should consider yourselves fortunate that we are not demanding heads and are are asking for compensations instead."
His eyes flicked briefly toward the hostage area outside the tent.
"You deployed a Jinchuriki."
That line hung in the air.
Jinchuriki were not used in exercises, everyone knew that.
"Yet," Homura concluded, "you call us unreasonable."
He folded the scroll back slowly.
"If this is the Stone's official stance, that there was no wrongdoing, then there is no basis for negotiation."
The calm in his voice did not soften the finality.
"We will withdraw from this discussion. When you are prepared to acknowledge the reality of the situation, you may seek us again."
There was no argument, no escalation and no dramatic threat, just a clean severing.
Homura stood.
Ren rose with him, expression relaxed, as if this had been expected.
Itachi followed without a word.
The rest of the Leaf delegation stood in unison.
The Stone representatives looked momentarily stunned, not because they hadn't anticipated resistance, but because they had not expected the Leaf to walk away this quickly.
Darui's eyes narrowed slightly.
This was not emotional withdrawal, this was strategic. By leaving first, the Leaf signaled confidence. They did not need the agreement immediately. They had time, they had hostages, they had the advantage.
Aoto opened his mouth as if to speak but hesitated. If he called them back now, it would look like desperation. If he let them leave, he risked losing initiative.
Ren paused briefly at the tent entrance, he did not turn around or say anything and then he stepped out.
The tent flap fell shut behind them.
Just like that, the first round of negotiations ended.
Inside the tent, silence lingered.
Killer B let out a low whistle.
"Yo… they ain't bluffin',
Walked out smooth, no huffin'."
Darui exhaled slowly.
"They're not negotiating for settlement," he murmured quietly. "They're negotiating for submission."
Across the table, Aoto's jaw tightened.
The Leaf had not merely rejected the narrative, they had demonstrated something more dangerous.
They were willing to let talks collapse and in negotiation theory, the party most comfortable walking away usually held the real power.
~~~
Back in the Leaf camp, the mood was very different from the heavy silence left behind in the negotiation tent.
At first, no one spoke.
The senior negotiators removed their outer cloaks, sat down around the central table inside their command tent, and simply let the tension bleed off. The first round had ended abruptly which was normal. There could be no concessions or progress on the first day, but something bizarre happened today.
Ren stood near the entrance for a moment, looking out toward the neutral ground between camps. The Cloud and Stone tents were visible in the distance, faint silhouettes against the afternoon light.
Then he turned around.
"Homura-San," he said casually, dropping into a seat without ceremony, "say what you want to say."
There was no edge in his tone.
"There were issues before, I know that. But if we let them grow now, it'll be the village that pays later. So don't hold back, give your input."
Homura exhaled slowly. He had spent decades handling negotiations, balancing pride with pragmatism. Ren's style was… unconventional.
"I think threatening to kill hostages at the very start was excessive," Homura said plainly. "Even if we intend to demonstrate strength, that is not usually the optimal opening."
Several members of the negotiation team shifted slightly in agreement. They weren't criticizing Ren openly, but their expressions showed unease. Diplomacy had rules, and Ren had brought strength in middle of diplomacy.
Ren looked around the table calmly.
Then his eyes moved to Itachi.
Itachi didn't speak, but the faint nod he gave suggested he understood exactly what Ren had done.
Ren smiled faintly and leaned back.
"I understand why you all feel that way," he began, voice steady. "But that was my role."
He tapped the table lightly.
"I'm the crazy bastard in this room. The unpredictable one who might actually do something insane."
A few of the older negotiators frowned at the phrasing, but he continued without pause.
"If all three of us had acted calm and reasonable from the beginning, we'd look just like the Leaf of the past. Polite and defensive, hoping not to escalate."
He shook his head slightly.
"That's exactly what they expected."
Ren leaned forward now, eyes sharper.
"They tried to paint themselves as the victims. You saw it. 'Joint military exercise.' 'Aggrieved party.' They were testing if we'd retreat into apology mode."
He looked directly at Homura.
"You've led negotiations for years. Tell me honestly, if this had been before, how would they have reacted?"
Homura went silent for several seconds.
He replayed it mentally, Hiruzen's era. The older diplomatic posture. The constant attempt to avoid confrontation.
"They would have pushed further," Homura admitted finally. "They would have framed leaf as the aggressor. They might have demanded compensation in addition to the captives' release."
His expression shifted slightly as realization set in.
"They would have tried to reduce our leverage before we even anchored properly."
Ren nodded once. "Exactly."
He leaned back again. "Once they believe I'm unstable, or at least capable of extreme escalation, they become cautious. That caution gives us room."
He gestured vaguely toward the neutral ground outside.
"You saw how fast they backed down once Itachi gave them an exit. That's not fear of Homura-san's scroll."
He smiled faintly.
"That's fear of unpredictability."
The tent was quiet, the logic was uncomfortable but solid.
Homura, however, was not entirely convinced.
"There is a long-term concern," he said carefully. "If this image of you persists… when you assume the Hokage position, future talks may become harder. Other leaders might assume you are reckless, just a child intoxicated with power."
Ren grinned openly at that.
"Civil talks with those old men were never going to be easy."
He counted on his fingers casually.
"The Raikage and Tsuchikage already hate me after this humiliation. The Mist? I'd wager their regime shifts within a few years. The Sand…" He snorted. "It's the Sand. They'll do something irrational soon enough and make their own situation worse."
A few chuckles escaped around the tent despite themselves.
"There's no scenario," Ren continued, "where they suddenly see me as their friendly neighbor."
He shrugged lightly.
"So there's no point pretending."
Itachi finally spoke, voice calm.
"Fear and respect are not identical but they overlap."
Ren nodded slightly at that.
Homura studied the two of them, for a brief moment, he saw the shape of the future.
Fire and ice.
Pressure and restraint.
It wasn't the old model of diplomacy but perhaps the old model wasn't sufficient anymore.
Homura leaned back in his chair at last and a small, reluctant smile formed.
"In that case," he said mildly, "perhaps you should increase the chakra metal demand next round."
There was a beat of silence then Ren burst into laughter.
"OK!"
The tension finally broke.
Several of the negotiators allowed themselves to relax properly for the first time since the session began, outside, ANBU shifted quietly in shadow positions. Guards rotated and watchfires were prepared.
But inside the Leaf command tent, the mood lightened noticeably.
~~~~~
{On heavy demand we'll proceed with a rap battle between Ren and Killed B, drop some rapper style names for Ren, I'll select one that is the most unhinged.}
{Being so far ahead and reading the new readers comments is crazy, like wdym Ren should've had an Orange cat as a summon with both of them fighting each other all times, it's crazy, I know, but do I love it, hell yeah, now I want to write Ren with a Cat dammit!}
{Also, no chapter tomorrow, I need a cat.}