Chapter 106: The Best Opportunity
There were indeed many who were unwilling within the Iwa Ninjas, especially among the front-line ninjas who had fought in the battlefield of the Land of Grass. These individuals were not few in number.
For them, they would rather die in battle than become pawns for Konoha to exploit their country's resources.
As a result, these people started to act on their own, and their actions cast a shadow over the ongoing negotiations.
Unfortunately, the Iwa negotiation team seemed to be reluctant to address the issue. They refused to discuss it and similarly declined to provide any relevant information.
This caused a lot of headaches for Konoha, and so they sent out cleanup teams. Unfortunately, they had not made much progress so far.
Thus, Konoha ninjas were being extremely cautious during their patrol missions. The Iwa ninjas had been trapped in the Land of Grass by Konoha, and even if they managed to cross the already-destroyed Kannabi Bridge, it would be difficult for them to return to the Land of Earth.
At this moment, when victory was within reach, no one wanted to die for no reason in this cursed place. Therefore, whenever they encountered Iwa ninjas, they would not hesitate to strike.
However, they could not easily kill these ninjas, as they were maintaining the negotiations.
But Uchiha Kei and his group were different. They were on a different mission, and for them, if they encountered a threat, they were authorized to act.
This situation required caution, which is why Minato had chosen to lower his voice when informing them. Minato could also tell that the frontline ninjas were suppressing their anger.
As a result, he decided to let his team, who were "free to act," do something. After all, the chances of encountering Iwa ninjas were not low.
Although Uchiha Kei and his companions felt uneasy about the news, they remembered it. They had become accustomed to facing various dangerous missions.
If they did encounter Iwa ninjas, they would do as Minato said and eliminate them. After all, they could rely on support if needed.
Though Minato's support had always been reliable, it was uncertain whether Kakashi had learned this from him, or if it was just that they shared the same habit as Obito—always arriving a step too late.
"I hope this time won't be necessary."
Under Fukuhiko Kōhei's leadership, Uchiha Kei and the others quietly and swiftly entered the forest. The forest still bore traces of recent battles.
These traces were both old and new, some concentrated and others scattered. They could see dried blood everywhere along the way, which spoke volumes about the brutal battles that had taken place here.
However, Uchiha Kei did not focus on these remnants. To him, it was better to focus on the present rather than dwell on the past.
"Kei, what do you think the Mist Ninjas are after?" Kakashi suddenly asked Uchiha Kei, trying to distract himself from the unpleasant memories.
Perhaps he, too, did not want to recall the bad past, so he attempted to shift his focus through conversation.
"I don't know," Uchiha Kei shook his head, but his gaze involuntarily shifted between Kakashi and Nohara Rin. "Maybe they're unwilling to let the war end like this?"
In truth, this was directed at the two of them and that 'widow' Obito.
But there was no way Uchiha Kei could say something like that aloud.
Even if they might believe him, Uchiha Kei himself would likely end up in trouble if he said it out loud.
All he could do was wait patiently and see what he could do in the future.
At the moment, his mind was on Obito, or rather, on that covering of White Zetsu he had.
"Destroying the negotiations will only lead to a greater war," Nohara Rin sighed. "Isn't peace better? Why do they have to fight?"
"Because of interests," Uchiha Kei shrugged indifferently. "The reason countries or villages go to war or form alliances is purely for their own interests. While conflict and hatred are part of it, they're just triggers. The real key is what each side stands to gain from the battlefield, or what they might gain if other villages go to war."
"Kei, don't say such things anymore," Fukuhiko Kōhei, who had been listening to their conversation, immediately interrupted upon hearing Uchiha Kei's words.
He understood that Uchiha Kei was right because that was the essence of war. But they were not decision-makers or leaders, and discussing such matters carelessly was not a good thing.
"Ninjas are merely tools." This statement, widely spread during times of war, perfectly encapsulated the role of ninjas—tools whose sole purpose was to obediently follow the commands of their "masters."
There was no room for independent thought. When the "master" said jump, the "tool" was expected to respond with only one word: "Where?"
Uchiha Kei understood what Fukuhiko Kōhei was thinking, so he refrained from saying anything unnecessary. It was clear that Fukuhiko Kōhei was still somewhat sensitive about this topic.
Unfortunately, Fukuhiko Kōhei, despite being a capable and reasonably intelligent ninja, was firmly aligned with the Third Hokage's side.
This was a fact. After all, Fukuhiko Kōhei had started out as a civilian ninja, shaped by the Second Hokage's "education policies," and later rose through the ranks after the Third Hokage took office.
He couldn't possibly be neutral in his allegiance to the Third Hokage, even though he knew the Hokage still relied heavily on the family-based ninjas. Fukuhiko Kōhei, however, was a beneficiary of that system.
As a beneficiary and a "tool" of the system, he could never openly criticize the "master" of the tools. He certainly didn't want voices like that within his own squad.
But he also didn't dare to show too much disrespect toward Uchiha Kei—he owed him a debt.
Uchiha Kei was quite perceptive when it came to reading people. He could tell what Fukuhiko Kōhei was thinking, but he found it rather amusing.
He wondered if Fukuhiko Kōhei would feel his faith shatter if he learned the full details of the peace treaty between the Third Hokage and the Land of Earth. Would that cause his faith to crumble?
Uchiha Kei recalled that the peace agreement between the Third Hokage and the Land of Earth had effectively sold out the efforts of the ninjas. The Hokage had given up all the reparations from the Land of Earth and had even acknowledged their actions.
Of course, this was part of the original story, and Uchiha Kei wasn't sure how things had turned out now. The mission he was involved in at Kannabi Bridge was already deviating significantly from the original timeline.
There might still be some variables at play—who knew? However, regardless of how things unfolded, the Third Hokage's stance and certain actions had already made his intentions clear.
Perhaps the final peace agreement between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire wouldn't be as excessive, but it probably wouldn't meet the standards of a victory either.
"Anyway, in the end, the Third Hokage will likely choose to step down. This may be the best opportunity."