After being appointed as special envoy, Niimi Kanbee returned to Konoha full of energy and pride, carrying the vision of peace and future he received from Hyuga Soushu. At this moment, he was practically the shining star of the aristocratic circles in the Land of Earth!
From the courtiers' perspective, although the terms and intentions for peace currently offered by Hyuga Soushu were indeed hollow and lacked practical significance—demanding certain concessions from the Land of Earth—the initiative was still a great starting point.
Especially after hearing from Niimi Kanbee himself how Tsuchikage Onoki had loudly insisted on extorting two hundred billion gold coins worth from the Daimyo's treasury, this intention for peace talks became especially valuable!
The money within the Imperial Treasury of the Land of Earth wasn't merely the Daimyo's personal fortune—it was also the source from which court nobles and palace attendants earned their spending cash!
Even more importantly, the Earth Daimyo certainly wasn't as weak-willed as the Fire Country Daimyo. The Earth Daimyo had never been one to draw funds from the Imperial Treasury, so if the Daimyo ultimately refused to allocate such a large military expenditure, they would inevitably have to tap into the private pockets of each noble house!
This was exactly what the court nobility could not bear the most!
As for how much Gold Kan were actually stored in the Imperial Treasury, the noble lord might or might not have known, but the courtiers and close attendants were very much aware!
If the Daimyo ever discovered that everyone had been secretly dipping into the state coffers all along, then turmoil at the Earth Daimyo's court was inevitable!
Therefore, regardless of past positions, the noble courtiers immediately formed a unified front, vigorously promoting the immense importance of the peace proposal brought back by Niimi Kanbee in front of the Earth Daimyo.
It was under such bizarre and tense circumstances that Onoki alone arrived at the Earth Daimyo's court.
Arriving at the Earth Daimyo's court alongside his visit came an explosive piece of news from the Herb Country's border:
The Coalition Force of Ninja Clans from Konoha, under Hyuga Soushu's command, had begun withdrawing deep into Herb Country's territory, leaving only slightly over a thousand soldiers in the Northwest Border Defense Forces stationed along the border.
"Told you so! Though the Hyuga Clan has now become part of the ninja clans, they truly are genuine aristocrats!"
Before the Earth Daimyo, Niimi Kanbee stood tall and proud; even though Onoki sat to the left side of the Daimyo's royal presence, his voice still rang loud and clear like a bell, "Your Grace, honorable Tsuchikage, and esteemed noble officials! The peace I bring back is absolutely real!"
"Arrogant!"
Onoki immediately gathered chakra and thrust out his hand, striking the stone floor just before Niimi Kanbee and blasting a large hole into the tiles!
Though nobody was killed on the spot, it was still a clear warning signal!
The expressions of the court nobles in the hall changed instantly, showing mild unrest before quickly returning to calmness. However, everyone's gaze began to shuttle between Niimi Kanbee and the hidden figure of the Earth Daimyo behind the curtain.
"Honorable Tsuchikage, I did everything purely for the sake of our Daimyo and our nation!"
"As for this so-called arrogance,"
Niimi Kanbee felt a cold sweat down his back, but outwardly he maintained a fearless and loyal-to-the-country demeanor. He straightened his neck and declared stubbornly: "Though my position is lowly and my voice carries no weight, I always keep the nation's interests at heart. And besides, the southern expedition was precisely for peace between our two nations!"
"So, you actually think you did everything right?"
Onoki's gaze locked onto this reckless young noble.
"I acted for the sake of our nation and His Royal Highness!"
Niimi Kanbee swallowed hard. Though deep inside he trembled with fear toward Onoki, at this point, his future livelihood already depended entirely on the empty promise given by Hyuga Soushu. He had no choice but to forge ahead blindly. Moreover, Hyuga Soushu had actually kept his word—after only a simple meeting during the banquet, he immediately withdrew his troops. In contrast, the Tsuchikage, who should have been the Land of Earth's military leader, was behaving confrontationally instead. Under these circumstances, Niimi couldn't even utilize the traditional noble skill of playing both sides cleverly.
"Everyone says it with their mouths for His Royal Highness and the country, but none are willing to admit it's all for their own self-interest."
Onoki sneered coldly. His gaze swept across all the courtiers in the hall, noting each of their sly and furtive expressions.
Some wore blank faces, others gritted their teeth, while some openly displayed schadenfreude—expressions of every kind imaginable.
"Peace is never wrong. After all, the lives of Iwagakure are valuable too, and shouldn't be recklessly sacrificed in pointless wars."
The Minister of State—second only to the Earth Daimyo in rank—added casually. Then he respectfully bowed toward the Earth Daimyo behind the curtains before falling silent.
"Seconded!"
Voices of agreement rose one after another. Onoki's expression grew increasingly dark.
In the eyes of the fiercely proud Onoki, this was nothing short of a collective provocation—not only against himself but against Iwagakure as a whole!
When all was said and done, saying "the lives of Iwagakure are valuable too" was essentially the same as these insects showing no confidence in Iwagakure's chances of winning the war!
Viewed narrowly, it was merely a display of cowardice unwilling to face battle; seen broadly, it revealed the nobles of the Land of Earth had already become estranged from Iwagakure.
Whichever interpretation turned out to be true, neither conclusion was something Onoki was willing to accept.
After all, under any circumstance, Iwagakure still needed the support of the Earth Daimyo's regime in terms of funding, missions, and human resources.
"Your Highness!"
Refusing to waste more words on these vermin in his eyes, Onoki directly shifted his gaze toward the immovable Earth Daimyo hidden behind the curtains: "Was this secret alliance with Konoha ordered by Your Highness?"
"Dare you!"
The group of courtiers immediately barked out in unison, condemning Onoki's disrespectful behavior of staring directly at the Daimyo and speaking harshly.
"Although Lord Niimi's understanding contains certain inaccuracies, his original intentions were good, and through sheer goodwill he somehow succeeded in completing a daunting task."
Only after the wave of condemnation from the chamber gradually calmed did the Earth Daimyo finally speak from behind the curtains: "Since this concerns the major affairs of peace between our two nations, let actions, not intentions, be the standard!"
"All of this is meaningless!"
Onoki shook his head and directly uttered words that made the courtiers and nobles shudder: "Your Highness, please issue the order to execute the disobedient envoys as a warning to others!"
Not even the Minister of State dared to speak.
Though Onoki's expression remained calm, everyone could see the fury burning in his eyes, which sent chills through these pampered nobles.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Sensing Onoki's chakra fluctuation, the Guardian Ninjas who had been hiding behind the palace hall rushed out immediately, surrounding the Daimyo's throne. Their weapons were openly pointed toward Onoki, whose inner rage seemed like rolling thunder.
"Guardian Ninjas."
Although alone, Onoki showed no fear—he even curled his lips into a scornful smirk. "Nothing more than a bunch of incapable ronin!"
Then he directly raised his hand and pointed at this fully armed group of Guardian Ninjas serving under the Daimyo. "Acting without orders—who taught you to do that? Retreat at once!"
The Guardians, intimidated by Onoki's overwhelming pressure, trembled with fear yet still did not dare to leave.
At this moment, the Earth Daimyo behind the curtains could no longer maintain his composed, regal demeanor.
Onoki's firmness had completely exceeded the Earth Daimyo's expectations.
Previously, even though the nobility continuously tried infiltrating Iwagakure intending to resolve who ultimately controlled the Hidden Village—the ninja stronghold—the most Onoki would do was eliminate those foolish Iwa ninja who secretly colluded with the noble families. He had never before resorted so directly to force as an intimidation tactic.
"Tsuchikage-dono is the pillar of our nation—you must show respect."
Helplessly, the Earth Daimyo could only speak up to mediate.
Immediately, the Guardian Ninjas withdrew their weapons and respectfully stepped back behind the curtains—but none left the palace grounds.
Seeing the situation improve, Onoki also accepted the compromise and stopped pressing forward aggressively.
"These many years of war have drained both Iwagakure and our country to the point of exhaustion," the Daimyo spoke again. "Therefore, since an opportunity for peace has arisen, perhaps we should each take a step back, in the interest of national unity."
"Your Highness, such action will damage the dignity of our state," Onoki replied, also conveniently using this chance to retreat from his earlier ferocious insistence on executing someone to set an example.
"To spare ninjas from endless wars, officials from overburdened taxation, and commoners from starvation—a bit of lost dignity? That's hardly worth considering," sighed the compassionate Earth Daimyo.
Within the hall, all the court nobles suddenly realized—if war ceased, what justification would remain for them to continue exploiting their fiefs and administrative powers?
After all, war brings profits far beyond gold. Without it, their families would have to scramble for income elsewhere.
However, seeing that even the highest-ranking courtier, the Minister of State, seemed deeply moved by the Daimyo's words, the nobles held their tongues despite their secret schemes. No one dared be the first to object.
"The peace talks are a matter of state affairs. Although Minister Sanapyon's intentions to serve the country diligently are as clear as the heavens, acting on his own authority is ultimately against protocol."
The Minister of State turned to glance at the assembled courtiers, carefully gauging their expressions and stances through eye contact before taking a step forward and saying, "Therefore, the peace negotiations with the Land of Fire must be personally authorized by His Highness, appointing a chief envoy for this mission."
"That's right."
The courtiers nodded repeatedly, all wearing expressions of eagerness, already planning to gain political capital from the upcoming negotiations.
Niimi Kanbee, however, kept his mouth shut, showing no intention of defending himself or arguing his case.
After all, he had already gained early recognition through his independent actions, and the label of being part of the Konoha faction was firmly attached to him now. His top priority at this point was preserving his life and ensuring his personal safety, so that he could pursue further benefits after the storm had passed.
"This peace negotiation is a significant matter; Minister of State, please take charge of it accordingly."
The Earth Daimyo wasn't interested in these minor details either and quickly allocated various responsibilities: "As for communication with Konoha, the Tsuchikage can appoint personnel as he sees fit."
Nation-to-nation, ninja village-to-ninja village; this was the standard framework for operational power communications under the one-village-one-nation system.
"Then I shall proceed according to Your Highness's wishes."
Onoki sighed inwardly but gave a slight nod in acceptance.
"Additionally, an extra 8 billion Special Military Funds will be allocated to strengthen Iwagakure's military preparedness. Furthermore, the annual Military Budget will increase by one billion each year!"
The Earth Daimyo fully understood the old rule — strike first, then soothe with kindness. Since Onoki had given up his previous aggressive demands, he needed to show some generosity now.
Otherwise, if they truly pissed off Iwagakure, the backbone of their support, both the Daimyo and the nobles would end up paying a heavy price.
"Thank you for Your Highness's concern."
Although the conditions offered by the Daimyo were far from the two hundred billion Onoki had previously demanded, he no longer insisted.
After all, he had come to understand the truth — it was a nest of vipers at court. If he continued verbal assaults, it might escalate to actual violence and bloodshed before his desires could be fulfilled.
More importantly, though unspoken, Onoki deeply missed his eldest son, Kitsuchi, who remained captive.
"A decree has arrived from the village again."
Not long after Hyuga Soushu led the Coalition Force of Ninja Clans back to the former Grass Ninja Village for continued stationing, a messenger ninja hurriedly delivered a secret message from the Hokage Tower.
After breaking the seal of secrecy and reading the letter, Hyuga Soushu couldn't help but frown slightly.
"What's wrong?"
Mahiru Uchiha, his close companion, immediately noticed her lover's expression change.
"That wily old monkey wants all the Clan Heads serving abroad recalled back to the village."
After finishing the letter, Soushu resealed it into the envelope. He summoned the messenger ninja again and instructed them to deliver the message to every high-ranking Jonin and clan head among the deployed forces for review. Only after arranging everything properly did he speak: "I estimate those old men are scheming something again."
"Well, it's not that bad."
Mahiru Uchiha wasn't concerned with the surface-level scheming and political maneuvering. She happily nestled her face into Hyūga Sōshū's chest, letting her mischievous hand wander down his torso. "This actually fits perfectly with Soushu-kun's plan to withdraw the army back to the village in three days."
"But wouldn't it be inappropriate to do this in broad daylight?"
Hyūga Sōshū licked his lips but didn't stop his beloved from continuing.
"All we need is a soundproof barrier!"
Mahiru Uchiha first pulled out a kunai and flung it outside, pinning it to the door of their temporary quarters. Then, using just one hand, she quickly completed the hand seals, instantly activating a soundproof barrier.
"You really are a blazingly passionate kitty."
Hyūga Sōshū had never been good at saying no, especially not to Mahiru Uchiha, someone he shared everything with.
"Then—"
Once she was ready, Mahiru sprang into Sōshū's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist like a sloth clinging onto him. With a gentle push from both hands, Hyūga Sōshū—who was renowned in the ninja world for his martial prowess—was laid flat on the tatami mats.
"Time for this kitten to savor her treat."
Mahiru Uchiha's eyes began glowing red as her crimson lips descended hungrily.
Passion roared like waves colliding, as fierce winds tore through the heavens.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>