Hanzō paused.
His gaze shot out like a flying kunai, stabbing straight toward Chiyo.
She calmly looked at him, the corner of her mouth curling into a smile.
"Ame's resources are scarce. Without the support of a great nation, building a village is nearly impossible. With such a good opportunity, you wouldn't just let it slip, would you?"
Hanzō clenched the scroll in his hand. Behind him, the eyes of the Ame ninjas all focused on him.
The air was dead silent.
He could hear his own breathing.
A full minute passed.
The smile on Chiyo's face deepened.
No one understood better than she did, the longer the hesitation, the greater the chance of success.
"Ame will not fall into war again."
Hanzō's voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt.
Chiyo froze.
She stared at Hanzō. And in his eyes, she saw the one thing she least wanted to see, disgust for war.
She gritted her teeth.
"Are you really going to give up such a golden chance?"
Hanzō didn't answer. He opened two scrolls. From one, he pulled out the ceasefire treaty, signed it quickly, and tossed it to Chiyo.
The other, an alliance contract, crumbled into ashes in his palm.
Chiyo's brows knitted tightly. She glared at him, then tore out the ceasefire treaty she held, scribbled her signature in a few quick strokes, and threw it back at him. Her gaze then shifted away from him, falling instead on the boy standing at his side.
By now, intelligence on Shiratori had spread throughout the shinobi world.
She had no choice but to admit it, heroes can be young. And this boy's value was extraordinary.
If given enough time to grow... could he kill the Konoha's White Fang?
Just the thought of that man filled her mouth with a bad taste. She longed to strike him down at once.
"What if it were only him?"
She lifted her hand.
Hanzō followed the direction of her finger. His gaze fell on Shiratori.
On his face, an appropriate look of confusion appeared.
"What do you mean?"
Hanzō's eyes were coated in ice.
"Use him to trade for Suna's resources."
Chiyo pointed at Shiratori, speaking word by word.
"Of course, he would only fight on the battlefield for Suna. Once the war between Suna and Konoha is over, they'll release him back to Ame. In the meantime, Suna will help rebuild your village, providing the resources you need."
As if reading Hanzō's heart, she went on.
"Do you think I don't know the state of your village? This war has cost Ame more than half its ninjas, hasn't it? Without Suna's support, how long would it take for Ame and the Land of Rain to recover? Ten years? Twenty?"
Her voice dripped with temptation:
"Right now, with just one ninja, you could secure everything your village needs. Surely you're not foolish enough to reject such a deal?"
Hanzō's eyes fell on Shiratori.
Their gazes met. The boy's confusion slowly faded, as if he had understood Chiyo's words. Resolve began to harden in his eyes.
"Sensei, let me go!"
"I'm willing to trade myself for the village's resources!"
"When the war is over, I'll come back!"
[Reminiscence detected: Hanzō +5000 points]
[Energy transferred to Choso]
[Development progress: 53.5%]
Hanzō looked at Shiratori, his eyes filled with emotion.
This child was just like his younger self, willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of the village.
But... how could he possibly agree?
How could he ever allow Shiratori to return to that perilous battlefield, only to die?
If he truly agreed, would he still be worthy of being called a teacher?
Would he even be able to face Shiratori?
[Affection detected]
[Multiple sources: +3,000 points each]
[Total accumulated: 18,000 points]
[Curse Growth - Love: 16.8%]
The Ame ninjas glared fiercely at Chiyo and the Suna ninjas ahead.
To sell Shiratori for resources? That, they would never do!
Ame had only come this far thanks to him.
If they betrayed him, then what would their faith even mean?
Why had they been fighting all this time?
Was it not so that children would no longer suffer under the cruelty of war?
How could they possibly let him return to the battlefield?
If they did... would they still be human?
Of course, Shiratori wasn't joking. He was more than willing to step onto the battlefield.
The battlefield was a great place. Especially now, before Minato's rise. He could harvest another wave of emotional energy.
Once Minato appeared, he would suppress all battlefields in one sweep, bringing the war to an abrupt end.
"No!"
Hanzō's voice rang in Shiratori's ears.
And the moment he saw the light shining within his teacher's pupils, he knew, this was impossible.
"Ame will never trade its comrades for resources!"
Those words, he directed at Chiyo.
He glared at her.
"Give it up! As for the war between Suna and Konoha, Ame will not take part!"
Peace had come to Ame with great difficulty. He only wished to treasure it, to lead his ninjas in rebuilding their home, and to make the village strong.
"Fine!"
Chiyo gave a cold laugh.
With a snap of her head, she turned away, striding back toward Suna. The Suna ninjas followed in silence behind her.
Watching their retreating backs, Hanzō tightened his grip on the treaty with Suna.
Only after the Suna ninjas had completely vanished from sight did Hanzō lower his head, staring at the contract in his hand.
Slowly, he turned. His gaze fell upon the Ame ninjas.
"At last the war is over."
His voice echoed in their ears.
Shiratori looked around and saw the eyes of the Ame ninjas instantly redden.
His own eyes reddened as well, but only for the emotional energy he had lost.
"Return to the village."
Hanzō swung his arm, leading the way toward Ame.
Shiratori slouched sideways on his broom, sitting in a way that wouldn't interfere with his movement. Propping his chin on his hand, he was already pondering how to gather more emotional energy from here on out.
In his mind, the figures of Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan surfaced one by one.
---
Ame and Suna signed a ceasefire agreement.
This news, as if given wings, instantly spread throughout the entire shinobi world.
From this moment on, the Land of Rain would truly welcome peace.
When Jiraiya heard this news, he felt a sense of calm and relief, as though the dust had finally settled.
It was as if he had already foreseen this outcome.
In his mind, the image of Shiratori's face surfaced uncontrollably.
The corners of his mouth curved upward slightly, and his eyes revealed a gentle smile.
Half of Shiratori's wish had already come true.
[Reminiscence detected: Jiraiya +5000 points]
[Energy transferred to Choso]
[Development progress: 53.8%]
This good news was something he had to share with Yahiko and the others. He absolutely didn't want the four children, who had such a close bond, to drift apart.
Besides, Yahiko and the others were truly looking forward to hearing news about Shiratori.
He strode toward the wooden cabin.
"Jiraiya-sensei?"
The cabin door was pushed open by Yahiko. With a puzzled look, he gazed curiously at Jiraiya standing outside and asked, "Out so early?"
Yahiko's face still carried the drowsiness of just waking up.
Jiraiya looked at him with a smile and nodded, slipping quickly into the room.
Nagato and Konan were already awake. They stood at the doorway of the room, rubbing their eyes, and obediently greeted, "Jiraiya-sensei!"
Jiraiya looked at them warmly, sat down on the tatami, and said mysteriously, "I have some good news to tell you!"
"What good news?"
As soon as Yahiko heard Jiraiya's words, he became excited. His eyes fixed firmly on Jiraiya, shining with expectation.
Nagato and Konan sat opposite Jiraiya, listening carefully. Nagato's shoulders trembled slightly. He raised his head, his long hair covering his eyes.
"Is it news about him?" Nagato asked softly.
Konan froze for a moment, then immediately looked at Jiraiya with anticipation.
But Jiraiya's gaze fell on Yahiko.
When Yahiko heard Shiratori's name implied, he deliberately turned his head away, as if in disdain.
But Jiraiya noticed how Yahiko's ears twitched slightly, perking up at the mention. He coughed a few times to clear his throat and then nodded toward Nagato: "You could say that! Yes, it's related to him!"
"Please tell us quickly!"
Konan couldn't hold back her pleading. They hadn't seen him for a long time. They missed him dearly.
No one ever spoke it aloud, but each of them knew in their hearts, they all longed for him.
[Reminiscence detected]
[Konan: +5000 points]
[Nagato: +8000 points]
[Yahiko: +6000 points]
[Total accumulated: 19,000 points]
[Energy transferred to Choso]
[Development progress: 55.7%]
Looking at Konan's expectant expression, Jiraiya couldn't help but smile.
"Ame and Suna have agreed to a truce."
He looked into their eyes and said seriously.
Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato were all stunned at once.
Yahiko leapt up, his voice loud.
"Really? Is it true? Has Ame really declared a truce? Does that mean there won't be any more wars?"
The questions tumbled out of his mouth in a rush.
Jiraiya hesitated for a moment, then replied, "The news of the Ame and Suna truce is real. They've already signed a ceasefire agreement. As for whether Ame will fight again in the future, I can't say for certain. But I think Hanzō should treasure this hard-won peace."
He gave Yahiko a smile.
Yahiko immediately turned his face away:
"That's not certain at all! Hanzō is nothing but a warmonger!"
Hearing Yahiko's words, Jiraiya could only shake his head helplessly. He knew Yahiko still needed time to let go of his misunderstandings.
"And him? Where is he now? Is he hurt?"
Konan couldn't hold back; she straightened her upper body and asked with concern.
Her eyes were fixed on Jiraiya, filled with deep worry. Jiraiya reached out and rubbed her head, comforting her.
"Don't worry, Konan! He's fine. Right now, he's actually considered a hero of Ame. For Ame to welcome peace, he contributed a great deal..."
But then his eyes drifted past Konan's head, staring into empty space, as though looking into some distant place. His voice sank lower.
"The battlefield is a terrifying place. For him to grow to this point, he must have experienced so much there..."
Konan froze.
The battlefield... Of course she knew how terrible the battlefield was.
She was a war orphan. When she wandered with Yahiko, she had seen too many horrors. She had never before seen so many corpses, so much blood, and such cruel sights. On the battlefield... did he have to face all of this every single day?
[Affection detected: Konan +5000 points each]
[Curse Growth - Love: 17.3%]
Nagato lowered his head again.
[Affection detected: Nagato +5000 points each]
[Curse Growth - Love: 17.8%]
Yahiko pressed his lips tightly together. His irritation unconsciously turned into worry.
Was he really doing okay now?
[Affection detected: Yahiko +5000 points each]
[Curse Growth - Love: 18.3%]
He clenched his teeth.
Why did Shiratori have to join Hanzō?
Why did he have to help Hanzō?
Even if he got hurt... then it's his own fault... he deserved it!
He squeezed his eyes shut tightly.
[Pain detected: Yahiko +5000 points]
[Energy transferred to Kenjaku]
[Development progress: 48%]
---
Meanwhile, Shiratori was riding on a broom, steadily approaching Ame. Every so often, the system's notifications echoed in his mind.
The corner of his lips curled upward. It seemed Yahiko and the others had already learned of the truce between Ame and Suna.
Those three were his steady sources, raised right in the Land of Rain. There would be plenty of emotional energy for him to harvest from them in the future.
Dark cursed energy surged in his palm, and a straw doll appeared in his hand. He lifted the doll and examined it carefully. To prepare for what might come, he had to start collecting hair from famous figures across the shinobi world.
Not only was hair essential for the Straw Doll Technique, but the Séance Technique also required it.
When these ninjas eventually died, he could use the Séance Techniques to turn them into his own weapons.
But collecting hair was going to be a massive undertaking.
Still, no matter what, gathering hair was far easier than collecting blood.
Beneath his feet, an inky-black sphere appeared out of thin air. The straw doll in his hand was swallowed by the black void, and the dark point vanished into nothingness.