As for the daimyo's subordinates and other nobles who held differing opinions, most of them eventually chose obedience—bowing under the pressure and persuasion of Tsunade and the Konoha shinobi aligned with her.
Those who still harbored secret ambitions or refused to yield… were quietly sent to the Pure Land through covert operations carried out by the Twelve Guardian Ninja and Konoha's black ops units.
After that, their legitimate heirs were supported to inherit their titles.
As for explaining their cause of death?
Simple.
They had all "contracted a rare illness," were placed into voluntary quarantine, and "unfortunately didn't make it."
And if they could die with a decent reputation? Even better.
On the surface, it portrayed them as noble souls who passed away with dignity, allowing the people of the Land of Fire to believe in the goodness of their nobility. At the same time, it sent them off with clean hands—to the Pure Land, with their reputation intact.
How poetic~ (¬‿¬)
Afterward, Ao and Uchiha Hikaru spent a long time negotiating over minor treaty details.
For instance: once the merchants from Konoha settle in Kirigakure, if they get married, will they be considered citizens of the Land of Fire or the Land of Water?
What about preferential pricing at the shops operated by Konoha merchants?
How much inventory would be allowed to pass customs each season?
These trivial matters took the entire day to hammer out, and only by nightfall had Uchiha Hikaru and Ao managed to finalize a rough draft.
By the time the talks ended, Ao's mental exhaustion had all but vanished.
Instead, what replaced it was genuine admiration for Uchiha Hikaru.
On the battlefield, Hikaru was a terrifying force—a weapon in human form.
But in this treaty, aside from the initial demands for war reparations and mission commissions that pressed Kirigakure hard, everything that followed felt like a deliberate attempt to nurture them.
Of course, Ao also understood Konoha's reasoning.
Konoha had always been the most powerful of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, and power attracts enemies. Sunagakure had launched multiple wars against Konoha in the past, only to surrender again and again.
To most, this cycle made sense.
But Ao saw it clearly for what it was.
Konoha had originally intended to support Sunagakure—to cultivate them as a loyal junior partner.
That's right—a little brother, not even a vassal.
But Sunagakure had ambitions of its own, and again and again, they betrayed Konoha's goodwill, launching wars whenever they thought they had the chance.
So, if your little brother turns out to be disobedient…
Well then, you just go find a new one.
And right now, Kirigakure—still reeling from internal upheaval—was the perfect candidate.
If not for the natural geography of the Land of Water making it hard to invade, the Hidden Cloud Village in the Land of Lightning would've already pounced on them.
The fact that the treaty negotiations went so smoothly genuinely surprised Ao.
And that… was exactly what he admired about Uchiha Hikaru.
Later that evening, back at the Konoha inn, Ao, Hozuki Mangetsu, and Ringo Ameyuri reunited.
"I brought you both a bunch of snacks and food—come, try them!"
"Konoha's really something! The streets are packed with goods and snacks I've never even heard of."
"The clothes are pretty, the food's delicious… Way better than all the fish we have back in the Land of Water!"
Ringo beamed and stood up to twirl in place, showing off her new outfit.
She wore a soft pink kimono embroidered with clusters of cherry blossoms. A teal-blue obi belt was tied neatly at her waist. She had removed her forehead protector and loosened her usual bun, letting her long dark red hair fall freely behind her. The sharp-toothed kunoichi, normally so fierce-looking, actually seemed… cute now.
Mangetsu glanced at her, blinking.
She actually looked… pretty nice like this.
"Hmph. Don't stare, I know I'm cute," Ringo huffed smugly. "But eat quickly—this stuff's gonna get cold."
Only when she spoke did Mangetsu remember—she might have dressed up, but she was still the same sharp-tongued woman at heart.
"Well, don't mind if I do. We've been negotiating all day—I'm starving," Ao said, sitting down and immediately reaching for a box of tempura.
They began sampling everything Ringo had brought back: sweet dango skewers, Ichiraku ramen, crispy takoyaki, fried tempura, steaming oden…
Each bite sent warmth down his throat and into his belly.
Ao hadn't felt this content in years.
If only someday, the people of Kirigakure and the Land of Water could live like this…
"Hey, Ao," Mangetsu said between slurps of ramen, "how'd the negotiations go?"
"I didn't really understand the part about tariffs. Can you explain?"
Ao swallowed a mouthful of dango and nodded.
"Of course. As far as war reparations and commission shares go, we were squeezed to our absolute limit."
"But everything else in the treaty? Pure win-win."
"How could I not be pleased?"
Mangetsu slurped more noodles, then bit through the last strand with his shark-like teeth. He sipped the umami-rich broth thoughtfully.
"Win-win, huh…?"
"Wouldn't Konoha want us to stay weak?"
"Why would they include terms that support us?"
Ao only shook his head.
He looked at Mangetsu's youthful face—still half-child, half-man—and sighed inwardly.
So young... Always thinking about swords and battles.
And yet… today, he was asking about politics.
If not for that cursed bloodline disease... you would've made a fine Mizukage's right hand someday…
"Because war demoralizes the people, Mangetsu," Ao said quietly. "Konoha and Kirigakure just fought a bitter battle—both sides took damage."
"But Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure? They've been lying low ever since the Third Shinobi World War. Resting. Rebuilding."
"If Konoha and Kirigakure keep bleeding each other dry, it's only a matter of time before one of the others pounces."
"Stabilizing the power balance among the five great nations means helping both of us recover quickly."
"And that's what makes Uchiha Hikaru terrifying."
"He took advantage of the Fire Daimyo's needs, of the noble class's vanity… and wove it perfectly into a strategy that accelerates the recovery of both Konoha and Kirigakure."
"In the end, Konoha rises back to power—and we become strong enough to make the other three villages think twice before challenging us again."
Hearing that Konoha was actively supporting Kirigakure, Ringo scowled.
"Tch. Why should we need help from the Leaf!?"
"We're Kirigakure shinobi!"
Ao didn't reply immediately.
Instead, he stared at Ringo's current getup—the soft kimono, the bright eyes, the box of dango in her lap.
And he asked, one by one:
"Was Konoha's food good?"
"…Yeah."
"Was your kimono pretty?"
"…Of course."
"Did you buy it yourself?"
"…No. Uchiha Itachi bought it for me."
"And were you happy spending the day with him?"
"…I was! I had fun, wore nice clothes, ate good food, and didn't spend a single ryo!"
"Then how could you be unhappy?" Ao asked softly.
Ringo blinked.
Ao nodded.
"Today, you are Kirigakure."
"And Uchiha Itachi is Konoha."
"You got to eat, play, and relax."
"He got to fulfill a mission and forge a bond."
"You both walked away satisfied."
"It's the same between our two villages."
"Now tell me—what's not to like?"
Ringo and Mangetsu both paused.
And then… they nodded silently.
They understood.
It wasn't about bowing or losing pride.
It was about survival. Strategy. Soft power.
Kirigakure wasn't lacking ambition.
But right now, it needed Konoha.
And besides…
…holding onto a powerful ally's leg doesn't feel so bad when the leg's this warm.
(〃￣ω￣〃ゞ)
…
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