At one-thirty in the afternoon, Chiyo brought Baki and the other three to the Hokage's office.
Kageyama Kogetsu sat in a single armchair and gestured for Chiyo to take a seat. As for Baki and the other three, they were not qualified to sit and could only stand behind Chiyo.
"Have some tea, Elder Chiyo," Kageyama Kogetsu said with a slight smile.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Chiyo steadied her nerves and accepted the teacup with a composed expression.
One couldn't be hasty in negotiations like this. The more anxious one was, the more easily they could be manipulated by the opponent.
After a bit of small talk, the two still hadn't gotten to the main topic, making the four onlookers anxious.
In the end, Kageyama Kogetsu held the absolute upper hand, and Chiyo had no choice but to speak first.
"Lord Hokage, on behalf of Sunagakure, this old woman apologizes for Rasa's rash and reckless actions."
With these words, she pushed the main responsibility onto the dead man. Hearing this, Temari and Kankurō's expressions changed. They wanted to speak but didn't dare.
Baki and Gaara, however, remained impassive. One believed it was necessary for the sake of Sunagakure, while the other had no feelings for Rasa and thus didn't care.
"Most of Sunagakure's high-ranking officials disagreed with his decision, but they couldn't overrule him as the Kazekage."
"Rasa played with fire and brought about his own destruction. That's one thing, but he also caused Sunagakure to suffer heavy losses."
"Konoha's losses were minimal, and that is all thanks to Lord Hokage's brilliant strategy. In terms of wisdom, Lord Hokage has truly surpassed his predecessors."
"I hope Lord Hokage will be magnanimous and show mercy. Sunagakure is willing to compensate Konoha for double its losses."
"Let's just let this matter go. Sunagakure will certainly not dare to make the same mistake again and will wholeheartedly fulfill its responsibilities as an ally," Chiyo said in a pleading tone, her voice low and humble.
Kageyama Kogetsu was unmoved by Chiyo's tactics of blaming the dead, flattering him, and playing the victim.
"Hehe... let it go?"
"If we follow Elder Chiyo's proposal of a light slap on the wrist and no consequences, then Konoha's allies and friends will be able to act with impunity in the future."
Kageyama Kogetsu chuckled, then leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs, and lit a cigarette from the table. Smoke swirled around him as he spoke.
"My principle is that if you've done wrong, you must admit it. If you're going to take a beating, you stand up straight. Sunagakure must pay the price."
Chiyo felt helpless. She could only say, "What does Lord Hokage want?"
"The Land of Wind is not like the Land of Fire, and Sunagakure is not like Konoha. I hope Lord Hokage will show mercy."
Kageyama Kogetsu sneered, "Hehe... what mercy is there between Konoha and Sunagakure?"
"Ever since the establishment of the hidden villages, the two sides have clashed many times. During the Third Great Ninja War, you used the disappearance of the Third Kazekage as a pretext to ambitiously launch an attack on Konoha first."
"This alliance treaty was not something Sunagakure actively sought, but was won by Konoha through countless sacrifices."
"However... seeing as Elder Chiyo has come all this way at her advanced age, I can show some consideration."
"The Suna prisoners can be taken back for the previously mentioned double compensation. There is no need for an additional hefty sum."
"How about that? Sincere enough, right?"
"Among them is the Jinchūriki, whose value is immeasurable."
Temari and Kankurō's faces lit up with joy, but Chiyo and Baki's expressions grew even heavier!
Making such a big concession was not a good thing. It meant that his true goal was much larger.
"What is it that Lord Hokage truly wants?" Chiyo asked with a serious expression after taking a deep breath.
"I don't want much. Only two things."
"First, the twenty percent mission share in the alliance treaty will be increased to forty percent."
Before Kageyama Kogetsu could state the second condition, Chiyo exploded.
"Impossible!"
"Forty percent is too much. Over the years, it will amount to an astronomical sum and will have a huge impact on Sunagakure's development. Sunagakure would rather pay a hefty compensation."
"We can even abandon the Suna ninja besides these four. We'll just consider them killed in action. The village would rather pay double the death benefits," Chiyo said resolutely, her face determined.
Kageyama Kogetsu chuckled. "In that case, I'll take another big step back. Thirty percent."
"If Elder Chiyo tries to bargain any further, then please see yourselves out. Prepare for war."
The sense of foreboding in Chiyo's heart grew stronger. This man had twice made huge concessions so readily. What could he possibly want with his final point?
But with the conversation having reached this point, the consequences of not agreeing were too severe.
"On behalf of Sunagakure, this old woman agrees."
Kageyama Kogetsu chuckled. "Good. For this last request, Sunagakure will not need to pay any money or other resources."
"It is only required that starting from the Fifth Kazekage, every succeeding Kazekage will need to receive Konoha's approval to take office."
"If they do anything that harms Konoha's interests, Konoha has the right to replace the Kazekage."
"A lesson learned from the past. We have to be on our guard."
Hearing this, the expressions of Chiyo and the others changed drastically. This time, even Gaara was no exception.
If the Kazekage needed Konoha's approval to take office, wouldn't Sunagakure become a vassal of Konoha instead of an ally?
To lose their independence—such a humiliating condition that stripped them of their sovereignty was simply too outrageous!
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Chiyo stood up directly, her emotions becoming extremely agitated.
"Sunagakure would rather bear a huge amount of reparations, paying it off in installments every year, even if it takes fifty years, than accept such a condition!"
Kageyama Kogetsu's brow furrowed in displeasure. "Elder Chiyo, don't go too far."
"I have already made two major concessions in a row, full of sincerity. Sunagakure should not be ungrateful, or you will bear the consequences!"
Chiyo sat back down and said in a deep voice, "Then Lord Hokage should take back the two major concessions, and we can renegotiate."
"Hmph, I never go back on my word. Renegotiate? Impossible," Kageyama Kogetsu said with a cold expression.
"Lord Hokage, Sunagakure is not to be trifled with."
"Even if you start a war, Sunagakure will not be afraid, because Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure will not stand by and watch."
"When the Fourth Great Ninja War breaks out and all the villages, big and small, are drawn in, it's still uncertain whether Konoha can hold out!"
Seeing Chiyo's firm and well-reasoned stance, Baki and the others felt their blood boil, and Temari's face even showed a look of admiration.
Kageyama Kogetsu was not angry. He said calmly, "I don't know if Konoha can hold out, but Sunagakure will definitely be the first to fall."
"Because I will mobilize the forces of Konoha, Otogakure, and Kusagakure to block the probing attacks from Iwagakure and Kumogakure."
Although Kusagakure was not an ally of Konoha, it had a good relationship with them. The pro-Konoha faction was in power.
As long as they were given sufficient benefits, Kusagakure would definitely cooperate with Konoha in battle. Even if their nature was to be a fence-sitter, they would not betray them before Konoha showed any signs of weakness.
"Kumogakure and Iwagakure certainly have their own agendas. Why would they fight to the death for Sunagakure?"
"They would be overjoyed to see Konoha and Sunagakure fight to the death so they can pick up the pieces."
"Kirigakure is in internal chaos and can't even take care of itself. It's hard to say if they can even dispatch troops in the first place."
"Even if they do dispatch troops immediately, we can just deal with them the same way we deal with Kumogakure and Iwagakure."
"With the combined forces of Konoha and the two villages, we can definitely hold off the probing attacks of the three great villages for a period of time."
"Using that time, I will deploy the majority of our high-end combat power from one large and two small villages to the Land of Wind battlefield, such as our Konoha Jinchūriki."
"You won't be able to take this boy back. And even if you do, it will be useless. The power gap between him and Konoha's mature Jinchūriki is too great."
"Besides the high-end combat power, Konoha's main forces will also gather in the Land of Wind. Our forces will be no less than Sunagakure's."
"I have no intention of fighting a conventional war with you. I will head straight for Sunagakure."
"The Suna forces will either have to face Konoha in a decisive battle on the way, or in Sunagakure itself. A single battle will decide our survival."
"As for Sunagakure's current strength, only your skills are somewhat noteworthy. The rest are nothing but chickens and dogs."
"Elder Chiyo, do you want to take that gamble?"
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