A few days later, a squad of a dozen people was slowly approaching the Leaf Village. One look at the forehead protectors they wore and their attire made it obvious: these were ninja from the Cloud Village.
This group consisted of three Jōnin leading ten Chūnin. Their purpose in coming to the Leaf Village was, naturally, to deliver the ransom.
In fact, it could also be called reparations.
For the sake of safety, such a large sum of money was naturally carried using spatial scrolls.
The leader, a Cloud Village Jōnin named Iji, felt extremely complicated. This massive sum of money was to be handed over to the Uchiha Clan of the Leaf Village.
When had their Cloud Village ever paid such a huge amount in compensation? Yet, refusing to pay was not an option.
He had been on the battlefield back then. He remembered the scene clearly.
That monster-like Ryōsuke... with just a single punch, all of Iji's ribs were broken, and he was taken prisoner.
How could someone so strong exist in the ninja world? Even afterward, hundreds of Cloud Village elites were taken down, one punch for each man.
It was truly terrifying.
Regarding the Fourth Raikage's decision to pay compensation, Iji had agreed helplessly.
Because if they didn't agree, and that guy launched an attack on the Cloud Village, what could they do?
And it was obvious the other party had such inclinations.
If he launched an invasion against the Cloud Village, could they stop him?
They absolutely could not.
Although the previous war hadn't mobilized every ninja in the village, the forces sent out were all elites, representing eighty percent of the Cloud Village's strength.
Even if they sent out more Chūnin and Genin, for that man, it probably wouldn't even require a punch for each one.
A single giant fireball would likely kill or injure a massive swathe of them.
Although Cloud Village ninja were not afraid of death, what was the use of such meaningless sacrifice?
When news of the defeat reached the village, the various major clans were naturally terrified. Furthermore, upon learning they had to pay so much money, they initially disagreed.
This was equivalent to cutting flesh from their own bodies, after all, the money was being deducted from them.
But the Fourth Raikage naturally didn't go easy on them. He told them that if they could go solve Ryōsuke, then there would be no need for compensation.
Most of the people in those families hadn't gone to the battlefield, but their clans had people who did. They knew how formidable Ryōsuke was.
Just like Senju Hashirama in the past, fighting a whole village alone was easy for him. Moreover, this man was not reasonable like Senju Hashirama; he was as domineering as his ancestor, Uchiha Madara.
How could they possibly have a way to deal with such a person?
They even learned shortly after that the Uchiha Clan had executed the Consultant Elder, Shimura Danzō, upon returning to the village.
Who was Danzō? Ordinary people might not know, but the high-ranking officials of the Cloud Village certainly did.
He was a very dangerous figure, known as the Darkness of the Ninja World, a man who frequently stirred up trouble in various countries.
With such a person in the Leaf Village, he was equivalent to the second-in-command.
They even heard that the number one leader, the Third Hokage, had been sent flying by a kick.
In their eyes, the Kage of a village was naturally the strongest person and the one with the highest status.
They simply couldn't imagine that the Uchiha Clan dared to kick him away. It was simply lawless. Therefore, the Fourth Raikage decisively ordered the various families to raise funds for compensation and sent people to deliver it.
Before long, the group arrived outside the main gate of the Leaf Village.
The Leaf Village gatekeeper ninja naturally saw them and instantly raised his guard.
Only when the group got close did he speak with a defensive expression.
"You people... coming here again, what do you want to do?"
The Cloud Village ninja naturally didn't dare to put on airs and directly stated their purpose.
"We are here to visit the Uchiha Clan and pay the ransom we promised them earlier."
One of the Leaf Village Jōnin asked in confusion.
"What ransom?"
He guessed in his heart: 'Is this the compensation the Uchiha Clan demanded after defeating the Cloud Village?'
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. After all, the Uchiha Clan was not a family with a good temper. If the other side didn't offer a large compensation, how could they have just let them go back?
"But these compensation funds should naturally be handed over to the Third Hokage."
Cloud Village Jōnin Iji was equally confused.
'Does he not know about this matter?' However, Iji had no intention of informing him about the details.
"You don't need to worry about this matter. Just take us to the Uchiha Clan's territory."
The Leaf Jōnin's face immediately turned ugly, and he spoke forcefully.
"Since it is ransom, it should naturally be handed over to the Third Hokage."
He was a supporter of the Third Hokage.
When the Cloud Village Jōnin heard this, his expression changed.
'What kind of joke is this?' He knew clearly that this money was for the Uchiha Clan.
If he gave it to the Third Hokage, wouldn't that offend the Uchiha Clan?
Perhaps in the past, they would have dared to pull some small tricks and give the ransom to the Third Hokage.
That way, they could cause a conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the Third Hokage, weakening the Leaf Village's strength.
But now, who dared to pull such stunts? If they annoyed the Uchiha and the Uchiha Clan added another debt to the Cloud Village's tab, what would they do?
Moreover, that Third Hokage couldn't even block a single kick from Ryōsuke.
Such a Hokage was simply too weak. The former Hero of Konoha had become old.
There was no helping getting old; physical functions naturally declined, no longer possessing the valor of youth.
Iji spoke seriously.
"This is for the Uchiha Clan. Do you dare to obstruct us?"
The gatekeeping Leaf Jōnin's expression changed. Although he was someone who supported the Hokage, given the current situation in the village, he also knew that the Uchiha Clan's power was immense, and the Third Hokage simply couldn't contend with them.
Especially since several clans that originally supported the Hokage had defected to the Uchiha Clan.
Helpless, he could only let them pass and personally guided them.
'I can only report this to the Third Hokage afterwards. Maybe the Third Hokage has some way to obtain this compensation money, because this belongs to the village.'
'If it all goes to the Uchiha Clan, the other families won't accept it.'
The war with the Cloud Village had lasted for over a decade. The battle involving the Uchiha and the Hyūga against the Cloud Village was merely the final battle.
Many other families had participated in the war prior to that.
Surely they deserved a share of the credit?
Although it was called a ransom, war ransoms were usually enormous.
It was impossible for people not to be envious.
He led the Cloud Village squad alone toward the Uchiha Clan's territory.
He didn't need to worry about any safety issues. The Cloud Village had been beaten so miserably by the Uchiha Clan this time that they probably wouldn't dare to cause trouble.
Moreover, this was the Leaf Village. At the first sign of disturbance, local ninja would naturally come to support.
Seeing that the other party was no longer doing things difficult, the Cloud Village group didn't show any smugness. The Uchiha Clan were the ones with true power in the Leaf Village now.