Konoha was incompetent!
and even that old fossil Ōnoki had become useless.
Despite Kumo tying down a large number of Konoha's forces on the eastern front, they had still been driven out of the Grass Country.
When the Fourth Raikage, received the news, his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. Lightning crackled faintly around them as he struggled to contain his fury.
Ōnoki had stirred up such chaos, yet in the end, it was all bluster, noise without substance, fury without results.
The first thing Homura did upon arriving in the Hidden Cloud Village was, of course, to face the Raikage head-on. Their verbal sparring began the instant they met.
Both sides firmly denied any wrongdoing.
At the negotiation table, Homura deliberately avoided mentioning Danzo's internal report, that there might be problems within Konoha itself.
The discussion was confined to a single, controlled narrative: an unknown force had attacked the Kumogakure envoy.
The "official" conclusion was almost laughably neat; perhaps Iwagakure, Sunagakure, or even Kirigakure had sent agents.
Both parties even tacitly agreed that Iwagakure seemed the most suspicious. They had motive, capability, and their response to the incident had been suspiciously fast.
But it didn't matter. The Raikage wasn't interested in theories, he wanted something Konoha possessed.
So, unable to demand answers from Ōnoki, he focused his wrath entirely on Konoha.
At one point, lightning surged so fiercely around him that his fist nearly smashed into Homura Mitokado's skull. But the old advisor didn't even flinch. He calmly rolled up his sleeve, revealing the sealing formula etched into his arm.
"If you kill me here," he said evenly, "a few of your Cloud elites, and perhaps even you, Raikage-sama, will be buried with me. If you think that price is fair, then by all means, strike. Otherwise, please sit down, and let's continue our discussion."
The negotiations deadlocked until the news of Iwagakure's rapid collapse arrived.
And with that, the Raikage lost his biggest bargaining chip.
"Regarding the Land of Hot Water's border outpost and the mission quotas in the Land of Forests," Homura said, his tone now steady and unyielding, "the terms proposed by Kumogakure are unacceptable to Konoha."
"Our final offer stands: based on the consensus already reached, Konoha will provide the Land of Lightning with the most favorable rates for food and essential goods. Additionally, a portion of mission quotas from the Land of Hot Water can be reassigned to your shinobi."
Bang!
The negotiation table splintered under the Raikage's fist. His towering frame rose over the unshaken Homura, lightning dancing angrily across his shoulders.
"Enough of this pointless circling!" he roared. "Fine! I'll accept your conditions, but only on one term."
He leaned down, eyes sharp as thunderbolts, glaring straight into the advisor's calm, glass-covered gaze.
"Hand over the killer of Akai. A life for a life."
"If you can't even do that, then it's war. And trust me, Ōnoki would love to march south again."
Homura was silent for a moment, then calmly pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
—
Inside Konoha, the air of victory from the western front didn't last long. The unspent resentment, mixed with grief and exhaustion, soon found a new target.
The Hyuga Clan.
As Roshi walked through the streets, he could hear it spreading, first in whispers, then in open chatter.
"Did you hear? Kumogakure's demanding justice from the Hyuga."
"They could've just subdued him. Why kill him?"
"So many died because of them."
"Byakugan... they can see everything, except the trouble they've brought to the village."
What began as idle gossip had turned into a steady tide of blame. Under quiet manipulation and collective frustration, public opinion had shifted.
And when the so-called "peace terms" leaked, with phrases like 'severe punishment for the culprit' and "a life for a life," the resentment found a name, a clan, and a scapegoat.
Roshi walked through the murmurs, brow furrowed.
He never believed the Hidden Cloud truly intended to go to war. The Raikage's bluster was pressure, nothing more, meant to squeeze Konoha into concessions.
And this logic spreading through the village, that sacrificing one Hyuga life could secure peace for thousands, was laughable.
If that reasoning held true, then shouldn't the Raikage, whose father, the Third Raikage, died trapped by Iwagakure, have already declared war on Ōnoki long ago?
Climbing the steps to the Hokage Building, Roshi paused outside the office.
A familiar figure approached, Asuma Sarutobi, freshly shaven and visibly furious, storming out without noticing Roshi at all.
Roshi glanced after him, then turned to the half-open office door. A heavy silence lingered within.
He knocked lightly.
"Come in."
"Hokage-sama."
"Ah, Roshi." The Third Hokage looked tired, though he still managed a faint smile. "Sit. What brings you here?"
"Hokage-sama, I came to report some rumors circulating in the village," Roshi began.
Hiruzen's gaze drifted back to the papers on his desk.
"Oh? What kind of rumors?"
"About the Hidden Cloud," Roshi said carefully, avoiding the direct mention of the Hyuga. "My assessment is that they have no intention of resuming hostilities."
Hiruzen nodded slightly. "Since your recovery, Roshi, you've become increasingly perceptive. You've handled recent incidents admirably."
He smiled faintly. "The village's future will depend on young men like you."
Roshi said nothing.
The Hokage's expression sobered. "We all understand what you're implying."
"But we can't simply dismiss the Raikage's anger, or gamble on his restraint. His demands, aside from that final one, are already more moderate than we expected. Ending this conflict quickly is still the best path forward."
"The Hyuga Clan... has already expressed their willingness to take responsibility for the greater good."
He exhaled slowly, eyes heavy with weariness. "If the Raikage truly goes to war again, even for half a month, how many lives would be lost on the front lines? How many avoidable deaths?"
"Our concerns are the same as Kumogakure's," Roshi said evenly.
"But," Hiruzen interrupted, his tone firm, "we cannot place our peace in the hands of the Raikage's rationality. You, Roshi, of all people, know how Cloud shinobi think."
His voice softened, weighted by the years. "Let's end this discussion here. All the resentment... and the blame... will rest on my shoulders."
Roshi didn't argue. He stood, bowed slightly, and left the room.
After all, he was only a jonin. There was only so much he could do.
In the end, the coward's game initiated by the Raikage was won by the side with the greater fear of loss, the one who bent the knee first.
Outside, Roshi looked up at the Hokage Rock.
And a single thought crossed his mind.
'If it were Tsunade... would she have bent the knee first?'