216-220

*Chapter 216: The Observer*

Snowflakes, as large as goose feathers, swirled in the cold wind, drifting past Ai's face. The Fourth Raikage of the Hidden Cloud Village stood bare-chested, his muscular frame resembling iron, completely unaffected by the freezing weather. However, he was far from being in good shape.

His left arm was broken, two or three ribs fractured, his internal organs badly injured, and a large burn covered his right calf. His chakra was nearly depleted, and even the military rations pills were losing their effect... But the most despairing part was that the enemy still appeared to be in complete control.

How could he be this strong?

Ai felt a chill deep in his heart.

He had completely underestimated Uchiha Sougen's power. It was understandable to struggle against Susanoo, but when Sougen deactivated it, Ai thought it was an opening. Yet, even without Susanoo, Sougen still crushed them as if it were child's play.

And what was more,

Ai could tell,

Sougen wasn't even using his full strength. It was like he was toying with them the whole time.

"Can't hold on any longer? I thought I could enjoy this a bit more! What a shame!"

Sougen waved the fan in his left hand, sending a surge of scorching flames toward a Hidden Cloud ninja attempting a sneak attack from the bushes, burning him and the surrounding trees to ash. With a casual swing of the Flame Fan in his right hand, he absorbed a lightning attack from another direction and instantly transformed it into a storm, blasting the attacker back, leaving him half-dead.

With just two fans,

Sougen turned the battlefield into a one-sided massacre. Even the Fourth Raikage suffered a heavy loss. Ai's left arm was broken due to Sougen's special technique, Uchiha Reflection, which reflected his own attack back at him. Thankfully, it didn’t result in amputation, and with enough time, it might heal.

The burn on his right leg,

That was the work of the Banana Palm Fan.

This fan could control all five chakra natures without the need for hand signs. If Ai weren’t so fast in his reactions and movements, he might have been reduced to ashes.

"The Banana Palm Fan, why is it in your hands?"

Ai glared at the fan in Sougen's hand, his mind racing.

The Uchiha Fan was one thing—it rightfully belonged to the Uchiha clan—but the Banana Palm Fan... One of the Six Path’s tools, it originally belonged to the Hidden Cloud Village. However, due to a rebellion sparked by the village’s two brightest stars, four of the five tools were lost, with only the Amber Purifying Pot remaining.

Now that the Banana Palm Fan was in Sougen's hands,

Did that mean he had acquired the other tools as well?

“Huh? Is that really your focus right now? Shouldn’t you be more concerned about... the bigger picture? Even if you don’t care about that, aren’t you worried about your own life?” Sougen spoke leisurely, clearly at ease. He had every reason to be. Thanks to a more efficient communication system, he already knew that Shisui had successfully taken down the Hidden Cloud command center. The war was on the brink of ending, and the final step seemed effortless.

“The Banana Palm Fan is a treasure of the Hidden Cloud Village. It belongs to us.”

Ai’s voice was low, seething with anger.

“Haha! Are you trying to reason with me now?” Sougen laughed. “It's impressive you can say that with a straight face. Have you forgotten how your Hidden Cloud tried to steal the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki and the Byakugan? I have to admire that thick skin.”

Ai remained unfazed by the mockery, showing no hint of shame.

“That thick skin...,” Sougen clicked his tongue. Shaking his head, he swung the fan toward the ground. The earth deformed instantly, twisting like water, forming a vortex of mud. From the churned-up soil, a few bloody bones could be seen.

“Forget it. Talking to you about this is a waste of time. In any case, it now belongs to the Uchiha clan.” Sougen waved the Banana Palm Fan again. “Raikage, let’s stop with the pointless talk. If I were you, I’d start thinking about what price you’ll have to pay to calm Konoha’s anger. Look, that hawk is probably here with a message for you!”

Sougen stopped advancing and watched the majestic eagle circling above. Ai whistled, and the bird dove from the sky, landing steadily on his raised right arm. The eagle opened its beak, dropping a small wax pellet the size of a quail egg into Ai’s hand.

As soon as the eagle delivered its message,

It vanished with a poof.

Ai cracked open the wax pellet, revealing a small note covered in tiny writing. He scanned the contents quickly, and his already grim expression darkened even further. His mood was clear—furious and defeated.

“Useless! All of them, useless!”

His heart throbbed with pain. The incompetence of his subordinates and his own failures had filled him with rage, making him feel like his blood was boiling. For a moment, he thought about risking it all in a final fight against Sougen. But reason quickly regained control, and he realized that as Raikage,

He could lead the charge but could not act recklessly.

“Everyone, stand down!”

His angry shout echoed through the snowstorm.

The Hidden Cloud ninjas lurking nearby were all shocked. However, Raikage’s orders were absolute. No matter their doubts, they could only suppress them and obey.

After calling off the meaningless ambush,

Ai, filled with exhaustion, looked directly at Sougen and asked, “What do you want?”

“Surrender. Compensation.”

Sougen’s reply was just as blunt.

"Surrender is an option, but what about compensation... are we talking money or supplies?" The command center had been taken by Konoha, and it was clear this war couldn't go on any longer. If they forced the fight, Konoha wouldn't come out unscathed, but the Cloud Ninjas would definitely suffer more.

At this point, surrender was the best way out.

It wasn't just about other concerns—the pressure Uchiha Sōngen brought on him was suffocating. If they completely enraged Konoha... he wasn't afraid to die, but he didn’t want to see the village destroyed. If things escalated that far, he'd have no face to meet his father in the afterlife.

"We can negotiate the details later. For now, I think it's best to end this war. The longer we drag this out, the heavier the losses on both sides, and the more compensation you’ll have to pay."

Ai stood silent for a few seconds, then turned around.

With his back to Sōngen, he wasn't worried about being attacked. He quickly summoned all the ninjas who had been lurking in the shadows and rapidly issued orders—commands to cease fire and retreat. These orders were swiftly relayed through the Cloud Ninja command center, which had already been taken by Shisui.

On the land of the Land of Hot Water, the flames of war gradually died down. Falling snowflakes snuffed out the burning fires, momentarily covering the scarred land. But with the resilience of the Shinobi World, it was only a matter of time before this land returned to its former beauty.

...

"Why didn’t you make a move?"

In the forest, a man wearing a mask and a black cloak sat on a tree branch. Next to him, a strange creature resembling a Venus flytrap with a face of dual colors emerged from the tree trunk. In a gloomy voice, it asked, "You just let such a great opportunity slip by, Obito!"

"Are you blind? What opportunity?"

Uchiha Obito glared at the plant creature.

"Uchiha Sōngen never really fought seriously from start to finish. These Cloud Ninjas were no match for him, not even Raikage could force him to reveal his trump cards. If he wanted to, he could easily wipe out these Cloud Ninjas. The way he dragged it out... I think he’s baiting."

It was obvious who the 'fish' was.

Black Zetsu couldn’t argue with Obito’s reasoning.

Still, he felt it was a shame to miss this chance. Who knew when another opportunity to deal with Uchiha Sōngen would come up? What troubled him even more was that he saw a reflection of Uchiha Madara in Sōngen.

Uchiha Sōngen now had a commanding presence, unconsciously resembling Madara in his prime.

He might even seem more invincible than Madara. After all, Madara was unfortunate enough to face Hashirama Senju and never achieved total dominance, while Sōngen appeared to have no one in the current Shinobi World who could defeat him.

Nagato still hadn’t fully mastered the Rinnegan’s power.

If they confronted Uchiha Sōngen prematurely, it could lead to unpredictable consequences. Those Rinnegan eyes were key to the plan. To put it bluntly, Obito and Nagato were expendable if necessary, but the Rinnegan couldn’t be lost.

That’s why Black Zetsu had never intended for Nagato to take on Uchiha Sōngen directly.

If Uchiha Sōngen reached the same level of power as Madara, he would undoubtedly become a significant obstacle to their plans. Once the tailed beast collection plan started, they would be at odds with the entire Shinobi World, and a confrontation with Sōngen was inevitable.

However, after losing once, Obito would find it difficult to defeat Sōngen. Even though Sōngen was baiting this time, Obito had Kamui. As long as he didn’t engage in a direct fight of ocular powers with Sōngen, he could escape if necessary.

But Obito lacked even the courage to launch a surprise attack. He watched the entire battle without making a move, which was disappointing.

"So what’s the plan now? Uchiha Sōngen will become a huge problem in the future!"

Black Zetsu asked.

"Just because we can’t deal with him now doesn’t mean we won’t be able to later. Once Nagato fully masters the Rinnegan, we’ll have a chance. Worst case, we can always have Nagato use the Rinne Rebirth technique. Isn’t that what you want anyway?"

Obito coldly looked at Black Zetsu.

That damn creature was left behind by Madara to watch him. Not only did it monitor his every move, but it was also obsessed with reviving Madara. Obito didn’t particularly care about reviving Madara; the Eye of the Moon Plan didn’t necessarily need Madara to be executed.

He could do it himself.

Even though Sōngen had humiliated him, Obito didn’t feel like Sōngen had beaten him so thoroughly that he lost his nerve. He simply believed Sōngen was baiting, and striking impulsively would yield no benefits. Worse, it might reveal something to Sōngen.

There was still plenty of time.

The timing of the plan depended on when Nagato fully mastered the Rinnegan’s power, and the Akatsuki organization was still in a development phase. Now wasn’t the time to take on the Five Great Nations head-on, so there was no rush. A good hunter’s most essential trait is patience.

And life is unpredictable.

Who’s to say the Uchiha clan won’t face internal strife in the future? Sōngen’s ocular powers might be formidable, but even he might not escape the risk of blindness. By the time the plan begins, Sōngen could already be blind.

That was the ideal outcome, but Obito wasn’t counting on Sōngen’s self-destruction. Teaming up with Nagato was their plan, and reviving Madara was a backup option. If necessary, he wouldn’t hesitate to revive Madara.

"Alright, let’s go. Nothing else to see here."

Obito blinked, and the space around him warped, pulling him into another dimension. The tree branch, now free from his weight, trembled lightly, causing a thin layer of snow to fall from the leaves.

"Sōngen... What a headache!"

The plant creature swayed in the cold wind, and Black Zetsu let out a sigh of frustration. It took one last look at the quieting forest before sinking back into the tree trunk and disappearing.

(End of chapter)

Chapter 217: Compensation List

The Cloud Ninja have surrendered!

The war is over!

Many people have been debating whether this conflict should be considered the Fourth Great Ninja War. Since the middle of the year, Konoha first fought a fierce battle with the Mist Ninja, followed by prolonged entanglement with the Cloud Ninja. Meanwhile, the Stone Ninja also became active, with four of the Five Great Ninja Villages involved. Only the Sand Village stayed out of the chaos, focusing on recuperating within their own borders.

However, this debate quickly subsided. The skirmishes this year didn't reach the scale of a true Great Ninja War, which typically involves nearly the entire ninja world, lasts for years, and is a hellish bloodbath. This year’s events were more like aftershocks from the Third Great Ninja War.

"Finally, it’s over."

Standing at the camp's entrance, Jiraiya looked at the empty encampment and sighed deeply. Konoha had won, but just like in previous wars, it was a bitter victory. Not counting the Mist and Hot Springs Ninjas, fewer than 2,000 Konoha ninjas returned alive. The battlefield was littered with the bodies of the fallen, and many left not even a trace of ashes to be recovered.

The tragic sight stirred up old, melancholic memories.

The so-called Sannin—

They were made legends by war, yet also shattered by it. When he, Orochimaru, and Tsunade first set foot on the battlefield, they were full of youthful spirit. But the brutal, meat-grinder battles crushed their idealism. Tsunade, devastated by the loss of her brother and lover, developed a fear of blood. Orochimaru, after witnessing so much death, turned down a dark path...

As for Jiraiya himself, he sighed again. The breakup of the Sannin solidified his resolve to fulfill the mission foretold by the Great Toad Sage. He was tired of this war-torn world and determined to find the Child of Prophecy who could bring about change and peace to the ninja world.

"Jiraiya-sama? Jiraiya-sama?"

Nara Suzaku had to call out several times to pull Jiraiya from his thoughts.

"Huh? Suzaku, what were you saying again?" Jiraiya shook off the memories and refocused, his eyes showing a hint of impatience.

"Lord Sougen asked for your input on the negotiations with the Cloud Ninja," Nara Suzaku repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Please tell the Hokage’s advisor that I won’t be participating. From the moment the Cloud Ninja surrendered, my job was done. I'm just a carefree wanderer. Let the Hokage’s advisor handle it as he sees fit. Once everything here is settled, I’ll return to the village."

Jiraiya made his refusal clear.

His mission was to find and guide the Child of Prophecy. He had no interest in the village’s internal politics. Fighting in the war for the village's safety was already his limit; he didn’t want to get any more entangled.

"Jiraiya-sama..."

"Suzaku, just go. Don’t waste any more time here."

"...Understood, Jiraiya-sama."

Nara Suzaku left, clearly frustrated. As a smart man, he had sensed Jiraiya’s impatience early on, but he still hoped to convince him to join the negotiations. After all, aside from Jiraiya, no one on the frontlines could stand up to Uchiha Sougen.

Victory had given Uchiha Sougen immense influence.

Even Hyuga Hiashi had little say now, as the negotiations with the Cloud Ninja were completely led by Uchiha Sougen. If this continued, by the end of the negotiations, Sougen’s influence might grow enough to threaten the Hokage’s position.

This was something many among the Ino-Shika-Cho clans could not tolerate. Having tasted power, they weren’t willing to give it up and go back to surviving on the scraps left by the Sarutobi clan. Even some of the usually laid-back, intelligent Nara clan members were becoming intoxicated by the allure of power.

To protect the Hokage's position, they schemed endlessly against Uchiha Sougen. It didn’t matter whether Sougen actually had any ambitions of usurping power. The problem was that they believed he had the ability to do so, and that was enough to make him a threat.

"Sigh, what a mess..."

Watching Nara Suzaku leave, Jiraiya shook his head. He held back the words that were on the tip of his tongue. Since he had already decided not to get involved in the village’s politics, there was no need to make unnecessary remarks. Half the world’s problems come from people who can’t hold their tongues.

"Hmm?"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow in surprise. In the next second, a puff of smoke signaled his disappearance from the camp entrance, causing a brief commotion. But soon, a Jonin arrived, speculating that it must have been a reverse summoning, not an attack.

The guess was correct.

Jiraiya had left the snowy battlefield of the Land of Hot Water and arrived at the warm, spring-like Mount Myoboku.

"Boss, Ma'am, what's going on?"

Jiraiya asked, confused as he looked at the two small but authoritative toads that had summoned him—Fukasaku and Shima, the elder sages of Mount Myoboku. They were trusted confidants of the Great Toad Sage and had been crucial in helping Jiraiya achieve his current strength.

"Jiraiya, bad news! Something big has happened! We’re doomed! It’s really the end!"

The speaker was Shima, a small, green-skinned toad with purple hair and lips. She looked like a typical housewife, complete with an apron, and spoke quickly, like someone used to managing a household. But Jiraiya knew better than to underestimate her. She was a top-tier fighter whom he called "Ma'am."

Listening to her rapid-fire speech, Jiraiya felt lost.

"Ma'am, slow down! You're making Jiraiya confused," said Fukasaku, an elderly toad dressed in a black cloak.

"Boss, what’s going on? Did something happen at Mount Myoboku?" Jiraiya asked as he scanned the familiar surroundings, which looked unchanged. The toads seemed to be going about their usual business.

"It’s the Great Toad Sage," Fukasaku said with a serious expression. Despite being over 800 years old, he still commanded immense respect among the toads.

"The Great Toad Sage just made a new prophecy."

"What?"

Jiraiya was stunned.

————

When Sougen learned that Jiraiya had refused to join the negotiations with the Cloud Ninja, he calmly accepted the news. Being rejected was expected. A man who could give up the Hokage’s position so easily wouldn’t jump into the village’s political fray again.

"Since Jiraiya has declined, we’ll have to handle these matters ourselves. Any thoughts or ideas, feel free to share."

Sougen looked at the people sitting around him.

Seated on either side of him were Hyuga Hiashi, Aburame Shibi, and Nara Suzaku.

The group was quite small. Jiraiya was supposed to be here as well, but he refused, so only a few of them were left. Hyuga Hiashi and Aburame Shibi were naturally present, as the heads of two major clans with significant influence in the camp. Even someone as strong-willed as Uchiha Sougen couldn't overrule them.

Nara Suzaku represented the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, as none of their clan heads had come to the frontlines. As the eldest, Suzaku participated in the meeting. As for the others, there was no one qualified to sit at this table.

With Sougen present, the Uchiha clan didn’t need to send anyone else. Other clans, like Inuzuka, had strong members in their ranks, but without their heads on the frontline, they lacked sufficient authority. As for the Mist and Hot Springs ninjas, they had no right to be involved in such matters.

Of course, as allies, Konoha would certainly compensate them later for their contributions.

"Assistant Hokage, do we need to consult the village before negotiating with the Cloud ninjas?" Nara Suzaku asked.

"We can, but it's not necessary to wait for orders. Before we set out, Lord Hokage gave me the authority to handle Cloud-related matters. We can negotiate while we wait for instructions from the village. Negotiations may take time, and when Hokage's orders arrive, we can adjust as needed," Sougen replied patiently.

"Assistant Hokage, my brother... my Hyuga clan must have the body that Cloud ninja took returned to us," Hiashi said, barely concealing his agitation.

"Of course, but that will be part of the negotiations. Does anyone have other concerns about negotiating with Cloud?"

"As long as the village doesn't get the short end of the stick," Aburame Shibi added meaningfully.

Back during the Third Ninja War, the Third Hokage had given up on claiming compensation from the Rock ninjas to end the conflict quickly. He even made covert deals with them, giving them considerable benefits. Despite Konoha's advantage after the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, it had seemed like Konoha was the one who lost.

"Don’t worry. Cloud won't walk away without paying a steep price this time. Honestly, they’ve got plenty of things worth taking!" Sougen smiled confidently.

With both the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails Jinchuriki captured, and young talents like Darui in Konoha’s custody, Cloud was in a vulnerable position. Not to mention their morale-crushed army of ten thousand defeated ninjas. If the Fourth Raikage wanted to avoid losing his forces and all of their Tailed Beasts, Cloud would be forced to negotiate from a weak position.

In Sougen's eyes, Cloud ninjas were like fish on a chopping block, ready to be cut up at will.

If they dared to resist, he wouldn't hesitate to use force to teach them what defeat really meant.

"This is the list of demands for the negotiations. Take a look and see if there are any issues." Sougen handed over several thin sheets of paper. Uchiha Futaba, who had been quietly standing behind him like a statue, came to life and distributed the list to the three others.

The densely packed names and large figures didn’t surprise them. They were seasoned leaders and had seen such numbers before. What really caught their attention were the last few items on the list.

"Cloud isn’t going to hand over things like training methods for the Lightning Release Chakra Mode or techniques like Hell Stab and Black Lightning, right?" Hiashi asked, uncertain.

"Ask for the sky, settle for what you really need. To make up for what we’ve lost and calm my anger, money alone won’t cut it. Cloud needs to bleed. Of course, how much we get depends on the negotiations," Sougen said with a smile, though Hiashi thought he looked like a giant snake ready to swallow its prey whole.

"What’s this Turtle Island?" Aburame Shibi asked, intrigued by the strange name at the bottom of the list.

Looking at the odd name, he couldn't help but feel puzzled. What was it that made Turtle Island valuable enough to be on the compensation list?

"Turtle Island... that’s something I’m determined to get. You all remember how we’ve been trying to extract the memories of the perfect Jinchuriki we captured to learn how they became perfect, right?"

"Does that mean Turtle Island is related to perfect Jinchuriki?" Nara Suzaku couldn’t hide his excitement.

After all, he knew that the stronger the village, the more his clan would benefit.

"Exactly! According to our intel, both of Cloud’s perfect Jinchuriki are connected to Turtle Island. Of course, having the island doesn’t guarantee the creation of perfect Jinchuriki, but it increases the possibility."

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 218: Stalemate in Negotiations*

Negotiations are actually similar to bargaining at a market—the core concept is asking for the sky and settling for the ground. How far the talks go depends on the bargaining chips of both sides. In this negotiation, there’s no doubt that the Cloud Village (Kumo) is at a clear disadvantage.

The Hidden Leaf (Konoha) holds two critical bargaining chips: the jinchuriki of the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails. It's as if they’ve got their hands around the Cloud Village's neck. Sure, the Cloud ninjas captured a few Leaf ninjas during the war, but in terms of numbers, Konoha completely overwhelmed the Cloud. For example, after capturing the Two-Tails, Shisui took down the entire Cloud Village command post.

To make matters worse, the Cloud Village is the invader and the loser of the war.

They have neither the moral high ground nor enough strength.

Because of this, facing Konoha's heavy demands is tough for them. The Cloud's negotiator, unsurprisingly, is Dodai. This clever man has racked his brains and used every rhetorical trick he knows but hasn’t gained any ground in front of Shisui. Since Sougen already laid out the bottom line, Shisui just has to stick to it.

Typically, negotiations like this would be handled by the Nara clan. But this time, Sougen bypassed them, throwing Shisui into the role. Given Konoha’s absolute advantage, there’s no need for sophisticated negotiation techniques; brute force is enough.

“Is the Cloud Village still stalling?”

Sougen stood at a desk by the window, brush in hand, painting on a blank sheet of paper.

“It’s still about Turtle Island. Dodai said they’re willing to give up part of the Lightning Chakra Mode training method, but they absolutely won’t hand over Turtle Island... His stance is as firm as ever, and it doesn’t seem like he’ll budge anytime soon,” Shisui reported on the latest negotiation status. He hesitated for a moment and added, “For the past two days, the talks have stalled over Turtle Island. If it weren’t for that, the negotiations would’ve ended days ago. Sougen, the Cloud Village might genuinely be unwilling to give up Turtle Island...”

“If they don’t want to hand over Turtle Island, then they shouldn’t expect to get back the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails. Without the tailed beasts, without jinchuriki, what use is Turtle Island?” Sougen laughed. “Be patient, Shisui. We’re not the ones who should be anxious. Don’t forget about the Stone Village (Iwa). That old fox Onoki didn’t join us in attacking the Cloud’s main forces. He’s probably off raiding the Cloud Village itself. Once the news reaches them, I doubt the Cloud will continue to drag things out.”

As he spoke, Sougen set his brush down, straightened up, and looked at his ink painting of an eagle in flight. He nodded in satisfaction, feeling that his painting skills had improved. While his work still hadn’t broken free from a certain stiffness, this eagle appeared much more dynamic and fierce than his previous attempts.

With a flick of his finger, the paper fluttered, and in an instant, the powerful eagle in the painting flew off the page, soaring out the open window like an arrow and climbing into the cold wind.

“The Stone Village?” Shisui raised an eyebrow. “Can they be trusted?”

“Of course not!” Sougen almost burst out laughing.

Turning to Shisui, he said, “That old fox Onoki is notoriously fickle. Trusting the Stone Village is out of the question. As long as Onoki remains Tsuchikage, the Stone Village will never be reliable. We’re only cooperating with them out of mutual interest. But as long as those interests align, working with them... Wait, why are we even talking about the Stone Village?”

“Oh, right. Shisui, what about the Amber Purifying Pot? Did the Cloud Village object to that?” Sougen quickly switched topics.

The Stone Village wasn’t really important; Konoha’s cooperation with them was purely transactional. What mattered more to Sougen was the ongoing negotiation with the Cloud Village, especially since they were fixated on Turtle Island and had made no mention of the Amber Purifying Pot, which piqued his curiosity.

“Hmm... About the Amber Purifying Pot, Dodai didn’t say anything,” Shisui recalled, shaking his head.

The long list of reparations had undergone several changes, but the part about the Amber Purifying Pot remained unchanged.

“That’s not too surprising, right? It’s just a tool. Even if it’s one of the Six Paths Sage’s relics, it doesn’t seem all that special.” Shisui glanced at Sougen. He couldn’t quite grasp why Sougen valued this ninja tool so highly.

While Sougen might have a knack for collecting tools, the Uchiha fan, the Banana Palm fan, and Samehada were all powerful. In comparison, the Amber Purifying Pot seemed... less impressive. After much thought, Shisui could only attribute it to Sougen’s eclectic collecting habits.

Sougen paused, lost in thought.

After a few seconds of silence, he realized his perspective might be skewed. Thanks to his unique talent of [Knights Don’t Die Empty-Handed], he could extract useful information from ancient, mysterious tools, but that only applied to him. For the rest of the ninja world, these tools were just that—tools.

If it were a weapon like a sword, which could play a significant role in battle, it might be valued more. The Amber Purifying Pot, while powerful enough to seal targets upon hearing the user’s voice, was too large and unwieldy for mobile combat, and likely couldn’t even be stored in a scroll. Ninjas weren’t fools, and even without fully understanding its mechanics, they wouldn’t easily fall into its trap. Otherwise, the Cloud Village wouldn’t have used it merely as a temporary container for tailed beasts.

Even the legendary brothers Kinkaku and Ginkaku had abandoned the Amber Purifying Pot in favor of other tools.

Thus, while the Amber Purifying Pot was strong, its practical use was probably quite limited!

Sougen might see great value in it, but the Cloud Village likely didn’t. In fact, they might even rate it lower than the Banana Palm fan in Sougen’s collection. Plus, considering how long the reparation list was, the Amber Purifying Pot was just one item. If it were negotiated separately, the Cloud Village probably wouldn’t give it up so easily.

Like when Orochimaru fixated on Sougen’s desire for Six Paths tools and refused to give them up, forcing Sougen to trade White Zetsu’s limbs for them.

“I overthought it. But that’s a good thing.”

Sougen relaxed.

Getting the Amber Purifying Pot without much hassle was no bad deal. While complicated twists and turns in a story are engaging, no one likes dealing with them firsthand. A smooth outcome is what most people want, and Sougen was no different.

---

As Sougen predicted, Konoha wasn’t the side that should be anxious. It was the Cloud Village that was feeling the pressure. With negotiations dragging on, the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails jinchuriki remained prisoners of Konoha. A had thought several times about refusing to negotiate and simply retreating to the village.

But that idea was quickly squashed.

Refusing to negotiate was out of the question. Even putting aside whether Konoha would pursue them, the loss of both the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails was something he simply couldn’t afford. To be precise, once Konoha put Killer Bee and Yugito on the table as bargaining chips, he no longer had the option to refuse negotiations, no matter how much he wanted to.

If there was truly no way to recover the two tailed beasts, A would certainly face heavy criticism, but it wouldn’t shake his position as Raikage. The real issue was that if he passed up the chance to recover the tailed beasts by refusing to negotiate, he would face a storm of attacks from the opposition, and the village elders might actually consider impeaching him as Raikage.

Every village has its own problems, as the saying goes. It’s not just Konoha that suffers from internal strife—each village has its own troubles.

While the Cloud ninja seemed united, that was only because A had inherited his father’s legacy, had Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, as a solid supporter, and was one of the strongest in the village. These factors allowed him to rally the village against Konoha.

But now the situation had changed. The Cloud ninja had been defeated by Konoha—badly!

After the loss, A could easily imagine the discontent spreading through the village. Once morale wavered, all the suppressed conflicts and disputes would rise to the surface... just thinking about the current chaos in the village gave A a headache.

"Dodai, Konoha still won’t budge?"

"No, they won’t."

Dodai stood by the table, his expression bitter.

Representing the defeated in negotiations with the victors was an agonizing task. In just a few days, he looked like he’d aged seven or eight years. The deep exhaustion was evident to anyone with eyes.

"Uchiha Shisui’s stance is very firm. No matter what I say, he won’t budge on Turtle Island... Unless something drastic changes, I don’t think we can make Konoha give up the island," he said seriously to A.

The Fourth Raikage’s face darkened, and he stayed silent.

The importance of Turtle Island couldn’t be overstated. The Waterfall of Truth on the island held the potential to turn a jinchuriki into a perfect host. While a successful case had only recently appeared, the hardest part of any endeavor is the first step. As long as there was one success, future jinchuriki could be trained by following the same path.

For the Cloud ninja, Turtle Island was a treasure that could ensure perfect jinchuriki for generations to come. Although it seemed of little use at the moment, in the long run, it was more valuable than a complete set of the Six Paths Ninja Tools—at least in A’s eyes.

But now it seemed that the Cloud village was going to lose that treasure.

"Is there really no chance?"

After a long silence, A asked again, unwilling to give up.

"It’s unlikely! The main issue is that we don’t have anything to bargain with against Konoha," Dodai replied, his face filled with distress and helplessness. This wasn’t an equal negotiation. The Cloud village, in a weakened position, had few chips to play. In his view, if Konoha didn’t want to push them too far, there wouldn’t even be a need for negotiations.

The so-called negotiations were just a more peaceful, convenient way for Konoha to carve up the Cloud’s resources. But the Cloud had no choice but to accept this. If Konoha resorted to violence, the Cloud would lose even more.

"Raikage-sama, the negotiations can’t drag on for much longer. Whether or not Konoha gets impatient, the longer this takes, the more likely something will go wrong in the village," Dodai said softly. He was a firm supporter of A, not just because A was the son of the Third Raikage.

In Dodai’s view, A hadn’t made any major mistakes in his decisions during the war with Konoha. The real reason for their defeat was underestimating Konoha—or rather, underestimating the current strength of the Uchiha clan. Without Uchiha Sougen and Uchiha Shisui, without their Susanoo that could overpower tailed beasts, the Cloud wouldn’t have lost so badly.

At the end of the day, it was because the Cloud wasn’t strong enough.

He anticipated the turmoil that this crushing defeat would bring, but he believed that this was precisely when A’s position as Raikage needed to remain firm. In Dodai’s eyes, there was no one else in the Cloud Village who could replace A as Raikage.

"Dodai, are you suggesting we give up Turtle Island?"

A stared at Dodai.

Facing the Raikage’s piercing gaze, Dodai met his eyes squarely. "Yes, I do. We lost, and it’s no use complaining about it. If we have to be squeezed dry because of it, we deserve it. We lost, didn’t we? If we can’t keep Turtle Island, then so be it. The village got by before without perfect jinchuriki, didn’t it?"

"What if Konoha raises their own perfect jinchuriki?"

"Would that change anything? Whether they have a perfect jinchuriki or not, we still can’t beat Konoha."

"Then... is there any chance we could use the Fifth Hokage to change who’s leading the negotiations?"

"No chance. Even if the Third Hokage were still alive, he couldn’t do it. I know you want to exploit Konoha’s internal conflict, but honestly, the Fifth Hokage might want Turtle Island even more than Uchiha Sougen. The Uchiha clan is too powerful, and Turtle Island could help the Fifth Hokage train a perfect Nine-Tails jinchuriki to oppose them."

A remained silent for a long time, his face tense.

According to Dodai, there was no way to keep Turtle Island. But A still wasn’t willing to accept it.

Just then, the door burst open with a bang, and C stumbled in. A, his thoughts interrupted, scowled, anger rising in his chest. But the next moment, the urgent news C brought extinguished his fury in an instant, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured down his spine.

The message was short, just two sentences.

The Cloud Village has been attacked! The attackers are Stone ninja!

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 219: Onoki's Bad Reputation*

Onoki’s poor reputation wasn’t built in a day. As the longest-serving Tsuchikage, he had mastered the art of opportunism during the numerous Shinobi World Wars, becoming as notorious for his constant flip-flopping between sides as for his unique Dust Release.

This time, the Iwa-nin once again demonstrated what it meant to maximize their own interests. First, they joined forces with the Kumo-nin to attack Konoha, only to suddenly stab Kumo in the back. Seizing the opportunity while Kumo's forces were tied up in the Land of Hot Water battling Konoha, and with both the Fourth Raikage and Kumo’s two Jinchuriki (Killer Bee and Yugito Nii) absent, Onoki led his troops across the sea, aiming directly for the heart of the Land of Lightning—Kumogakure.

The Iwa-nin's bold move, as sneaky as it was, worked out perfectly. Just as Onoki had anticipated, Kumogakure's defenses were weak, and the Kumo-nin's minimal defense line was quickly overwhelmed by the Iwa-nin forces. Without opposition, the Iwa-nin marched into Kumogakure and looted it at will.

Though many valuable items had already been evacuated, it was impossible to completely empty such a large village in a short time. After a thorough sweep, the Iwa-nin left with their hands full, both collectively and individually.

It’s no secret that, among the Five Great Nations, the wealth of the Land of Lightning comes second only to the Land of Fire. This wealth naturally extended to the Kumo-nin, who lived quite comfortably. Under Onoki's orders, the Iwa-nin didn't disturb ordinary civilians but targeted the village’s wealthiest clans, the storehouses, and the library, making a hefty profit.

Kumogakure's affluence was clearly on full display.

Inside the Raikage's office at Kumogakure:

“Give the order, we need to retreat!” Onoki, now occupying the Raikage's chair, barked the command. Sitting in a chair custom-made for the bulky Fourth Raikage, the small, thin Onoki looked downright ridiculous. If it weren’t for Kurotsuchi’s large frame, he might not have even been visible in the massive chair.

Despite how comical the sight was, no one dared to laugh in Onoki's presence.

“So soon? But we haven’t found the group of Kumo-nin who escaped,” Kurotsuchi said, clearly frustrated. Although they had successfully ambushed Kumogakure, the Kumo-nin weren’t complete fools, and they managed to evacuate some of the village’s most valuable treasures before the Iwa-nin arrived.

“Having a fool like you as my son is the biggest mistake of my life,” Onoki snapped, holding a scroll he’d found in the compound of one of Kumogakure's large clans. It contained valuable research notes on the Magnet Release, each word worth its weight in gold. He had been deeply engrossed in reading it, but Kurotsuchi's comment had annoyed him to no end.

“I told you to advance, and you hesitated. Now I tell you to retreat, and you stand there like a rock! Are you trying to defy me?” He waved the scroll threateningly but restrained himself from throwing it at his son. It wasn’t out of affection for Kurotsuchi, but because he didn’t want to damage such a valuable document.

“Fighting Konoha is a losing game, but going against the Kumo-nin is profitable. What’s so strange about that?” Kurotsuchi muttered.

In his mind, Konoha was not to be trifled with. Every time the Iwa-nin attacked, thinking Konoha was vulnerable, they ended up being soundly defeated. As for the idea of containing Konoha’s power to prevent it from becoming as dominant as it was under the First Hokage, Kurotsuchi thought that was nonsense. Even when the First Hokage was alive, Konoha hadn’t been a nation that invaded others without reason. And the barren, desolate land of the Land of Earth? No one from Konoha would want it anyway.

Instead of worrying about Konoha’s invasion, Kurotsuchi believed it was better to focus on profiting from weaker villages like Kumo, Suna, or even Kirigakure.

Unfortunately, his father didn’t share his views. Nor did many in Iwagakure agree with him.

“You idiot! If we don’t retreat now, do you want to race the Kumo-nin back here after they return from the front lines?” Onoki took a deep breath, suppressing his irritation. “This is an order, not a negotiation. And Kurotsuchi, is this how you talk to me?”

“My apologies, Lord Tsuchikage. I was out of line,” Kurotsuchi said, bowing his head.

He knew his father’s temper well. Once Onoki got angry, it didn’t matter who was standing before him; even Kurotsuchi had been disciplined countless times, either as the Tsuchikage or as a father. The only exception seemed to be Onoki’s granddaughter, Kurotsuchi’s daughter, who always seemed to be spared.

From his experience, Kurotsuchi knew better than to argue. Although he doubted the Kumo-nin would return any time soon—Konoha's army wasn’t to be taken lightly—he was only the Tsuchikage’s son and could not go against his father’s orders.

“I don’t feel even the slightest bit of sincerity in your apology... but never mind. Just pass along my orders,” Onoki said, waving dismissively.

Though annoyed, there wasn’t much Onoki could do. Kurotsuchi might be a big, slow-witted fool, but he was still Onoki’s son. Taking out his frustrations on him wouldn’t help. But he couldn’t risk alienating his beloved granddaughter, Kurotsuchi.

Still, it was a disappointment.

Kurotsuchi wasn’t the brightest or most strategic thinker, and Onoki had set his hopes too high. When Kurotsuchi couldn’t meet those expectations, Onoki inevitably felt let down.

——

Meanwhile, at the Kumo frontlines:

“Damn those Iwa-nin! Those dirty rats! I’ll crush every last one of them into pulp!”

The word "furious" perfectly captured the state of the Fourth Raikage. When he heard that Kumogakure had been raided, the initial shock almost knocked him out cold. Yet, as the Raikage, A managed to hold himself together, gritting his teeth through the barrage of bad news.

After recovering, however, his fury exploded! He smashed his desk into pieces and tore apart everything in his office. And when there was nothing left to destroy, he took out his anger on the entire building.

Fortunately, no one was seriously injured during his rampage. His aide, Dodai, had managed to pull everyone to safety just in time.

Finally, as A’s rage began to subside, he stood among the ruins of the building, breathing heavily. He turned to Dodai, who approached him cautiously.

“I'm sorry you had to see this mess again, Dodai,” A muttered, his muscles twitching with barely controlled anger. The last time he had been this furious was when his father, the Third Raikage, had died.

“Sometimes anger helps you stay sharp, Raikage-sama,” Dodai replied calmly. “But the situation is urgent. We need to return to the village immediately, or it may be too late.”

*Chapter 220: The Prisoners*

The life of a prisoner was nothing short of torment. The terrible food, poor living conditions, and constant interrogations made it unbearable. The physical torture, while brutal, wasn’t the worst part. The most terrifying was the memory extraction—everything in their minds could be laid bare for others to see.

Many tried to end their suffering by committing suicide, but few succeeded. In the end, it only brought more pain.

Darui had considered suicide at first, but quickly dismissed the thought. He realized that death wouldn’t protect the secrets in his mind. In front of the prisoners, a Jonin from the Yamanaka clan of Konoha demonstrated how they could extract information from corpses, making the Kumogakure shinobi realize that death wasn’t the end.

Darui knew there were limitations to reading memories from the dead—it wasn’t as powerful as the demonstration suggested. But seeing his fallen comrades' bodies, he understood that death was merely an escape. Staying alive, no matter how slim the chance, offered hope. After all, living was better than the void of death.

As for keeping information secret? The moment they were captured, their memories were probably searched while they were unconscious.

However, what truly crushed Darui was overhearing the guards say that even Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, had been captured. This news devastated him—how could it be? That was Killer B, the perfect Jinchuriki!

No matter how much he wanted to deny it, the facts were clear.

So, Darui abandoned the thought of suicide and started focusing on survival. He wanted to find a way to escape and rescue Killer B. But he couldn’t find any opportunity. Hyuga clan shinobi were guarding them, and planning an escape under the watch of their Byakugan was futile.

His chakra was suppressed by the shackles on his wrists and ankles, and each day they were forced to take drugs that further inhibited their chakra. Now, they were little more than strong civilians—not even capable of taking on a Chunin from Konoha.

As time passed, more and more Kumogakure shinobi were captured. The once-empty temporary prison became crowded, and Konoha had to expand it to accommodate the increasing number of prisoners. Every day, guards boasted about how many more Kumogakure shinobi were captured.

The guards were clearly exaggerating, claiming they killed or captured a thousand shinobi a day. But even with the embellishments, Darui knew the situation on the battlefield wasn’t good.

It was obvious from the expanded prison and the attitude of the guards.

“Darui, still not giving up?”

The voice came from the cell next to Darui’s. It was another dark-skinned, white-haired man, a former Jonin like Darui. They had once completed missions together when Darui was just a Chunin, and now they were neighbors in this hellhole.

The man had lost his right arm and leg in battle. Leaning against the bars, he watched Darui doing squats despite the chains on his wrists and ankles. “What’s the point of all this? Our lives are over. If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll get a bigger cell. If not… we won’t even live long enough to eat prison food.”

“At least I have hope. Without it, I don’t think I could survive.”

Darui continued his squats, then switched to push-ups after finishing a thousand squats. He didn’t get angry or frustrated with his comrade’s pessimism, because he had seen the man at night, staring blankly at the stumps of his arm and leg.

Even if he returned to Kumogakure, there was no future for a shinobi missing an arm and a leg.

“Hope, huh?”

The man mumbled, his hand instinctively rubbing the still-painful stump where his arm had been. He glanced at his right leg, which ended at the knee. His foot had been lost on the bloody battlefield.

A nameless anger welled up in his chest.

“Hope? What hope? Didn’t you hear the others who were brought in recently? We’ve already lost!”

Darui didn’t respond. He just continued his training. He couldn’t claim to understand his comrade’s despair, but he had his own resolve. And in a dark, hopeless place like this, one had to hold onto something, or the constant despair would drown them.

The truth was, Darui wasn’t surprised by the news of their defeat. He had expected it ever since learning that Killer B had been captured. As a defeated soldier, he had seen firsthand the overwhelming power of Konoha, especially the Uchiha clan.

Unlike the others who were crushed by the news of defeat, Darui saw an opportunity.

He wondered what Konoha intended to do with the prisoners. Their minds had likely already been scoured for information, yet they hadn’t been killed. This puzzled him.

Perhaps they weren’t completely useless? Maybe they still had value? A small flicker of hope burned in Darui’s heart. Maybe, just maybe, they had a chance to see the outside world again.

“Clang!”

The heavy iron door of the temporary prison opened.

A series of footsteps echoed down the hallway. Many Kumogakure shinobi looked up, sensing something unusual. The footsteps were heavier and more numerous than the usual patrol. It sounded like more than ten people.

Even though their chakra was suppressed, the prisoners were still seasoned warriors. They could tell something was different from the unusual footsteps.

Soon, a group of Konoha shinobi appeared in front of the Kumogakure prisoners. Many recognized the one leading them: the son of Konoha’s White Fang, Kakashi Hatake, known for his Sharingan. His cold, single eye swept over the prisoners before stopping on Darui, who was still doing push-ups.

The group stopped outside Darui’s cell.

One of the guards hurried forward to unlock the door. Kakashi stared at Darui and said in a cold voice, “Darui, come out.”