-Chapter 4-

-Chapter 4-

I pulled out a map that I unfolded on the table, with wooden markers that I intended to use to discuss the distribution of ninjas, and I said:

"…A small marker represents a hundred ninjas, and a large one represents a thousand. According to our information, the village of Konoha has about 60,000 ninjas, but in peacetime, more than 50,000 have retired, leaving a total of 10,000 qualified ninjas still ready to fight. You could even say that one Konoha ninja can face two from any other ninja village."

Some faces relaxed at the mention of their power, but everyone was generally quite annoyed by what they perceived as my ‘impudence’ towards them, the ‘great gods’ of Konoha.

"You may have 5,000 active Genin, 3,000 Chūnin, 1,000 elite Chūnin, 500 special Jonin, and 500 Jonin, but that’s all you have to face the alliance of the four other great ninja villages. My information might not be entirely accurate, but it’s not far from the truth. You are critically short of ninjas, and YOU need us."

"As you so aptly said at the beginning of your little speech, we still have 50,000 ninjas that we can recall in wartime whenever we please," Tobirama said, still with his neutral expression, making a dismissive gesture.

I nodded, acknowledging his point, and said:

"That’s true, but you would then have to divide 60,000 ninjas across four fronts, which means 15,000 ninjas per enemy village. In terms of numbers, that makes sense, but we still have to see how many of those people are still at their best or simply if they are young or strong enough to make a real difference in this war."

"Three fronts. Iwa isn’t invading us, is it?" Tobirama asked.

"Of course they are, because if you aren’t allied with us, we won’t have the strength to repel Iwa with our meager resources. We would rather not fight than suffer unnecessary losses and starve our people for nothing," I said, repeating what I had said earlier to make sure he understood Kusa’s determination to either come out victorious or take as many of them with us to the grave.

I noticed, as I observed the other members of this meeting, especially the patriarchs of the more modest clans, that everything I was saying made sense.

Although it was speculation based on numbers and what I remembered from the original story, they were outnumbered, and quality alone wouldn’t be enough to win the war.

They desperately needed cannon fodder and a lot of time for the next generation, which was being intensively trained, to improve and enter the battlefield to relieve the pressure where it would be needed.

I seized the opportunity that presented itself and struck while the iron was hot by saying:

"You are completely outclassed. You’re facing an invasion of more than 120,000 ninjas, and that’s not counting the fact that you only have one Bijū, while they have six. What do you hope to achieve at the end of this war… dying?"

"You’re awfully insolent for someone who comes asking for help," said Tobirama, aware of the shift in attitude among those accompanying him and clearly displeased with their behavior.

"I didn’t come here to ask for help; I came for an alliance, and so far, I’ve only been met with humiliation and insults. I know what you’re all thinking, that I’m insolent, audacious, and really stupid to dare to bargain with you, the almighty gods of Konoha. But the truth is, you’re walking a tightrope, and one wrong move will send you all to hell," I said, gathering all my courage. I knew it was risky, but this was the only appropriate moment to change the outcome of this war, as well as my destiny and that of my entire village.

I felt an enormous pressure of chakra suddenly weigh down on my shoulders, and I heard Tobirama say in a cold tone with a chilling look:

"You dare threaten me in my own village, boy?"

A few seconds passed before I replied in a more humble but equally determined tone:

"I wouldn’t dare. I’m stating a truth that’s hard to hear and even harder to admit. I came here with one goal: to secure an alliance that would benefit both our villages and, why not, both our nations. Kusagakure will never have a good end under Iwa’s rule, and everyone knows it. Whatever happens, we will always serve as Konoha’s shield, and we will be happy to be among your allies, BUT we deserve a minimum of consideration."

At that moment, I realized that even though many thought that with Tobirama’s death, Konoha was defenseless, that was far from the truth. They still had a monster protecting them, and I wasn’t talking about the Kyūbi.

"Let’s hear what he has to say, Tobirama," said Mito Uzumaki.

The pressure that had been threatening to crush me suddenly disappeared, and I could finally breathe properly. I regained my composure and then stated my conditions:

"First, for the duration of the war, you will provide us with weapons of all kinds: explosive tags, kunai, shuriken, senbon, katana, armor, and recovery pills…"

Seeing that some were already ready to protest, I added in a firmer tone: "This is non-negotiable. Second, we need two ninjutsu: the Shadow Clone and the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique. And lastly, I would like to have a scroll."

"The first two conditions are completely out of the question. We’re giving everything, and what do you bring us in return?" Tobirama asked.

"We’re already giving more than enough. We’re putting our lives in your hands by choosing to trust you. Because even if you win, that victory will come at the expense of our entire country. It will take several years, perhaps even a whole decade, to eradicate the consequences of the war. A jutsu that half the Jonin in your village know will sooner or later leak out, so you might as well make good use of it in these negotiations," I said.

Tobirama Senju was silent for a few moments, seriously considering my requests before saying:

"For the first condition, even if I wanted to, I would need the Daimyo’s approval and financial support."

I nodded, understanding, while saying: "Well, you’ll have to get it because without us, the Land of Fire might literally go up in flames… The last concession our country would be willing to make would be to feed and house Konoha’s ninjas, as well as provide them with maps to fight more effectively against Iwa’s ninjas and more easily set up ambushes."

Everyone’s tense expressions relaxed, and I continued speaking:

"I don’t want to see my village and my nation ravaged by enemy ninjas, so believe me when I say that we’re just as eager as you are for this war to end with a swift Konoha victory. But if you’re determined to face the other villages alone, you won’t get very far."

They all looked at each other, and I noticed that even though they weren’t all thrilled with the way I was speaking, they at least recognized the value and truth in my words.

"We will deliberate, and you will have our answer once we’ve made our decision," said Tobirama with his legendary stone-cold expression.

"Thank you for coming such a long way," said Uzumaki Mito with a slight smile.

I bowed my head to both of them before leaving, all the while wondering if I had done the right thing and what more I could have done.

‘There’s no point in dwelling on it now. I’ve presented my ideas and demands, and the ball is in their court,’ I thought as I sighed and walked away from that mental torture chamber as quickly as possible.