Chapter 177: Negotiations and Western Front Conflict

"For the next half month, a few of us will teach you; you don't need to know our names, and we're not interested in yours. All you need to remember is that anyone who extracts chakra within half a month may stay here for further training, while the failures will have their memories erased and be sent back."

"At Gourd Mountain Ninja Academy, a Uchiha ninja looked calmly at the hundreds standing below and said."

"These people were sent by the nobles of the Western River Province."

"The nobles' recruits are divided into three groups: one consists of those who themselves have noble blood, another of house‑born children—offspring of slaves trusted by the nobles for generations—and these two groups are considered insiders, given a month to extract chakra."

"Anyone who successfully extracts chakra within a month may stay to continue cultivation."

"But ninja talent varies enormously; to a ninja, these nobles are just ordinary people, and their so‑called noble lineage is of no use in ninja cultivation."

"They want their own people to wield force, yet refuse to waste money on waste, so they recruited the third group."

"These are children scoured from their territories, required to prove their talent by successfully extracting chakra within half a month."

"Those who can extract chakra within half a month are deemed qualified, may receive noble support and stay to continue cultivation; the others will be eliminated."

"The hundreds below stared at each other, the bright path in their hearts instantly dimmed, and many felt uneasy, fearing they could not meet the requirement."

"Perhaps they have countless worries or goals, but no one dares speak; they come from humble backgrounds, and the Uchiha ninja on stage wears an icy expression, eyes indifferent, looking down on them like ants, filling them with dread."

"Next, you will be taken to be assigned to classes; if you wish to become a ninja, strive to prove yourselves—destiny is in your own hands."

"Uchiha Feng crossed his arms, speaking coldly to the youths below; they will serve the nobles in the future, not the Uchiha, so he naturally feels no need to foster affection for them."

"The brief teacher‑student meeting ended there; they must now go to the back courtyard, where the true purpose of establishing this academy lies."

"The entire academy is broadly divided into front and rear sections, each with its own teaching building, dormitory, and accompanying training grounds."

"The front courtyard trains ninja for the nobles, while the rear courtyard cultivates orphans they have gathered from the Western River Province, Rain Country, and River Country."

"These orphans also have a month to both nourish their bodies and attempt chakra extraction."

"Those who succeed will be kept for further training; the failures will have their memories wiped and be sent to nearby orphanages for other forms of cultivation."

"This academy will become the Uchiha barracks."

"\"Lord Feng, the information for the first season's trainees has been compiled: the Western River nobles sent 272 full‑month students and 804 half‑month students, with testing costs totaling 67.4 million taels."

"The first batch in the rear courtyard totals 300, for a combined 1,376 students."

"If this were not the first collaboration and were limited by venue and instructors, the number of half‑month students would have to double."

"The nobles have a long lineage, amassed countless wealth, and control land and manpower; they are keen on ways to boost family strength and security, especially covert training that can bypass the daimyō, which they cannot refuse."

"Feng took the document, nodded, and said, \"Send the intelligence back to Konoha quickly; await the clan head's orders. \""

"\"Yes! \""

"After the order was given, Feng's gaze fell on a girl in the crowd; like the other children, she was frail, raggedly clothed, pale‑skinned, appearing malnourished, her calm face tinged with uncertainty about the future."

"Such children exist in both courtyards, but the girl's vivid red hair caught Feng's attention."

"To ordinary people, such red hair would seem odd, but for Feng of the Uchiha clan, it almost instinctively reminded him of that ninja clan."

"Feng sighed, his eyes inexplicably distant."

"\"Had I known it would come to this. \""

"Hot Springs Country, a town temporarily designated as a neutral zone by both sides."

"Bang— a massive hammer slammed onto the negotiation table, shattering it instantly, yet the people seated on either side remained calm, as if it were nothing new."

"\"What kind of joke is this, Konoha people? You're not even negotiating in earnest! \""

"The Fourth Raikage pointed at several people, shouting and venting his displeasure."

"From Konoha came Jiraiya, Hyuga Higashihiko, and the long‑wounded but now partially recovered Shikaku Nara."

"Sima Yi considered himself only a Genin, so he stayed at the front lines and did not come along."

"The six on both sides have been negotiating in this town for over ten days, yet there's been no progress."

"\"What joke is this, trying to trade a Byakugan for a tailed beast? Impossible! Don't even think about it! \""

"The speaker was Hyuga Higashihiko; even as a member of the Hyuga clan, he felt he wasn't worth that price, let alone Hyuga Hisa, who was even farther out of reach."

"Don't be fooled by Hyuga Hisa being the clan head's brother; to Hyuga Higashihiko, he's nothing more than a family dog!"

"Such remarks have become commonplace these days; Jiraiya and Shikamaru Nara remained silent, letting Hyuga Higashihiko and the Fourth Raikage argue."

"After they argued for a while longer, the the Hidden Cloud Village people brought in a spare table, and both sides finally calmed down."

"Jiraiya and Sima Yi discussed; after more than ten days of talks, time was running short, and a minor issue arose in the west, so they could no longer delay."

"Shikaku Nara, sensing Jiraiya's gaze, spoke, \"The tailed beast cannot be returned to you; let's discuss prisoner exchange instead. \""

"\"The Two‑Tail belongs to the Hidden Cloud Village; you must—\""

"The Raikage was taken aback, about to retort, but when Shikaku Nara spoke, he held his tongue; the person beside him quickly added, \"If we are to withdraw our troops, all our Konoha personnel must be returned, including the bodies of the Wooden Man and Troy. \""

"As for the other bodies, it's not that they can't be retrieved; rather, some low‑level goons were likely already buried on the spot by Konoha."

"Shikaku Nara ignored it and said, \"Konoha supports a one‑for‑one prisoner exchange; the remaining ones require the Hidden Cloud Village to provide sufficient money for ransom. \""

"\"Impossible. If Konoha refuses to release our people, this war will continue. \""

"\"Please, Raikage, consider that if the war continues, our supplies may not sustain the extra two thousand plus Cloud ninjas; we might have to take measures to ease the pressure. \""

"\"What are you saying? \""

"At those words, the Fourth Raikage's mouth twitched; he clearly understood Shikaku Nara's meaning."

"If over two thousand Cloud ninjas were lost, the entire the Hidden Cloud Village would mourn in mourning garb, countless families would lose loved ones—a scenario he could not permit."

"Currently Konoha holds absolute superiority, and its Fifth Hokage is a young Uchiha; who knows what he'll do? 'Iwagakure is unreliable; it seems we can't keep entangling further.'"

"The Fourth Raikage sighed inwardly; after a moment of conflict, he could only concede."

"Subsequently, both sides negotiated the price difference for several days and finally settled on a rate: twenty‑hundred thousand taels for Genin, five‑hundred thousand taels for Chūnin, and three‑million taels for Jōnin to retrieve the over two thousand Cloud ninjas."

"The price was moderate; it was too high for Cloud to spare that much idle money, but Konoha added an extra condition: they must purchase all Genin before buying Chūnin, and all Chūnin before buying Jōnin."

"Excluding the directly exchanged prisoners, Cloud contributed a total of 800 million taels to ransom the remaining ninjas."

"Cloud could not produce the sum at once, so it paid 300 million taels upfront and signed a contract with Konoha, agreeing to pay the remainder over two years, during which both sides would cease hostilities."

"Jiraiya and the Fourth Raikage signed their names on the contract, marking that since the Third Great Ninja War, the intermittent years‑long conflict between Konoha and Cloud has finally, openly, reached a cease‑fire."

After several days, the news returned to Konoha, and the Village rejoiced.

"Finally, the war is finally over; everyone can return to a peaceful life, and my child can come back."

"Great, the war is finally over, Yuta, did you see? I've taken good care of your wife and child, so you can rest easy!"

"This is all thanks to the Fifth Hokage; the petty Yun Yin is nothing before the power of Uchiha, and their surrender is only a matter of time."

The complex discussion is hard to describe, but compared with the villagers' happiness, the atmosphere in the Hokage building feels somewhat oppressive.

"They claim it's a ceasefire, yet Yun Yin's army still camps there; they must be waiting for Yan Yin's people, right?"

In the Hokage's office, three advisors, the heads of each division, and the Jonin squad leader have gathered here.

A letter lies on the desk, and opposite them hangs a map of the ninja world.

"According to the information we gathered in Grass Country, Yan Yin's ninjas have crossed the front line several times, but there are no signs of a large‑scale ninja army gathering."

Nara Suzaku stands beside the map, stating the obtained intelligence and analysis results one by one.

"Hmph, Yan Yin could not bear the losses and withdrew from the war; that old Da Ye Mu will never help Yun Yin for free."

The three advisors inside, especially Tuan Zang, are the most knowledgeable about the shadows of each nation; when he spoke, Shisui gave a slight nod.

"That makes sense. So what does Advisor Tuan Zang think Yan Yin's sudden show of force aims at?"

Tuan Zang looks at the map, squints, and remains silent.

Zhuan Qin Xiao Chun stays composed, still making no sound, while Shui Mu Men Yan speaks up: "Da Ye Mu has always been treacherous; Yan Yin's abnormal behavior may be to attract our attention and create an opportunity for Yun Yin."

Shisui nods, indifferent to the other two advisors' attitudes; as for Yan Yin's motives, Sima Yi has already sent a letter to analyze them for him.

Da Ye Mu's purpose is exactly as Shui Mu Men Yan guessed: Konoha's recent victory attracted the Raikage, and this made Da Ye Mu see the possibility of a full‑blown battle between the sides.

Yet the two sides' hesitation disappointed Da Ye Mu, so he took the initiative: on one hand to draw Konoha's attention and ease Yun Yin's pressure, on the other to tell Yun Yin that Yan Yin will not launch a surprise attack.

The Fourth Raikage, though reckless, is not foolish; attacking Konoha is for profit, defending Yan Yin is for survival, and of course he cannot trust Da Ye Mu, so both sides halted.

However, Yun Yin didn't earn money and lost blood, and the Fourth Raikage is clearly dissatisfied, wanting to see if Yan Yin will strike while wounded, so he can seize the chance to show support.

"Advisor Yan is correct; therefore we must not give Da Ye Mu any opening. I decide to take the initiative, dispatch troops to Grass Country to eliminate the crossing Yan Yin and snuff Da Ye Mu's intent in the cradle!"

Although Da Ye Mu is unlikely to voluntarily respond to the Raikage's idea, Shisui still decides to make a full display, causing Da Ye Mu to abandon the thought early.

Tuan Zang slightly opens one eye, glances at Shisui, his expression inscrutable.

"Does anyone have a different opinion?"

Shisui scans the crowd, his expression remaining gentle.

"Lord Hokage is wise!"

Nara Suzaku speaks first, agreeing with Shisui; acting now can resolve the matter at minimal cost.

Although Tuan Zang remains silent, he also supports Shisui's method in his heart; this action starkly contrasts with the Third Hokage's concession.

"Alas, this is something I should do myself!"

"Lord Hokage is wise!"

Except for Tuan Zang and Zhuan Qin Xiao Chun, the others quickly follow, speaking up one after another.

"Then let's do it that way; Yun Yin's ransom will be delivered to the Village soon, and the funds will be allocated by Zhuan Qin and Advisor Shui Mu Men Yan. The candidates for the Grass Country mission will be chosen by the Jonin squad and then confirmed by me."

"Yes!"

"The Fifth Hokage is wise."

Zhuan Qin Xiao Chun nods slightly at the words, offering a reluctant compliment.

"Then who will be in charge of this Grass Country operation?"

The others fall into thought; for a task that takes troops away from the Village, they certainly cannot go, so they must consider others. Yet they believe that as long as Konoha's stance is firm enough, Da Ye Mu will not let the situation escalate, making this mission almost certain.

"We can let Hyuga Hitsuji lead the troops."

Someone proposes, Shisui's expression unchanged, also favoring Hyuga Hitsuji; now the two clans are in a period of easing, and this achievement may bring much aid.

But after careful thought, he still looks at Tuan Zang, then his gaze signals Nara Suzaku.

Nara Suzaku immediately says, "Advisor Tuan Zang perhaps… Tuan Zang is advanced in age, perhaps not suitable."

"Hmm?"

Tuan Zang snorts coldly; he now needs an achievement to prove his ability, laying groundwork for becoming Hokage later.

Of course, money and people are also needed, since Root has just broken the seal and lacks everything.

"However, Yan Yin is just a minor matter, not Da Ye Mu himself; I…"

If Root were to undertake this mission alone, Tuan Zang would certainly refuse, but the Village provides both manpower and effort; he only claims the credit. Why reject such a good deed? He endures humiliation under the inherently evil Uchiha brat, all to seek an opportunity to set things right and save Konoha.

As soon as Tuan Zang speaks, the others abandon their suggestions; although he has lost influence, now in the Village, aside from the Fifth and the Third, there is virtually no one higher than Tuan Zang in seniority or status.

"Then we shall trouble Advisor Tuan Zang with the trip; for the related matters, I ask everyone to lend their full support."

"Yes!"

(End of chapter)