Chapter 159: Diplomatic Cost |
After leaving the main camp, Konoha's five-man negotiation team headed toward an oasis in the north.
Upon entering, they found that the Sand ninja had already cleared out the Land of Wind residents from the surrounding area.
Three large umbrellas were pitched beneath the blazing sun, sheltering the three negotiating parties.
Under the front umbrella sat the special envoy of the Land of Wind's Daimyo, acting as a witness to the negotiation.
Beneath the western umbrella, the delegation from the Hidden Sand Village was already in position.
Yako looked over. He saw Ebizo, Rasa, Matetsu, two assistants, and a Sunagakure Anbu operative.
Ebizo stared fixedly at Copper Fox, watching him take his seat.
Within Sunagakure, Hatake Sakumo was known as the White Fang. The Sand ninja had no idea why he hadn't shown up.
That title, White Fang, would slowly spread, becoming etched into the memory of every Sand ninja—just like Copper Fox.
Originally, his older sister Chiyo was supposed to attend this negotiation. Ebizo had gone to great lengths to pacify her and keep her from coming.
He had been terrified that if they ran into the White Fang or Copper Fox here, his sister would turn the peace talks into a quest for revenge.
To think his nephew had actually died. His nephew's Puppet Technique was so exquisite that even his sister couldn't confidently claim she could defeat him.
Sitting in the seat of honor, the Daimyo's special envoy—Ashikaga Sadakaze, the Left Minister of the Grand Council of State of the Land of Wind—lowered his fan and spoke to the Konoha delegation.
"Clan Head Shikaku, you've had a long journey. As Konoha's Commander-in-Chief, please have a thorough discussion with Sunagakure. Let me first state the Daimyo's position: His Highness believes this war should end."
With that, Left Minister Ashikaga Sadakaze fell silent.
Judging by his subtle praise of the Konoha delegation, it was clear that the Land of Wind's Daimyo was extremely dissatisfied with Sunagakure's performance in the war.
Training a puppeteer consumed vastly more resources than training a standard ninja.
The Land of Wind had funneled steel and expensive yellow ironwood into Sunagakure, yet the puppeteers they produced had ultimately collapsed at the first blow against Konoha's experts.
Toge, the genius puppeteer universally praised within Sunagakure, had died, prompting the White Fang to personally lead a team to reinforce the main battlefield.
How could the Land of Wind's Daimyo not be furious?
He had given Sunagakure all the support they asked for, and what had Sunagakure given him in return?
The destruction of Shabo Harbor? A crushing defeat on the battlefield?
It was no wonder the Daimyo was disappointed. In the wars between ninja villages, being weak was the original sin.
Nara Shikaku spoke up.
"Special Envoy Ashikaga Sadakaze, Advisor Ebizo," he began. "I represent Konoha in these post-war negotiations today. Our demands are as follows. First, the war ends, and we return to the pre-war status quo. The Land of Rivers remains under the protection of the Land of Fire. If Sand ninja wish to enter the Land of Rivers for missions, they must obtain Konoha's permission, process the necessary paperwork, and pay the required tariffs."
Ebizo lowered his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the table.
Over the course of the six-month war, Sunagakure had lost nearly two thousand ninja in battle, only to walk away with nothing.
He had no choice but to agree to Konoha's demand.
Nara Shikaku continued.
"Second, no tampering with the Yoshimizu River. The Yoshimizu River is a vital waterway running straight through Kyoto, the capital of the Land of Rivers. Sand ninja are forbidden from diverting its water through karst caves into the northern Land of Wind, and they are forbidden from destroying the section of the river within the Land of Rain. Now that a hydroelectric plant has been built on the Yoshimizu River, this is more crucial than ever. Any attempt by Sunagakure to sabotage the Yoshimizu River will immediately trigger a declaration of war from both the Land of Fire and Konoha."
Ashikaga Sadakaze interjected.
"Clan Head Shikaku, there is no need to speak in such absolutes. His Highness the Daimyo of the Land of Wind has already dispatched diplomatic missions to visit the Daimyos of the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers. The Yoshimizu River possesses an abundant water flow; a planned, minor diversion of water from beneath the Yoshioka Mountain Range wouldn't greatly impact Kyoto, the Land of Rivers' capital. The Land of Wind wishes to cultivate a new oasis in the north. Since this need couldn't be met through war, our nation does not mind expending some resources and paying a diplomatic cost to resolve the matter through negotiations with the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers."
Rasa spoke up.
"Lord Ashikaga Sadakaze, the total amount of resources in the Land of Wind is fixed. We absolutely cannot concede too much in negotiations. Otherwise, from where does His Highness plan to recoup the losses?"
Ashikaga Sadakaze gave Rasa a longer look. This jonin had a decent head on his shoulders, striking right at the heart of the issue. The envoy replied, "Jonin Rasa, I am nothing but a pot-bellied noble. It wouldn't take you even three seconds to kill me. However, I expect you to squarely face the interests of the Land of Wind. When the Daimyo and all the nobles in the capital heard that a massive oasis could be created in the north, they were so thrilled they stayed up all night discussing it. Once the large oasis beneath the Yoshioka Mountain Range is completed, it will bring in vast amounts of food, population, and wealth. When that time comes, we will be able to support Sunagakure even better. But until that oasis is finished, Sunagakure will have to endure this grievance and tighten its belt alongside the rest of us."
Only then did Ebizo understand. For the sake of the oasis beneath the Yoshioka Mountain Range, the Daimyo intended to slash Sunagakure's funding to pay reparations to the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers.
Noticing Ebizo's unfriendly glare, Ashikaga Sadakaze continued.
"Advisor Ebizo, you cannot say the Land of Wind did not fully support this war. The Daimyo even decided to supply twenty percent more steel than you requested. We also supplied all the yellow ironwood you needed, even though its price was six times what it was before the war. The Land of Wind shouldered all those excess procurement costs. To build an oasis in the north, we did everything in our power. Even with Shabo Harbor destroyed and His Highness's twenty ships sunk, the Land of Wind is prepared to swallow the loss in silence. We have a clear conscience; we did our absolute utmost to support Sunagakure. But the war was lost, and now we must find other avenues to change the abysmal state of the northern desert. To that end, I am officially informing you, Advisor Ebizo, that we will have to reduce all budget allocations. Funding for the Daimyo's great hall in Tenshu Castle, the construction of the capital, the paving of the Land of Wind's major roads—and the budget for Sunagakure—will all be slashed. I will soon be traveling to Sunagakure to formally present the Daimyo's decision to Lord Kazekage. We have been forced into a corner, wouldn't you agree, Advisor Ebizo?"
Since crossing over into this world, Yako had met two great nobles. One was the Land of Fire's Minister of Treasury, Ida Haneda, and the other was the man right in front of him, Ashikaga Sadakaze.
Neither of these nobles lacked capability.
Ashikaga Sadakaze might be pot-bellied, but his mind was sharp, and his arguments were tightly interlocked.
Thinking it over carefully, Yako couldn't come up with a single good countermeasure that would allow Sunagakure to rightfully reject the Daimyo's decision.
Sunagakure could always just kill the Daimyo and Ashikaga Sadakaze.
But if they did that, the Land of Wind would collapse from within.
The "one country, one village" system was a cooperative relationship. One side collapsing wouldn't benefit the other.
Eyes closed and brow slightly furrowed, Ebizo mentally weighed his options before finally accepting it.
Beside him, Rasa felt the same.
He really could kill Ashikaga Sadakaze with ease. He had killed plenty of nobles who dared to defy Sunagakure.
But on this matter, Sunagakure truly had no ground to stand on.
They had no one to blame but themselves for losing the war.
If they had defeated Konoha and seized the Land of Rivers, the issue with the Yoshimizu River wouldn't have been an issue at all.
If the Land of Rivers' Daimyo dared to utter a single word of complaint, "Rain ninja" would have slaughtered him with their puppets.
Killing nobles could solve some problems, but it couldn't solve everything.
When the Land of Wind's Daimyo held a firm attitude backed by legitimate reasons, Sunagakure was forced to yield.
Cutting the budget wasn't an attack specifically aimed at Sunagakure; it was the entire Land of Wind tightening its belt together.
Letting out a sigh, Ebizo said, "Lord Ashikaga Sadakaze, I understand. I will plead guilty before Lord Kazekage, and I will plead guilty before the Daimyo."
Ashikaga Sadakaze turned his head. "Clan Head Shikaku, please continue."
