Konoha Notes

Chapter 164 Mei Terumi

The timing of Konoha's proactive request for negotiations seemed somewhat delicate to the Kirigakure leadership. It came shortly after Kirigakure had instigated a border conflict against the Land of Fire, even if it wasn't entirely Kirigakure's own initiative.

As the victim, Konoha's swift proposal for peace talks, despite not being at a disadvantage in the overall situation, inevitably raises suspicions.

Regarding the aftermath of this conflict, which started strong but ended weakly, Master Yuan originally intended to remain silent and let it pass without making any statements.

Although it's a waste of resources, it's very useful. After all, Kirigakure is located overseas, and Konoha's cost of crossing the sea for expeditions is high. Kirigakure, on the other hand, doesn't face much defensive pressure due to its advantageous location.

However, if Konoha were to extend an olive branch, Master Yuan also believed it was worth a try. For a considerable period in the foreseeable future, the severely weakened Kirigakure would need to recuperate and adopt a conservative and prudent strategy.

However, deciding who to send as an envoy became a question that required careful consideration.

Ao played a crucial role in rescuing the Fourth Mizukage. However, he was not a suitable candidate for Kage; even with the Byakugan, his strength was insufficient to command respect and shoulder the responsibility of leading the village.

As for Zabuza Momochi and Mei Terumi...

Zabuza was not an ideal choice because he had stained his graduation exams with the blood of too many of his compatriots.

So, all that's left is Mei Terumi.

"Ming, you will be in charge of this negotiation with Konoha."

"The Youth Association will lead its secret service to provide support from the rear."

Master Yuan carefully explained the matters that needed attention and the bottom line during the negotiations, and repeatedly emphasized the safety procedures.

Master Yuan advised, "Konoha's core demands are roughly predictable; they are nothing more than border stability and ceasing harassment. However, we still need to consider the possibility of retaliation."

"You must not approach the core negotiation area until Qing confirms your safety."

Mei Terumi hesitated slightly before setting off, accompanied by a group of Kirigakure ninja.

Konoha was closer to this territory belonging to the Land of Tea, and by the time Kirigakure's team arrived at the designated area, Konoha's people had already arrived first.

Ao's squad carefully scouted the surrounding area and, after confirming that Konoha had not laid an ambush, dispatched two more ninjas to the already set-up meeting tent for a final security check.

Only after receiving a signal that everything was safe did Terumi Mei compose herself and walk towards the meeting tent.

When she entered the tent and saw the Konoha representative as the chief negotiator, she was slightly taken aback. The person sent by Konoha seemed to be even younger than her.

"I am Shuji, a Jonin of Konoha," the black-haired boy introduced himself.

"Mei Terumi, a Jonin of Kirigakure." Mei Terumi gracefully took her seat.

Shuji got straight to the point: "First of all, on behalf of Konoha, I thank Kirigakure for responding to this invitation for peace talks."

“Continued conflict at the border is not beneficial to either side.”

"Your arrival must mean that Kirigakure and Konoha share a consensus on this point."

"So this conversation is based on the premise of ceasing the conflict. I don't think you have any objections, do you?"

What's wrong with this guy? He's talking to himself, isn't his attitude a bit too domineering? Mei Terumi wondered to herself.

But what he said seems to make sense. Should I refute it...?

As Kakashi's contemporary, Mei Terumi, hailing from the Village of Blood and Mist, possessed far more combat experience than diplomatic negotiation skills. For a moment, she was speechless, unsure how to respond in a way that would both maintain the Village of Blood and Mist's momentum and steadily advance the negotiations.

She cleared her throat, quickly thinking and carefully organizing her thoughts: "This is a negotiation requested by your side. Whether it is entirely based on this premise, perhaps we should..." Shuuji raised an eyebrow slightly: "Oh? Does Kirigakure hope that the state of war at the border will continue?"

Mei Terumi was annoyed that her train of thought had been interrupted, but she tried to remain calm: "That's not the case. We also hope to achieve a result that benefits both villages."

“That is precisely the goal we need to achieve,” Shuji calmly replied. “And this goal obviously can only be achieved on the basis of ending the war.”

"So, on the premise of a ceasefire, we can continue our dialogue—you agree to that, is that correct?"

Hmm... Looking at the person opposite her with an unchanging, calm expression, as if she didn't care whether she received a positive or negative answer, Terumi Mei felt a sense of powerlessness.

She took a deep breath, reluctantly, and said, "Yes, we agree to hold dialogue on this premise."

She told herself not to let her temper get the better of her. Konoha was in a good position; they had just held a joint exam with Sunagakure and Kumogakure, demonstrating their influence.

Their forces gathered in the east are also very strong. Even though Kirigakure has the advantage of terrain, it would still require a continuous investment of a lot of resources and manpower to achieve an equal defensive effect.

After receiving an affirmative answer, the boy opposite him revealed a gentle smile, as if the faintly oppressive coldness from before had never existed.

“Excellent. The objectives of this meeting have been achieved.” He took out a scroll. “This is a draft of the specific details of the peace talks, which I have prepared. Please take a look.”

Mei Terumi looked at the scroll Shuji handed her, and her eye twitched slightly. What was this?
What does it mean that the negotiations have been completed?
Although that's what she thought, this was the result that Kirigakure wanted to achieve after all. But this guy's aggressive attitude made her a little worried—would Konoha make some excessively harsh demands later?
With a hint of reluctance, she took the scroll and began to read it carefully. However, to her slight surprise, the terms listed above seemed quite fair overall.

"Cease all infiltration and sabotage operations against the other side."

"Sign a peace treaty to prohibit ninjas or officials from both sides from issuing hostile requests against each other."

"Establish a simple communication and handling mechanism for border incidents..."

Shuji briefly explained Konoha's demands and waited for Mei Terumi's response.

“We can generally accept these basic terms,” Mei Terumi said, looking up after reading the document. “However, there are some specific details that we believe need further discussion and adjustment.”

"For example, the terms require us to completely withdraw all our bases and personnel within the Land of Waves. This does not seem entirely fair to Kirigakure, and it also involves some practical security considerations."

"And, regarding the specific levels and response times of the communication mechanism..."

Shuji didn't care about the objections and revisions that Mei Terumi initially raised, and simply dealt with them calmly.

The negotiations between the two at this moment are only a preliminary contact and draft consultation. The formal treaty will only take effect after it is reviewed and approved by the highest level of their respective villages.

That process will inevitably involve more tug-of-war.

But before that, Shuuji had already probed out the information he wanted to know.

It's likely that Obito Uchiha lost more than just control of Kirigakure. If, as the highest leader of the village, he still harbored hostility towards Konoha, Mei Terumi wouldn't have easily met the aforementioned conditions.

Even on the consensus of peace, they only offered a token resistance.

Therefore, Obito has probably lost control of the Mizukage.

Therefore, the peace in Kirigakure after hiring ninja can be explained.

Having confirmed this, Shuji had a better idea of ​​what kind of outcome they could likely reach this time.

His attitude became increasingly composed, so composed that Terumi Mei felt as if she had done something wrong.

(End of this chapter)