Konoha Notes

Chapter 165 Outlook
Danzo Shimura regained his freedom to move around in the village.

After all, there is no conclusive evidence to prove that he did anything that directly harmed Konoha's interests.

Even the Root members he sent to work with Orochimaru, besides targeting the Uchiha Anbu squad, also sent back useful military intelligence to Konoha.

This would enable Konoha to respond quickly and effectively to attacks by mercenary ninja.

Given the lack of concrete evidence regarding the actions against the Uchiha clan, and the fact that intelligence contributions could be verified through Root's internal system, even Tsunade could no longer keep him under house arrest.

Thus, after the successful conclusion of the Fifth Hokage's inauguration ceremony, Danzo regained a semblance of freedom of action—but that was all.

Most of the Root members remained confined to the base, awaiting Tsunade's instructions. Danzo himself, however, was explicitly forbidden from setting foot in the Root base again.

However, this does not mean that his network of influence in Konoha and the ninja world, which he has cultivated for many years, has completely collapsed.

In reality, he became the only member of the advisory council without a specific position or jurisdiction.

Danzo was not satisfied with the current situation, but he had no solution for the time being.

What displeased him even more was that Orochimaru's operation was only partially successful; the casualties of that squad occurred on the main battlefield, which deprived him of room to maneuver.

If the Uchiha clan doesn't descend into chaos, his niche won't be apparent, and Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two advisors and elders won't have sufficient reason to support his regaining of power.

The surviving Uchiha Enjin could have been a starting point, but he was quickly appeased as well.

Although the intelligence network was no longer as efficient as before, he could still guess who was behind it.

That was Tsunade's shadow; her skills were impressive, but ultimately, they weren't dark enough.

Such a person cannot become Konoha's new darkness, nor can he protect Konoha.

"Where's the Sharingan?" he asked in a low voice, which echoed in the empty Japanese-style room.

His trusted subordinate respectfully reported, "Orochimaru claims it's inconvenient for him to return at the moment, and also, given your current condition..."

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Danzo snorted coldly, and Orochimaru began to lose control.

However, now more than ever, he needs Orochimaru's skills and power, and he needs more leverage to turn the tide in his current disadvantageous position.

The old methods were no longer effective, but the matter of the Box of Bliss reminded him that not all legends in the ninja world are unfounded.

Therefore, his breakthrough might lie in those extraordinary forces.
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Now that the core objective of the ceasefire had been initially achieved, and Shuuji's personal probing purpose had also been accomplished, he did not display any further aggression in the subsequent negotiations. This led Mei Terumi to almost believe that the boy who had initially pressed her so aggressively was just her imagination.

“Now that both sides have basically agreed to stop the conflict,” Mei Terumi gathered her thoughts and tried to raise a new topic, “shouldn’t we consider gradually resuming normal trade between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire, along with the arrival of peace?”

The master did not deceive Obito; the daimyo of the Land of Water's dissatisfaction with the current situation was genuine.

Due to a series of military operations by Kirigakure that lacked clear strategic objectives and yielded no tangible benefits, the main maritime trade routes between the Land of Water and the Land of Tea and the Land of Fire were almost completely disrupted. Despite this reduction in national tax revenue, Kirigakure still demanded that the Land of Water increase its military spending, naturally provoking the dissatisfaction of its financial backer.

As a military organization of a nation, Kirigakure can act alone, since they have a powerful fist and it is difficult for the daimyo to truly restrain them.

However, it is difficult to persuade daimyo to continue spending money on military operations that are of unclear significance and have a sustained negative impact on their own economy.

Now that the investors have shown a negative attitude, Kirigakure, which is in the wrong, has no choice but to try to get some tangible results at the negotiating table to appease the country, especially the daimyo.

In response to Mei Terumi's request, Shuji simply said, "Once the conflict between Kirigakure and Konoha ends and merchants no longer have security concerns, they will naturally resume trade."

His meaning was clear: the resumption of trade is a natural consequence of the cessation of conflict, but it cannot be used as a prerequisite for negotiations or as a bargaining chip.

Everything will have to wait until both sides formally sign a peace agreement and confirm the withdrawal of their respective military forces.

Mei Terumi sighed inwardly. It was still impossible to secure clear benefits for the Land of Water at the very beginning of the negotiations.

Although returning to report based on the current ceasefire agreement can be considered as fulfilling the basic task assigned by the Yuan Master, this trip was not in vain.

But... if possible, she still hopes to secure better conditions for the village and the Land of Water.

Thinking of this, she glanced at Xiu Si again.

Given the abilities this guy has demonstrated and his status in Konoha, he will most likely be the one to step forward in any similar negotiations or contacts in the future.

Suddenly, I have a feeling that the future is bleak and hopeless.

“I’m very pleased that we were able to reach such an important initial consensus in our first meeting, Ms. Terumi Mei.” Shuji spoke up at the right moment, bringing the meeting to a close. “I look forward to your village’s follow-up response on the details of this draft.”

Mei Terumi stood up and solemnly extended her hand: "To be honest, I can't say I enjoyed the negotiation process that much. But, Shuuji-kun, you really taught me a lot."

In her subsequent reflection, she gradually realized some of her mistakes in the early stages of the negotiation. She shouldn't have been hesitant in her assertiveness just because the other party's demands were generally within acceptable limits, which allowed the other party to easily take control of the conversation.

However, to be fair, the young Konoha ninja in front of him did not press his advantage after gaining the upper hand and make more demanding requests. To some extent, this can be considered as leaving room for maneuver and even being considered kind.

Otherwise, the current treaty contents would be somewhat unpleasant.

Shuji also extended his hand and gently shook hers.

"Regardless of the process, the ultimate goal is to reach an agreement that is acceptable to both parties and that they are capable of maintaining in the long term," he said calmly. "I believe that is the most important thing."

Upon hearing this, Mei Terumi paused slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then smiled: "If Shuji-kun's attitude can represent the future direction of Konoha, then in the future, perhaps Kirigakure and Konoha can truly have a more promising future than they do now."

(End of this chapter)