Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

Many people are discussing whether this year's Shinobi World War can be considered the Fourth Shinobi World War. Starting in the middle of the year, Konoha first fought a fierce battle with Kirigakure, and then got entangled with Kumogakure until now. Iwagakure also became active during this period. Four of the five great ninja villages were involved. Only Sunagakure did not join this chaotic war and obediently stayed in its own territory to recuperate.

However, the debate did not last long before it subsided. This year's chaos was not even comparable to the scale of the Ninja World War. The so-called Ninja World War refers to a bloody war that involved almost all the power of the entire Ninja World and lasted for several years, resembling a living hell!

This year's situation doesn't qualify as a Shinobi World War; it's more like an aftershock of the Third Shinobi World War.

"It's finally over."

Jiraiya stood at the entrance of the camp, looking at the empty camp, and sighed deeply. Although Konoha had won, it was a Pyrrhic victory, just like the previous Shinobi World Wars. Not counting the Mist Ninja and the Hot Spring Ninja, fewer than two thousand Konoha ninjas returned to the camp alive. The corpses of the fallen were piled up like mountains, and many people did not even have a handful of ashes to be found.

This horrific scene evoked painful memories of the past.

The so-called Three Ninjas

They were forged in war, yet shattered by war. How spirited they were when they first stepped onto the battlefield with Orochimaru and Tsunade! Sadly, the brutal, meat-grinding battles extinguished their spirit. Tsunade developed hemophobia after losing her brother and boyfriend, and Orochimaru, witnessing too much death, went astray…

As for himself, Jiraiya sighed again. The disintegration of the Sannin made him even more determined to carry out the mission he was entrusted with in the Great Toad Sage's prophecy. He was fed up with this world of constant war. He wanted to find the chosen one who could bring change to the ninja world and then guide that child to bring peace to the ninja world.

"Lord Jiraiya? Lord Jiraiya?"

Seeing that Jiraiya was clearly distracted, Nara Suzaku had no choice but to call out to him repeatedly.

"Ah! Suzaku, where were you?" Jiraiya suppressed the past events in his mind and focused his attention back on the present. He looked at Suzaku Nara, a hint of impatience in his eyes.

"Lord Zongxian requests your consultation regarding the negotiations with the Cloud Ninja."

Suzaku Nara repeated the words he had said several times before.

"Please reply to the Hokage's assistant that there's no need to involve me in this matter. My work ended the moment the Cloud Ninja surrendered. I'm just an irresponsible playboy. Please handle this matter as you see fit, Hokage's assistant. Once things have completely settled here, I will return to the village."

Jiraiya made it clear that he refused.

He still held the same thought: his mission was to find soldiers and cultivate the chosen ones. He had no desire to get involved in the infighting in the village. Fighting for the safety of the village was the best he could do at the moment, and he did not want to get entangled in it any further.

"Lord Jiraiya..."

"Zhuque, go back! Don't waste your time here."

"Yes, sir Jiraiya."

Nara Suzaku left helplessly. As a smart man, he had long since noticed Jiraiya's hidden impatience, but he still wanted to try to get Jiraiya involved in the negotiations with the Cloud Ninja. After all, apart from Jiraiya, no one on the front line could defy Uchiha Sogen's will.

The glory of victory bestowed upon Uchiha Sogen unprecedented prestige.

Even Hiashi Hyuga has lost much of his influence. The negotiations with the Cloud Ninja are now being dominated by Mugen Uchiha. If this continues, by the time the negotiations are over, Mugen Uchiha's prestige might be high enough to threaten the Hokage.

This is something that many people in the three major families of Ino-Shika-Cho cannot tolerate. Having tasted the sweetness of power instead of eating the leftovers left by the Sarutobi clan, many are already reluctant to let go of this tempting power. Even among the lazy but intelligent members of the Nara clan, many have been blinded by the taste of power.

In order to protect the Hokage's position from being threatened, this group of people went to great lengths and racked their brains to oppose Sogen. They didn't care whether Sogen wanted to seize power or not. The problem was that they believed Uchiha Sogen had the ability to seize power and usurp the throne. This was the biggest problem and an intractable knot.

"Sigh! It really is..."

Watching Suzaku Nara's departing figure, Jiraiya shook his head. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back. He had already made up his mind not to get involved in the village's affairs, so there was no need to gossip anymore. Fifty percent of the troubles in this world are caused by an uncontrollable mouth.

"Ok?"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow in confusion. The next second, with a swirling cloud of chakra smoke, the white-haired man standing at the camp gate vanished, causing quite a commotion. However, a Jonin quickly arrived and guessed that it was probably a Reverse Summoning Jutsu, not someone ambushing Jiraiya.

This guess is accurate.

Jiraiya left the snow-covered Land of Hot Water and arrived at Mount Myōboku, where the weather was as warm as spring.

"Boss, Big Sister, what happened?"

Jiraiya looked at the two small, exquisite toads who had summoned him with a puzzled expression. They were a married couple, Fukasaku and Shima, who were highly respected figures in the Hidden Village of Mount Myōboku. They were elders and trusted confidants of the Great Toad Sage, and Jiraiya had a mentor-student relationship with them. The boy who was once a bottom-of-the-class student had achieved what he had today thanks in no small part to the help of these two sages.

"Jiraiya, something terrible has happened! We're doomed, we're really doomed..."

The speaker was a small, green toad with purple hair and lips. She wore an apron and looked exactly like a housewife. She spoke fluently, just like a housewife. But don't underestimate her. She is Shima, whom Jiraiya respectfully calls "Big Sister," and is one of the top experts of Mount Myōboku.

Jiraiya was a little confused by Shima's machine-gun-like rapid-fire words.

"Hey, old woman, explain yourself clearly! What kind of talk is this, leaving little Jiraiya completely confused?"

Another toad, with white eyebrows and beard and wearing a black trench coat, opened its mouth.

"Boss, what happened? Is something wrong with Mount Myōboku?" Jiraiya asked, looking around. He found that the scenery of Mount Myōboku was the same as before, seemingly unchanged, and the toads living on Mount Myōboku were also the same as before.

"It's the Great Toad Immortal."

Fukasaku, the Sage, had a solemn expression. He had cultivated immortal arts for over eight hundred years without showing signs of aging. He was respectfully called "Boss" by the powerful figures of Mount Myōboku. It could be said that, apart from the Great Toad Sage who had long since retired from his duties, Fukasaku was the strongest person on Mount Myōboku.

"The Great Toad Sage just made another prophecy."

"what?"

Jiraiya was taken aback.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Upon learning that Jiraiya had refused to join the negotiations with the Cloud Ninja, Sogen calmly accepted the answer. Being rejected was an expected result; how could a man who could even abandon the Hokage position so easily jump back into the quagmire of the village?

"Since Jiraiya-senpai has refused, then we'll have to handle these matters ourselves... Please feel free to share any opinions or ideas you may have."

Zongxian looked at the people sitting in the tent.

Seated on either side are Hyuga Hiashi, Aburame Shiki, and Nara Suzaku.

The number of people was quite small. Jiraiya should have been sitting here, but he refused, so only the two of them remained. Hyuga Hiashi and Aburame Shiki were the heads of two powerful clans and held very important positions in the camp. Even Sogen couldn't go against their wishes.

Suzaku Nara represented the Ino-Shika-Cho triad. Since none of the triad leaders had gone to the front lines, Suzaku Nara, the most senior member, was allowed to participate in the meeting. As for the others... no one else was qualified to sit here.

With Uchiha Sogen around,

There was no need for the Uchiha clan members to send anyone to attend. Other clan leaders, such as Inuzuka, did not personally go to the front lines. Although there were capable individuals among their clansmen, they were ultimately a step below. Not to mention the Mist Ninja and Hot Spring Ninja, they were not qualified to participate in such matters.

Of course, as allies

Konoha will surely give them a reward commensurate with the price they paid.

"Hokage's assistant, should we consult the village about negotiating with the Cloud Ninja?" Nara Suzaku asked.

"Yes, but there's no need to wait for the village's orders. Before we set out, the Hokage had already granted me the authority to handle matters related to the Cloud Ninja. We can negotiate with the Cloud Ninja while waiting for the Hokage's orders. If nothing unexpected happens, the negotiations may take quite a while, and we can make changes after the Hokage's orders arrive."

Zongxian spoke patiently.

"Hokage Assistant Lord, my younger brother... the body that my Hyuga clan had been extorted from by the Cloud Ninja must be returned." Hyuga Hiashi suppressed his inner turmoil and made his request.

"Of course, but... this is already a matter of negotiation content. Do you have any other opinions regarding negotiating with the Cloud Ninja?"

"As long as the village doesn't suffer any losses."

Ayumi Shiki said something quite meaningful.

When the Third Hokage was fighting the Third Shinobi World War, in order to end the war with the Cloud Ninja as soon as possible, he not only gave up demanding compensation from the Iwa Ninja, but also made some deals with the Iwa Ninja in a rather veiled way, giving them a lot of benefits.

It's important to remember that Iwagakure suffered a great loss in the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, giving Konoha the advantage, but in the end it was made to look like Konoha had lost.

"Don't worry, the Yunren won't get away with this easily unless they pay enough compensation. To be honest, the Yunren are quite wealthy! They have a lot of coveted things." Zongxian's face showed a smile of complete control.

With the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and the Two-Tails Jinchuriki captured one after another, and young masters like Darui also becoming prisoners of Konoha, to put it bluntly, the more than 10,000 defeated and disheartened Cloud Ninja are also bargaining chips! If the Fourth Raikage does not want to lose such a large force and does not want the Cloud Village to be without even a single Tailed Beast, then the Cloud Ninja are destined to be in a passive position in the upcoming negotiations.

In Zongxian's eyes, the Cloud Ninja are now like fish on a chopping board.

Let him do whatever he wants.

If they dared to jump up and resist, he wouldn't hesitate to use his knife to teach the Yunren a lesson, to show them what it means to be a loser.

"This is the negotiation list. Take a look and see if there are any problems." Zongxian picked up the few thin sheets of paper on the table. Uchiha Futaba, who had been standing obediently behind him like a wooden statue, came to life and handed the list to the three of them.

The densely packed list and strings of large sums on the inventory did not cause any changes.

None of the three of them were country bumpkins who had never seen the world. The numbers listed above seemed quite astonishing, but for a large ninja village, they were nothing. What caught their attention were the last few items on the list.

"The training methods and insights into this Lightning Release Chakra Mode, as well as Hell Thrust, Black Lightning Technique... these things the Cloud Ninja wouldn't hand over, would they?"

Hiashi Hyuga said hesitantly.

“You’re asking for the moon, but you’ll have to settle for less. If you want to appease my anger and make up for our losses, money and supplies alone won’t be enough. How can the Cloud Ninja not really bleed a little? Of course, how much we can gain depends on the final negotiation results.” Zongxian said with a smile, but in Hyuga Hiashi’s eyes, that smile was like seeing a giant python with its mouth wide open, ready to swallow an elephant whole.

What is this Turtle Island?

Aburame Shiki was also intrigued by the name in the last line of the list.

Looking at this strange name,

A sense of confusion arose in my heart. I had no idea what this thing was that deserved to be included in this list of claims.

"Turtle Island... I am determined to get this. You all should remember that after capturing the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, there have been people trying to read the memories of this perfect Jinchuriki and find a way to cultivate a perfect Jinchuriki."

"Could it be that the perfect Jinchuriki is related to Turtle Island?"

Nara Suzaku's face revealed an undisguised look of surprise.

Regardless, he never forgot that only when the village became strong could his family benefit.

"That's right! Based on the hard work of our intelligence personnel, it has been confirmed that the birth of the two perfect Jinchuriki of Kumogakure is related to Turtle Island. Of course, it doesn't mean that the existence of Turtle Island guarantees the birth of a perfect Jinchuriki, but it does mean that there is a possibility of a perfect Jinchuriki being born on Turtle Island."

[219. Chapter 218 Negotiations in a Stalemate]

Negotiation is actually similar to bargaining at the market; the core is simply asking for the moon and settling for less. How far things can be negotiated depends on the bargaining chips of both sides. Undoubtedly, the Cloud Ninja is at a significant disadvantage in this negotiation.

With the two heavyweight jinchūriki of the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails in its hands, Konoha essentially had the Cloud Ninja by the throat. Although the Cloud Ninja did manage to capture some Konoha ninjas in this battle, Konoha completely overwhelmed the Cloud Ninja in terms of the number of prisoners. For example, Shisui wiped out the entire Cloud Ninja command headquarters after capturing the Two-Tails.

What's worse is that the Cloud Ninja are both invaders and the defeated party.

They were neither in the right nor strong enough.

This made it difficult for them to deal with Konoha's exorbitant demands. Unsurprisingly, the Cloud Ninja's representative for negotiation was Tsuchida. This clever man racked his brains and used all his rhetoric, but he still couldn't gain any advantage over Shisui. Anyway, Sogen had already drawn a bottom line, and he only needed to stick to that bottom line.

In the past, negotiations were usually handled by the Nara clan, but this time Sogen bypassed the Nara and forced Shisui into the task. Konoha had an absolute advantage this time, and frankly, they didn't need any sophisticated negotiation skills; they could simply use force to overwhelm the other party.

"Are the Cloud Ninja still stalling for time?"

A small table was placed under the window. Zongxian stood in front of the table, holding a brush, and was splashing ink on the white paper to paint.

"It's still the same problem with Turtle Island. Tsuchitai said he could give us some more training methods for Lightning Release Chakra Mode, but Turtle Island will never hand them over... His attitude is still as firm as before, and there's no sign that he'll agree."

Shisui reported on the latest negotiation situation, then hesitated for two seconds before saying, "The negotiations have been stuck on Turtle Island for the past two days. Otherwise, they could have ended the day before yesterday. Sogen, the Cloud Ninja might really not intend to give up on Turtle Island..."

"If they're unwilling to hand over Turtle Island, then they can forget about getting back the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails. Without the Tailed Beasts and their Jinchuriki, what use is Turtle Island?" Zongxian chuckled. "Shisui, be patient. We're not the ones who should be worried right now. Have you forgotten about the Iwa ninja? Since that old guy Onoki isn't planning to join us in attacking the Cloud Ninja army, he's probably off to raid the Cloud Ninja's home base. Once the news gets back, I don't believe the Cloud Ninja can keep delaying."

As he spoke,

Zong Xian straightened his posture, looked at the ink-stained painting of the flying eagle, and nodded in satisfaction. His painting skills were improving day by day. Although he had not yet escaped the limitations of craftsmanship, his paintings of flying eagles were more agile and fierce than those he had painted before.

He flicked the drawing paper with his finger.