Uchiha's personal opinion

Especially given that the five great nations' daimyo all viewed the Uchiha clan as a thorn in their side, the chain reaction caused by their willful destruction of the ninja village was something the still somewhat immature Tokugawa Shogunate could not withstand.

……

Just as Kirigakure, leaderless and in constant fear, was terrified that the Shogunate's ninja army would launch a northern expedition.

Suddenly, a Kirigakure ninja stationed in the northwest sea reported that the vanguard of the Kumogakure ninja army had appeared at sea. Because the Kirigakure ninja who went to communicate with them was brutally beheaded, the exact number and purpose of the Kumogakure ninja army were unknown.

"Misfortunes never come singly..."

The Elders of the Mist-Hidden Sect felt utterly despondent.

Even the Hidden Mist ninja patrolling the border were captured and killed, so it's no doubt that the Hidden Cloud Village's arrival was hostile.

Furthermore, the Hidden Cloud Village is notoriously arrogant and unreasonable in the ninja world, the kind of village that considers even the smallest gain a loss. If the Hidden Mist Village's true strength were to be discovered, that would be a huge disaster...

Just as the elders were arguing again, the Third Mizukage, his body wrapped in bandages and his thin frame, led his troops into the elders' meeting hall.

"Lord Mizukage..."

Several elders of the Hidden Mist Village rose to pay their respects, but most of the elders remained seated, ignoring the presence of the Mizukage.

"Kill everyone who hasn't gotten up!"

The Third Mizukage coldly ordered, "It is because of these insects that Kirigakure has fallen to such a miserable state!"

Without a word, the ravenous Mist Ninja and civilian ninjas leaped into the Elder Council meeting hall, brandishing their swords and hacking and slashing. As the blades flashed and blood splattered, the once solemn and dignified Elder Council meeting hall was transformed into a battlefield of carnage.

"In the name of the Third Mizukage, I have decided to make peace with the Tokuko Shogunate in the south and declare war on Kumogakure!"

The Third Mizukage's sinister gaze swept over the few remaining elders as he said, "Who agrees, who disagrees!"

"Yes, Lord Mizukage!"

Elder Wuyin, who had miraculously survived, immediately knelt down and prostrated himself, ignoring the pool of blood on the ground.

Chapter 205 The Dawn of Peace Appears on the Horizon

The massacre of elders launched by the Third Mizukage once again shocked Kirigakure.

This marks the first time since the "Hidden Mist Clan Incident" that the Third Mizukage, as the leader of the village, has wielded his sword against the village's ninjas.

What's more, this time the massacre targeted elders who were theoretically "highly respected".

Moreover, this happened after the Daimyo's crushing defeat in the Kinki battlefield against the Shogunate's ninja army, and even the Three-Tails Jinchuriki was captured by Uchiha Tokumitsu, in addition to the fact that an unknown number of Kumogakure ninja army was about to advance...

At such a critical moment, the Third Mizukage did not resort to conventional appeasement to unite the village's ninjas. Instead, he chose to once again wield his blood-stained blade, using slaughter to immediately subdue the previously restless Kirigakure ninjas.

The Hidden Mist forces, who had been secretly plotting to overthrow the Third Generation Ruler, all fell silent and chose to bow down in submission.

They had no choice but to submit, for the heads of the once all-powerful elders were still hanging on the gate of the Water Shadow Building!

After the Third Mizukage quelled any potential internal turmoil in a very short time with his iron-fisted methods, he immediately dispatched an envoy to the shogunate headquarters in the southern port area of ​​Daimyo Prefecture to request an audience with Uchiha Tokumitsu.

This messenger had also met Uchiha Tokumitsu once before.

Juzo Biwa, the wielder of the broken sword, the Executioner's Blade, one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist.

Of the seven original ninja swordsmen of Kirigakure, Jinpachi Munashi and Kushimaru Kurihara were killed by Uchiha Tokumitsu and Hatake Sakumo leading a mobile force during an ambush in the Land of Whirlpools. Suigetsu Hobuki and his ninja army were annihilated by Uchiha Tokumitsu and his forces during the Whirlpool Battle in the Second Shinobi World War.

Even the ninja swords of the three mentioned above fell into the hands of Uchiha Tokumitsu and Hatake Sakumo, respectively.

In addition, among the other four surviving ninja swordsmen, the wielder of the Twin Blades Hiramekarei was a member of the Hozuki clan, who was killed on the spot by the Mizukage during the Kirigakure massacre, and his ninja sword has not yet been inherited.

At this point, only three of the famous Kirigakure ninja swordsmen remained: Juzo Biwa (Broken Sword - Kubikiribōchō), Raiga Kurosuki (Raiga - Kiba), and Kusanagi Ebijin (Blunt Sword - Kabuto-giri).

When Juzo Biwa arrived at the shogunate camp where Tokumitsu Uchiha was stationed, he was greeted by Masahiko Hozuki and Chino Minazuki.

Although they were all old friends from Kirigakure, they now belonged to different factions and had fought each other to the death not long ago, so none of the three had any desire to reminisce or chat. However, Juzo Biwa's gaze lingered on the weapons they each held.

Hozuki Masahiko wields the Exploding Blade: Frozen Blade, while Minazuki Chino holds the Long Sword: Sewing Needle.

Especially upon arriving at the camp hall, Biwa Juzo saw Uchiha Tokumitsu, seated at the head of the table, casually placing his large sword, Samehada, to the side...

Of the seven iconic ninja swords of Kirigakure, the Shogunate has already acquired three!

Looking around at everyone in the hall, all of them wore unfriendly expressions, and Biwa Juzo knew that achieving the goal of peace negotiations on this trip would not be easy.

Under the leadership of Hanzo the Salamander, the Rain Ninja defeated two thousand ninja troops under Yagura Karatachi, achieving a brilliant victory.

Furthermore, the military forces under the shogunate, including the eastern border defense forces, mobile forces, Tokuko Red Guards, the Sei-i Column, and the Konoha Ninja Alliance, had not yet achieved sufficient merit or spoils, so they were naturally unwilling to negotiate peace with Kirigakure when the situation was so favorable.

The current decline of Kirigakure is just like the current situation regarding the ownership of the Seven Ninja Swords; its strength has dropped by 40%, relegating it to the bottom of the Five Great Ninja Villages...

"General Deguang".

Biwa Juzo composed himself and bowed solemnly to Uchiha Tokumitsu. "I have come to pay my respects on the orders of the Mizukage of Kirigakure. My purpose is to mend the differences between us and restore peace!"

"The Mizukage is tyrannical and indiscriminately kills innocent people. Why would a Jonin like Biwa still work for such a vile villain who treats his fellow village ninjas like dirt!"

Hozuki Masahiko secretly glanced at Uchiha Tokumitsu and, seeing his unmoved expression, was the first to step forward and rebuke him: "You are also a famous elite Jonin of Kirigakure, why don't you think about setting things right?"

"General Deguang spreads his influence throughout the martial world, upholding justice and eliminating evil. Why doesn't Mr. Pipa surrender and submit to him?"

Minazuki Chino also stepped forward and said, "One day, we will march north together, rebuild the new Kirigakure, and build a new homeland. We will no longer have to suffer the humiliation of the daimyo nobles. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

I second that!

The tongue-tied leader, Kaguya, then shouted.

The Jonin seated on both sides nodded in agreement.

"Kirigakure is, after all, our birth village. No matter how many faults it has, it is still our homeland that we can never sever ties with!"

Pipa Juzo answered proudly, "Even if the Mizukage has a thousand faults, he is still the leader of Kirigakure and bears the heavy responsibility of tens of thousands of Kirigakure ninjas. Sometimes, for the sake of the village's interests, he inevitably has to make some difficult choices!"

These words infuriated the ninjas of the three Kirigakure clans in the Sei-i Column.

So, their own people have become an indispensable sacrifice?

There's no such logic in the ninja world!

"They think they have the right to persecute the ninja clan?"

Uchiha Tokumitsu's attendant ninja, Uzumaki Kaori, stood up with a cold face and rebuked, "The families of two generations of Mizukage have suffered such cruel persecution and indiscriminate killing. It is clear that the Third Mizukage, who rules Kirigakure, is truly tyrannical and should be deposed and a new election should be held!"

"General Deguang! I have been ordered to come here to restore peace!"

Knowing he was in the wrong and that he couldn't fight against so many opponents, Pipa Juzo didn't respond to their attack and instead stared at Uchiha Tokumitsu, who remained expressionless.

"The 'one village, one country' system is an order of the ninja world jointly established by Lord Hashirama and Lord Madara, and it is also a guarantee of peace. Now that Kirigakure is facing a crisis, the Uchiha clan, as the number one and most powerful ninja clan in the ninja world, hopes to uphold justice and crush the barbarians of Kumogakure..."

Regardless of whether it made logical sense, Pipa Juzo kept spouting pretty words like they were free.

"...General Deguang is renowned throughout the ninja world for his martial virtue, so please be lenient and allow the dawn of peace to shine once again on Kirigakure, which has been ravaged by war."

It must be said that although Juzo Biwa has a fierce appearance, he is actually quite sensitive inside.

Regardless of whether these words are reasonable, it is clear that Pipa Juzo did a lot of research before his mission.

What he didn't know was that the "Shura of the Ninja World" Madara Uchiha, whom he deliberately mentioned as being on par with Hashirama Senju, was hiding behind the Third Mizukage. It was Madara Uchiha, who was all talk and no action, who was responsible for the current predicament of Kirigakure.

"Peace……"

Uchiha Tokumitsu sighed softly, "What precious and ethereal words..."

Pipa Juzo only noticed the word "peace" and immediately felt relieved.

"But how many evils have ravaged the ninja world under the guise of peace...?"

Uchiha Tokumitsu's second sentence made Biwa Juzo feel uneasy again.

"Under the rule of the Third Mizukage, Kirigakure not only indiscriminately slaughtered its own clansmen, but its war crimes were also countless."

Uchiha Tokumitsu spoke slowly.

"From the attack on the Uzumaki clan during the Whirlpool War, to the ambush in the Land of Whirlpools, and even the Second Shinobi World War, it was always Kirigakure that first provoked the conflict, attempting to drag Konoha into a bloody and fiery conflict..."

"Before leaving the village, Lord Mizukage instructed me that while Kirigakure was indeed at fault for the war, it was largely due to the deliberate instigation of the daimyo and nobles behind the scenes that led to this disaster..."

Kirigakure also responded respectfully, "Kirigakure sincerely wishes to reconcile with Lord Tokuko in order to restore peace and order!"

My sincerest wish...

Uchiha Tokumitsu leaned back in his chair.

The expressions on the faces of the Jonin under his command were also somewhat strange.

The implication is that Kirigakure isn't negotiating peace, but rather seeking it...

For the newly established Shogunate, defeating Kirigakure, one of the five great ninja villages, and forcing it to sue for peace was undoubtedly a landmark achievement.

However, such "achievements" may not necessarily be in the interest of the various ninja armies under the shogunate.

After all, everyone has different interests and demands.

"Tell me about it..."

Uchiha Tokumitsu raised his chin, signaling to Biwa Juzo to continue.

If the conditions offered by Kirigakure are suitable and can meet the demands of its various ninja units, Uchiha Tokumitsu would not mind ceasing hostilities.

Furthermore, he had already received information about the Cloud Village's attack through spies from the three Kirigakure clans, so he had little interest in continuing to attack Kirigakure at this time.

Even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse. No matter how much the Hidden Mist Village has declined, it is still a major ninja village. Even after many defeats, the Hidden Mist Village still has tens of thousands of ninjas. If we insist on forcing them, it will lead to a lose-lose situation.

Furthermore, although he defeated the Third Mizukage, Uchiha Tokumitsu was still wary of Uchiha Madara, who was hiding in the shadows.

"The Hidden Mist Village will relinquish its sphere of influence south of the Daimyo's residence. From now on, General Tokumitsu's shogunate caravans and ninjas will enjoy the same treatment as the Hidden Mist Village ninjas in the Land of Water..."

Pipa Juzo took a deep breath and slowly stated Kirigakure's terms for peace.

Uchiha Tokumitsu was also somewhat taken aback upon hearing this.

The Jonin below looked at each other in bewilderment.

The meaning of conquering a region is completely different from that of occupying and ruling a region.

Besides strength, there is another kind of authority in the ninja world that is vague but generally recognized: the so-called "law and reason".

Even though the current shogunate's ninja army has conquered the entire southern archipelago of the Land of Water, most of the islands in the eastern archipelago, and the Kinki region of the daimyo's capital, everyone only regards it as an occupied territory to exploit and plunder the wealth of the nobles, and no one considers the occupied territory as their own territory.

However, the conditions offered by Kirigakure, or rather the Third Mizukage, are far from simple...

This was tantamount to carving out territory and bringing the entire southern archipelago under the shogunate's sphere of influence...

Moreover, it was perfectly legitimate, since the Water Shadow of the Hidden Mist was, in effect, the highest military commander of the Land of Water.