Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

This is simply... a blatant attempt to "plead for mercy" and "take credit" for Qingwu!

Combined with the Kirigakure delegation's stated reasons, the Third Hokage understood that Kirigakure's "good intentions" stemmed entirely from one person!

He put down the secret letter and exhaled a long breath.

It was as if he wanted to vent all the fatigue from being on the front lines for days, as well as the frustration from facing that stubborn old man, Onoki.

The pipe tapped lightly on the table, and the Third Hokage's eyes were filled with complex emotions.

Surprise, realization, relief, and a hint of indescribable "I knew it."

"That kid Qingwu..."

The third generation muttered to himself, but the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up slightly:

"Wherever he goes, he manages to do something earth-shattering, helping Kirigakure complete a regime change... Heh... really..."

He shook his head, seemingly unsure how to respond.

The decision to "exile" Qingwu to the border was based on multiple considerations, including both training and protection.

But he never expected that Qingwu would achieve such remarkable feats on the eastern front in such a short time, forcing Yunyin to make peace.

He plunged headlong into the murky waters of the Land of Water, directly helping a new Mizukage who held great goodwill towards him and Konoha to take the stage!

This "surprise" was quite big.

There were three other people inside the tent: Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Tou, and Aburame Shikuro.

The three of them had just finished reading the intelligence scroll sent by Koharu Utatane.

They exchanged a glance, and Nara Shikaku stepped forward, "Hokage-sama."

"Hey, Shikaku, perfect timing! Why don't you analyze the meaning behind Koharu's intelligence for everyone?"

The third generation's mood visibly improved.

"Yes!"

A thoughtful glint appeared in Nara Shikaku's eyes:

"The new Mizukage of Kirigakure's move is of great significance. Sending a delegation openly under the pretext of thanking Seigo is not just a diplomatic gesture, but also a clear political signal."

"The signal is that she will improve relations with Konoha, and may even seek an alliance!"

"And Qingwu is the irreplaceable link connecting this new relationship—"

“Ahem, we’ll talk about Qingwu later,” the Third Hokage interrupted, “Let’s talk about the current situation.”

"Yes!" Nara Shikaku replied thoughtfully.

"Given Onoki's personality and Iwagakure's interests, he would never want to see Konoha ally with Kirigakure, as that would mean Iwagakure would be completely isolated strategically."

"The Tsuchikage Onoki's previous tough stance was based on his judgment that Konoha's eastern front was unstable and that the village internally needed his help. Now that foundation has been shaken, he only has two choices!"

"Go on." The wrinkles on the Third Hokage's face seemed to have lessened considerably.

"First, while the relationship between Konoha and Kumogakure and Kirigakure is not yet fully stable, we should launch a thunderous attack to forcefully break the stalemate."

"But the risk is extremely high, and the success rate is slim, which is not in line with... the consistent style of Tsuchikage Onoki!"

Nara Shikaku spoke eloquently: "And it's not certain that we can gain support within the Land of Earth."

"Secondly, we should... take advantage of the situation and end the standoff in a relatively dignified manner as soon as possible to avoid falling into a more unfavorable situation."

"Based on my personal judgment, there is a greater than 90% chance that Tsuchikage Onoki will choose the second option."

"That's right!" Akimichi Tangdong slapped his thigh. "Let's see how arrogant that old bastard Iwagakure can be now!"

"If Kirigakure stands with us, Onoki will be all alone!"

"The Cloud Village was just defeated, and the Sand Village has always had a good relationship with us. Does the Iwa Village really want to waste time with us on the western front? What a load of rubbish!"

"Lord Hokage, now we don't need to give that old fox any more benefits!"

"..." Shiro Aburame added, "Maybe we can turn the tables and make him bleed a little."

"Haha—!!" Akimichi Tangdong burst into laughter.

He hadn't felt this joy in a long time since he learned of Akimichi Torifu's passing.

Qingwu... As expected, that kid is still the most reliable. Even without being transferred to the western front, he can still help Konoha break the deadlock!

Akimichi Toudou and Aburame Shiro, who came from the eastern front, had simple, direct, and satisfying thoughts.

They are the victors, so why should they be led by the nose by that old geezer Onoki?

Now that the situation has reversed, they naturally feel they should vent their anger.

The Third Hokage did not immediately express his opinion, but instead looked at Nara Shikaku: "Shikaku, what do you think?"

Nara Shikaku shook his head:

"The Tsuchikage Onoki will likely agree to withdraw his troops and the two sides enter into peace talks, but... he will probably try to make a fuss about the previous 'compensation' terms."

"What?" Qiu Daotang's eyes widened. "That old bastard still dares to do that?"

"Calm down," the Third Hokage said, stopping Akimichi Tangdong from having an outburst, and pondered for a moment.

“Shikaku is right. It’s very likely. That Onoki guy… won’t easily give up the fat meat that’s already in his mouth, even if it’s already a little too hot to handle.”

In order to get rid of Onoki's entanglement, the Third Hokage agreed to some conditions from Iwagakure, including "transferring" the war compensation obtained from Kumogakure.

Judging from the current situation, Konoha has the advantage and doesn't need to make any further sacrifices.

but……

The Third Generation leader was worried that Onoki might resort to desperate measures.

Moreover, in fact... he needs more time than Onoki. The peace talks between Kumogakure and the delegation from Kirigakure both require his personal involvement.

But as long as Onoki doesn't retreat, he can't leave first.

This is not only a matter of the situation, but also a matter of the "Shadow's" reputation.

With this in mind, the Third Hokage had already made up his mind, but he planned to listen to the opinion of Shikaku, his most trusted strategist.

"Then how should we deal with this?" the Third Hokage asked Nara Shikaku.

……

Chapter 253 The War Ends

"Show them strength, then offer them benefits!" Nara Shikaku said slowly.

"We must be firm and clearly inform Tsuchikage Onoki of the changes in the situation. If Iwagakure insists on going its own way, it will surely suffer the consequences."

"But on the specific conditions for withdrawal and the details of 'compensation,' we can... make some concessions, give him a way out, and prevent him from resorting to desperate measures."

The Third Hokage nodded slightly; Nara Shikaku's thoughts coincided with his own.

"We need time now. The sooner you return to Konoha, Hokage, the sooner you can preside over the formal signing with Kumogakure."

"Of course, we also need to prepare to receive the Mist Shadow delegation with the highest level of protocol."

"After all, this is Kirigakure's first diplomatic mission after years of isolation, so we must take it seriously and pave the way for the Mizukage's formal visit in the future."

"In short, the sooner we end this entanglement with Iwagakure, the better," Nara Shikaku concluded.

"..." Qiu Daotang clenched his fists, feeling unwilling.

Aburame Shiro gently tugged at his sleeve, trying to calm his companion down.

They were no longer hot-blooded youths, and they knew that Nara Shikaku's analysis was correct.

Politics is not about acting on momentary whims, but about weighing the pros and cons and pursuing the greatest and most secure interests.

With the new card of Hidden Mist now in hand, Konoha's strategic initiative has greatly increased.

However, whether it's the Cloud Village peace talks or the Kirigakure delegation, everything needs to be handled smoothly, and there's no need to continue wasting energy and time on Iwagakure.

From a general perspective, as long as the main strategic objectives can be achieved, giving Onoki some face and letting him gain a slight advantage is an acceptable price to pay.

This is called "trading space for time"!

"I agree with Shikaku's opinion."

Yu Nuzhihei tugged at Qiu Daotangdong again and spoke up.

Qiu Daotang opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he only let out a heavy "humph" and muttered:

"Yes, Lord Hokage! I... understand!"

He understood that this was politics, and sometimes compromise was necessary, even if one was unwilling.

"it is good!"

The Third Hokage finally made the decision: "Tang Dong, I know you're unhappy, but the bigger picture is more important. Peace with Iwagakure is just as important to Konoha."

The big picture, always the big picture...

Qiu Daotang sighed inwardly. Compared to others, he felt more comfortable being with the young members of the Shadow Guard...

Seeing that Akimichi Tou had no objections, the Third Generation turned to Shikaku and said, "Shikaku, I'll leave the specific negotiations to you."

"Yes!"

Nara Shikaku bowed and accepted the order, then went to make preparations.

……

Two days later, at the Hidden Rock Camp.

"Bastard!"

"This is outrageous!!"

"And those cowardly cowards from Kirigakure are even more pathetic than those from Kumogakure! They actually dared to..."

Onoki's roar almost lifted the roof off the tent.

He received intelligence from the Hidden Mist's delegation, as well as the latest diplomatic documents from Konoha, which were noticeably more forceful regarding the western front.

"Utterly despicable!!"

Onoki was both shocked and furious.