The First Tsuchikage finally left the negotiation grounds, leading his Iwagakure ninjas away with a face that was equal parts gloomy and conflicted. The long session had exhausted him, but his troubles were far from over. Ahead of him still lay another difficult task: negotiating with the Hidden Cloud Village to force them to propose compensation acceptable enough for Akatsuki Village to halt their advance and end the war.
On the other side of the grounds, Uchiha Makoto also turned to leave. He didn't linger, nor did he speak a word, but the faint upward curl of his lips said enough. That expression — the victorious smirk of a man who clearly knew he had dominated the negotiation — landed squarely on Senju Tobirama.
Tobirama caught the silent message immediately. Uchiha Makoto's lips had moved just enough for him to read the words:
"Senju Tobirama, you big idiot."
Short, sharp, merciless.
Tobirama's face darkened instantly. From black, to red, to purple — the transitions of a Sichuan opera mask. The worst part was that he could do nothing about it. Not here, not now, and not in front of representatives from every major village. Even if he wanted to throw Makoto into a river, he had to endure.
And so, endure he did.
Makoto clapped his hands. "Alright, everyone. It's scorching out here. Disarm."
"Yes!"
"Let's head back together!"
The Akatsuki ninja, the Uzumaki clan members, and even the Konoha ninja followed his command with zero hesitation. Tobirama twitched. This brat… ordering MY Konoha shinobi to disarm? But the weather was unbearably hot, and Makoto's words were reasonable — so they obeyed.
That, naturally, only made Tobirama angrier.
---
The Next Day — A Storm Across the Ninja World
Akatsuki Village had spent heavily on publicity over the past months, becoming practically a VIP client of every major newspaper and information network. Their popularity had skyrocketed thanks to events that shook the entire continent, and news about them always sold incredibly well.
So this time, even without Uchiha Makoto paying a single ryo, newspapers across every great nation — Fire, Earth, Lightning, Wind, Water — rushed to publish the story of the Hidden Cloud assassination attempt during the negotiation.
Within a day, the entire ninja world was in uproar.
The photo Makoto had prepared — him raising his arm, shouting with fearless resolve — circulated everywhere. Whether intentionally heroic or not, the timing made it iconic.
Public outrage exploded.
Accusations toward the Hidden Cloud Village surged like a tidal wave. Even ordinary civilians far outside ninja politics were talking about it. Many didn't know much about hidden villages or ninja diplomacy, but assassination during peace talks? Anyone could understand how vile that was.
The assassination attempt didn't just target Uchiha Makoto — it cast a suffocating shadow over the future of the entire ninja world.
The public began discussing the meaning of the First Hokage's legacy again — how Hashirama had ended the Warring States Period and established the centralized village system, transforming fragmented clan-led militant groups into well-organized, fully mobilizable institutions.
On paper, it sounded like peace and progress.
But…
The Akatsuki–Kumogakure war had revealed a horrifying truth:
In barely four months, casualties on both sides had already exceeded a thousand ninja.
Such numbers were impossible during the clan wars.
It proved one thing:
The ninja village system was vastly more efficient — at killing.
More funding.
More organization.
More manpower.
More lethal coordination.
The great wars of the Warring States, dreaded by generations, now paled in comparison to what the village system could unleash.
Everyone suddenly understood:
If a true large-scale ninja war erupted, the consequences would be unimaginable.
And the Hidden Cloud Village's assassination attempt had pushed the situation right to the brink.
---
Akatsuki's Response — Fury and Fire
Akatsuki Village published a fierce statement:
> "If they want war, we will fight until complete victory."
> "The flames of battle will illuminate the ninja world!"
The message was clear:
No retreat.
No compromise.
No fear.
Konoha, allied with Akatsuki, could not simply stand aside now, and Iwagakure seemed more than ready to join the conflict.
The one-country-one-village system had indeed brought a short period of peace — but after only a few years, a war more brutal than any the Warring States Period ever saw was looming.
---
The Daimyō React — Fear Behind Their Thrones
The daimyō across the continent began to panic.
Despite their status, they hated prolonged ninja wars. War bred chaos. Rogue ninja. Refugees. Plummeting tax revenues. Rising administrative costs.
They preferred peace — but sometimes, for political maneuvering, they also intentionally fostered discord among villages.
At first, they treated the Akatsuki–Kumogakure conflict like entertainment, even opening betting houses. Some bold nobles even approached Uchiha Makoto secretly to ask if he wanted to help manipulate the betting market.
Makoto nearly vomited blood.
Gambling… over MY battlefield? Are you insane?
If word of that ever got out, his position as Kage would crumble.
Even so, they praised him afterward for his "good business sense."
Makoto made a mental note:
When the time comes, I'll strap exploding tags onto all of them and test them on my Susanoo.
The Fire Daimyō and the Lightning Daimyō viewed the war like investors checking their returns. A ninja village was their biggest asset; war was simply a way to measure its performance.
The death toll impressed them, but the possibility of a continental shift terrified them even more.
If both Hidden Cloud and Iwagakure fell…
Konoha's dominance would be inevitable.
History's momentum might even push the ninja world toward unification.
And if the ninja unified, who would they fight next?
The Daimyō themselves.
The Fire Daimyō's old trauma resurfaced:
What if Senju Hashirama is actually a cunning and ambitious mastermind? What if he plans to use this war to eliminate two major villages and then…
He didn't dare finish the thought.
Thus, daimyō across the continent secretly contacted each other.
They needed to stop the war — now.
---
Letters, Pleas, and Silent Threats
Uchiha Makoto lay in his exclusive medical tent, still recovering. He held a stack of letters — some pleading, some advising, some vaguely threatening.
The Fire Daimyō's letter was subtle:
> "Makoto, for the peace of the ninja world, I beg you… withdraw."
> "Guard against Senju Hashirama."
He also promised that the Raikage was being pressured to pay compensation.
The letter from Hashirama himself was similar — gentle, earnest, sincere:
> "Makoto, please restrain your anger.
I believe you are a ninja of ideals, someone who can make sacrifices for peace."
Then there were letters from smaller daimyō, wealthy merchants, and influential nobles.
Everyone urged him to step back.
And then, of course…
There was Senju Tobirama.
Tobirama had been hiding in his tent, refusing to let Makoto enter. According to Uzumaki Shinji, Tobirama was working on some "strange, extremely dangerous forbidden jutsu inspired by the Akatsuki exploding tags."
Makoto was sure:
Whatever he's making… it's definitely aimed at me.
---
Makoto's Calculations — The Orthodoxy of Strategy
Pressure surrounded him from all sides.
Daimyō from every country.
Nobles.
Merchants.
Hashirama.
Tobirama.
Even the media.
He suddenly understood how General Yue felt during the Northern Expedition — enemies everywhere, even among one's own camp.
But fortunately, Makoto had already anticipated all of this.
Once Iwagakure entered the war, he knew the conflict was reaching its natural end. Akatsuki had achieved its objectives. Any further escalation would only help Konoha — and leave Tobirama with too much inherited power.
Even Makoto, who prided himself on being "orthodox," knew the truth:
If the war continued, Akatsuki's future would become uncertain.
Ending it now ensured maximum gain.
Thus, his fiery public declarations were nothing more than bargaining tactics.
Hidden Cloud would pay — heavily.
---
The Ceasefire
Under pressure from every corner of the ninja world,
Hidden Cloud finally agreed to negotiate sincerely.
And Uchiha Makoto — the wounded hero — "reluctantly" agreed to meet them again for the sake of continental peace.
The war between Akatsuki and Kumogakure finally reached its end.
The Fire Daimyō felt relieved.
Hashirama smiled warmly.
Other daimyō exhaled in relief.
Tobirama… was still angry.
As for the ninjas who actually fought?
Both sides knew the truth:
This ceasefire was a bandage, not a cure.
Akatsuki still hungered to crush the "mad dog" Hidden Cloud someday.
Hidden Cloud harbored deep hatred — the death of the First Raikage, the humiliation of losing two defensive lines overnight, and the thousands of fallen ninja.
The hatred would burn on.
And until hatred died, the war would never truly end.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)