"Then the ceasefire agreement is concluded!"
Uchiha Makoto's voice cut crisply through the tension-filled hall. He shot Senju Tobirama—better known as Old Ghost Senju—a deliberately provocative glance, then lifted the brush and neatly signed his own name on the freshly prepared ceasefire scroll.
After him, Uzumaki Shinji stepped forward and added his signature, followed by the Second Raikage, who wordlessly took the pen and signed with a face as gloomy as a stormcloud.
As for Old Ghost Senju…
The expression on his face at that moment was one of pure frustration.
He had fought desperately on the battlefield, charged fearlessly for Uchiha Makoto, and risked his reputation for the sake of the alliance — only for Uchiha Makoto to outplay him once again.
The ceasefire clauses listed on the agreement mentioned Konoha's name clearly in only one place — the second article.
That was it.
Nothing more.
Meaning that after fighting all the way here and positioning themselves firmly at the negotiating table as part of the victors, Konoha's harvest was embarrassingly small… almost negligible.
How could he not be furious?
But the moment had already passed. When Uchiha Makoto previously asked if anyone had objections, Old Ghost Senju remained silent. He had assumed Uchiha Makoto would add Konoha's name to the remaining clauses later. Yet by the time the signing took place, every participating village had already signed.
If Konoha suddenly spoke up now and demanded changes, that would be—
Shameful.
Embarrassing.
And diplomatically disastrous.
Even worse, Uchiha Makoto's earlier little "action" made the Second Raikage suddenly realize that the term "our side" in the agreement… didn't include Konoha at all.
That was a delightful discovery for him.
And so, in the end, no one cared for Old Ghost Senju's little internal tantrum, and he could not openly object.
Thus, with all signatures on the scroll, the preliminary First Shinobi World War — a brutal conflict that had dragged on for over four months — officially came to an end.
The Second Raikage was the first to leave.
As the defeated party, he walked out stiffly, his back heavy with humiliation. The situation awaiting him in the Hidden Cloud Village was nothing short of disastrous. Public opinion within his village was already boiling; the people were furious, the shinobi were demoralized, and the nobles were demanding explanations.
On top of all of that—
Money.
The same issue that haunted every village after a major war.
Yugakure might have once believed "love and peace" drove the world, but any Kage knew the truth: ninety percent of the village's problems could be solved with money.
And right now, the Hidden Cloud had none.
Not only did they need to pay thirty billion ryō in reparations, they didn't even have the capital to pay their own war expenses. Even if they begged to pay in installments, the number was too large.
The Daimyō of the Land of Lightning had no choice but to continue supporting them — abandoning the Hidden Cloud would mean leaving their nation's borders defenseless. But the process of obtaining those funds would undoubtedly be painful.
Many humiliations.
Countless "obedience tests."
Perhaps even political kneeling.
But that bitterness would never be shown to outsiders.
Not long after him, the First Tsuchikage also departed.
Uchiha Makoto watched him leave with a cold, murderous glint in his eyes. If not for diplomatic constraints, he would've liked to kill him right there.
After all, it was this shameless old man who suddenly inserted Iwagakure into the war midway, completely overturning Makoto's perfect plan. Because of his intervention, the Hidden Cloud's crucial third defensive line was saved, forcing Makoto to reorganize his entire strategy.
The nerve of him to walk out so calmly…
Once the major powers had left, the representatives of smaller ninja villages flocked eagerly toward Uchiha Makoto.
Their attitude was friendly, almost flattering.
Naturally, Makoto welcomed this.
To him, having more friends was always better than having more enemies.
And these small villages—though lacking in strength—possessed unique specialties, intelligence networks, or strategic locations. One day, they might become valuable tools.
However, out of caution, the small villages didn't immediately pledge allegiance to Akatsuki Village. Still, the trend was obvious—they were gravitating toward Uchiha Makoto.
This was a privilege Konoha usually enjoyed.
Old Ghost Senju felt his heart twist painfully at the sight.
Though several small villages came to greet him as well, it was clear they treated Uchiha Makoto with much more enthusiasm. That had always been Konoha's privilege—its natural position as the eldest brother of the ninja world.
Now that privilege was slipping away.
Makoto sensed Senju's cold, envious stare and couldn't help but smirk. He let out a soft, mocking hum.
Is the old ghost already unable to hold back his jealousy?
Good. There will be plenty more for you to choke on in the future.
After chatting with the small village representatives for a while, Makoto signaled for Uzumaki Shinji to escort them out. Even after leaving the hall, the small village leaders continued to pull Shinji aside for more conversation.
That too was understandable.
Although the Uzumaki Clan was not as powerful as Konoha or Akatsuki Village, they were direct allies of both. The small villages knew they could never approach the big villages directly — but the Uzumaki Clan was a perfect intermediary.
If they could learn major village movements in advance, even a little…
They could prepare.
Adjust.
Invest.
Or avoid disaster.
Thus, establishing ties with the Uzumaki Clan was essential.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Makoto remained seated inside the venue, calmly waiting for Shinji to return. Once he did, Makoto planned to discuss the real topic behind closed doors—
How to divide the spoils.
Thirty billion ryō was not a joke.
Although the Hidden Cloud couldn't possibly pay in one go, both sides had tentatively agreed on a five-year installment plan. Six billion per year — an unimaginably high income.
The entire Akatsuki Village had already begun to stir with excitement.
After all—
Why did shinobi risk their lives on the battlefield?
For dreams?
For peace?
For the Ninja Way?
For loyalty to the village?
Sure. Those things were nice.
But the real answer?
Money.
They shed blood.
They lost limbs.
Some even lost their lives.
The village had clear regulations regarding pensions, compensation, and merit rewards. Everyone had fought desperately, and now the war was over. It was time to return home and collect their earnings.
Naturally, Akatsuki Village couldn't keep all the funds. A significant share needed to be given to the Uzumaki Clan. In this war, the Uzumaki Clan had contributed their entire strength, fulfilling their duties as steadfast allies.
If Akatsuki Village tried to pocket everything, who would ally with them again?
Just as Makoto was preparing to wait patiently—
"Old Ghost Senju, why are you still here? I'm not serving dinner!"
Makoto's voice snapped the tension inside the hall like a whip.
He had assumed Senju Tobirama would've left with the others. But there he was, still standing stiffly, refusing to move — as if hoping to linger until someone invited him to stay.
Makoto immediately moved to chase him out, expression dark with irritation.
The scene was almost comedic.
But beneath the surface, the political tension was real.
And in that moment, one thing became painfully clear:
In this war-torn ninja world, even Konoha — the so-called "eldest brother" — no longer looked like the eldest brother.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)