Silence once again fell over the reception room.
The three Daimyo were each absorbed in their own calculations, their breathing clearly audible.
Arashi didn't rush them. He slowly took a sip of tea.
The bait had already been cast. These fish, starved for too long, couldn't possibly resist.
It was precisely his calm and composed demeanor that made the other three feel even more uneasy.
Finally.
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind picked up his dropped fan, snapped it open, and fanned himself rapidly. "Daimyo Arashi's righteous actions are truly admirable."
With just one sentence, he had found a perfect justification for the operation.
"Kumogakure's Space-Time Ninjutsu is indeed a public menace to the Ninja World and should be strictly regulated."
"Our Land of Wind has always loved peace and is willing to contribute to maintaining the stability of the Ninja World."
He had declared his position.
The first to do so.
Rasa's lips moved, and just as he was about to stand up, his Daimyo pressed him back down.
Seeing that the Land of Wind had already spoken, the Daimyo of the Land of Water no longer hesitated and echoed, "The Daimyo of the Land of Wind is absolutely right."
"Such dangerous Ninjutsu cannot be left in the hands of an unsupervised nation."
"Our Land of Water also supports Daimyo-sama Arashi's proposal."
The Lands of Wind and Water had both stated their positions.
Everyone's gaze turned toward the Daimyo of the Land of Earth.
The Daimyo of the Land of Earth's fleshy face squeezed together as he chuckled. "Since everyone is for world peace, our Land of Earth naturally cannot fall behind."
"It's just..." He shifted the topic, revealing his true thoughts. "How exactly will this joint garrison operate? There must be a proper system, right?"
"We can't have our Four Nations' personnel charging in all disorganized."
He wasn't asking how to divide the spoils.
He was asking how to legitimize the operation.
This was the real core issue.
Arashi naturally understood. He had been waiting for this very question.
He said, "The Daimyo of the Land of Earth is absolutely right. Without rules, there can be no order."
"I propose the establishment of a Four-Nation Joint Peace Monitoring Group."
"The sole purpose of this Monitoring Group is to oversee the complete destruction of that dangerous Space-Time Ninjutsu by the Land of Lightning, and to ensure they don't conduct similar research in the future."
"We are not invading, and we are not occupying. We are maintaining peace."
Such righteous words almost made Ōnoki vomit on the spot.
What Monitoring Group?
It was clearly a Four-Nation Loot Distribution Committee.
Ignoring Ōnoki's pale face, Arashi continued, "We are removing a great hidden danger for the entire Ninja World."
"We represent justice."
As his gaze swept across the three faces, now gradually lighting up with anticipation, Arashi cast the final bait.
"Of course, such a large-scale monitoring operation will inevitably incur massive costs."
"Our Four Nations are sending troops and putting in effort. We can't possibly cover it from our own pockets, can we?"
"Therefore, all expenses of the Monitoring Group while stationed in the Land of Lightning should naturally be borne by the Land of Lightning."
The breathing of the three Daimyo grew noticeably heavier.
"To ensure efficient management and a steady military budget..."
"I propose..."
Arashi's voice was like a hook, each word digging deeper into their hearts.
"That the Monitoring Group, on behalf of the Land of Lightning, manage revenues from certain mines, trade routes, and ports within its borders to establish a Peace Fund."
"These revenues, apart from covering the daily operations of the garrison…"
"The remaining funds will be distributed according to each nation's troop contribution ratio within the Monitoring Group."
As his voice fell.
The reception room was so quiet, even heartbeats could be heard.
The rhetoric was flawless.
They weren't here to steal resources.
They were here to maintain peace.
But peace required funding, so naturally, they would help manage the money. And take a small management fee, of course.
No one could find fault with it.
The Daimyo of the Land of Earth's breathing suddenly quickened.
He knew that once the Monitoring Group was established, the Land of Earth's geographic advantage as a neighbor of the Land of Lightning would allow them to maximize their gains.
By that point, whether it remained temporary management or evolved into full annexation... wasn't it just a matter of words?
"Good!" Thinking of this, the Daimyo of the Land of Earth slapped his thigh, his fat rippling. "Let's do as Daimyo Arashi says!"
"For world peace, our Land of Earth is duty-bound!"
A feast to carve up the Land of Lightning had quietly begun under the banner of world peace.
And Arashi smiled as he watched it all unfold.
He knew.
His next prey had already, through this feast, walked willingly into the cage.
Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, the usually cautious Daimyo of the Land of Water suddenly spoke.
"Cough… Daimyo Arashi."
He said with a bit of hesitation, "Although the plan is solid, the Land of Lightning is still a great nation after all."
"Even if they lost three thousand elite shinobi, their remaining forces are not to be underestimated. If they resist to the death…"
"And…"
"I heard… the Land of Fire captured three thousand Kumo Ninja in this battle."
"May I ask, Daimyo Arashi, how do you plan to handle them?"
"Will you release them, or…"
As this question was raised, the excitement on the faces of the Daimyo of the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind faded slightly. Both turned to look at Arashi.
Facing the gazes of all three, Arashi calmly set down his teacup. His expression turned solemn and serious.
"The Land of Fire is a benevolent nation, a civilized nation."
His voice was firm and resonant. "We never abuse prisoners."
"Once the Land of Lightning signs a peace treaty and acknowledges the legitimacy of the Monitoring Group, we will, of course, allow them to ransom their prisoners."
His words were full of righteousness.
Then, his expression shifted. He lowered his voice and added with a cunning tone, "Of course…"
"This ransom is war reparations earned through the blood of the Land of Fire's soldiers."
"It won't be included in the Peace Fund and cannot be shared with you all."
After a moment of silence.
"Hahahaha!" The Daimyo of the Land of Earth burst into laughter. "Naturally! Naturally! This is what the Land of Fire deserves!"
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind and the Daimyo of the Land of Water exchanged glances and smiled. "It should be so. It should be so."
At this moment, the atmosphere in the reception room took on a faint air of shared understanding.
"Since the general direction has been settled…" The Daimyo of the Land of Wind, still fanning himself, steered the topic forward. "Then the specific arrangements for the Monitoring Group's deployment should also be discussed."
At his words, the other two Daimyo immediately perked up.
Arashi clapped his hands. "Bring in the map."
Soon, a detailed map of the entire Land of Lightning was slowly rolled out across the table.
The eyes of the three Daimyo were instantly drawn to it.
This time, Arashi didn't remain seated. He actively stood up and walked over to the map. "Gentlemen…"
"The Monitoring Group is a joint force of four nations. Orders must be strictly followed, and command must be unified. Otherwise, it will become a chaotic mess and be easily crushed by the Land of Lightning."
"Therefore, we need a unified joint command and a leader to oversee the overall situation."
At this point, without waiting for their reactions, he continued in a matter-of-fact tone, "The success of this operation rests entirely on the bravery of our Land of Fire's shinobi, who captured the Fourth Raikage."
"Whether in terms of military merit, strength, or moral justification, the leader should naturally come from the Land of Fire."
The moment these words left his mouth.
The previously warm atmosphere in the reception room dropped to freezing point.
The smiles on the faces of the three Daimyo froze.
They had seen Arashi's ambition, but they hadn't expected him to be so direct.
Not even bothering to pretend.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)