"That's right. We also think the name is inappropriate."
A Yotsuki immediately chimed in. Having finally found a perfectly legitimate point on which to criticize the proposal, there was no way he would let the opportunity slip away.
The representatives of the Village Hidden in the Sand and the Village Hidden in the Stones said nothing, but they nodded in agreement all the same. Their meaning could not have been clearer.
Shinichi glanced at Yagura before sweeping his gaze across the other representatives who had nodded in agreement. Rather than showing the slightest annoyance, he smiled faintly and nodded readily.
"Very well. In that case, let's begin by discussing the convention's name. If anyone has a suggestion, feel free to bring it forward."
Thus, after the earlier interruption, the representatives of the five sides finally began formal discussions on the conference's main agenda, as though the fierce confrontation that had taken place earlier, the united pressure from the Four Great Ninja Villages and Shinichi Higashino's declaration of unrestricted warfare, had never happened at all.
This left certain spectators, who had been eagerly anticipating even greater chaos and were practically hoping to see blood flow like rivers, deeply disappointed.
As the conference continued, the representatives of the smaller nations and the reporters watching from the sidelines were surprised to discover that the Five Great Ninja Villages seemed to have reached a strangely unspoken understanding.
Although the discussions remained confrontational throughout, with arguments continuing nonstop and several instances of people slamming their hands on the table and rising to their feet, whenever the disputes approached a critical point, all sides would invariably rein themselves in, each giving half a step, allowing the conference to continue moving forward without completely blocking the road to negotiation.
Everyone found it strange, and no one understood how this tacit understanding among the Five Great Ninja Villages had come about.
Even the members of the five delegations themselves could not explain it.
Only Shinichi, upon seeing this familiar scene, understood exactly what was happening.
To a certain extent, the Five Great Shinobi Countries and the Five Great Ninja Villages were equivalent to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council in his previous life.
The permanent members often argued fiercely within the Security Council and even vetoed one another's proposals. Yet, as the principal beneficiaries of the existing international order, whenever fundamental issues were involved, they would instinctively join forces to preserve their shared core position and the rules governing that order, never allowing any genuine challenger to emerge.
That was the underlying logic behind the P5 unanimity principle, and the Five Great Ninja Villages at this moment were much the same.
They could slaughter one another on the battlefield until rivers of blood flowed, and they could openly oppose one another before the entire Shinobi World, but when it came time to establish the rules, they would instinctively ensure that the authority to do so remained firmly in the hands of the Five Great Ninja Villages, never allowing the ninja villages of the smaller nations any opportunity to rise.
This was another version of the Five Great Ninja Villages unanimity principle unique to this world.
Amid endless arguments and sharp confrontations, three days later, the Five Great Shinobi Countries and the Five Great Ninja Villages finally reached a preliminary consensus.
And with that, the first humanitarian convention in this world was officially adopted.
"Then Konoha recognizes this convention. From today onward, all Konoha ninja engaged in combat shall be bound by its provisions."
Shinichi shrugged, casually picked up the still-wet copy of the convention, tapped it lightly against his palm, then raised his head.
"What about the rest of you?"
He was answered by a brief silence.
Then...
"Village Hidden in the Cloud recognizes it."
A Yotsuki spoke the words in a deep, gruff voice.
"The Village Hidden in the Sand recognizes it."
Pakura followed coldly.
"The Village Hidden in the Stones recognizes it."
Kitsuchi said in a deep voice.
"Village Hidden in the Mist recognizes it."
Yagura spoke expressionlessly.
General Mifune clapped his hands together, his voice echoing throughout the conference hall.
"Then the Shinobi World Humanitarian Convention shall take effect as of today. May this convention not only establish a bottom line for the Shinobi World, but also become the first cornerstone on the path toward true peace."
As his words fell, applause spread from the audience seats. Sparse at first, but it quickly swelled into a thunderous wave, while the flashes of cameras illuminated the entire hall.
After the conference concluded, under the gaze of the assembled crowd and amid the nonstop flashing of reporters' cameras, the representatives of the various ninja villages successively completed the formalities of shaking hands, taking group photographs, and posing while holding copies of the convention.
Compared to the composed Shinichi, Pakura, Kitsuchi, Yagura, A Yotsuki, and the others were visibly uncomfortable throughout, silently cursing Shinichi countless times for his excessive fondness for theatrics.
A Yotsuki, in particular, seemed determined to vent his frustration on Shinichi. When the two shook hands, he deliberately exerted force, his five fingers tightening like iron clamps.
One of Shinichi's eyebrows rose slightly, though the smile on his face remained unchanged; his own hand immediately responded with equal strength.
Thus, before everyone's eyes, the two put on a contest of strength through nothing more than a handshake. Their eyes locked, one blazing with fiery aggression, the other smiling with icy calm, while veins bulged across the backs of both hands and their joints cracked audibly under the strain.
Only when General Mifune, serving as mediator, sensed something was wrong and stepped forward with an awkward cough to smooth things over did the two finally release each other's hands.
Thus, amid arguments, threats, compromises, and finally a contest of strength through a handshake, the Shinobi World's first humanitarian convention came to its conclusion.
The original Rinkai City Convention was ultimately renamed as the Shinobi World Humanitarian Convention, also known as the first convention.
This was only a preliminary framework, and it would continue to be revised, supplemented, or streamlined in the future according to actual implementation and feedback from all sides.
Compared to the original draft Shinichi had written, the specific provisions of the officially adopted Shinobi World Humanitarian Convention had undergone considerable changes.
However, this was entirely within Shinichi's expectations. Too many clauses in his original draft had been directly modeled after the Geneva Conventions from his previous life, and many of them simply did not fully suit the realities of this world.
For example, regarding the use of poisons, poison gas and biological weapons were strictly prohibited in the wars of his previous world.
In this world, however, although poison techniques were hardly regarded as honorable, they had always been recognized as legitimate methods of combat.
The Village Hidden in the Sand's puppet poison masters, Village Hidden by Rain's poisonous mist assassination techniques, and even the insect toxins used by Konoha's Aburame Clan were all standard means of warfare. Completely banning them was simply unrealistic, and no one would ever agree to it.
Accordingly, the final provision stipulated that poison techniques could still be used normally in conventional engagements, such as open battlefields and squad skirmishes. However, poisoning water supplies or granaries, indiscriminately dispersing poisonous mist over a large area, infiltrating enemy non-combat zones to administer poison, and similar acts were strictly prohibited.