"Either the ninja academy graduates early and replenishes a large number of new genin, or we resort to a swift and decisive counteroffensive."
There were still many students in the ninja academy. As long as they graduated early, there would be no issue sending them to the battlefield.
However, that would essentially be sending children to their deaths.
Would Tsunade resort to such measures?
Most likely not.
Her reluctance was evident in the negotiation terms she had sent.
Sunagakure had to pay the price this time.
Far more than they did in the Third Great Ninja War.
Clearly, the war needed to end sooner rather than later.
"No, while ending the war is acceptable, the losses of each village must be significant. The scale and intensity of battle must escalate."
Kirigakure had declared war on Konoha, though things were still in the testing phase. With the current balance, Kirigakure would avoid making bold moves. Draining Konoha's resources was clearly their top priority.
Even so, Konoha had to deploy a Kage-level ninja to that front immediately.
"Tomorrow is the negotiation with Sunagakure. Hopefully, there won't be any surprises."
There was another candidate to lead the effort—Hiruzen Sarutobi. But Hui had no intention of letting the former Hokage earn any more credit. Ideally, Hiruzen would remain in the background, serving as a hidden deterrent.
Once tomorrow's agreement was signed, Hui could head to the Kirigakure front. With Jin staying in Konoha and Hui on the frontlines, it would be the perfect setup—like fish in water.
More importantly, this strategy would minimize Uchiha casualties.
…
The next day.
Outside the Konoha defensive perimeter, three imposing figures could be seen approaching in the sky: Rasa, Chiyo, and Ebizō.
Rasa traveled with two elite guards, their pace brisk.
"All their top combat forces are here?"
Hui's gaze narrowed sharply, a hint of cold intensity flickering in his eyes.
Were they trying to show that he wasn't intimidating enough?
"Konoha forward units, enemy approaching!"
The Konoha jōnin who had accompanied Hui grimaced slightly.
A foreboding sensation welled up in his chest.
Sure enough, before anyone could react, Hui leapt forward after his warning shout.
"Explosive Fist!"
Flames erupted from beneath his feet as Hui fully activated the Body Flicker Technique in combination with propulsion, crossing several hundred meters in an instant.
Truthfully, at his level, the explosive flames didn't increase his speed much. However, Hui found they provided excellent cover for his high-speed movements. That's why he cast Explosive Fist simultaneously.
"Water Release: Waterspout!"
Water surged and swirled rapidly around Hui, forming a spiral column.
The towering waterspout extended over ten meters in length, narrowing to the thickness of an arm at the tip, with a dangerously sharp end.
The waterspout spiraled forward as Hui charged toward Rasa and his companions.
"Damn it! What is Konoha doing?!"
Rasa growled furiously.
He quickly cast his Magnet Release: Gold Dust Shield, erecting a wall of shimmering gold particles.
But the spinning waterspout, moving with extreme momentum, quickly drilled through the gold dust. Within a second of impact, the shield collapsed entirely.
Boom!
The waterspout struck Rasa, slamming him hard into the ground.
Chiyo and Ebizō were wounded but not critically.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
"Water Release: Multi Water Severing Waves!"
The Land of Rivers had many waterways, and there was a ten-meter-wide river just east of Konoha's camp. Hui tapped into this natural resource, controlling the river's flow and raising it into the sky like a tidal wave, then slamming it down onto the Sunagakure group.
But that wasn't the end.
Under cover of the water surge, Hui activated prearranged ninjutsu.
High-pressure water jets burst forth in waves, forming a dense crisscrossing web that enveloped Rasa and the others.
At this moment, Rasa cursed inwardly.
This wasn't a diplomatic meeting.
This was an ambush!
Although his protective sand layer had absorbed the worst of the waterspout's force, the impact still left him reeling.
Before he could recover, waves of high-speed water blades assaulted them again.
Chiyo and Ebizō hurriedly released their puppets, forming makeshift defenses against the high-pressure jets.
"Damn, the cutting power is too strong!"
Rasa glared down at the shredded sand armor over his chest, blood trickling from the open wound beneath.
Multi Water Severing Waves took a long time to prepare. In high-level combat, there was rarely time for such setup. If there was, the enemy would simply reposition to avoid the technique.
That's why Hui rarely used it during high-stakes battles—like when he killed Danzō. He hadn't needed it then.
But this time, he had prepared the technique in advance.
This wasn't a trap—it was battlefield control.
After all, ninja were experts at setting traps.
The torrent of water blades continued, growing in intensity and adding fresh wounds to the Sand shinobi trio.
Then Hui calmly canceled the technique.
"Oh? Isn't this the dignified trio from Sunagakure? You should've announced yourselves—I might've mistaken you for a surprise attack force. Ha, don't take offense!"
Hui landed lightly in front of them, offering a mock apology.
No one believed that excuse.
He clearly launched a calculated preemptive strike—just to send a message.
The excuse of mistaken identity was absurd. As a Kage-level ninja, there was no way he couldn't detect their chakra signatures.
Rasa clenched his fists in fury, on the verge of coughing blood.
Even with the worst eyesight, chakra perception wasn't that poor.
Still, Rasa's heart grew heavy.
Hui's Multi Water Severing Waves was devastating. If set up in advance, it was nearly impossible to defend against.
Today's encounter would spread quickly.
And Hui's reputation would skyrocket.
One man, standing alone, could rival three Kage-tier forces.
Everyone would have to reevaluate this newly ascended powerhouse of Konoha.
"I take it the three of you are here to sign the surrender agreement," Hui said, emphasizing the word surrender.
Rasa and the others couldn't retaliate.
That earlier attack had made its point.
And they knew—if Hui had more time to prepare, the results could be even more disastrous.
But then Rasa's expression darkened as he glanced over the agreement they had just received.
"What?! A declaration of war against Iwagakure?!"
Being humiliated like this, only to be handed a pre-drafted treaty—this was beyond insulting.
"You shouldn't be so surprised," Hui said nonchalantly. "After all, you're the ones who lost. Tsunade-sama now leads Konoha, and strategy has changed. Accommodation isn't part of the plan anymore."
"This war was started by Sunagakure. Naturally, the consequences are yours to bear."
"And look," he added, smiling faintly. "We didn't even include any reparations. Konoha is showing mercy—you should be grateful."
That last part nearly made Rasa explode.
This was blatant coercion.
An attack before the negotiations, followed by threats hidden beneath a diplomatic façade?
Even Ebizō, the famed strategist of Sunagakure, was stunned into silence.
"Is Konoha truly going to take this route?"
Rasa asked, teeth gritted—trying to push back diplomatically.
Everyone knew Konoha was in a precarious state, fighting a three-front war. If Sunagakure reignited hostilities, Konoha would be stretched dangerously thin.
"Heh, the old jinchūriki is barely breathing. If you're really against signing, I'll just throw him out. With his seal weakening, Shukaku will likely run amok before he dies."
"I'd prefer to toss him away from Konoha—to somewhere like, say, Sunagakure."
The jōnin behind Hui inhaled sharply.
Was Hui really planning to discard the One-Tail's jinchūriki like a bomb?
He was using the dying jinchūriki to pressure Sunagakure—either sign, or deal with the consequences of Shukaku's rampage.
And with the seal in decline, that rampage was almost certain.
"Besides," Hui added casually, "we're only asking you to declare war on Iwagakure. You don't need to go all out—just tie up their 10,000-nin force for a while."
Rasa's face turned green.
10,000 ninjas?
That wasn't a diversion, that was a suicide mission.
A year ago, even the Third Raikage had died in such a siege!
"Honestly, this agreement is too generous," Hui added, sounding bored. "No land loss, no monetary reparations… Hmm, actually, maybe there should be compensation. Sunagakure doesn't seem short on money—Fūninjutsu aside, I saw quite a bit of gold dust earlier…"
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