After the discussion subsided, the ANBU operative spoke again.
"Lord Hokage!"
"Is there anything else?"
Hiruzen frowned. The news of Minato's death was already bad enough.
Was there something even worse?
His mood sank further.
"Yes. Lord Jiraiya has left."
"Jiraiya?!"
A visibly shaken Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately stood up from his seat.
He could hardly believe what he had heard.
Of the three Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya was the only one still willing to assist him.
Now even Jiraiya had walked away.
Hiruzen felt something in his chest drop.
"Do you know where Jiraiya went?"
"No. Lord Jiraiya moved too fast—we couldn't keep up. He simply said he wanted to go out and clear his head. He said he doesn't want to stay in Konoha in this state."
The ANBU hesitated for a moment, but still relayed everything Jiraiya had said.
"I see…"
After a brief silence, Hiruzen let out a bitter smile, then collapsed back into his office chair, utterly defeated.
Minato Namikaze's death had clearly been a heavy blow to Jiraiya.
Did I really do something wrong?
For a moment, Hiruzen allowed doubt to surface.
But it didn't last long.
He quickly hardened his expression.
"I did all of this for Konoha."
The village could survive without Minato Namikaze.
It could endure without Jiraiya.
But it absolutely could not exist without me, Hiruzen Sarutobi—the Third Hokage.
At least, that was what Hiruzen told himself.
Just then, another masked ANBU appeared in the Hokage's office.
"Lord Hokage, the delegation from Kumogakure has arrived. They say they wish to discuss post-war reparations."
"Cough—cough!"
This was no trivial matter. It had to be handled carefully.
Clearing his throat, Hiruzen immediately straightened his posture, regaining his authoritative demeanor.
"Who is leading them?"
"It is the Third Raikage."
"...…"
What?! The Third Raikage himself?
When did it become necessary for a village's Kage to personally lead a delegation to another Hidden Village just to negotiate compensation?
And yet, this also showed the Hidden Cloud's seriousness.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, who had been silent until now, stepped forward.
"Hiruzen, leave this to us."
Compensation negotiations were traditionally their responsibility.
In the past, such matters could be handled with a Kage's assistant.
This time, Kumogakure had suffered a complete defeat.
Koharu and Homura were confident they could secure favorable terms.
Truthfully, they already had a fifth draft prepared.
After the negotiations concluded, they intended to ensure the village publicized their success properly.
They wanted everyone in Konoha to see how the wise, experienced elders brought honor to the village.
Who doesn't enjoy prestige?
Even the so-called veteran elders were no exception.
"Very well."
After thinking it over, Hiruzen did not refuse.
"But since the Third Raikage himself is here, I will attend as well."
The situation demanded respect.
If he didn't show up, it would seem incredibly rude.
"Of course."
Koharu and Homura nodded, saying nothing more.
The group headed out together.
…
Koharu and Homura's plans were optimistic.
But the reality that awaited them was completely different.
"Who the hell are you?! Get out!"
"You—!"
The Third Hokage stood by as an observer, while Koharu and Homura were the designated negotiators.
But the moment the Third Raikage saw the two of them…
He jabbed a finger at them, shouting without hesitation.
Koharu and Homura had never been treated like this in their lives.
They were just about to argue back—
When they saw the Third Raikage's expression darken, lightning crackling around his body.
"I said GET LOST! You two pieces of trash think you're qualified to negotiate with me?!"
Behind the Raikage sat A, Killer B, and Yugito Nii.
The Third Raikage hadn't even brought an advisor.
That meant he had zero intention of observing decorum.
"We are elders of Konoha!"
Koharu and Homura were livid.
Since becoming elders, no one had ever dared speak to them like this.
Sure, the Hidden Cloud ninja were known for being brutes, but this was insane.
Koharu and Homura both regretted coming.
If they could go back in time, they wouldn't have taken a single step toward this meeting.
"Elders? What the hell is that? Do we have something like that in our village?"
The Third Raikage turned toward his subordinates with a confused scowl.
"It exists," A answered after thinking for a long moment, "but… it's basically the same as not having it."
Given the Raikage line's straightforward, heavy-handed leadership style, "elders" meant nothing.
The Cloud did not operate on committee politics.
Expecting Cloud shinobi to honor an elder system was ridiculous.
"So they're useless dead weight."
The Third Raikage suddenly understood.
"So that's what an elder is."
"You—!"
Koharu and Homura both shot to their feet, trembling with rage.
Before they could speak, the Third Raikage rose from his chair.
Lightning surged across his body, his killing intent filling the room.
"What? You want to fight? DO IT! If you've got the guts—KILL ME!"
A, B, and Yugito remained silent, standing at his side like executioners awaiting a command.
If Koharu or Homura dared say even one wrong word…
The Cloud entourage would absolutely attack without hesitation.
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