Chapter 268: How Do You Guys Stay In Power?
Yoru entered Sakumo Hatake’s tent and saw Sakumo Hatake and Mito Mon’en sitting behind the table.
He glanced around briefly, and the expressions of the surrounding strategists were all uneasy, as if the conversation between Sakumo Hatake and Mito Mon’en had just been unpleasant.
Yoru thought to himself, they’ve already won, why bother.
Mito Mon’en’s voice still carried a trace of anger as he said, “Fox, bring an Anbu Squad and come with me to the negotiation.”
“Yes, Lord Mito Mon’en.”
Mito Mon’en and four assistants, Yoru and Flower Deer Squad, left the temporary camp together.
Sometimes, Yoru also felt he was a bit biased, treating Aries Squad and Flower Deer Squad too well, while being average toward Hippopotamus Squad and Yak Squad.
He had never targeted Hippopotamus and Yak Squads either.
For many important missions, he still trusted Aries Squad and Flower Deer Squad more.
On the way, Mito Mon’en asked, “Fox, this conflict might produce 3 to 4 jonin promotions. Do you have any recommended candidates?”
Yoru instantly understood why Mito Mon’en and Sakumo Hatake had clashed.
Logically speaking, a great victory in the conflict was a good thing, and Mito Mon’en wouldn’t deliberately make things difficult for Sakumo Hatake at this time.
Sakumo Hatake must have brought up jonin recommendations in front of Mito Mon’en.
Sakumo Hatake had rendered meritorious service through great toil, but why didn’t he understand that great merit doesn’t necessarily require great reward.
Yoru said, “Lord Mito Mon’en, I recommend Aries for jonin.”
Aries’s Parasitic Insects secret jutsu was growing stronger, especially after becoming proficient in using Yoru’s Ten Seals, he could manifest a massive insect swarm in a short time.
The larger the insect swarm, the more mutations, the more diversity.
Cultivating superior Parasitic Insects separately and continuously producing stronger insects was the Aburame Clan’s most important training.
Sometimes the Aburame Clan’s own strength had already reached its limit, but a mutation in the Parasitic Insects might bring the Aburame ninja into a second spring, breaking through the limit.
Seeing Mito Mon’en look toward him, Yoru quickly explained:
“Aries, an Aburame Clan ninja named Aburame Kin’ka.
To date, Aries has completed 3 S-rank missions, meeting the conditions for jonin promotion.
His strength is still in a high-growth phase, and his future strength will only be greater. I recommend him for jonin.”
Mito Mon’en nodded repeatedly and said, “Much stronger than the Newma and Shirakumo Hayama recommended by Sakumo Hatake.
The Shimura Clan sacrificed 2 jonin in the Land of Grass. In this Land of Hot Water conflict, there’s one Shimura Clan special jonin waiting for promotion.
Promote one from Anbu too, taking one slot.
After Anbu was streamlined into 4 divisions, it follows an elite route, with squad leaders being jonin, which isn’t excessive.
As for Sakumo Hatake, he recommended 2 people, and it wouldn’t be good to reject both outright; probably approve one and veto one.”
Yoru thought to himself, not bad.
On the surface, Sakumo Hatake recommended 2 but only 1 approved, but rounding it off, Aries could count as one of Sakumo Hatake’s people.
They arrived in a city in the Land of Moon, where samurai led the way, and Mito Mon’en and Yoru entered a deep mansion.
The noble had offered up his mansion as the venue for this meeting.
This mansion had a strong mountainous terrain character, with several courtyards layered and climbing upward, the rear courtyards half a level higher than the front ones, making the mansion stack upward in layers.
Though the nobles were living on borrowed time, easily assassinated by ninja, their living conditions were truly good.
Being a local emperor in such a town wasn’t bad at all.
After arriving at the main hall, Mito Mon’en and Yoru sat on two cushions.
Behind them, the assistants and Flower Deer Squad stood on either side respectively.
On the opposite cushions were Cloud Village advisor Gomoi and Raikage Assistant Tsuchi.
Tsuchi’s strength was average, and Yoru had no need for his Lava Release rubber bloodline limit, so he turned to look at Gomoi instead.
This tall, gaunt middle-aged man was a Lightning Release expert from the Hidden Cloud Village and an advisor trusted by the Third Raikage.
Yoru didn’t know if Gomoi was proficient in Lightning Body Flicker; next he had to continue dealing with Root, and Yoru urgently needed to bolster his sub-account Shiroki.
Gomoi slammed his fist into the ground, and the floor cracked rapidly: “Mito Mon’en! You Konoha are bullying us too much!”
Yoru pressed his hand to the floor, reinforcing it with Earth Release chakra.
The floor two meters in front of Mito Mon’en remained intact.
Mito Mon’en nodded in satisfaction and said, “Oh? How are we Konoha bullying you too much?”
“The war is over, yet Konoha first sent the White Fang to assault the Two-Tails Jinchuriki Ryuuha at the port, then sent Orochimaru to invade the Cloud Village, killing the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Buruubi!” Gomoi stared at the Fox and said:
“In this war, you also killed the Storm Release clan head Gari!
Do you want to go to war without declaration! Do you want to start the Third Great Ninja War!”
Facing Gomoi’s hot temper, Mito Mon’en said unhurriedly:
“Don’t be hasty. You Cloud Ninja are always so impatient. Let’s go through it point by point.
Gari died on the battlefield because his strength was insufficient.
You and I are ninja—does dying on the battlefield mean the village has to avenge us? Don’t be so foolish, Gomoi.”
“You!” Gomoi was angry inside but didn’t know how to retort.
Mito Mon’en said, “As for the two jinchuriki incidents, why don’t you reflect on them?
Cloud Ninja spies have never given up on Konoha’s Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and nearly kidnapped the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki once.
This counts as retaliation for your conspiracy to seize the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, at most it’s even.”
Tsuchi’s breathing grew heavy; he knew about that Nine-Tails Jinchuriki kidnapping incident.
At the time, Cloud’s spies in Konoha discovered that several factions within Konoha were fighting in the shadows, and relations between Konoha Village and the Senju Clan were poor, so they could take advantage of Konoha’s infighting to kidnap the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
They had nearly succeeded then, but the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki’s classmate suddenly appeared and actually defeated the Cloud Village spy.
Minato Namikaze—that name had first appeared in the Raikage’s office.
Mito Mon’en continued, “I heard you claimed to have mastered the perfect jinchuriki; we Konoha didn’t believe it, so we tested it.
Now that we’ve tested, you were indeed bluffing and gilding your own faces.
If we’d known that earlier, why did you boast about some perfect jinchuriki?”
Gomoi stopped shouting loudly, his voice suddenly low and threatening toward Mito Mon’en:
“It seems you have no idea at all that you’re the ones provoking war!
Just wait. My Cloud Village won’t swallow this insult. Buruubi’s death, Gari’s death—you Konoha must pay the price!”
Mito Mon’en’s aura was overwhelming; when he spoke at this moment, he instantly overpowered Gomoi:
“Konoha never fears war. A Third Great Ninja War just a year apart isn’t impossible. If you want war, Konoha will give you war.”
Yoru was surprised inside—was Mito Mon’en this aggressive?
Tsuchi spoke up from the side: “Mito Mon’en, let’s exchange the ceasefire agreements.
I know you’re bluffing. You Konoha lost over 4000 people in the Second Ninja War.
Has your ninja count reached ten thousand now that you want to start the Third Great Ninja War??
If Konoha loses another 2000 ninja, how will those six Second Hokage guards who fled back from the Land of Lightning like defeated dogs, those ambitious ones eager to seize power in Konoha, continue to hold power?”
Yoru saw Mito Mon’en’s expression change.
In this unfriendly yet heated exchange of words, Mito Mon’en and Gomoi exchanged the ceasefire agreements.
Neither side raised compensation demands; after two months of fighting, aside from many ninja casualties, they had gained nothing and ceased hostilities.
