The Land of Iron.
This nation is extremely unique. Despite bordering large shinobi countries like the Land of Fire, the Land of Waterfall, and the Land of Rice Fields, it remains a neutral country with its own distinct culture, independent authority, and independent military strength.
Unlike the other countries that relied on shinobi, the Land of Iron was a nation of samurai.
Its completely different system, coupled with its neutral stance, made it one of the few neutral nations in the shinobi world. Furthermore, the First Hokage once held the first Five Kage Summit here. As a special nation that witnessed this major historical event – where the First Hokage and the first Kage of the other four countries formed an alliance and distributed the Tailed Beasts to each nation – the Land of Iron became the shinobi world's universally acknowledged permanent neutral nation.
While the outside world was engulfed in deadly shinobi wars, the Land of Iron seemed detached, living its own peaceful life.
However, these past two days, the nation has become bustling.
The reason is simple: the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Mist are about to negotiate peace!
Upon learning that the Third Mizukage had designated the Land of Iron as the location for the peace talks, the immensely excited General Mifune of the Land of Iron immediately accepted the Hidden Mist's commission. He enthusiastically began arranging the meeting venue and preparing ceremonies to welcome the Hokage and Mizukage.
This was a golden opportunity to make a name throughout the shinobi world and greatly boost tourism and commerce. The location where the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the other four Kage held their meeting long ago had already become a historical landmark. Tourists who came to pay homage to the glory of the ancestors brought significant additional revenue to the Land of Iron each year.
Now that such a good thing was happening again, how could the Land of Iron refuse?
But soon, General Mifune began to fret over the security for this meeting, which only involved the Land of Water and the Land of Fire. Although they had no shinobi, the Land of Iron's overall strength was decent among smaller nations. For ordinary security work, the Land of Iron was naturally confident.
However, the current shinobi world situation was chaotic. While the Leaf was willing to negotiate peace with the Hidden Mist, other ninja villages would certainly not want to see this happen. The recently defeated Hidden Sand would obviously not mind causing trouble for the Leaf, let alone the Hidden Stone, which was currently locked in intense combat with the Leaf.
The Land of Iron's strength alone clearly couldn't handle simultaneous sneak attacks from two of the Five Great Nations, let alone the smaller countries always ready to stir up trouble.
Just as General Mifune was losing sleep over this issue, a subordinate offered a suggestion.
"General Mifune, it is indeed somewhat difficult for the Land of Iron's strength alone to ensure the security of this meeting. But why not request external aid?"
"External aid?"
Mifune paused. "Rikaku, are you referring to mercenary organizations? But which mercenary organization could possibly bear such responsibility?"
Ordinary mercenary organizations are typically composed of rogue ninja and wandering ninja. These shinobi might be intimidating to common folk, but this was a 'Kage Summit.' How could these amateurish mercenary groups possibly handle it?
"If it's them, it just might be possible."
The samurai named Rikaku spoke gravely. "You might not know this, General Mifune, but recently there's a mercenary organization that has rapidly gained renown in the shinobi world. Even the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, frequently hires them. The Hidden Stone's current performance in its war against the Leaf owes a great deal to that mercenary organization!"
There's such a mercenary organization?!
Hearing this, Mifune's expression immediately brightened. A mercenary organization even Ōnoki hired certainly held some credibility. If they could gain their assistance, the safety of this meeting would undoubtedly increase significantly.
"Rikaku, do you have their information?"
"They call themselves 'Akatsuki.' Their recent area of activity should be wandering within the Land of Fire and Land of Earth, accepting missions. They should be easy to find."
"Then what are we waiting for? Act quickly!"
"Yes, General Mifune!"
Rikaku immediately set out and actually found them. In just one day, Rikaku brought a group of well-equipped, excited young people before Mifune.
Seeing how young these people were, Mifune's heart skipped a beat, feeling somewhat uncertain.
"You should understand what this mission represents, right? This is a meeting between two Kage; it's a conference where absolutely no mistakes can be tolerated!"
"Please rest assured, General Mifune! Our Akatsuki organization is incredibly powerful!"
The orange-haired boy pointed to himself, confidently and proudly declaring with a wide smile, "After these peace talks, we'll make everyone in the shinobi world recognize the name of Akatsuki, and hear our ideals and goals!"
"Oh?"
General Mifune's words of denial, already at the tip of his tongue, got stuck in his throat. For some reason, this orange-haired boy seemed to possess an inexplicable charisma, a special charm that made people involuntarily trust him!
"You have special ideals and goals... It seems you're not just a mercenary organization purely for money."
"Well, hahahaha."
Yahiko scratched his head, letting out an awkward laugh. "No matter what you do, or what goals you achieve, you always need startup capital, hahahaha!"
"..."
Suddenly, he felt this guy wasn't as reliable as he first seemed.
Mifune's mouth twitched slightly, but there was no other option now. The meeting was scheduled for tomorrow. Even if this Akatsuki organization wasn't up to the task, they'd have to be.
Damn Rikaku, I hope this mercenary organization you recommended is really as strong as you say, otherwise our Land of Iron might become the laughingstock of the entire shinobi world!
"Alright... if you can manage it, I can offer you a reward of ten million ryō!"
"How much?!"
Yahiko's eyes lit up. Even the usually silent, reddish-orange haired boy behind him stirred slightly, clearly surprised by the sum.
In this pre-Third War economy, ten million ryō was a massive payout.
Sure, you might say that someone like Asuma Sarutobi once had a bounty of 35 million ryō—but that was decades later, and Asuma was a high-level jonin, son of the Third Hokage, and a member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. Back in this era? He'd fetch maybe half that on the black market.
"Please rest assured, General Mifune, we'll make sure nothing goes wrong.!"
"Very well… then I leave security in your hands."
"No problem!"
Yahiko's boundless enthusiasm still left Mifune a bit uneasy, but once the Akatsuki began laying out chakra-based traps, sealing barriers, and layered detection nets, even Mifune had to admit—they were professionals.
They're truly worthy of being the mercenaries Ōnoki has hired multiple times at high prices! They certainly have skill!
Next, all that remained was to wait for the meeting to commence!
Later That Day.
"So, this is the Land of Iron, huh."
The environment of the Land of Iron is quite unique. Being located near the northern region and adjacent to the ocean, it experiences snow three seasons a year. Although it was only autumn now, the Land of Iron was already draped in silver, covered in a white blanket.
In the wind and snow, the Third Hokage adjusted his Hokage Hat. Their clothing was thin, but they felt no cold. While Chakra cannot completely ward off heat or cold, it can significantly mitigate severe temperatures.
"When Lord First and Lord Second came here, it was with an absolute, commanding presence. I never expected that I, the Third, would come here to surrender and pay reparations..."
The Third Hokage's face showed a bitter, self-deprecating smile. Compared to his two masters, he felt as if he had completely shamed the title of Hokage!
"Don't say that, Lord Third. Everything you've done is for the Hidden Leaf!"
Minato Namikaze couldn't help but interject. In his eyes, sacrificing his reputation for the future of the Hidden Leaf made Lord Third truly worthy of the Hokage's name!
Listening to Minato's words, the Third Hokage sighed lightly, slowly exhaling a large puff of smoke, suppressing the melancholy in his heart.
"Let's go. I wonder if the Hidden Mist representative has arrived yet."
"Yes, Lord Third!"
Before long, the two arrived at the samurai's main base. General Mifune personally came to greet them. After a few formal exchanges, the Third Hokage was invited into the meeting room.
At this moment, there were no others in the meeting room; the Hidden Mist party had not yet arrived. Hiruzen Sarutobi was not in a hurry, silently taking his seat and waiting quietly.
The defeated arrive first, the victors hold the leverage. As it was now, it was perfectly reasonable.
An hour later…
"Fast as expected. No wonder they call you the Yellow Flash."
A faintly mocking voice echoed through the corridor as two figures stepped into view.
Minato Namikaze's face darkened, while Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes narrowed as he assessed the two figures, one old and one young. This was his first meeting with the Third Mizukage and Yuki Yoru.
The aged Third Mizukage appeared much older than himself, which was not surprising. In the First Five Kage Summit, the Third Mizukage had already participated as the First Mizukage's escort. In a sense, although the Third Mizukage was a 'Third' like himself, this man had lived in the same era as Hashirama and Tobirama.
In contrast to the frail Third Mizukage, Yuki Yoru appeared perhaps too young. His handsome, youthful face still retained a hint of un-faded boyishness, but his exposed, amber-like eyes were filled with confidence, composure, and undisguised ambition!
Undoubtedly, this was someone who surpassed his three disciples, surpassed Minato Namikaze beside him, someone with his own distinct ideology, who firmly believed in his chosen path, and would follow it through!
For some reason, the moment he saw this young man, a figure involuntarily came to Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind. It was the First Hokage's strongest enemy, the Hidden Leaf's greatest taboo: Madara Uchiha!
As the Third Hokage assessed the old and young pair, Yuki Yoru and the Third Mizukage also took their seats, accompanied by a samurai.
"I'm old; my back and legs aren't what they used to be," the Third Mizukage said with a faint smile, his gaze briefly lingering on Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze. "My apologies for making the Hokage-sama wait."
"We are all here for peace; this wait is nothing."
"That's not necessarily true."
Yoru's voice cut into the conversation between the Kage. To the astonishment of the surrounding samurai, he calmly stated, "If the reparations you offer don't satisfy us, then we can only let peace wait a while longer before descending. Oh, by the way, we met a few Hidden Stone ninja on the way here. They were quite... enthusiastic."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face stiffened, then he nodded with a smile. "Naturally. That is our purpose for gathering here, isn't it?"
Truly worthy of being the Third Hokage, capable of watching the Hero of the Leaf's son live like a dog for over a decade without batting an eye. He certainly has some depth.
Yoru didn't expect his words to gain much advantage against these old veterans. His gaze fell on Mifune beside him.
Mifune understood. He took his own seat and said, "Alright, now that both Kage have arrived, the meeting can begin. As the initiator of this meeting, please, Mizukage-sama, state your demands."
"The Land of Water is an isolated island nation, inherently lacking resources. Furthermore, this war has inflicted immense damage upon the Hidden Mist..."
The Third Mizukage spoke of the Hidden Mist's dire situation, simultaneously taking a scroll from his robe and placing it on the table. "This is the compensation plan we, the Hidden Mist, drafted based on our village's losses. Please, Hokage-sama, take a look."
The scroll was handed to Hiruzen Sarutobi by a samurai. As the scroll opened, just one glance made Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils sharply contract. His hands trembled, and veins pulsed on his temples.
The entire peace agreement was divided into three parts:
One: Surrender and Apology! Two: Reparations! Three: Diplomatic Reforms!
The contents included: the Hidden Leaf must publicly announce its defeat and surrender to the Hidden Mist to the entire shinobi world, and apologize for all Hidden Mist ninja killed by Tailed Beast Balls on the Hidden Mist battlefield;
Reparations of two hundred million ryō in universal shinobi currency, and the Hidden Leaf must provide bloodlines from clans such as the Uchiha, Hyūga, and Senju to compensate for the massive losses of Hidden Mist shinobi. It also demanded that the Hidden Leaf revoke the bounties on Hidden Mist ninja, including Ao, the Byakugan User Killer...
And in return for the Hidden Leaf paying these reparations:
The peace-loving Hidden Mist Village would open its closed Bloody Mist borders, open its ports for trade with the Hidden Leaf, allow merchants from the Land of Fire to conduct business in the Land of Water with reduced taxes, and permit regular exchanges between young shinobi...
Item after item in the scroll made Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands tremble, and veins pulsed on his temples.
This was no peace agreement; this was outright plunder, blatant plunder!
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin