"This is..."
Ginkaku caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye, his pupils suddenly bulging: "Kin... Kinkaku!"
"What have you done to Kinkaku!"
"Don't worry, he's not dead yet." Kagami's gaze remained calm. "As long as you release the Hokage and leave Konoha, I'll spare his life."
"Don't try to fool me with that nonsense!" Ginkaku roared in agitation, pressing his blade deeper into Tobirama's neck as blood gushed out.
"Ginkaku, I suggest you calm down. If you go too far, this will become a fight to the death." Kagami's eyes turned cold, his words sharp as steel.
"Not only that, but both of your tailed beasts are currently under my control and are charging straight toward your Hidden Cloud Village." Kagami tried to meet Ginkaku's gaze, but the cunning man refused to give him the chance. "The only order I gave them was... to destroy Kumogakure!"
"Liar, how could you possess such power!"
"The truth is as it is. If you refuse to believe, why don't we wait here for half a day and see if your village turns to ruins?"
Ginkaku's breathing grew noticeably rapid, his flickering gaze revealing the immense turmoil within him.
Those black horns... without a doubt, they belonged to Kinkaku. Whether it was the bloodstains or the faint traces of chakra lingering on them, everything confirmed they were unmistakably his!
Kinkaku cherished nothing more than his silky golden hair and those majestic upright horns of his. Even in battle, he would never dream of using them to attack. Breaking his horns in front of a conscious Kinkaku would be far more difficult than simply killing him outright!
Thus, Ginkaku knew full well that Kagami wasn't lying to him.
But now... was not the time to retreat!
"Brat, you're nothing but a brat! Even if everything you say is true, it only strengthens my resolve to destroy everything in madness!" Ginkaku roared with laughter, his demeanor bordering on insanity. "Shall we see which side suffers more? Oh, I forgot to mention—the Nine-Tails your Konoha village has been desperately searching for is currently inside me! What if I let it rampage through Konoha...?"
"What!" Tobirama's eyes widened, the corners of his eyes twitching slightly. "How could this be?"
Kagami clenched his fists, his Mangekyō Sharingan radiating a chilling light. "If that's the case, I swear I'll do everything in my power to stop you—to kill you!"
Ginkaku's eyes flashed with madness. "Fine, then let's see who succeeds first—you killing me, or me destroying Konoha?"
Kagami stared daggers at Ginkaku, veins bulging on his forehead from sheer rage. Never in his life had he wanted to kill someone this badly!
But he knew very well that if a fight truly broke out in the village, Konoha's situation wouldn't be much better than Kumogakure's!
After all, the Nine-Tails is different from ordinary tailed beasts!
As the two fell into argument, Tobirama remained like an outsider, as if the one taken hostage wasn't himself—his entire mind was focused on pondering one thing.
Why did the Nine-Tails, which had been let go by Kamihane, appear in Kumogakure and end up sealed within the high-ranking Kumo ninja Ginkaku?
Did Kumogakure snatch the Nine-Tails right from under Konoha's nose?
But would the Nine-Tails, which Kamihane risked their life to set free, really resign itself to becoming someone else's prize?
No, that can't be right!
Madara and his group aren't fools—they wouldn't do something so pointless.
This is all too bizarre!
He pondered deeply, brows furrowed, thoughts flashing through his mind.
After a long while, as if he had figured out the reason, his brows gradually relaxed, but his eyes were filled with bitterness, and a deep weariness showed through his slightly weathered face.
If everything was as he thought...
This war, all of this... it's utterly ridiculous...
"How about this," Tobirama spoke up, his hoarse voice heavy with weariness, "let's each take a step back..."
"Let's negotiate peace..."
July of the 14th year of Konoha, as the war progressed, to avoid the outcome of mutual destruction, Konoha Village and Kumogakure Village chose to negotiate peace. This grand and tumultuous war, at the cost of each side losing a Kage-level powerhouse and countless elite ninjas buried on the battlefield, finally drew to a close.
Looking at the overall battle situation, Konoha achieved victories on both the eastern and northern fronts, successfully killing the Second Raikage and capturing two tailed beasts along with a Kage-level powerhouse from the enemy side. It could be said to be a great triumph. However, in the end, Ginkaku managed to infiltrate their base, forcing them to hesitate and ultimately choose to negotiate peace.
Since Ginkaku did not trust Konoha, and with the tailed beasts and Kinkaku both in Konoha's hands, he chose the Hidden Cloud Village as the location for peace negotiations and took the Second Hokage with him. If Konoha truly sought peace, they would have to come to the Hidden Cloud Village with sincerity to redeem their people.
To this, the Konoha villagers were naturally a hundred times unwilling, but an exhausted Tobirama vetoed them one by one, allowing Ginkaku to take him away, leaving only these meaningful words behind:
"I just want this ridiculous farce to end as soon as possible..."
Soon after discussions, Uchiha Kagami led a security team to represent Konoha in negotiations at Kumogakure. Under Sarutobi Hiruzen's initiative, the Second Hokage's disciples volunteered to join the negotiation party.
The group arrived at Kumogakure as scheduled, and the meeting proceeded normally. Ginkaku didn't play any tricks, which slightly eased Kagami's vigilance.
Both sides' terms largely fell within each other's expectations. Ginkaku agreed to release the Second Hokage, withdraw all Kumo-nin from Fire Country territories, and pledge no conflict for 30 years. In return, Konoha had to release Kinkaku and return both tailed beasts.
After a heated debate, Hiruzen and Danzo, with their exceptional oratory skills, forcibly detained the Two-Tails in Konoha for 30 years, citing the defeat of the Cloud Village on both fronts as justification. During this period, if the Cloud Village were to provoke any conflict, the Two-Tails would not be returned, ensuring the authenticity of the peace treaty.
Ginkaku was indignant, but with Uchiha Kagami overseeing the situation, he could only nod resentfully.
Thus, the peace treaty was established. In front of the Kumo high officials, Kagami released the Eight-Tails from his control and freed the barely alive Kinkaku from the scroll.
Kumo also promptly released the Second Hokage, allowing the Konoha delegation to take him away. They immediately drafted military orders to disband all Kumo outposts and facilities within the Land of Fire, withdrawing their troops back home.
After the Konoha delegation left Kumo Village, Uchiha Kagami suggested using the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport directly back to Konoha, to which Danzo and the others naturally agreed with enthusiasm.
However, Kagami keenly noticed that Tobirama's mood seemed off—he had been unusually quiet the entire journey, as if burdened by heavy thoughts.
"Sensei, is something wrong?"
Tobirama silently shook his head before suddenly posing a strange question: "Do you still remember the answer to that question from back then?"
"Question?" Kagami looked puzzled.
Tobirama asked, "Which is more important: comrades or the village?"
As he posed the question, he turned his gaze toward the crowd.
"Well..." Hearing the question, Hiruzen furrowed his brows, caught in a dilemma.
"Of course it's the village. Without the village, where would comrades come from?" Danzo stated matter-of-factly. "Think back—it was the Senju and Uchiha who jointly founded Konoha, which then led to the inclusion of our clans like the Shimura, Sarutobi, and Hyūga. Isn't the answer obvious?"
"But... the Senju and Uchiha became comrades first before the village was established..." Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses, suddenly hesitating. "However... that might not be entirely accurate. Lord Hashirama surely envisioned building the village as his dream first, then gathered companions to work toward it..."
"That's a false dilemma," Kagami suddenly said.
Tobirama's calm gaze flickered with a ripple of emotion as he, along with the others, turned to look at Kagami.
"The village and its comrades are inseparable from the start. The very purpose of Konoha's existence is to protect peace and create a future filled with hope. A village without comrades is merely an empty shell brimming with power and desire."
Kagami spoke calmly, "If I must make a choice, I will choose the path that holds more hope. So no matter which one it is, as long as it can make the village's future brighter, I will carry it out without hesitation."
Tobirama let out a long breath and looked solemnly at Kagami, suddenly uttering words that left everyone stunned:
"Uchiha Kagami, starting tomorrow, you will be the Third Hokage of Konoha."
A silence fell, with only the rustling of wind through leaves reaching everyone's ears.
Hiruzen's eyes widened as if he had heard something unbelievable.
Danzo's face was full of disbelief, his gaze involuntarily shifting to Kagami, his eyes flashing with confusion and deep-seated jealousy.
Homura and Koharu stared blankly at Tobirama, completely failing to grasp the situation.
Only Kagami wore a tightly furrowed brow, a flicker of panic flashing across his face.
In the utter silence, a clear voice shattered the calm, its tone devoid of any emotion, like the impassive heralds of death.
"Once you've settled your affairs, it's time to depart, Lord Tobirama."
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