Chapter 180: You Should Say Thank You
"Correct. Current Sasuke can already make it impossible for me to divert my attention to guide the summoning technique," Neji said helplessly, let alone an enemy a level stronger.
"Don't underestimate yourself. Sasuke and Naruto's current strength, even Jounin from major ninja villages can't get the better of them," Uchiha Douhuan said. "However, this problem indeed needs to be solved for you."
As Uchiha Douhuan spoke, he stood up, and from the bookshelf in the office, after undoing the seal on the topmost section, he took down a scroll.
"This is?" Neji was stunned upon seeing this large scroll.
"The Scroll of Seals," Uchiha Douhuan said. After inputting the password for the sealing jutsu above, he started flipping through it. Finding the page for the Flying Thunder God Technique, he copied it onto a blank scroll and then directly tossed it to Neji.
"The Flying Thunder God Technique, developed by the Second Hokage and refined by the Fourth, should be helpful for your research," Uchiha Douhuan said.
"This... isn't quite right, is it?" Neji said. He and Tenten weren't without ideas about the Flying Thunder God Technique, but this ninjutsu was, after all, from the Scroll of Seals. For him, a fresh graduate with no merits yet, to receive such a precious ninjutsu, even if he was the Hokage's disciple, would surely attract criticism.
"Take it, consider it a graduation gift for you and Tenten," Uchiha Douhuan said. "The contribution from that vision-sharing ninja tool you two developed together is actually almost enough to exchange for a ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals. The Flying Thunder God might be a bit much, but giving it to you in advance is no big deal."
"Besides, it's not being given to you for free," Uchiha Douhuan continued. "I plan to team you up with Naruto and Sasuke. However, they still have another year before they graduate. So, for this year, I plan to have you train alone in the Anbu for a year. Consider the missing merits as a loan from me to you two; you'll have to repay it slowly through missions."
Hearing this, Neji's mouth twitched slightly. *Can't you use a different word? Loan... In these past two years in the ninja world, who would still dare to take a loan from you? The last one who took a loan from you, all the mineral resources in their country now belong to Konoha.*
With increasing age, Uchiha Douhuan had already begun to gradually teach Sasuke and Neji strategies in these aspects. Therefore, despite Konoha always presenting itself from a moral high ground externally, the two of them knew very well what role their teacher had played in the three-year-long war between the Land of Waterfall and the Land of Earth.
Just as Neji was preparing to leave with the copy of the Flying Thunder God, a knock came on the Hokage office door.
"Lord Hokage, Young Master Neji," Uchiha Inahi said after walking into the Hokage office, greeting the two. Then he said to Uchiha Douhuan, "Lord Hokage, Iwata Sawaki is requesting an audience at the door."
*Well now, just thought of this guy, and here he comes,* Neji's mouth twitched as he thought.
"Then Teacher, I won't disturb your work any longer," Neji said, putting away the scroll and taking his leave from Uchiha Douhuan.
"When you go to the Ninja Tool Research Institute, stop by the Security Department on the way and help me call Kakashi over. There's not much oil left to squeeze from the Land of Waterfall; this war should end," Uchiha Douhuan instructed.
"Yes!" Neji nodded and accepted the order.
Before long, Kakashi, having received Uchiha Douhuan's summons, put down his Icha Icha Paradise and rushed over from the Security Department captain's office.
However, just as he reached the door, he was stopped by Iwata Sawaki, who had been waiting there for a long time.
"Mr. Iwata?" Kakashi, upon seeing the visitor, also guessed what Uchiha Douhuan wanted him for. For the past six months, as the war progressed, Takigakure Village, even with Konoha's support, had reached the point of exhaustion. The loans Iwata Sawaki owed to Konoha and Konoha's allies would require repayment extending beyond 30 years. It could be said that all mineral resources within the Land of Waterfall were now basically marked with Konoha's name.
After there was no more collateral, Uchiha Douhuan also gradually reduced the level of aid to the Land of Waterfall. Currently, the Land of Waterfall had already lost nearly a quarter of its territory to the Land of Earth.
And Uchiha Douhuan, after Iwata Sawaki's arrival, delayed seeing him and instead called himself over first, undoubtedly wanting him to help play the bad cop during the negotiations.
"Lord Kakashi!" Iwata Sawaki, dressed in dust-covered combat attire, not only had a scraggly beard but also bloodshot eyes. Upon seeing Kakashi's figure, like a drowning man seeing a life-saving straw, he tightly gripped the corner of Kakashi's clothing.
"Mr. Iwata, Aide Kakashi, Lord Hokage has finished processing his documents. Please, you two, come in," just then, Uchiha Inahi timely emerged from the Hokage Building and said to the two.
Hearing this, Iwata Sawaki also breathed a sigh of relief, then followed Kakashi into the Hokage office.
When the two walked into the office, Uchiha Douhuan was brewing tea. After seeing them enter, Uchiha Douhuan first poured each of them a cup of tea, then said to Iwata Sawaki with an apologetic expression, "Sorry to have kept you waiting. I was previously handling important confidential documents for our village, so I neglected my guest. My sincere apologies."
"It's alright, I only just arrived myself," Iwata Sawaki said. Although he had been waiting outside for the better part of the day, since he was now asking for a favor, he could only force a smile.
After Iwata Sawaki finished the tea Uchiha Douhuan handed him, a long time passed. Seeing Uchiha Douhuan make no mention of continuing aid, Iwata Sawaki finally couldn't hold back and asked first, "Um... Lord Hokage, do you think Konoha could perhaps continue to aid our Takigakure for a while longer? I believe with Konoha's aid, we can definitely drive the Land of Earth's invaders out of our homeland."
However, facing Iwata Sawaki's impassioned words, Uchiha Douhuan and Kakashi both fell silent.
Kakashi shook his head inwardly.
Where did the current Iwata Sawaki resemble a leader of a ninja village even slightly? He was now completely a gambler who had lost his senses, desperately trying to up the ante at the gambling table in an attempt to turn things around.
"Mr. Iwata, how about Konoha steps forward to mediate the war between you and the Land of Earth?" Uchiha Douhuan said after a long sigh.
Hearing Uchiha Douhuan's words, Iwata Sawaki was as if struck by lightning, looking at the two in disbelief.
"Wh-... Why? Our Land of Waterfall is only one step away from victory!" Iwata Sawaki exclaimed.
"Mr. Iwata, forgive my bluntness, but your Takigakure has no cards left to play," Kakashi spoke up at this point.
In these two and a half years of war, the Land of Waterfall had drafted everyone from the age of 12 up to 50. Anyone with even a slight talent for kneading chakra was thrown into the lines. This 12-year-old Ninja Academy graduation age was a bottom line Uchiha Douhuan only made them adhere to by threatening to withhold aid; otherwise, children in the Land of Waterfall would likely have been sent to the battlefield as cannon fodder these past few years.
It could be said that the Land of Waterfall had already lost two generations in this war.
Uchiha Douhuan also spoke up at this moment, "For this war to have reached this point, your Land of Waterfall is not considered a loser. For a small country like yours to resist the Land of Earth for so long is already extremely glorious."
"But..." Iwata Sawaki wanted to argue, but Kakashi interjected.
"Mr. Iwata, you cannot pin the hopes of a war against a country twenty times stronger than yours on another nation," Kakashi said at this point. "Moreover, Konoha's wallet and patience are not infinite."
"Lord Hokage," just then, the office door opened again. Jounin Squad Captain Nagai Seiichi walked in, placed a stack of documents on Uchiha Douhuan's desk, and then said, "Lord Hokage, this is the Jounin Squad's mission report for the recent month. Please review it."
"Alright, just leave it there for now; I'll look at it later," Uchiha Douhuan said.
"Lord Hokage, are you planning to abandon our Land of Waterfall?" Iwata Sawaki suddenly blurted out.
Nagai Seiichi, seeing someone actually dare to question his most beloved Lord Hokage, instantly couldn't hold back. He glanced at Iwata Sawaki and said coldly, "Are you the leader of the Land of Waterfall? Why do you come to see Lord Hokage without even bothering to wear your formal attire? Does your Land of Waterfall not even understand basic etiquette?"
Hearing Nagai Seiichi's questioning, Iwata Sawaki looked down at his combat attire with some embarrassment, then explained, "My country is currently at war. After the war ends, I will naturally come to visit dressed in formal attire."
"Let's just end this war like this," Uchiha Douhuan sighed deeply at this point and said. "Mr. Iwata, if the war ends now, no one in the ninja world will consider you losers."
"Lord Hokage, if the Land of Earth is not severely crippled, Konoha will be their next target! Once their ambitions swell, it will be the Fourth Great Ninja War!" Iwata Sawaki was still trying to drag Konoha into the water.
However, upon hearing his words, Kakashi's expression changed: "Mr. Iwata, am I to understand your words as a threat to our Konoha?"
"No..." Hearing Kakashi's words, Iwata Sawaki first panicked, then hurriedly explained, "That was not my intention."
"Then are you gambling with the lives of millions of people and the Fourth Great War?" Kakashi retorted. "If that is your thinking, then Konoha needs to re-evaluate this war. Your current attitude completely goes against Konoha's long-standing goal of pursuing peace in the ninja world."
"Also, Mr. Iwata, I feel you are not showing enough respect to Konoha. Without Konoha's aid, your war with the Land of Earth would have ended within two weeks. For the current result, you should say 'Thank you' to Konoha!"
"Enough!" Uchiha Douhuan suddenly shouted in a deep voice.
As Uchiha Douhuan's voice fell, Kakashi and Nagai Seiichi also quieted down. Only then did Uchiha Douhuan look up at Iwata Sawaki and say, "I still advise your Land of Waterfall to cease hostilities with the Land of Earth. One thing Mr. Iwata can rest assured about is that Konoha will do its utmost to protect the interests of your Land of Waterfall during negotiations."
"Regarding this, you should still consider it carefully for some time," Uchiha Douhuan said. "Inahi, see the guest out."
"Mr. Iwata, please," Uchiha Inahi, having heard Uchiha Douhuan's summons, walked in from outside the door, came before Iwata Sawaki, and said.
Iwata Sawaki at this moment, as if all his strength had been drained, slumped onto the guest sofa in the Hokage office. Uchiha Inahi didn't rush him, patiently waiting for him to get up.
After a while, Iwata Sawaki finally stood up, preparing to leave the Hokage office dejectedly with Uchiha Inahi. However, before he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turned back to look at the three people inside the office, and said, "Between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, there are small countries like ours. You don't feel the pain now, but you will in the future."
Nagai Seiichi's expression changed upon hearing this, intending to teach the insolent Iwata Sawaki a lesson on the spot. But at this moment, Uchiha Douhuan and Kakashi simultaneously gestured for him to be patient.
"Perhaps, but regardless, Konoha's goal of pursuing peace will not change," Uchiha Douhuan said.
...
After Iwata Sawaki left, Uchiha Douhuan also, after signing the documents Nagai Seiichi had sent over, let him depart first.
After Nagai Seiichi left, Kakashi, who had been drinking tea on the side for a long time, finally spoke, "This war, although the Land of Waterfall suffered heavy losses, the Land of Earth isn't having an easy time either, right? Will they agree to a ceasefire just like that?"
"You also said the Land of Earth isn't having an easy time in this war," Uchiha Douhuan said after shrugging. "If we step forward to exert pressure, the possibility of that old fellow Onoki agreeing to a ceasefire is very high."
"This war in the ninja world, when will it ever end?" Kakashi suddenly leaned back completely on the sofa at this moment and lamented.
"Soon," Uchiha Douhuan refilled the transparent teapot with boiling water, watching the tea leaves swirl within, and slowly said. "Within these next few years. When we are ready, let's end all strife in the ninja world within our generation."
After Uchiha Douhuan and Kakashi had two rounds of tea, he sent a communication invitation to Onoki.
After a moment, Onoki's figure appeared on the screen.
"Lord Hokage contacting this old man at this time, is there some matter?" Onoki looked at Uchiha Douhuan, snorted coldly, and then said.
"Hehe, I wonder if your esteemed village's special military operation is progressing smoothly?" Uchiha Douhuan asked with a light chuckle.
Upon hearing Uchiha Douhuan's words, Onoki's mouth twitched. Suppressing the urge to curse directly, he said, "Thanks to Lord Hokage's fortune, it's fairly smooth. What, is Lord Hokage so free as to concern himself with our Iwagakure's situation?"
(End of Chapter)
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