Capítulo 116: Chapter 116: Negotiation Rehearsal
Aoba refrained from further provoking Jiraiya and instead left with Tsunade.
After a dizzying shift in perspective, Tsunade was surprised to find herself back in Konoha.
"This is… Flying Raijin?"
"That's right. Kakashi had some training materials for it, and I spent some time reconstructing the technique."
"Reconstructing? You just teleported us hundreds of kilometers, and you call that 'reconstructing'?" Shizune said, visibly shaken.
"Long-distance teleportation isn't the hard part. The true strength of Flying Raijin lies in its rapid, consecutive jumps during battle, or using it to redirect others' jutsu.
I can't do that yet. Even now, teleportation leaves me dizzy. These are clear signs that I haven't fully mastered the technique."
Aoba recalled how, later in the timeline, Minato had used Flying Raijin to redirect Tailed Beast Bombs and Truth-Seeking Orbs midair, even combining it with Tobirama's techniques to create a sort of infinite "Heavenly Hand Power" loop. The feats were almost absurd.
Tsunade kept her composure and led the way into the Hokage's office, where Kakashi and Shikaku were busy grappling with Konoha's reconstruction efforts.
When Tsunade entered, both men froze.
"Tsunade-sama… you've returned." Shikaku exhaled deeply, relieved. In truth, he hadn't wanted Aoba to become Hokage. Aoba's overwhelming presence, both in power and ideology, was simply too much. Shikaku feared he couldn't keep up.
"All right, you two have worked hard while I was away. I'm here to run for the position of Fifth Hokage. Let's get the process started immediately."
The next day, a major announcement spread throughout Konoha: the village would be electing a new Hokage. The first candidate was none other than Tsunade, the princess of the Senju clan.
Within just one day, preliminary surveys showed that Tsunade's support had already surpassed half the population.
In truth, an election was unnecessary at this point, but to ensure Tsunade's appointment was beyond reproach, the proper procedures were still followed.
The Konoha Jōnin conducted a vote, officially confirming Tsunade as the Fifth Hokage.
Tsunade's first act as Hokage was to appoint Aoba as her Hokage Advisor, assigning him to assist with Konoha's recovery.
"Tell me, what's the most pressing issue right now?"
"The negotiations with Sunagakure. Their delegation has been waiting for days, but we've delayed them. It's best if you handle this personally."
"You always have so many plans. Fine, prepare for negotiations tomorrow."
"No problem. But we should reframe this as something other than 'negotiations.' Sunagakure is in no position to negotiate with us."
At Konoha's official guesthouse, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro were discussing the situation.
They had gradually adjusted to the changes in Gaara over the past few days.
He was no longer the violent and unstable person he had been. Instead, he was calm, composed, and carried an odd sense of maturity.
The conversation Aoba had with Shukaku had profoundly affected Gaara.
But what truly changed him was the reconciliation between him and Shukaku. Gaara was now on the path to becoming a perfect jinchūriki.
The real transformation came from Shukaku using its centuries of life experience to compensate for Gaara's weaknesses, molding him into his current mature self.
This maturity was bittersweet. On one hand, it deprived Gaara of parts of his youth. On the other, it was a blessing for Sunagakure. Gaara was now ready to take on the responsibilities of Kazekage.
"Konoha has chosen its Fifth Hokage. If nothing unexpected happens, our time here is limited."
Temari and Kankuro were still adjusting to this rational, methodical version of Gaara.
"Will Konoha let us leave so easily?"
"They will. Whether you believe it or not, Konoha doesn't need hostages like us anymore. The question is, as the losing side, what price will we have to pay?"
"Are you talking about war reparations?"
"…Given Sunagakure's financial state, we can't afford them."
Gaara's blunt assessment left Temari and Kankuro speechless. It was true; Sunagakure was too poor. During Rasa's reign, at least he could use Magnet Release to mine gold.
But with Rasa dead, even that source of income was gone. Though Sunagakure was still considered one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, its internal economy was on the verge of collapse.
This was partly why so many in Sunagakure had supported the war: to divert internal strife. Unfortunately, they had lost.
In the Hokage's office.
"Before the formal negotiations, let's rehearse. Tsunade-sama, what terms do you think we should propose to Sunagakure?"
"What else? Reparations, resources, maybe some secret techniques. And we could consider those hostages too."
"A traditional approach. Shikaku-senpai, what's your take?"
"Given our overwhelming advantage, these negotiations will essentially be a one-sided affair. I believe we can aim higher. Historically, Konoha has always been a target for other villages.
In the past shinobi wars, we've often fought alone. Perhaps this is an opportunity to gain an ally.
Of course, 'ally' is just the official term. In reality, Sunagakure is heavily weakened, while we've not only recovered but grown stronger thanks to Tsunade-sama's return and Aoba's unmatched strength.
In light of this, I believe we can aim big. Under the guise of an alliance, we should turn Sunagakure into our vassal."
Both Kakashi and Tsunade were stunned by Shikaku's suggestion. Making one of the Five Great Villages a vassal had never been part of Konoha's foreign policy.
However, none of them had Sarutobi Hiruzen's soft-heartedness. Tsunade, in particular, was a natural hawk—strong-willed and assertive.
Shikaku's proposal resonated with her.
"Tell me more about your plan."
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