Naruto: Starting with Infinite Chakra-Chapter 199: Why?

"Unscathed... and he killed Hanzo the Salamander?"

The Kazekage's voice trembled with disbelief.

Hanzo had earned his reputation as a demigod not just because of his skill but because of his lethal poison. Sunagakure had its own expertise in poisons, but compared to Hanzo's mastery, theirs was child's play.

When they first heard that Jiraiya had defeated Hanzo, they had already found it hard to accept. But now, learning that Jiraiya had emerged completely unscathed? That sent shockwaves through the room.

"I never expected the Land of Fire to produce such a prodigy..." the Kazekage muttered, sinking back into his chair, his expression unreadable.

"If Jiraiya is this powerful, recovering Shukaku will be even more difficult. Perhaps even impossible..." one of the elders said, his voice laced with frustration.

Sunagakure was already the weakest among the five great nations. Now, with the emergence of a new Kage-level powerhouse in Konoha, their situation had worsened.

"The Land of Fire was already strong, and now with Shukaku in their possession, their power will only grow. The other great nations won't allow this to happen. Shukaku will return to us—but the cost will be immense," another senior council member added with a shake of his head.

"No matter the cost, we must reclaim Shukaku. It is the foundation of our nation's strength. Without it, Sunagakure will lose its standing as a great power."

A weighty silence filled the room before another elder spoke, his voice firm.

Shukaku was too important. If Sunagakure had multiple Kage-level ninjas—perhaps even one beyond that level—then they wouldn't need to rely on a Tailed Beast. But they didn't. And that was the problem. If they had that kind of strength, Jiraiya would never have been able to take Shukaku in the first place.

"Regardless, we must get Shukaku back. You will leave for the Land of Fire immediately and negotiate. If their demands are not excessive, you have the authority to accept them on my behalf."

The Kazekage turned to one of the elders, his expression serious.

There was no time to waste. The longer Shukaku remained in Konoha's hands, the harder it would be to reclaim him. If the Kazekage could have left the village himself, he would have gone personally.

"Understood, Kazekage-sama. I will depart at once." freēwēbηovel.c૦m

The elder stood and bowed before swiftly exiting the council chamber. He knew the gravity of this mission—every second counted.

"Kazekage-sama, our borders with the Land of Fire are vast. The stronger they become, the greater the threat to us. We must seek allies immediately, or Sunagakure could face annihilation."

Another elder's warning cut through the tense atmosphere.

He wasn't wrong. Strength bred ambition. With Sunagakure's long border with the Land of Fire and its inferior military might, it was only a matter of time before Konoha's more aggressive factions sought to expand their influence.

Even if they recovered Shukaku, they would still be no match for Konoha.

"You will leave for the Land of Earth immediately and inform the Tsuchikage of our situation. He will understand the importance of an alliance. However, we must be prepared to make concessions."

The Kazekage issued his next order without hesitation.

The Land of Earth was their best option. If Konoha moved against Sunagakure, Iwagakure would not sit idly by. They understood the principle of mutual survival—if Sunagakure fell, the Land of Fire would only grow stronger, and Iwagakure would be next.

"Hasty action will make us look desperate. The Tsuchikage will take advantage of our position and demand a heavy price for his support. Perhaps it would be wiser to wait until Konoha makes its move before seeking an alliance."

One of the elders voiced his concern.

"If we wait, we will be even more at their mercy. The Tsuchikage's demands will only increase. Now is the time to negotiate while we still have some leverage."

The Kazekage shook his head, unconvinced.

"Issue an immediate recall order to all forces stationed in Amegakure. We can no longer afford to maintain our presence there."

With that, the Kazekage delivered his final command.

Sunagakure could not afford to be spread thin. They had to consolidate their strength and prepare for whatever came next.

...

"Sensei, we've pushed deep into Amegakure's territory, and our victories keep piling up. We're at the doorstep of the Rain Ninja Village. I request permission to send reinforcements and seize their stronghold."

Jiraiya stood before Hiruzen Sarutobi in the Hokage's office, his tone resolute.

"Expanding the war further will cost us more men. But if we take their main village, we'll control Amegakure's resources completely."

The determination in his voice was clear.

Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke before responding.

"No, Jiraiya. We will not escalate the war any further. The reason our forces have advanced so easily is that Hanzo has yet to take action. If we continue pressing forward, we will inevitably provoke him. And if he personally enters the battle, our losses will be catastrophic."

Hiruzen's voice was firm.

"Even I am not confident I could defeat Hanzo."

"We've already seized a significant portion of Amegakure's resources. This is our chance to negotiate from a position of strength and bring this war to an end."

Jiraiya frowned but said nothing. He knew his sensei had a point, but something still felt off.

"When you return, I want you to lead the negotiations with Hanzo."

Hiruzen took another slow drag from his pipe.

He was satisfied with their current position. Konoha had gained enough from this war—it was time to consolidate their advantages and move forward.

"Sensei, negotiations with Hanzo are no longer an option."

Jiraiya shook his head, his expression grim.

Hiruzen's brow furrowed. "And why is that?"

According to his calculations, they had backed Hanzo into a corner. By offering peace and returning some of the captured resources, Hanzo should have been willing to negotiate. He might have even ceded additional land to Konoha in exchange for ending the war.

But if Jiraiya was saying that negotiations were no longer possible, then something had changed.

And that was cause for concern.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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