enjoyebooks Chapter 623 Kirigakure is willing to accept all of Konoha's arrangements.
Chapter 623 Kirigakure is willing to accept all of Konoha's arrangements.
At the negotiating table, the rich, almost overpowering beef aroma of the military rations still lingered in the air.
The Kaguya clan's loyal followers, those elite warriors who were just moments ago brimming with murderous intent, are now in a situation that can only be described in two words—awkward.
Their stomachs were growling, and their mouths were drooling uncontrollably.
This is even more painful than killing them outright.
Kaguya Honebami's face was whiter than the bones he pulled out, then turned from white to blue, and finally settled into a complex purplish-brown.
He felt like a hapless man covered in honey, thrown into an anthill, with every gaze like an ant gnawing at his dignity.
Even his most loyal subordinate, the burly man who had just been clamoring to pierce the throats of Konoha ninjas with bones, was now swallowing hard, his eyes fixed on the book "108 Ways to Eat Barbecue" in Hozuki Shio's hand, as if it were not a cookbook but a secret scroll leading to the Pure Land.
absurd.
An overwhelming sense of absurdity swept through the entire office.
Yagura Karatachi tried his best to maintain the dignity of a high-ranking member of the Kirigakure, but the knuckles of his arms, which were crossed over his chest, were slightly raised due to the force he was exerting, clearly showing that he was using all his strength to restrain himself from letting the smile on his lips slip out.
Mei Terumi, standing beside him, was much more straightforward. She turned to the side, covering half her face with her wide sleeves, only her trembling shoulders betraying her true feelings.
"cough."
Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed lightly, breaking the strange stalemate.
He gently closed the "Barbecue Bible" that Hozuki Shio had handed him, as if he were closing an important document concerning the future of the ninja world.
"It seems that we have reached a preliminary consensus on food culture."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile remained gentle. "However, filling one's stomach is only the beginning of civilization. Only when one is well-fed can one have the energy to think about more important things, right?"
He looked at Hozuki Kaigetsu, who immediately understood.
Hozuki Kaigetsu was much more composed than his sister. He maintained a solemn expression throughout, as if the farce caused by the soldier's ration pills had nothing to do with him.
He took out an even more ornate scroll from his bosom and presented it with both hands.
The material of this scroll is very peculiar. It is not a traditional bamboo slip or paper. The ends of the scroll are silver with a metallic luster, while the scroll body is a strange material with a cool touch, like silk.
Embroidered in gold thread is a line of small characters: "A gift for the new era".
"This is……"
The elder of the Mist Ninja clan had a hoarse voice, and he instinctively sensed something unusual about the scroll.
Hozuki Kaigetsu did not answer, but instead laid the scroll flat on the large conference table amidst everyone's astonished gazes.
Instead of untying the scroll's cord, he channeled a stream of pure chakra into the silver scroll head at one end.
hum-
With a soft chime, the runes outlined in gold thread on the scroll surface lit up one by one.
The next moment, a soft beam of light shot out from the center of the reel, projecting a three-dimensional light and shadow model in the center of the office.
That was a map.
A...living map.
Mountains, rivers, and the details of plants and trees are all vividly depicted.
Visitors could even see the light bands representing ocean currents slowly flowing on the model, and the fine cloud models swirling among the islands, emitting a faint glow.
"This...this is..."
Yagura suddenly stood up from his seat, leaning forward so much that he almost pressed his face against the light and shadow model.
He knew every inch of the land of the water like the back of his hand.
But the precision of the map before him was beyond his comprehension.
He could even find a stream where he used to play as a child, and every bend in that stream was exactly the same as he remembered.
This is no longer a map; it's a complete replica of an entire country!
"Don't rush, this is just the surface."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice rang out softly. He stood up, walked slowly to the 3D map, and extended a finger, gently touching the light and shadow.
The island he pointed to was the barren and desolate archipelago where the Kaguya clan had lived for generations.
The map of light and shadow shifted instantly, and the perspective descended at an astonishing speed, penetrating the ground, rock layers, and soil... All the Hidden Mist ninjas in the office subconsciously held their breath.
What did they see?
They saw that beneath the desolate land of the Kaguya clan's territory, about a hundred meters deep, lay a massive and awe-inspiring mineral vein! In the light and shadow model, the vein appeared as a dazzling gold, radiating a pure and alluring light, like a golden dragon sleeping deep underground.
Beside the model, rows of data streams were silently refreshing.
Average purity: 92.8%
[Difficulty of mining: B-level (It is recommended to use Earth Release: Earth Split Palm to peel away layers)]
[Applications: It can be used to manufacture next-generation ninja tools, and... to build railways.]
"this……"
As Yagura leaned closer, he saw the string of numbers accurate to one decimal place. He felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making his breathing rapid.
This is hardly a gift!
Before the war even begins, or even before the negotiations end, your opponent has already found out everything about you, including the dusty stash of money you kept hidden under your bed!
They know your resources, they know your reserves, and they've even planned out how to mine them and what to do with the mined materials!
The elder of the Mist Ninja trembled violently in his cloudy eyes, and for the first time, fear appeared on his weathered face.
The true terror of Konoha lies in its novel idea of combining ninjutsu with science, turning war into an information war and a technology war!
The entire hall fell silent.
Only Kaguya Honebami's heavy breathing sounded particularly jarring in the otherwise quiet office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him with a half-smile, his eyes filled with a hint of pity, like a cat playing with a mouse.
"The territory of the Kaguya clan, what a wonderful place."
His voice was soft, yet it was like a poisoned bone blade, piercing precisely into Kaguya Honebami's heart.
"You have lived here for generations, standing on a treasure that could change the entire ninja world, yet you know nothing of it. Day after day, year after year, you hone yourselves into sharp bones, yearning for battle and slaughter."
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused for a moment, then his smile deepened.
"That's really... making the most of everything."
boom!
These words, like the most powerful illusion, shattered Kaguya Honebami's last shred of dignity and pride.
His prized Corpse Bone Clan, his unwavering fighting principles, became a colossal joke in the face of naked self-interest and value.
Behind him, the eyes of the tribesmen who had just been swayed by the beef jerky had completely changed.
That was naked, undisguised greed!
They stared intently at the golden projection of the mineral vein, like a group of sharks that had caught the scent of blood.
Kaguya Honebami felt her world was collapsing.
"Of course, we in Konoha are a peace-loving village and never advocate taking advantage of others."
Hiruzen Sarutobi timely threw out the last straw, the straw that broke the camel's back: "We can sign a cooperative exploration agreement. Konoha will provide the technology and equipment, and Kirigakure will only need to provide the manpower. We will mine together."
The offer was so generous, so generous it was like a vicious curse.
agree?
It's like admitting in front of everyone that you're an incompetent fool who can't even see your own assets and needs outsiders to guide you to get rich.
disagree?
That would be to be an enemy of the entire clan's wealth, and to be a sinner who prevents all Kirigakure ninja from living a good life with meat at every meal.
Kaguya Honebami's body trembled violently, his signature shark teeth clenched together with a grinding sound, and his eyes were bloodshot.
He was checkmated.
They were firmly nailed to the pillar of shame.
Just then, Yagura Karatachi and Mei Terumi exchanged a glance.
They both saw the same horror, and...decisiveness, in each other's eyes.
The next second, Yagura Karatachi suddenly stood up, walked around the conference table, and stood in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, this mature-beyond-his-years high-ranking member of the Mist Ninja clan bowed deeply, deeply, to Hiruzen Sarutobi, his head almost touching the ground.
"Lord Hokage."
His heavy voice echoed in the deathly silent office.
"I'll say it again: from this day forward, Kirigakure... is willing to accept all of Konoha's arrangements."
This statement signifies the complete submission of the orthodox forces of Kirigakure.
The negotiations are over.
The elders of the Mist Village and other older generation ninjas left dejectedly.
Yagura followed closely behind, and before leaving, he glanced at Kaguya Honebami, who was still frozen in place, with a complicated look.
It was pity, but also a complete severance.
The Hozuki siblings followed Hiruzen Sarutobi outside. When Hozuki Shio passed by Kaguya Honebami, she deliberately took out another bag of dried squid from her bosom and tore it open in front of him with a crisp ripping sound.
Soon, only Kaguya Honebami and his clansmen, each with their own thoughts, remained in the large office.
He stood there, utterly dejected, the brilliance of the golden mineral vein projecting its light onto his face, making him appear deathly pale.
He slowly raised his hand, looking at the hand that could draw the sharpest bone blade in the world.
There was a time when he believed that these hands held the true meaning of power.
But now, it just seems ridiculous.
He slowly turned around and stared intently through the huge floor-to-ceiling window at the distant port, at the Konoha flagship that loomed like a steel behemoth.
In those pale eyes, the last line of reason crumbled completely with a barely perceptible crack.
A raging inferno of destruction burned fiercely.
puff.
A pale white bone spur slowly and twisted out of his palm, piercing through his hand.
Fresh blood dripped from the tip of the bone spur, one drop at a time, onto the cold floor.