The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning silently endured the verbal attacks from the other Daimyo.
The rulers of the other great nations, whom he once regarded as checks and balances against the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and allies in his corner, had now turned into ravenous tigers and wolves.
He looked around and saw only indifference, greed, and undisguised hostility.
He understood. Arashi's move to flip the table had completely isolated him.
All his struggles, all his justifications, were now meaningless.
The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning raised his head, bloodshot eyes fixed on Arashi.
This man was the one orchestrating everything.
"Heh... heh heh heh..."
He let out a dry, bitter laugh filled with despair and self-mockery. "Daimyo Arashi."
"State your terms."
These words marked his complete surrender. He had accepted his identity as the loser.
The three Daimyo suddenly fell silent.
They exchanged glances, then slowly sat back down, returning to the role of spectators.
Silence fell again over the conference room.
Everyone's eyes returned to Arashi.
"Good," Arashi said, his tone flat and expression unreadable.
"You're showing some responsibility." As he spoke, he raised a finger. "First, publicly apologize to my Land of Fire for this invasion."
"Second, compensate the Land of Fire for all losses caused by the war. The specific amount will be issued later by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
These two conditions were within his expectations.
If it could be resolved with money, it wasn't a problem.
"Third..." Arashi's tone paused for a moment. "Given that the space-time Ninjutsu developed by Kumogakure has seriously disrupted the strategic balance of the shinobi world and poses a major threat to world peace..."
"I demand permanent military supervision of Kumogakure to ensure that such dangerous techniques never appear again."
"What?"
The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning suddenly raised his head, his pupils trembling violently.
Stationing troops?
How was that any different from outright surrender of national sovereignty?
"No... impossible!" he shouted, his voice shrill with panic. "I absolutely will not agree!"
"This is a blatant invasion of the Land of Lightning! You're trying to turn it into your colony!"
He roared like a cornered beast, his eyes bloodshot. "You're forcing me to fight to the death!!"
However...
Facing his outburst, Arashi didn't even flinch. He quietly sipped his tea.
The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning trembled from head to toe. He knew that there was no reasoning with this man.
He suddenly turned to the other three Daimyo, desperation in his eyes.
"Daimyo of the Land of Earth!"
"You and Kumogakure have fought each other for decades. Do you really want to see the Land of Fire station troops in the Land of Lightning and become the sole superpower?"
"Have you forgotten the saying, 'when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold'?"
The Daimyo of the Land of Earth, hearing his name, forced a difficult smile on his plump face.
He sighed and spoke sincerely, "Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, you misunderstand."
"This isn't just the Land of Fire stationing troops. It's joint supervision by the Four Nations."
"We're not doing this for invasion. We're doing it for world peace."
"Kumogakure's Ninjutsu is far too dangerous. We're doing this for everyone's safety."
These lofty words struck the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning like thunder.
He was stunned in place.
What... what was he saying?
He couldn't believe it and quickly turned to the Daimyo of the Land of Wind.
"Daimyo of the Land of Wind! Our two nations have always had good relations. You..."
"Alas." Before he could finish, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind fanned himself and interrupted with a sorrowful tone, "Friendship is friendship, but justice is justice."
"Daimyo Arashi is right. Those who break the rules must face the consequences."
"Otherwise, the shinobi world will never have peace."
"For the greater good, we have no choice but to inconvenience you."
His last hope was ruthlessly shattered.
The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning staggered back a step. His gaze drifted to the last person, the Daimyo of the Land of Water.
But the Daimyo of the Land of Water didn't even offer an excuse.
He just looked at him coldly, as if staring at a dead man.
"Don't you get it by now?"
"This isn't a negotiation."
"This is a notification."
Boom.
It felt as if thunder had exploded in the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning's mind.
He stared at the three once-familiar faces that now looked completely foreign.
All he saw in their eyes was naked greed and hypocrisy.
He finally understood.
Peace.
Justice.
The greater good.
All lies.
These bastards had long colluded with the Land of Fire.
"You... you..."
He pointed at everyone in the room, his lips trembling uncontrollably.
Too furious to speak.
Overwhelming rage and despair surged in an instant.
The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning swayed and collapsed backward.
But a hand caught him steadily.
It was Arashi.
At some point, he had approached him. A mocking expression hung on his face.
"Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, why get so worked up?"
He took out a scroll, stamped with the official seals of the Four Nations, and placed it before him.
"Sign it."
"You'll still be the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning."
"If you don't sign..."
Arashi leaned in close and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Do you believe that within three days, civil unrest will erupt across the Land of Lightning?"
"By then, a more obedient person will replace you and gladly sign this treaty."
"For example... my younger brother, who carries the Bloodline of the Land of Fire."
In that moment.
The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning felt a chill run through his entire body.
Chiba Tsuru.
The woman he had banished to the cold palace for eight years.
That illegitimate child who carried the blood of the Land of Fire's Daimyo.
These two names pierced his heart like blades.
He looked up and stared at Arashi's lightly smiling face.
Those deep, cold eyes were terrifying.
He understood instantly.
This was the true killing move.
The so-called Four Nations Alliance. The so-called military supervision. All of it was just surface-level pressure.
The imprisoned consort and that unremarkable son were the real blades hanging over his head.
If he signed, he would remain Daimyo, but he would be nothing more than a puppet stripped of power.
If he refused...
He had no doubt that the young man before him would immediately support Tsuru and that younger brother to take the throne.
By then.
He wouldn't just lose his position.
He would lose his life. His entire clan would be wiped out.
A cold chill spread from his spine to the top of his head.
All the rage. All the resistance. At this moment, they were crushed beneath absolute fear.
He lost.
He had lost completely.
From the moment he agreed to the Raikage's assault on Konoha, his defeat had already been sealed.
(To be continued.)