Chapter 45: Hiruzen Sarutobi Is Basically Selling Out the Country!
The sea breeze carried a salty tang across the deck. Uchiha Sanpō leaned against the stern railing, his fingers restlessly tapping the wooden handrail.
The seventeen-year-old genius ninja currently had a deep frown, completely lacking his usual composure on the battlefield.
"Hey, you're making me annoyed with all that tapping."
Terumī Mei appeared beside him at some point. Her red-brown long hair danced in the wind. The girl hugged her arms, her emerald-green eyes full of impatience.
"Ah, sorry." Uchiha Sanpō stopped his movements and forced a smile.
Terumī Mei hit the nail on the head, a mocking smile on her lips as she scrutinized him suspiciously: "Because you're about to see your girlfriend?"
Uchiha Sanpō's shoulders slumped: "How did you know about Huiyi?"
Terumī Mei rolled her eyes: "Your subordinates were gossiping so loudly they didn't even bother lowering their voices."
She imitated a Konoha ninja's tone: "Lord Sanpō is going to have a headache when he gets back—his official girlfriend and his little fiancée are about to meet…"
Uchiha Sanpō pretended to be annoyed: "Damn it, how can they be so gossipy."
Terumī Mei suddenly leaned closer and lowered her voice: "So that Uzumaki Huiyi is really your 'main wife'?"
Uchiha Sanpō's expression remained unchanged: "Don't use that kind of word!"
"Then you're admitting it?" Terumī Mei stepped back, her expression unreadable.
Seagulls circled overhead, letting out sharp cries.
Uchiha Sanpō took a deep breath and decided to be honest: "After the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, the Uzumaki clan lived very difficult lives. I rescued Uzumaki Huiyi from Kusagakure… and then, we got together."
Terumī Mei sneered: "Heh, having a main wife at seventeen and still wanting little wives in the future. With your character, who knows how many women you'll have in the future. You're really something."
Uchiha Sanpō replied frankly: "In this feudal era, it's quite common for the strong to have many women, isn't it?"
Terumī Mei turned and walked away: "Shut up. I'm going to find something to eat. It's better than listening to your sophistry."
Uchiha Sanpō watched her retreating back and sighed helplessly.
In the distance, the four islands of the Land of Whirlpools were already faintly visible, standing like guardians on the sea.
He touched the ninja pouch at his waist, where the protective talisman Huiyi had given him during their last parting was kept.
A Uchiha clansman approached and respectfully saluted: "Lord Sanpō. The Clan Head requests your presence in the meeting room immediately."
On the watchtower on the eastern side of Kirigakure Village, two Kirigakure ninjas were monitoring the departing Konoha fleet through binoculars.
"Confirmed. The last batch has left our territorial waters." The older ninja lowered the binoculars and let out a long breath.
The younger ninja wiped the sweat from his forehead: "I never expected Uchiha Fugaku to bring so many Konoha ninjas and break in… This is the first time Konoha Village has invaded another country… If Uchiha Fugaku becomes Hokage… the future of the ninja world will truly be hard to imagine."
Another young ninja said: "I heard the Uchiha contacted several major clans. It seems some kekkei genkai clans want to leave Kirigakure. I wonder if it's true?"
The leading older ninja sneered coldly: "These matters have nothing to do with us… If you want to live longer… you shouldn't discuss such things."
On the distant sea, the Konoha fleet had become several small black dots, gradually disappearing over the horizon.
Inside the meeting room on the main Konoha ship, Uchiha Fugaku stood in front of the tactical map. His black long hair was neatly tied back, and his sharp gaze swept across every jōnin present.
His voice was low and powerful, each word striking like a nail into everyone's heart: "Sunagakure has already withdrawn its troops and proactively proposed an alliance. Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others have agreed. Once we return to Konoha, the war will truly be over."
In the corner, Uchiha Sanpō rested his cheek on one hand while the other unconsciously stroked the protective talisman under the table.
"Sanpō… Sanpō!"
Only when Uchiha Fugaku raised his voice and called his name a second time did Uchiha Sanpō snap back to attention. He reflexively stood up: "Present!"
Soft laughter rang out in the meeting room. Uchiha Fugaku's gaze swept over them like a blade, and the laughter instantly stopped.
Uchiha Fugaku ordered: "Sanpō, analyze the current situation."
Uchiha Sanpō took a deep breath and quickly organized his thoughts.
He walked to the tactical map and pointed at the location of Kikyō Mountain.
"Sunagakure attacked our Konoha with real determination. They even pushed the front line all the way to Kikyō Mountain and looted five cities in our Land of Fire. According to previous intelligence, the food, medicinal materials, and precious metals they plundered are estimated to be worth over eight hundred billion ryō."
Gasps of surprise filled the meeting room. It took a while for the noise to die down.
Uchiha Sanpō continued: "They ate their fill in this war. Now they're proactively withdrawing and proposing an alliance for only two reasons. First, they fear our retaliation. Second, they want to avoid paying war reparations."
Hyūga Hiashi frowned and interjected: "Hiruzen Sarutobi has already accepted the alliance. What do we do next?"
Uchiha Sanpō cut him off, a sharp light flashing in his eyes: "This is exactly the problem. Sixty percent of the Land of Wind's grain relies on imports from our country, and most of the looted supplies belonged to the nobility. After the war ends, the Land of Wind will inevitably face a crazy backlash from our Fire Country noble factions. The Land of Wind's economy will definitely suffer greatly, so the Fourth Kazekage won't have an easy time after returning."
(Original work note: After the Third Great Ninja War, the daimyo of the Land of Wind drastically cut funding for Sunagakure, and relations between the two sides were very poor.)
Uchiha Fugaku gave an almost imperceptible nod, his tone firm: "Hiruzen Sarutobi fears we will gain more war merits, so he hurriedly agreed to Sunagakure's peace proposal. But this move… stinks."
The meeting room instantly erupted into discussion, voices rising one after another.
Uchiha Sanpō scanned the crowd and raised his voice slightly: "We recovered 300 billion ryō from Iwagakure and 400 billion ryō from Kirigakure. Compensation for casualties on the Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri fronts will be paid in full. Only the Sunagakure front has nothing. Everyone, think about it… How will the families who lost loved ones feel? How will our heavily wounded and disabled comrades feel?"
Hyūga Hiashi clenched his fist and slammed it hard on the table: "Hiruzen Sarutobi's actions are basically selling out the country… that bastard…"
He was so angry because most of the Hyūga clan's ninjas had been sent to support Orochimaru on the Sunagakure front. Now there would be almost no compensation for casualties on that front, making him feel like he had been stabbed in the back.
Uchiha Sanpō sneered: "Even better—the overall commander of the Sunagakure front was who? Orochimaru, the disciple of the Third Hokage. The overall commander of the Kumogakure front was his grand-disciple Namikaze Minato. Yet these two fronts… achieved almost nothing."
He deliberately left the sentence unfinished, but everyone present understood his implication: the other fronts were dominated by the Uchiha.
Uchiha Fugaku's eyes flashed with a hint of approval, but he quickly regained his dignified demeanor: "Enough, Sanpō. Your analysis… is very insightful. All units will withdraw according to plan. We must reach the Land of Whirlpools before dawn tomorrow… Meeting adjourned!"
The jōnin left the meeting room one after another, but Uchiha Sanpō was asked to stay behind.
At this moment, Uchiha Fugaku's expression had clearly softened considerably: "What you said earlier was very good… It seems the position of Fourth Hokage… will definitely belong to me!"
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