"Compensation? What exactly could Sunagakure possibly offer us as reparations?" scoffed one of the committee members, his voice dripping with disdain. "Their village is desperately poor and barely surviving. When the Fourth Kazekage was still alive, they could at least generate income by refining gold from the desert sands. Now that their Kage is dead, they'll be fortunate if they can even maintain their own basic operations, let alone provide compensation to anyone else."
"So what exactly are you suggesting we do?" demanded another voice from across the table. "Should we simply pretend that none of this ever happened? Act as if our village wasn't attacked?"
"The Third Hokage died in battle defending our village," another committee member added with evident frustration. "If we just allow Sunagakure to walk away without consequences, how are we going to explain that decision to our own people? How do we justify letting his sacrifice go unanswered?"
"Explain?" came the sharp retort from yet another participant. "What exactly do we need to explain to anyone? We are the senior leadership of this village, and the decisions we make are always in the best interests of Konoha. That should be explanation enough for the villagers. We don't owe them detailed justifications for every strategic choice we make."
"That's complete nonsense! What kind of arrogant attitude is that?!"
The executive committee meeting had devolved into complete chaos, with multiple conversations happening simultaneously and voices rising in anger throughout the conference room.
Even Shihouin Naraku found himself unable to restore order to the proceedings at this point. The situation had become too heated and emotional for any single person to control effectively. This was perhaps inevitable - when dealing with such complex political matters, everyone naturally had their own perspectives, personal interests, and strongly held opinions about the correct course of action.
However, regardless of how chaotic the debate became, the harsh reality remained that Sunagakure's diplomatic delegation was scheduled to arrive in Konoha within a matter of days. The executive committee had no choice but to reach a final decision about the village's official position before that meeting took place.
After hours of heated arguments, negotiations, and political maneuvering, the committee finally managed to reach a resolution that most members could accept.
The official position would be straightforward and non-negotiable: Sunagakure was unquestionably in the wrong for their participation in the attack on Konoha, and the Hidden Leaf Village absolutely deserved to receive compensation for the damages and losses they had suffered. There would be no room for debate or discussion about these fundamental points.
Of course, the specific amount and nature of that compensation would need to be determined through direct negotiations between representatives of both villages.
Konoha was not particularly concerned about the possibility of Sunagakure refusing their demands or attempting to negotiate in bad faith. After all, the Hidden Leaf currently held numerous Sand ninja prisoners of war within their detention facilities, including several high-ranking jonin and most importantly, the One-Tailed Shukaku's jinchuriki - Gaara of the Desert.
If Sunagakure wanted to secure the safe return of these valuable prisoners, especially their jinchuriki who represented a significant portion of their military strength, they would have no choice but to agree to Konoha's terms.
While it was true that Sunagakure itself might not possess sufficient financial resources to pay substantial reparations, the same could not be said for the Daimyo of the Land of Wind. The Fire Country's government would work closely with Konoha to pressure the Wind Country's leadership into providing the necessary compensation.
One way or another, Konoha Village would receive appropriate reparations for the damages they had sustained.
Shortly after this decision was finalized, Sunagakure's most senior advisor, the elderly Ebizo, arrived at the gates of Konoha accompanied by a small but important diplomatic delegation.
Shihouin Naraku deliberately chose not to involve himself directly in the specific negotiation process, preferring to delegate those responsibilities to other qualified administrators who specialized in diplomatic affairs.
Interestingly, when compared to the extensive discussions about Sunagakure's situation, virtually no one on the executive committee even mentioned the Hidden Sound Village or their role in the recent attack.
The reason for this apparent oversight was quite simple: Konoha had already taken decisive action against Otogakure immediately following the failed invasion.
Multiple teams of ninja had been dispatched to systematically locate and destroy several of Orochimaru's known bases and operational facilities throughout the Land of Sound. The daimyo of the Hidden Sound Village, faced with the prospect of complete annihilation, had quickly surrendered and agreed to pay massive reparations to avoid further retaliation.
Essentially, all of the accumulated wealth and resources that the Sound Village had managed to gather over the years since its founding had been seized by Konoha as payment for their participation in the attack. The village now existed only in name, with most of its infrastructure destroyed and its treasury completely emptied.
A large number of lower-ranking ninja had fled the village in panic, seeking refuge in other nations or simply abandoning the ninja lifestyle entirely. The civilian population that remained was struggling to survive in increasingly desperate conditions, with little hope for improvement in the immediate future.
While there was technically still a possibility that Otogakure could eventually recover and rebuild itself into a functional ninja village once again, such a process would likely require more than a decade of sustained effort and significant external support.
This harsh treatment served as a clear example of the consequences of challenging one of the major hidden villages. The Sound Village had made the fatal error of joining the Konoha Crush Plan and providing sanctuary to the rogue ninja Orochimaru. Since they had chosen to benefit from their association with the legendary Sannin, they could hardly complain when Konoha decided to respond with overwhelming force.
This outcome also illustrated one of the fundamental challenges faced by smaller ninja villages throughout the world. These settlements survived primarily by serving as neutral buffer zones between the major powers, but the slightest miscalculation or political misstep could easily result in their complete destruction.
Most of the executive committee's responsibilities involved making high-level strategic decisions and setting broad policy directions, so the individual members rarely needed to become involved in the specific details of day-to-day operations.
As for the ANBU and Medical Department, both organizations continued to function smoothly under Shihouin Naraku's leadership. His authority over these crucial departments was absolute and unquestioned - no other committee members attempted to interfere with his management decisions or challenge his operational choices.
Originally, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura had placed several of their own trusted personnel within the Medical Department in an attempt to maintain some degree of influence over its operations. However, these individuals had gradually been reassigned to other positions, and the two elderly advisors had essentially abandoned their plans to establish an independent medical emergency response team under their direct control.
While the other ninja throughout Konoha Village were running themselves ragged trying to handle the countless tasks and missions that needed to be completed during this chaotic transitional period, Shihouin Naraku actually found himself with a considerable amount of free time.
This situation was somewhat unavoidable given the current circumstances. Most other ninja could leave the village to carry out various missions and assignments in distant locations, but Naraku could not afford to travel far from Konoha at this critical time. He had become one of the village's most important pillars of strength and stability, and his presence served as a guarantee to the civilian population that they were safe and protected.
Even if serious warfare were to break out along the borders with neighboring countries, Shihouin Naraku would need to remain in Konoha to maintain morale and provide reassurance to the people until Tsunade could successfully return and officially assume her duties as the Fifth Hokage.
However, despite having more leisure time than usual, Naraku had no intention of allowing himself to become complacent or lazy. Instead, he used this opportunity to intensify his personal training regimen and continue pushing the limits of his own abilities.
The Path to Greater Strength
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
The sound of rapidly moving air filled the training ground as displaced wind currents created by swift movements echoed through the area.
Shihouin Naraku gripped Kurikara firmly with both hands and continued his intensive practice routine, focusing on both taijutsu techniques and advanced swordsmanship without allowing himself even a moment's rest or relaxation.
Crystalline drops of sweat rolled down his bare torso as he maintained his demanding exercise schedule. Naraku's physique had developed into something resembling a perfectly crafted sculpture - every muscle group was clearly defined and flowed smoothly into the next, creating an impression of tremendous power that somehow avoided appearing bulky or excessive.
Standing firm and steady like an ancient pine tree with deep roots, Shihouin Naraku continued swinging his blade with precise, controlled movements while gradually feeling his physical strength and endurance continue to increase.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
Although his breathing had become rapid and labored from the intense exertion, each breath remained strong and controlled. The reason for his increased respiratory rate was not merely the difficulty of his training routine, but also the additional challenge posed by the specialized weight-training equipment he wore during his workouts.
Heavy metal guards encircled his wrists and ankles, while an additional weighted belt wrapped around his waist. The only piece of his usual training gear that he had removed for this particular session was the weighted vest that he typically wore over his chest and back.
The combined weight of all this specialized equipment totaled an impressive 2.8 tons of additional mass that his body had to support and move during every training exercise.
Of course, Shihouin Naraku had not begun his strength training by immediately wearing such an enormous amount of additional weight. Instead, he had started with much lighter loads and gradually increased the burden step by step over many months, carefully conditioning his body to handle progressively greater challenges until he had finally reached his current level of 2.8 tons.
Throughout this demanding physical development process, one particular reward from his third ten-draw lottery sequence had played an absolutely crucial role in his success.
The thousand pounds of Sea King meat that he had obtained from that draw had proven to be unlike any food he had ever encountered before.
The flesh from these massive sea creatures native to the world of pirates was incredibly rich in nutrients and seemed to be naturally designed to support intense physical training and muscle development. The meat provided exactly the kind of high-quality protein and energy that his body needed to recover from grueling workout sessions and continue building strength at an accelerated pace.
Combined with his enhanced cardiovascular system, which allowed his body to process and absorb nutrients with remarkable efficiency, the Sea King meat had enabled him to achieve significant improvements in his physical capabilities in a much shorter time frame than would normally be possible.
This rate of progress had exceeded even Shihouin Naraku's most optimistic expectations when he had first begun this intensive training regimen.
Unfortunately, despite the substantial quantity involved, he had already consumed all thousand pounds of the precious Sea King meat over the course of his training program.
"Whew..."
Shihouin Naraku slowly lowered Kurikara and sheathed the weapon, then released a long, controlled breath as he concluded his training session for the day.
As he exhaled, a large tree positioned at the edge of the training ground directly in front of him suddenly began to sway violently, its branches and leaves rustling as though struck by a powerful wind - despite the fact that the air around them was completely still.
"My physical development has started to plateau," Naraku observed with a slight frown as he walked toward the rest area of the training ground. "The improvements aren't as dramatic or noticeable as they were during the earlier stages of my conditioning program."
The slower pace of progress was somewhat frustrating for someone who had become accustomed to seeing rapid and measurable gains in his abilities.
"Now I understand why the people in the pirate world tend to develop such incredible physical strength," he mused thoughtfully. "It's not just because they have access to effective training methods and techniques. More importantly, the food they consume on a regular basis is packed with the kind of dense nutrition that naturally supports the development of powerful physiques."
He shook his head ruefully as he considered the implications. "I thought that more than a thousand pounds would last much longer, but I had no idea how quickly it would be consumed when combined with such intense exercise routines."
Despite his disappointment at depleting his supply of Sea King meat, Naraku had to admit that the investment had been worthwhile.
"But it was definitely worth the cost," he concluded with a satisfied smile spreading across his handsome features.
Suddenly, he clenched both fists tightly, and an invisible force seemed to flow around them like liquid metal, creating a powerful aura that was almost tangible in its intensity.
This was genuine Armament Haki - one of the legendary abilities that he had successfully awakened through his own efforts and determination.
Not only had Shihouin Naraku mastered the use of Armament Haki, but he had also achieved complete control over his Conqueror's Haki abilities as well.
This represented yet another massive leap forward in his overall combat capabilities and personal power level.
Moreover, both his Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki were abilities that he had awakened naturally through his own training and development, rather than obtaining them directly through the system's lottery mechanism.
Of course, he readily acknowledged that without first drawing Observation Haki from the system's lottery, he likely would never have been able to awaken either Armament Haki or Conqueror's Haki on his own. The initial introduction to haki through the system had provided the foundation that made his subsequent development possible.
While Shihouin Naraku was grateful for the assistance that the system had provided throughout his journey, he took pride in knowing that the growth of his strength was primarily the result of his own dedicated effort and unwavering determination.
The Return of Legends
"Ahem..."
"Naraku!"
A familiar female voice called out from across the training ground, belonging to someone who had not appeared in his life for quite some time.
"What's the matter?" Shihouin Naraku asked as he used a towel to wipe the sweat from his body and turned to face his girlfriend, Uzuki Yugao, who was running toward him with obvious excitement.
"Tsunade-sama is almost back!" Yugao announced breathlessly, her face flushed red with exhilaration. "The ANBU scouts stationed at the village perimeter have reported that they can already see Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama approaching the gates!"
Uzuki Yugao's expression radiated pure joy and anticipation as she delivered this momentous news.
This excitement was entirely understandable, considering that Tsunade had long been regarded as the ultimate role model and inspiration for virtually every female ninja in Konoha Village. In fact, her influence extended far beyond the Hidden Leaf - most kunoichi throughout the entire ninja world looked up to Tsunade as the pinnacle of what a female warrior could achieve.
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