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"Then it's agreed," the leader of Kumo's diplomatic delegation said firmly. "Our forces will retreat, and you guarantee that neither Kiri nor Takimura will attack our departing ships."
The tent they gathered in was one of the largest around, a structure reserved for high-level meetings. A massive round table sat at its center, carved from a dark, polished wood, perhaps oak.
The three parties were seated at separate sections of the table. Takimura's side was represented by Maki, Mei, and Shin, with Maki in the center. Across from them, Kiri's side was represented by Yagura and Hakare Hozuki. Maki had been pleased to learn that Luna Shegachi was absent. It only confirmed her suspicion that Luna openly disapproved of Yagura's rule.
Kumo had brought the largest delegation, but despite their numbers, they looked uncomfortable. Negotiating with Kiri had always been unpleasant, and without a single S-rank shinobi on their side, the tension was completely justified. Kiri was infamous for its brutality and had a history of discreetly killing diplomats when things soured.
"The peace treaty will last for two years," Hakare Hozuki summarized, trying to close the discussion. "During that time, both sides agree not to attack or take hostile action against each other…"
"Not both sides," the Kumo envoy interrupted, correcting him with a polite smile. "All three. We're making separate peace agreements with Takimura and Kirigakure. Whether you two wish to remain allies or not is your business. It doesn't concern us."
He adjusted the cuffs of his robe, then continued, "Also, it's not just about refraining from attacks. None of the involved parties may aid enemies of the others. If conflict breaks out between you two, Kumogakure will not interfere in any way."
"It also needs to be made public," Maki added, her tone suddenly sharpening, "that it was Takimura who negotiated this peace with Kumogakure, not Kiri. We took the lead. It was our position that made this possible."
Her voice left no room for argument. But Hakare still tried.
"Lady Maki… we can acknowledge that Kumo approached you first. But to claim Kiri had no role…"
"Nothing would've needed negotiating if you hadn't started the war," Maki cut in, her eyes locked onto Yagura's expressionless face. "None of this would've happened if you hadn't started murdering people with Kekkei Genkai."
Her voice tightened. Anger was rising.
"You caused all this. And now, you want to share credit for ending it? Takimura was the victim here, and we're the ones who turned the tide. Kumo came to Us because we're the greater threat."
Her words cracked through the room like a sudden lightning strike. Hakare opened his mouth to respond, but Yagura's chakra flared before he could.
"Don't bite off more than you can chew," the Mizukage sneered, his aura pressing down across the room like a heavy fog.
But Maki didn't even blink. She didn't raise her chakra. She didn't need to.
"I've chewed up tougher meat than turtle," she replied with a calm grin. It was a quite threat that very few would dare make.
"If you doubt me," she added, "we can settle it here and now."
To some, it might have sounded reckless. But Maki wasn't bluffing. After going toe-to-toe with the Raikage, she had no reason to fear a Mizukage, especially one hiding an injured hand beneath his robe. She knew Yagura wouldn't risk it.
"I don't want to spill more blood than necessary," Yagura said at last, easing his chakra and pulling back with what dignity he could.
"Kiri agrees to the terms. Let's conclude the negotiations here."
Yagura was now completely free of Obito's control. With clarity returned, his priority had shifted back to its rightful place - preserving Kirigakure. And he knew that picking a fight with Maki now would be a mistake that could cost the entire village. Takimura might not win, but neither would Kiri.
"Very well," the Kumo envoy said, standing. "Since we've reached an agreement, we'll take our leave."
The delegation didn't hide their eagerness to be gone, as if merely breathing the air of the Land of Water left a stain on them.
"Shin," Maki called, "please escort our guests back to their territory."
Shin nodded without a word. He formed a shadow clone, which silently followed the Kumo shinobi out of the tent. He didn't speak. He didn't need to. He already understood that Maki wasn't done with Kiri.
As the flap of the tent closed behind them, Maki leaned back into her chair.
"Now that our guests are gone," she said calmly, "why don't we revisit our earlier agreement?"
Both Hakare and Yagura froze.
They hadn't forgotten what they had asked from Takimura in exchange for peace. But at the time, they hadn't expected Yagura's arm to still be crippled, nor that Maki would be able to defeat the Raikage alone.
"Are you challenging me to a duel?" Yagura asked sharply. He had taken a diplomatic hit by stepping back earlier, but surrendering Kirigakure outright was a line he wouldn't cross.
Maki scoffed. "What would be the point in fighting you now?"
Her tone was laced with mockery, but before Yagura could rebuke her, she continued.
"You already know that, unlike you, Takimura doesn't like slaughtering the innocent. I don't want another war with Kirigakure, but make no mistake, Takimura will never be part of the Hidden Mist."
Her words struck harder than expected, so much so that even Mei blinked in surprise.
'What is she saying?' Mei thought, frowning. 'We never discussed anything like that.'
Maki may have led Takimura's forces during the war, but she held no formal authority beyond that. Her position was temporary. Her influence was rooted in strength and necessity, not title.
"Could you clarify what you mean, Lady Maki?" Hakare asked, wary now. He could tell she wasn't trying to take over Kiri.
"I want Takimura to be formally acknowledged as an equal village within the Land of Water," Maki said calmly. "We will hold the same authority as Kirigakure. Matters like territory disputes, mission commissions, and other details will be handled by the Daimyo, not dictated by Kiri. I want a lasting peace between our people... even if it means letting go of my hatred for you."
Her gaze locked on Yagura as she spoke, but to her surprise, he didn't meet her eyes.
Yagura didn't regret killing Suiren, he would do it again if given the choice. But the war itself, the slaughter of entire clans blessed with kekkei genkai… that, he regretted. Those decisions felt distant now, like echoes of another man's will.
Because in truth, he wasn't sure they had been his.
He hadn't told anyone, not even his most trusted advisors, but he suspected something, or rather someone, had tampered with his mind. The idea haunted him. He could no longer tell which thoughts were truly his or which decisions had been whispers planted by another.
"There are still many details to work out before we can formalize such an agreement," he said after a pause. "But… I'm willing to publicly recognize Takimura as an equal. The rest can be discussed in the presence of the Daimyo."
He needed time to recover, to rebuild his standing. Agreeing to Maki's terms would weaken his image in the short term, but he wasn't blind to the shifting tides.
Luna Shegachi was preparing to defect. Most of the surviving rebels from Zabuza's faction were already leaning toward Takimura. Soon, their village would be close to Kiri's strength and once word spread that even Kumogakure feared Takimura more than Kiri, the perception would be sealed: Maki was now the strongest shinobi in the Land of Water.
This was the best choice he had left.
'I don't care about Kirigakure,' Maki thought, her eyes drifting to Hakare, who was silently gauging her every word. 'Some of them are beyond saving, bloodthirsty to the core. But the rest… if they're useful to Takimura, I'll bring them over. And then, we'll finally have peace.'
"That's acceptable," she said. "But there's one condition - anyone who wishes to join Takimura must be allowed to do so without interference. That includes Ao and his men. They'll be relocating their families. They, and others like them, deserve safe passage."
Yagura didn't protest. He had expected this. He gave a simple, silent nod.
For a moment, the tent went quiet.
Of the five people inside, only three were satisfied with what had been decided. The other two were seething.
Mei had never once considered peaceful coexistence with Kirigakure. In her eyes, the entire Land of Water was meant to be unified… under Takimura alone.
Hakare Hozuki agreed, except in his mind, it was Kirigakure that stood at the top.
But in the end, neither of them voiced their objections.
Hakare remained silent because it wasn't his place to speak. In Kirigakure, the Mizukage's word was law - he did not need anyone's approval.
Mei, on the other hand, had more reason to speak. Technically, Maki held no higher authority than she did, at least not on paper. But Mei knew the reality. Once they returned to Takimura, Maki would become its leader. There was no stopping it.
She was the hero of the war.
Her brother was the head of the strongest clan in Takimura.
The strongest civilian shinobi stood behind her, and Ao, the man commanding more shinobi than anyone else in Takimura, had already treated her as the de facto leader.
Mei wasn't foolish. She understood that Maki didn't need a title to hold power. The way she had taken control of the negotiations made it clear that Maki had already decided to lead.
'It's no one's fault but mine.' Mei's thoughts drifted as her eyes remained fixed on the center of the table. 'When we founded Takimura, she and I were nearly equal in strength… but now…'
Her thoughts trailed off as Maki and Shin stood up, their roles fulfilled.
They didn't offer handshakes. No polite farewells were exchanged. No words of camaraderie or celebration over Kumo's retreat. None were needed. None would have been sincere.
The hatred between Kiri and Takimura still burned deep and everyone in the room knew that this agreement wouldn't change that.
Maki and Yagura understood it better than anyone.
'The war between our villages isn't over,' Maki thought as she stepped outside, her cloak catching the wind. 'This is just the pause before the storm. Now the race begins… and the first to gain overwhelming strength will be the one who decides how it ends.'
Maki left the camp alongside Mei and Shin, the three of them flickering through the dense forest, heading back. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, and the moon now hovered above their heads, casting silver across their path.
'Takimura has to grow stronger and it has to grow fast,' Maki thought as she soared to the next branch. 'We need more S-rank shinobi. Our overall strength must reach new heights.'
Over the past month, Maki had changed - not just by stepping into the ranks of the S-rank, but as a leader. She was still the same straightforward shinobi who despised politics and backroom scheming, the kind of person who preferred to face her enemies head-on. That part of her would never change. But something else had. Her perspective had widened. She was beginning to understand just how complex and difficult survival would be for a village like Takimura. How navigating the shinobi world as a small, rising power would require more than her strength.
'This isn't just about Kiri anymore. Takimura has stepped onto the world stage, and now, the other great villages will be watching too - calculating, waiting. If they see weakness, they won't hesitate to strike. My strength alone won't be enough to stop them.'
Fortunately, the situation outside of the Land of Water was a complete mess, and it would earn Takimura the precious time they so desperately needed. There were promising shinobi within the village, people Maki believed could one day reach S-rank. Some just needed time. Others needed to be pushed.
But only one person worried her.
Only one person had the potential to go beyond that.
'Ru… it's time...'
**
A/N - The war with Kumo is now officially over and that means Kaoru's training arc will soon begin. The mysterious creature will be revealed and… I can't spoil everything, can I? xD
I will make a few Polls - some to receive your feedback and some to decide what's gonna happen in the future.
Sunday is a break day ^_^ Have a great weekend!
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The link is also in the synopsis