Not long after Konoha chose its new Hokage, Kirigakure sent invitations to all the shinobi villages. They announced that Yagura had stopped the fighting within their village and was now the Fourth Mizukage.
Yagura, the new leader, had sealed the Three-Tails inside himself. He had also learned to control it perfectly, making him a Perfect Jinchuriki. This news might have been meant to scare other countries. After all, Fourth Raikage Ai's brother, Killer Bee, hadn't become a Perfect Jinchuriki right away; it took him years of hard work.
But Yagura had mastered the Three-Tails so quickly. Was the new Mizukage just bragging? Or was it the truth?
Either way, a united Kirigakure was ready to cause trouble in the ninja world once again.
However, Yagura didn't keep the Third Mizukage's cruel rules, which surprised everyone. The Blood Mist Village seemed to be changing quietly.
When Sarutobi Ryo heard this, he knew that history was changing. In the original story, Obito, after turning evil, had gone to Kirigakure first. He had managed to control Yagura, which made him feel confident. This was like practicing his plan against Jinchuriki before attacking Konoha and starting the Nine-Tails attack.
But in this new timeline, Obito hadn't become evil, and he hadn't awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan. So, Yagura wasn't being controlled and was starting to change the Blood Mist Village for the better. He thought fixing the village was more important than starting wars.
With Kirigakure's uncertain position, the Third Shinobi World War seemed to be ending slowly. Iwagakure was fighting against Sunagakure, Amegakure, and Konoha all at once, and they didn't have many good options left.
Because of this, the countries had to start talking about peace.
One day, Iwagakure sent a message asking for negotiations. Sunagakure and Amegakure also sent people to represent them. The four sides split into two groups, watching each other carefully as they started the first round of talks.
The atmosphere was tense, and everyone was unfriendly. But they had to deal with reality. Each side had to give in or make compromises.
Iwagakure didn't send the Tsuchikage himself, so Hatake Sakumo from Konoha didn't come either. Everyone knew that the first round of talks wouldn't solve anything.
As an envoy, Sarutobi Ryo saw a familiar face: Maki, who was Fourth Kazekage Pakura's student.
She had grown up since he last saw her, losing her innocence and becoming more... attractive. She was still young, but she already had a seductive quality.
Sarutobi Ryo knew he had influenced this. When Maki saw him again, she looked scared, clearly remembering the past.
She was there because she had to be; it was her job as the Kazekage's student.
"Miss Maki... thank you for traveling so far..."
Sarutobi Ryo ignored the Iwagakure envoy. They didn't even send Tsuchikage's son, Kitsuchi? What did that mean? Did they think they were better than everyone else?
Sarutobi Ryo started talking to Maki. The representative from Amegakure, Yahiko, watched them with curiosity. He had a slight smile and wore an Amegakure headband, like it was a symbol. He wore the Amegakure ninja uniform, not the Akatsuki uniform. Maybe... this meant he had joined Hanzo's side?
Amegakure didn't need to be divided right now. With a strong enemy at their door, they had to change some things.
"We met before, and this meeting confirms something for me..."
Yahiko looked at Sarutobi Ryo for a moment before speaking. "Son of the Hokage... Sarutobi Ryo, you have a dark side. But you can recognize evil in people and control yourself. That's why you're in that position..."
It's rare to find geniuses who can see talent in others. Yahiko was one of those people. He had seen Sarutobi Ryo's true nature when they fought against Iwagakure together.
In the original story, Yahiko had also seen through Obito when he pretended to be Madara. Some people just have a good eye for these things. But that can make them a target.
Yahiko was too perceptive, which is why he died in the original story. He was smart and had good judgment, but he wasn't strong enough. He had the personality and thinking of a main character, but without the plot armor.
That was Sarutobi Ryo's opinion of Yahiko. There were too many talented people in the world; people who thought normally were hard to find. If Yahiko could take Hanzo's place, Konoha would have a strong ally in the future.
"Well, I've been through a lot since I was young... but it hasn't completely changed me..."
Sarutobi Ryo replied, indicating that he had also seen a lot. Yahiko had stayed good despite the bad things he had experienced. But Sarutobi Ryo was partly made of those bad things. Only Sarutobi Ryo, who had both light and darkness, could see everything clearly.
"I'll get straight to the point... Iwagakure, we all know that these talks won't lead to anything. So... next time, send someone more important."
Sarutobi Ryo said, pointing out the truth about the meeting. They shouldn't waste time; they had other things to do.
After speaking, Sarutobi Ryo didn't care about the other envoy's reaction. He started talking to Yahiko and Maki. The negotiation turned into a friendly chat. They talked about their villages.
Sarutobi Ryo learned that Akatsuki had joined Amegakure and become a special unit that only took orders from Hanzo.
In Sunagakure, Pakura was popular because she had worked her way up from the bottom. She was so popular that people would do anything for her. Also... she was beautiful and had a great figure. Women had an advantage in that area.
She was just good-looking. Sarutobi Ryo remembered his past interactions with her... When should he take things further?
The Iwagakure envoy couldn't stand being ignored and left the meeting.
The meeting ended peacefully. Sarutobi Ryo invited Yahiko and Maki to stay in Konoha for a few days to see the sights. He also wanted to give Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan a chance to meet Jiraiya. As their teacher, Jiraiya would have a lot to talk about with them.
Sarutobi Ryo arranged a place for Yahiko and the others to stay. Then, he took Maki to another villa. He looked at her and saw how his attention had changed her figure.
Maki lowered her head, avoiding his gaze. The memory of what had happened before was too strong.
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[T/N:
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