Fleeing from Konoha

Chapter 1230: Chapter 123: Alliance and Unexpected Events

The cold fog floated on the sea surface, and within the white cold mist, a giant cruise ship was anchored in the sea.

Looking around, no islands could be seen at all, only bottomless cold fog and frozen air, indicating this place was rarely visited by people.

Located in the northern sea area of the Land of Snow, due to the unique icy environment of the Land of Snow, the air in this sea region is much colder than other sea areas.

Although temperatures close to freezing are not welcoming for ordinary people, for ninjas, such temperatures are still bearable.

Ninjas, who can freely use Chakra, are much stronger in terms of withstanding the cold compared to ordinary people.

On this giant cruise ship over a hundred meters long, ninjas have gathered.

Even on the sea area surrounded by cold fog, every twenty meters, there is a ninja standing guard, surrounding the place like an iron barrel.

The ninjas gathered here belong to four different camps.

Hidden Cloud, Hidden Rock, Hidden Mist, and the military of the Land of Demons.

Ninjas from four different countries have gathered here.

“Really, why is the meeting location in such a barren place? You young people don’t care for this old man at all.”

The complaint from the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, sounded in the heated meeting room.

Before Onoki entered, three people were already seated in the meeting room.

Leader of the military of the Land of Demons, Chiba Hakushi.

Fourth Raikage of Hidden Cloud, A.

Fourth Mizukage of Hidden Mist, Karatachi Yagura.

Each one placed in the current Ninja Realm is a figure whose actions can cause international upheaval.

The scale of the meeting is only second to the Five Kage Summit.

“Stop complaining here, old man Onoki, compared to the Land of Earth, I have traveled a long way to get here.”

Yagura sighed helplessly.

Following him were Hidden Mist Jonin Ao and fellow Hidden Mist Jonin, known as a prodigy, Hozuki Mangetsu.

“Didn’t expect even Hidden Mist to get involved? Seems this time they’re serious.”

Onoki raised his eyebrows, although he knew the specific personnel attending this meeting, truly roping in the Hidden Mist Village, the diplomatic means of the Land of Demons still made him somewhat introspective.

After all, the current situation is different from the previous War of the Land of Wind, and it isolates Konoha and Hidden Sand.

For Hakushi’s purpose, Onoki can guess a thing or two.

Hope to divide the ninjas of the Five Great Nations to ensure the Land of Demons is not attacked.

However, regarding this situation, Onoki doesn’t really care.

After all, the trade with Hidden Sand and Konoha is only based on interests.

If the Land of Demons can offer better rewards, then selling out Hidden Sand and Konoha is not unthinkable.

After all, the Daimyo of the Land of Earth found him and asked him to attend this meeting, already implying an intention to break away from the Land of Fire.

Teaming up with the Land of Fire can gain benefits, teaming up with the Land of Demons can also gain benefits, and the Land of Demons can offer more, naturally making abandoning the Land of Fire more worthwhile.

The only pity is pulling Hidden Mist in too, making the spoils divided into four parts instead of three.

Considering the enemies to be dealt with next, sharing among the four isn’t a bad choice.

Now Hidden Rock is very short of funds for military development.

Even if they have to split it later with the Daimyo of the Land of Earth, it’s enough to elevate the overall strength of Hidden Rock Village and cultivate more excellent ninjas.

Following Onoki inside were his son Kitsuchi, and another powerful Hidden Rock Jonin, acting as Onoki’s guard.

But clearly, the guards wouldn’t just be this; secretly, there are several elite Anbu from various hidden villages gathering here, and just among the openly and secretly assembled Jonin, there are no less than fifty people.

Moreover, among the Jonin, all are elite level, possessing special abilities like Secret Techniques and Kekkeigenkai.

“Since you’re here, stop dawdling, let’s start the meeting quickly.”

Fourth Raikage crossed his arms in front of his chest, snorting displeased.

Behind Raikage, the guard were Hidden Cloud Jonin Darui and C, considered the loyal confidants of the Fourth Raikage.

Onoki cast a glance at the unapproachable Fourth Raikage but said nothing.

Kitsuchi took the initiative to move a chair for Onoki, and Onoki sat down unhurriedly, placing his Tsuchikage Kasa in front of him.

“Speaking of which, wasn’t the girl with Byakugan supposed to come along this time?”

Onoki glanced at Hakushi, who was meditating with eyes closed, slightly curious.

The guard standing behind Hakushi was neither Ayane nor Ruri.

Instead, it was a young girl dressed in Witch’s Attire, Hakushi’s Wind Attribute clone, Heavenly Feather Woman.

The other was yawning, at a height not reaching the conference table, Yang Attribute clone Akago, holding a spear taller than anyone else.

“There’s been some instability within the Land of Demons, needs capable people to sit in charge.”

Hakushi answered calmly.

After all, it was the underground black market crowd causing trouble.

Too many bounty hunters have infiltrated, although most were dealt with, some escaped capture.

Moreover, as conflicts escalate, clashes between the underground black market and the Land of Demons keep increasing.

“Wouldn’t it be alright to ignore such minor roles? Is the Land of Demons overreaching a bit here?”

Onoki’s face broke into a smile, like a kind, endearing little old man.

He had, in fact, heard a bit about the conflict between the Underground Black Market and the Land of Demons.

When you got down to it, this was the Land of Demons meddling far too broadly.

Besides, this sort of thing is impossible to eradicate.

In the past, the Five Great Nations had considered wiping out the Underground Black Market, but in the end they found that no matter what they did, it simply could not be destroyed.

Because it’s only a platform—so long as people still exist, this thing can never be completely cleaned up.

If you asked which current Ninja Village understood the Underground Black Market best, it would undoubtedly be Hidden Rock.

Back during the Ninja Realm wars, Hidden Rock more than once made use of mercenaries from the Underground Black Market, causing a lot of trouble for the various Countries.

“Lord Tsuchikage, do you consider the existence of such a platform reasonable?”

Hakushi asked.

Onoki fell silent. Reasonable?

Of course it’s not reasonable.

Onoki, as Tsuchikage, understood perfectly well what the Underground Black Market represented.

However, the existence of this platform is tacitly approved by the Daimyo and nobles of the Five Great Nations, and many times this platform has indeed brought the Five Great Nations considerable benefits, which is why it’s allowed to exist.

Yet the bounty system of the Underground Black Market is fundamentally at odds with the Land of Demons’ system—they were born to clash.

Because the Land of Demons’ military exercises excessively tight control over the civilian sphere.

From major cities, down to towns, and finally villages, all of them have specialized Security Teams set up, centralizing the Country’s public order.

If the Underground Black Market wants to operate within the Land of Demons’ borders, it will inevitably trigger civilian chaos in the Land of Demons and clashes with the Country’s Security Teams.

So the Land of Demons struck first.

The Underground Black Market’s market in the Western Continent suffered unprecedented exclusion, its market share shrinking.

Seeing Onoki stay silent, Hakushi said nothing more either; some things are still not suited to being laid out in the open, this summit included.

That’s why it had to be held here in secret, and the Kage attending all understood this point.

Hakushi then gave a signal to the woman behind him, Amatsukime.

Amatsukime slowly nodded, walked to the side, and pressed a button.

The lights in the conference room dimmed, leaving only the area around the conference table illuminated.

“All right, enough small talk. The reason I was so eager to have the three of you come is very simple: it concerns the Isolated Island Merchant Alliance. According to the intelligence I’ve gathered, as well as top-secret information from internal agents on the Isolated Island, this Merchant Alliance is conspiring in a terrifying scheme to control Countries. Such actions severely undermine international security. If we don’t move against them now, in the future it will surely embolden other unscrupulous merchants and prompt them to follow suit. That’s something you all would rather not see, isn’t it?”

Hakushi began.

That was the official line—but the truth behind it was what really mattered.

The Land of Fire intends to swallow the Isolated Island’s Merchant Alliance whole, and in the process bring the Land of Waves under its control.

The Land of Demons discovered the Land of Fire’s aim, and thus initiated this secret summit.

By uniting the Land of Demons, the Land of Lightning, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Water, they would move first to eradicate the Isolated Island Merchant Alliance, divide up the island’s wealth, and at the same time throw the Land of Waves into turmoil to create trouble for the Land of Fire.

On another front, it was also meant to fracture the ties between the great nations.

Everyone present was perfectly aware of this.

From their lofty positions, they have access to first-hand information, and with strategic analysts at their side, the purpose behind Hakushi calling this summit was obvious after the slightest consideration.

As long as the connections between great nations are broken, relations between the Land of Demons and the Land of Earth may ease. Then, in the Western Continent, the Land of Demons can focus its efforts on the Land of Wind and break up the alliance between the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind.

The Isolated Island Merchant Alliance was the “meeting gift” Hakushi was putting on the table.

At the same time, stirring up the Land of Waves and the Land of Rain could also create obstacles for the Land of Fire.

The Land of Lightning would no doubt be happy to see that.

The Land of Lightning has been constantly expanding its military power, eyeing the title of Number One Great Nation.

Its primary goal, then, is to drag the Land of Fire down from the altar—only then can the Land of Lightning become the leading great nation.

Lure the Land of Earth with profit.

Lure the Land of Lightning with the Land of Fire’s status.

Hakushi was prescribing the right medicine for each.

Compared to money, what the Land of Lightning covets more is status; money is merely a byproduct.

Only Yagura is the ally Hakushi truly intends to support.

From another angle, pulling the Tsuchikage and Raikage into this was also meant to serve as cover for his covert cooperation with Yagura.

“Indeed, as merchants, they should just do business honestly. If they seek to use money to dictate the will of a Country, that certainly plants a massive hidden danger.”

Onoki felt a surge of dissatisfaction.

This displeasure was not directed at Hakushi, but at the Land of Fire, at Konoha.

They had clearly planned to ally with the Land of Earth, yet in secret they sought to monopolize the Isolated Island Merchant Alliance, without so much as notifying the Land of Earth and Hidden Rock Village to come share in the spoils. As allies, isn’t that a bit too greedy?

As a result, Onoki now had little desire to interfere in the Land of Rain’s affairs. He’d rather just let the Land of Fire, the Land of Demons, and the Land of Rain entangle themselves.

Watching the Land of Fire, which had repeatedly defeated the Land of Earth, get pulled down from its pedestal, Onoki felt a covert surge of delight.