Naruto: Tenseigan Eye

Among the five major ninja villages, the one most likely to consider disarmament would undoubtedly be the Sand Village.

Even with the Third Kazekage as its leader, the harsh truth remained: compared to the other four great villages, Sand Village's resources were woefully inadequate.

"I think the Hokage's real goal is to pressure the Daimyo's Mansion," Chiyo remarked thoughtfully. "The village's earlier efforts to sow discord between the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and Konoha have paid off, creating financial issues for Konoha."

"Sarutobi Hiruzen is forcing the hand of the Daimyo!"

"It seems Konoha's finances are indeed in dire straits," the Third Kazekage admitted with a bitter smile. But even so, Sand Village's situation was far worse.

Konoha could afford to pressure the Daimyo for funds. Could Sand Village do the same? Absolutely not.

Although the Third Kazekage would never openly submit to the Daimyo of the Land of Wind, the idea of applying similar pressure was unthinkable.

"Chiyo, how much longer can we hold out?" he asked solemnly.

Chiyo lowered her gaze and remained silent.

The truth was, Sand Village could no longer endure. Even with occasional support from the Daimyo, it was only a temporary reprieve. Konoha's forces continued to press deeper into the Land of Wind, leaving the Sand Village's defenses on the brink of collapse.

The root cause was money—or rather, the lack of it.

Sand Village was not short on capable ninjas. Even after sustaining heavy casualties, it remained one of the five major ninja villages. The issue was a lack of resources.

Without funds for pensions or sufficient supplies, morale plummeted. Hungry ninjas, unsure if they would be fed tomorrow, had little will to fight.

The cries of dissent within the village grew louder with each passing day, and even Ebizo struggled to keep them at bay.

"Lord Kazekage," Chiyo finally said, "we need to negotiate peace."

The Third Kazekage sighed. "I agree, but will Konoha entertain the idea?"

He walked to the entrance of his tent, gazing at the endless desert. Defeat was bitter, but so was humiliation. If Konoha refused to negotiate, what options did they have?

Chiyo bowed slightly. "Leave this matter to me, Lord Kazekage. I believe Konoha will consider peace, if only to avoid dragging the war out unnecessarily."

"Do you truly believe that?"

The Third Kazekage's tone was skeptical. Was Chiyo deluding herself, clinging to false hope?

Seeing that Konoha was on the verge of victory, why would they stop now?

Chiyo smiled grimly. "It's not about what we can offer but about what guarantees we can give. An alliance. A non-aggression treaty. Things Konoha might value more than immediate conquest."

After a moment's hesitation, the Third Kazekage relented. "Very well, proceed as you see fit."

The reality stung. Seeking an alliance or signing a non-aggression treaty during a time of near defeat meant reducing Sand Village to Konoha's subordinate. Among the Five Great Ninja Villages, who would willingly become another's underling?

The so-called "non-aggression treaty" was a long-standing ambition of Konoha's. The Land of Fire's abundant resources meant that Konoha only grew stronger in peacetime, while other villages struggled to keep up. Agreeing to such terms would essentially cripple Sand Village's future ambitions.

Unless something unforeseen happened—like the Third Kazekage's sudden demise—the treaty would bind them indefinitely.

Still, there was no other choice.

Chiyo wasted no time. The very next day, she led a delegation to Konoha's front lines, expressing the Sand Village's willingness to negotiate. The news quickly reached Orochimaru, who was overseeing Konoha's operations.

"Sand Village wants to negotiate?" Orochimaru mused, clearly surprised.

Agreeing to negotiate now would mean a massive loss for Sand Village. The compensation they could offer was questionable, but this act was essentially an admission of defeat—though a more dignified one.

"Let them come," Orochimaru decided after some thought.

He immediately dispatched a message to the Third Hokage in Konoha, alerting him to the developments. At the same time, he suppressed the news at the front lines to avoid a potential morale drop among Konoha's forces.

Back in Konoha, the streets were in turmoil. The announcement of disarmament had sparked widespread protests. Civilians and ninja families alike took to the streets, voicing their opposition. The unrest grew, threatening to spiral out of control.

The daimyo of the Land of Fire, unable to ignore the chaos, finally acted. Envoys from the Daimyo's Mansion arrived in Konoha, bringing with them two years' worth of development funds and a formal letter addressed to the Third Hokage.

Hiruzen skimmed the letter briefly before tossing it aside. Its contents were irrelevant. What mattered was that the funds had arrived, relieving Konoha's financial strain.

"Announce immediately, in my name, that the disarmament plans have been rescinded," Hiruzen instructed. "The village will not proceed with this foolish idea."

With that, the protests were quelled, and Konoha returned to relative stability. Meanwhile, Orochimaru prepared to face Chiyo at the negotiating table, fully aware that this moment would mark the Sand Village's most humiliating concession yet.

>>>>>

200 Chapters ahead available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)

50% discount code (DDBFC)

Gimme power stonesssss

Also, leave a review please and check out my new story

[Naruto: Maelstrom Of the Uzumaki]