421. Amazement

*Shinobi World United News*, March 4th, Year 57 of the Leaf Village: The Chunin Exams will commence tomorrow."

"The Land of Lightning's daimyo, Raikage A, Tsuchikage Ōnoki, Acting Mizukage Mei Terumī, Amegakure leader Yahiko, and Sunagakure envoy Baki have been invited to attend..."

"During the meeting, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, engaged in friendly and in-depth discussions with them, offering important guidance on the future peaceful development of the ninja world. The meeting yielded fruitful results..."

The newspaper featured a photo of Hokage Minato standing alongside these leaders, smiling warmly.

The headline boldly proclaimed:

'Peace in the Ninja World!'

This wave of coverage pushed the atmosphere of peace to its peak.

As for the actual situation, however, that remained unknown to the public.

As the newspaper reported, after hosting the Land of Earth's daimyo's son, the "arms dealer," Danzō and Minato separately received leaders from other nations.

These included A, Ōnoki, Mei Terumī, and others.

As for what exactly was discussed during these meetings...

With the Land of Lightning, the two sides privately confirmed the stakes of this event—namely, using the outcome of the Chunin Exams to determine the ownership of the Land of Hot Water.

This point was quickly agreed upon, as it had been previously arranged between Shisui and A.

However, the Land of Lightning also took the opportunity to propose that the Leaf Village transfer several advanced technologies, including trains and airships, at a reasonable price.

Faced with such a lucrative offer, Danzō naturally didn't refuse.

However, the two sides couldn't agree on the transfer fees, so the negotiations were temporarily suspended.

Danzō wasn't in a hurry.

After all, it was the Cloud Village that was lagging behind, and he could afford to wait for the right price.

Next was the Land of Earth.

Ōnoki hoped to expand cooperation between the Leaf Village and the Hidden Stone Village, allowing more Stone ninjas to participate in the Land of Fire's construction projects.

In simpler terms, he wanted the Leaf Village to further open its labor market, making it easier for the Stone ninjas to earn money.

Additionally, he subtly hinted that he hoped the Leaf Village wouldn't side with the daimyo.

To this, Danzō righteously declared that the Leaf Village never interfered in other nations' internal affairs.

The conflict between the Hidden Stone Village and the daimyo's faction was an internal matter of the Land of Earth, and the Leaf Village would absolutely not meddle.

This statement didn't ease Ōnoki's suspicions but instead made him even more wary.

That old fox Danzō was definitely brewing some kind of scheme!

Then came the Land of Water.

After witnessing the Leaf Village's prosperity and advanced technology, Mei Terumī immediately requested increased investment and aid from the Leaf Village.

This request was met with Danzō's approval.

He stated that he would ensure more investors from the Land of Fire recognized the Land of Water's potential, helping the Hidden Mist Village complete its reconstruction and achieve modernization.

At the same time, he praised Mei and her team for their efforts in counter-terrorism, affirming that ending Yagura's isolationist policies and the Bloody Mist era was the right decision.

He also strongly condemned the remnants of the Bloody Mist faction and expressed full support for the Hidden Mist's counter-terrorism efforts.

Even Yahiko, the leader of Amegakure, received a warm reception from Danzō.

By now, Yahiko had grown from a young boy into a responsible and capable leader.

Their discussions were deep and productive.

Yahiko highly praised the Leaf Village's various innovations and reforms over the years.

He also stated that Amegakure should learn from the Leaf Village and strive to transform the Land of Rain into a modern nation like the Land of Fire.

Danzō, in turn, commended Amegakure for its efforts in improving people's livelihoods and developing its economy, suggesting that the two sides should deepen their cooperation and continue to strengthen their revolutionary friendship!

As for Sunagakure, since they had only sent an envoy and neither the Land of Wind's daimyo nor the Kazekage had attended in person, Minato and Danzō, adhering to the principle of reciprocity, did not attend the meeting either.

Instead, they sent Economic Minister Oyashiro En to handle the discussions.

This dismissive attitude naturally left Baki, the Kazekage's trusted aide, feeling deeply dissatisfied.

But faced with the Leaf Village's overwhelming dominance, he could only swallow his anger and endure it.

Of course, these high-level political maneuvers didn't affect the young participants.

After being briefed on some important matters, the children quickly split into small groups and eagerly began exploring the bustling capital.

"Is this the Leaf Village?"

"It's unexpectedly prosperous..."

Temari, the Kazekage's eldest daughter, gazed at the bustling commercial street, her eyes filled with awe.

Thanks to its well-developed industrial system, the Leaf Village's commercial streets offered the widest variety of goods at the most affordable prices in the entire ninja world.

This left Temari and her teammates, who were visiting for the first time, utterly dazzled.

However, Temari wasn't the type of girl who was only interested in pretty things.

As the Kazekage's daughter, she paid more attention to the security personnel patrolling the streets.

They wore uniforms, carried professional equipment, and kept a sharp eye on everything around them.

They were the foundation of the Leaf Village's safety and stability.

It was said that in the Leaf Village, even minor offenses like theft were met with severe punishment, let alone serious crimes like robbery.

Light offenses could result in several years of imprisonment, while serious crimes could lead to execution!

Notably, the Leaf Village had a judicial system unlike any other in the ninja world.

After the police arrested a suspect, they wouldn't immediately punish them. Instead, they would file a public prosecution with the court.

Only after the judge reviewed the case and applied the law would the suspect be sentenced.

Possible sentences included fixed-term imprisonment, life imprisonment, or even the death penalty.

In Temari's eyes, this systematic approach to justice was a hundred times more advanced than Sunagakure's method of having high-ranking officials casually decide life and death.

Not only did it equally constrain every citizen, but it also ensured fairness and justice in trials.

Of course, Temari felt the Leaf Village had many other advantages.

For example, its clean and tidy streets, lively atmosphere, advanced technology, and various modern facilities.

Compared to the Land of Wind, which was covered in yellow sand, the Leaf Village, with its mild climate, lush vegetation, and extraordinary prosperity, was like a paradise in her eyes!

She had heard people say that the Leaf Village's sewers were so large they could be used as roads, with multiple cars able to drive side by side inside.

Additionally, it was said that they wrapped spare parts in oiled paper, so even after several years or decades, the parts would still be shiny and new.

When the sewers needed repairs, these parts could be used for maintenance.

Some even claimed that the air in the Leaf Village had a special quality, making it smell sweet...