412. An Offer They Can't Refuse

On the highlands of the northeastern continent of the shinobi world, the ninjas of Kumogakure were on high alert, their eyes fixed on the village gates.

Under their hostile gazes, a convoy slowly emerged from the distance.

Though it was called a convoy, the number of people was actually quite small.

The most important figure among them was none other than Uchiha Shisui, the legendary first disciple of Konoha's "Darkness of the Shinobi" and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Land of Fire.

Although he rarely appeared in public, most Kumogakure ninjas knew that on the hidden battlefield of the Land of Hot Water, this young Uchiha was an absolute killing god!

The evidence was clear: Kumogakure had once sent an elite squad composed entirely of jonin to ambush him.

The result? All six of Kumogakure's jonin were killed, while Uchiha Shisui walked away unscathed.

This outcome left people in awe while also filling them with deep apprehension toward the young "Darkness of the Shinobi."

Many couldn't help but wonder what Uchiha Shisui's true purpose was for visiting Kumogakure so openly as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Was there some hidden conspiracy behind it?

In response, the Fourth Raikage had ordered the ANBU to heighten their vigilance, ensuring that every Konoha ninja was closely monitored and given no opportunity to cause trouble.


However, to everyone's surprise, Uchiha Shisui didn't make any out-of-line moves.


Instead, under the watchful eyes of Kumogakure's ninjas and civilians, he entered the Raikage's building in an orderly manner.

Along the way, Shisui and his delegation quietly observed the development of Kumogakure.


To be honest, Kumogakure was the only traditional shinobi village Shisui had seen that was actively trying to catch up to Konoha.

This was evident in their efforts to acquire various technologies from Konoha with the financial support of the Land of Lightning's daimyo.

For example, they had obtained primitive steam engine technology, steam-powered vehicles, and caterpillar track systems.

They had begun to prioritize industrial development, applying these technologies to industrial production.

As a result, Shisui and his team saw several factories within Kumogakure belching thick smoke, and the occasional roar of steam engines could be heard.

These signs indicated that Kumogakure's leadership had done their homework, hoping to surpass Konoha in industrial technology.

However, based on what they saw, Kumogakure still had a long way to go before catching up to Konoha's level, both in terms of technology and scale.

Or rather, before completing their comprehensive reforms, it was nearly impossible for them to rally the entire nation's strength to catch up to Konoha.

Still, compared to other nations, Kumogakure was doing quite well.

If it weren't for his teacher, the Land of Lightning might have been the first to achieve a breakthrough in industrialization and lead the era's development.

Unfortunately, reality was reality, and there were no "what ifs" in this world.

With these thoughts in mind, Shisui finally took his seat at the conference table in the Raikage's building.

The table was long and noticeably reinforced.

Recalling certain rumors about the Fourth Raikage, Shisui understood why.

He sat on one side of the table, while across from him sat the current leader of Kumogakure—the Fourth Raikage, A.

"Welcome, representatives of Konoha, to this friendly visit to Kumogakure. Let us now officially begin the meeting," said the beautiful secretary standing beside the Fourth Raikage.

After her opening remarks, she sat down next to the Raikage in a standard posture, holding a pen ready to record the entire meeting.

Seeing this, Shisui crossed his hands and offered a polite smile.

"Thank you, Raikage-sama and everyone, for your warm welcome. The purpose of my visit with this delegation is to highlight the traditional friendship between Konoha and Kumogakure. Since the time of the First Hokage and the First Raikage, our two nations have maintained..."

Shisui launched into a lengthy speech filled with diplomatic formalities.

At first, the Raikage's secretary, Mabui, managed to respond appropriately, but soon, the Fourth Raikage grew impatient.

"Uchiha Shisui, just say what you want to say directly," the Fourth Raikage interrupted, his voice sharp.

"I have many matters to attend to and don't have time to waste on diplomatic niceties!"

With the Fourth Raikage's sudden outburst, an overwhelming aura filled the conference room, like the rumbling thunder before a storm, sending chills down everyone's spines.

The Fourth Raikage knew full well that the young man before him was no longer the child he had seen at Kikyō Castle.

This was Uchiha Shisui, the wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan, a Kage-level shinobi who had led multiple campaigns in the Land of Hot Water and had the blood of countless Kumogakure ninjas on his hands!

Every time he thought of his subordinates who had died at Shisui's hands, the Raikage struggled to suppress his rage.

Sitting here and engaging in small talk with Shisui was already pushing his limits.

The fact that he hadn't stood up and attacked Shisui was a testament to his immense self-control...

Just as everyone expected the young Minister of Foreign Affairs to stand up and respond in kind, Shisui instead offered a gentle smile.

"My apologies, Lord Raikage," he said with a smile.

In an instant, the tense atmosphere in the conference room dissipated, though the Fourth Raikage's expression grew even darker.

"In that case, I'll get straight to the point," Shisui said, pulling an invitation from his coat and sliding it across the table.

"I am here on the orders of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, to invite Kumogakure to participate in the upcoming joint Chunin Exam of the shinobi world."

The Raikage didn't open the invitation. Instead, he crossed his arms and sneered, "Is this an invitation from Namikaze Minato, or from Shimura Danzo?"

His words were a clear jab at Minato's perceived lack of real authority as Hokage.

However, Shisui, as Danzo's disciple, simply smiled again and didn't refute the comment.

This made the burly Fourth Raikage appear somewhat petty in comparison.

"The Hokage hopes that Kumogakure will send its most elite genin to participate in this exam, showcasing the new generation's talents to the world," Shisui continued.

Hearing this, the Raikage slammed his hand on the table and said coldly, "What Konoha wants to showcase is Konoha's business. You want to hold a joint exam? Fine, do it yourselves. What does that have to do with Kumogakure?"

Though the Fourth Raikage appeared rough and straightforward, he was far from reckless.

At this moment, he was clearly waiting for Konoha to offer a better deal.

Only if they presented terms he found satisfactory would Kumogakure agree to participate. Otherwise, it was out of the question.

Shisui, however, had anticipated this and presented an offer that Kumogakure couldn't refuse.

"The Hokage has said that what cannot be decided on the battlefield can instead be decided through this exam."