"Alright, alright, let's stop here for now. Third Raikage, please don't pound the table anymore, or it might really collapse. Third Hokage, enough with the smoking, I'm choking to death."
Jinghang couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, cursing under his breath.
Since the red, yellow, green, brown, and blue hats formed a complete circle on the round table, all sorts of arguments had erupted.
Don't be fooled by how passionately Jinghang delivered his peace speech, with the old guys nodding and standing to salute. When it came to fighting for interests, they turned into fighting cocks in the arena, fiercely competing for every inch.
Territorial scope, border disputes, distribution of ninja missions—various conflicts emerged.
The layout of the ninja world was basically established during the first Five Nations Conference, but only "basically." There were no clear boundary markers or national borders, as the major nations didn't actually share many borders, with many small countries in between.
However, with the outbreak of the Second Shinobi World War, many small countries were directly annexed, and the territories of the major ninja villages inevitably clashed.
Fortunately, the war is over now, and the villages have fought to exhaustion; otherwise, they wouldn't be sitting down to talk. Jinghang proposed the first agenda item: clarifying "national borders," establishing boundary markers, and defining territorial scope.
This is no small matter; it concerns the survival of the ninja villages. Where does the income for ninjas come from? Partly from the daimyo's support, but the rest must be accumulated bit by bit through missions. The larger the territory, the more population, naturally leading to more missions and income. As leaders, they understand this, and at this critical juncture, they naturally strive to gain as much territory as possible for future decades.
The main arguments revolved around Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, Third Raikage Ai, and Fourth Tsuchikage Tsuchi, as they had the most shared borders and the fiercest disputes.
Using "verbal battles" to describe it is not an exaggeration. With Third Raikage Ai's hot temper, he often threatened the table with his large fists. Fortunately, Jinghang foresaw this and ensured the negotiating table was made of pure steel, though it was dented in places, it should still be usable after some repairs.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was not intimidated. Raikage, don't give me attitude; we all carry one head on two shoulders, who fears whom? Is it just your thick arms? Your loud voice? Who are you trying to scare?
Tsuchi chimed in, agreeing, "If you really want to fight, there's no need to damage the Kazekage's table; let's find a place to spar and talk after."
At this point, Ai couldn't hold back, "Haha! Sounds good to me. Kazekage, could you arrange a spacious place for us to spar? So we don't damage your property."
Jinghang instantly felt overwhelmed, quickly persuading, "Esteemed leaders, let's not resort to violence. The purpose of this conference is to clarify these disputes, isn't it? I have a suggestion; let me know if you think it's feasible."
The leaders gave Jinghang face, "Alright, let's hear it."
So Jinghang had a giant 1:50,000 scale map of the ninja continent world unfolded before the leaders, pointing to the nations' borders.
"Look, let's use the current territorial scope as the basis. Along the borders, let's discuss one city, one pool, one inch at a time. If we can distinguish, we'll establish boundary markers, eliminating disputes."
"And if we can't discuss clearly?"
Third Raikage Ai asked.
"That's simple too. As Fourth Tsuchikage suggested earlier, have a match. Whoever wins gets the land. I see you all brought numerous guardian jonin; each side picks three, best of three matches, winner gets the land, loser has no complaints, how about it?"
Jinghang's proposal suited Third Raikage's taste.
"Hmm! I think it works."
At this point, Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "This might not be good. Fighting during a peace conference could cause casualties."
Jinghang shrugged helplessly, "Then do you have a better idea, Hokage? Anyway, my proposal is the only solution; arguing won't yield results. As for casualties, with the five of us here, nothing major should happen."
Sarutobi Hiruzen thought for a moment and found it reasonable. So he nodded in agreement. After all, he brought enough people this time, so he shouldn't suffer losses.
"Can I participate?"
Third Raikage Ai provocatively looked at Fourth Tsuchikage Tsuchi.
"Hehe, I think if Raikage participates, only the leaders can handle it. Then there's no need for three matches, just one."
So they reached an agreement, proceeding as planned. Start with undisputed areas, then determine disputed ones. After all, they're here to negotiate, taking it step by step, not afraid of effort.
So Sarutobi Hiruzen, Ai, and Tsuchi engaged in intense discussions on the map.
Jinghang and Kushimaru Kuriarare leisurely sipped tea and chatted aside.
Why? It's quite simple; these two countries have unique geographical environments, with no territorial disputes with other nations.
The Land of Water with Kirigakure is naturally isolated overseas, surrounded by seawater, and just managed to quell internal strife, now focusing on recuperation. The ninja orders within the country can't even be digested, let alone overseas.
The Land of Wind with Sunagakure is similar, with a ring of desert near the border, almost a natural border. No one is interested in sand. The real treasures lie in the interior and peninsula, easily calculated.
Moreover, Sunagakure's ninja operation mode is different from other villages. The village's finances don't rely on ninja missions' small earnings; four thousand ninjas suffice for domestic needs, while the remaining ten thousand are regular army "on salary, eating royal grain." Naturally, there's no need to compete.
This method indeed improved efficiency significantly. Undisputed areas don't require effort to contest, while disputed areas—very coincidentally—Konoha and Kumogakure have twelve, and Kumogakure and Iwagakure also have twelve.
"Coincidentally, a ninja arena was built in the hotel area of Yuexi Peninsula, spacious and exceptionally sturdy, simulating various terrain features and accommodating sixty thousand spectators. We'll head there for the match. Show true strength."
"Good!"
"Okay."
"No problem!"
The three leaders nodded in agreement.
"Alright, that's it for today. In the next three days, feel free to explore Yuexi Peninsula. I'll go prepare at the arena. Yakura, bring it up."
Yakura brought over a tray filled with golden squares.
Jinghang picked one up to show the group, "This is a special chip from Crystal Palace Casino, worth one million ryo each. They can be exchanged for cash in various halls or used directly for betting. As the host, I can't let you leave empty-handed; each faction gets eight million, just a small gift from me."
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