Chapter 478: This "Alliance" Is as Reliable as the Atlantic Ocean

"I personally hope that the relationship between our two villages can become a genuine and reliable alliance," Takuya said, spreading his hands apologetically as he addressed Yagura.

"But ever since the war started, I've been constantly busy, with barely any time to rest. I'm exhausted, and right now, all I want is to relax.

"As for a complex and time-consuming mission like capturing tailed beasts, I'm not interested in taking it on.

"My apologies. There are plenty of capable people in Konoha who can help. You should consider reaching out to them."

"That's… quite disappointing…"

Yagura's eye twitched as he forced himself to remain composed.

Tired and needing rest?

Of all the reasons he might have expected for being turned down, this was not one of them. If Takuya had been occupied with other tasks or facing difficult missions, Yagura wouldn't have pushed the matter. But being too tired? What kind of excuse was that?

Disappointed but left with no choice, Yagura departed. Takuya had refused the mission, and there was no way to compel him to accept.

"You turned him down?"

Not long after Yagura left, Tsunade arrived.

Seeing Takuya lounging on the couch with a book in hand, she immediately understood that Yagura had left empty-handed.

"Yup," Takuya replied lazily, not even looking up.

"I recommended that he find someone else to help, like Jiraiya. That guy has nothing better to do in the village, so sending him out on a mission will at least keep him occupied and stop him from lurking around bathhouses and hot springs."

"…"

Tsunade was momentarily speechless.

That actually makes sense.

Jiraiya had been back in the village for only a few days, and complaints about his behavior had already piled up at the Hokage's office.

The Third Hokage had been thoroughly embarrassed by the situation.

Tsunade had wanted to kick Jiraiya into next week, but the slippery toad sage had wisely vanished before she could find him.

"What about you? Why are you back? Don't you have things to oversee with the negotiation team?"

Takuya glanced at her over the edge of his book, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.

For a moment, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him—was Tsunade's figure still… growing? It was almost like she was defying the natural order with some kind of cheat code.

Annoyed by his gaze, Tsunade gave Takuya's foot a light smack to make room for herself on the couch. She plopped down, rubbing her temples with a tired sigh.

"There are a few minor details left to sort out, but the old man and the Council of Elders can handle it. With the elders involved, ridiculous demands like those from Sunagakure won't happen.

"You're tired, and so am I. Might as well take a moment to relax."

"Fair enough," Takuya agreed, nodding.

He couldn't argue with her reasoning. Instead of wasting energy haggling over trivial matters, it was better to let the experts handle it and give themselves some much-needed downtime.

The negotiations between Konoha and Kirigakure were tough, with every scrap of benefit hotly contested.

If it had just been the Third Hokage handling things, Tsunade wouldn't have felt at ease. But with the Council of Elders backing him, it was a different story.

The elders were known for their ability to haggle endlessly. With their help, Konoha could easily make Kirigakure's delegation tear their hair out in frustration.

As for the mission to capture tailed beasts, Takuya's refusal left the task to Jiraiya.

It seemed Tsunade and the Third Hokage had decided to keep Jiraiya occupied, preventing him from causing more trouble in the village.

The complaints had been enough to make the Third Hokage want to bury his face in shame.

Tasked with leading a sealing team to assist Kirigakure, Jiraiya could only begrudgingly accept his fate.

The actual timeline for capturing the Two-Tails and Six-Tails remained uncertain, as it depended heavily on Kirigakure's efforts.

This was precisely why Takuya had refused the mission.

If Kirigakure had already pinpointed the tailed beasts' locations and just needed muscle to subdue them, the task wouldn't have taken long, and Takuya might have considered it.

But with no confirmed locations, the mission would involve a prolonged search—potentially taking months or even years. Takuya had no interest in wasting his time on such an ordeal.

With the Yuki clan shinobi delivered, Takuya ended his brief break and resumed his research into Ice Release.

"Don't be afraid. Just use your Ice Release as you normally would. I'm not going to conduct any human experiments or invasive studies on you.

"As long as you pass my tests, I can grant you Konoha citizenship, allowing you to live here peacefully."

In theory, mastering Ice Release required combining wind and water chakra natures.

In practice, reaching that point was far from simple.

The negotiations between Konoha and Kirigakure stretched on for ten grueling days, even attracting the attention of the Daimyō of the Land of Fire.

The prospect of opening a maritime trade route, which directly impacted his wealth, compelled the Daimyō to make a personal visit to Konoha.

Finally, after ten days of intense talks, the two villages signed a peace and mutual assistance agreement under the Daimyō's witness.

Kirigakure was now officially aligned with Konoha's interests.

However, as Takuya saw it, the alliance was as flimsy as the Atlantic Ocean was vast.

While the agreement stipulated mutual assistance, it lacked any binding clause requiring either side to provide military support in the event of war.

In short, it was an alliance in name only.

Still, the document served its purpose: it prevented Kirigakure from stabbing Konoha in the back.

Large villages had reputations to uphold, and any betrayal would require a solid pretext.

Given Kirigakure's current state, even if they wanted to help Konoha in a war, they lacked the resources and manpower to do so.

At best, they could offer symbolic gestures of support.

With the negotiations concluded, Kirigakure's delegation departed, along with Jiraiya and his sealing team. Their task was to assist Kirigakure in locating and capturing the Two-Tails and Six-Tails.

However, their success would depend largely on Kirigakure's efforts. Jiraiya's team was there for combat and sealing, not reconnaissance.

Every time Takuya thought of Jiraiya's resigned expression as he left the village, he couldn't help but laugh.

No one, not even Jiraiya, could be happy about taking on such a drawn-out mission.

Meanwhile, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire left for his mansion with a beaming smile. The maritime trade route promised a significant boost to his coffers.

Back in Konoha, the renovation of Danzo's solitary cell in the village's prison was nearing completion.

Nawaki waved to the ANBU and prison guards stationed nearby.

"Alright, the rest is up to you. I'll be back on schedule."

"Don't worry, Nawaki-sama. We won't let anyone get close."

"No need to be so tense. Relax a little."

With a lighthearted laugh, Nawaki patted his stomach and left to grab some food, planning to return for his next shift afterward.

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