After Obito left, Wen Lan returned home and slept comfortably in his bed.
Days passed.
In the blink of an eye, a year had gone by.
Life in Konoha had become increasingly peaceful, and laughter could be heard throughout the village.
Every day, Wen Lan trained Kurenai, Itachi, Anko, and Hana.
"Anko! How did Orochimaru teach you? Your Hidden Shadow Snake Hands need to be faster!"
"Hana! Spin faster with Fang Over Fang! Look at the Hyūga clan's Rotation—you need that kind of speed!"
"Itachi! Stop copying that idiot Shisui's shuriken tricks. Your real talent lies in genjutsu!"
"Kurenai! Your genjutsu still isn't perfect. Keep refining it!"
Beside a small stream, Wen Lan leaned against a tree.
In front of him, the four trainees were drenched in sweat.
In his hand was a piece of intelligence.
Beside him stood Kakashi, wearing an ANBU mask.
Wen Lan glanced at the report.
It concerned Kumogakure.
The Cloud Village intended to open peace negotiations with Konoha.
The Third Great Ninja War had been too devastating.
The next generation of elites in every village had not yet fully grown.
Kumo's proposal was to establish diplomatic ties and pursue peaceful development.
Of course—
That was only the surface explanation.
Wen Lan knew their real goal:
The Byakugan.
Ever since Kirigakure stole a Byakugan and Konoha failed to reclaim it, the other villages had taken notice.
Kumo had begun plotting to obtain one as well.
Trying to steal a Sharingan was unrealistic now that Wen Lan—an Uchiha—served as Hokage Advisor.
So they settled for the next best thing.
The Byakugan.
Minato had received this intelligence earlier and sent Kakashi to ask for Wen Lan's opinion.
Shikaku supported peace.
Konoha was strong, but if war erupted, the other villages might unite against them.
After all—
Among the Five Great Nations, only the Land of Fire was truly fertile.
Iwagakure sat in barren wastelands
Kirigakure suffered from endless mist and poor soil
Sunagakure was buried in desert sands
Kumogakure had thunder-filled skies and limited farmland
Only Konoha occupied truly prosperous land.
Which meant—
Every other village secretly coveted it.
Wen Lan thought for a moment.
Then handed the report back to Kakashi.
"Tell Minato-senpai… we can establish relations."
"Yes."
Kakashi disappeared instantly.
Kurenai sat down beside Wen Lan, exhausted.
She grabbed a water bottle and gulped it down.
"Another mission?"
"No," Wen Lan said with a shake of his head.
"Just work matters."
Nearby, Akamaru's brothers, the Graymaru trio, collapsed beside Wen Lan.
Their tongues hung out as they panted.
Hana tried calling them, but the dogs refused to move.
They were completely exhausted.
Wen Lan laughed and rubbed Graymaru's head before pouring water into their bowl.
The three dogs rushed over to drink.
Itachi walked up quietly.
"Senior… I'd like to go home and see Sasuke."
Wen Lan sighed.
Itachi's little-brother complex was hopeless.
But the sun was already near noon.
"Alright," he said.
"Training ends here today. Go home."
"Yes!"
After the others left, Hana immediately grabbed Wen Lan's arm.
With a bright smile, she dragged him off to go shopping.
Preparing for the Delegation
Once the decision to establish relations with Kumogakure was announced, Konoha began decorating the streets.
Lanterns hung everywhere to welcome the Cloud Village delegation.
Ordinary villagers were genuinely happy.
They believed peace meant no more wars.
But the higher-ups knew better.
Treaties were merely pieces of paper.
They could be torn apart at any moment.
Minato originally wanted to personally greet the delegation at the village gate.
But Wen Lan and Shikaku both refused.
Kumogakure wasn't worthy of the Hokage's personal welcome.
Instead—
Shikaku went to receive them.
To display Konoha's strength, Wen Lan arranged for all Uchiha shinobi with three-tomoe Sharingan to stand at the entrance.
The Intimidation
Eight shinobi arrived from Kumogakure.
Their leader was Dodai (Tsuchidai).
The moment they entered the village—
They saw rows of three-tomoe Sharingan staring at them.
Their hair stood on end.
It was obvious.
This was a show of power.
Dodai forced himself to remain calm.
"Konoha truly lives up to its reputation," he said politely.
"This formation alone shows your prestige."
Shikaku smiled faintly.
"Why be so formal? The Sharingan are merely common sights in our village."
"If you visit often, you'll grow used to them."
The Cloud shinobi's expressions stiffened.
They understood the hidden message.
This wasn't diplomacy.
It was intimidation.
Dodai suppressed the alarm in his heart as he followed Shikaku.
Every step he took—
Dozens of Sharingan eyes followed him.
It felt like walking into an abyss.
If it were night, the pressure would have been even worse.
Dodai felt a chill crawl up his spine.
Yet he kept his composure.
On both sides of the road, Uchiha clan members stood silently.
Their eyes glowed coldly in the sunlight like countless blades hanging overhead.
The air felt suffocating.
Even the Cloud shinobi instinctively lowered their breathing.
The Meeting
Eventually they reached the Hokage Building conference room.
Inside sat Minato Namikaze and Uchiha Wen Lan.
Dodai bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Lord Hokage. Lord Advisor."
Minato nodded politely.
"Mr. Dodai has traveled far. Please, have a seat."
Wen Lan remained seated, casually tapping the armrest.
He glanced at the Cloud shinobi and smiled faintly.
"Kumogakure shows great sincerity this time."
"The Fourth Raikage's advisor Dodai…"
"The Raikage's bodyguard Darui…"
"The Raikage's confidant Samui…"
"And the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii."
The moment Wen Lan spoke these names—
The Cloud delegation's hearts tightened.
Knowing Dodai and Darui wasn't surprising.
But Samui had only become the Raikage's aide within the past year.
And Yugito's jinchūriki identity was rarely revealed in diplomatic missions.
Dodai's first thought was:
A traitor among the Kumogakure leadership.
But he immediately dismissed it.
Samui was a hidden card of the Raikage, known only to a few trusted individuals.
If it were an insider leak, Konoha wouldn't have revealed it so precisely.
Which meant only one thing—
Konoha must have long-term sensory spies near the Raikage's office.
Quietly collecting intelligence for years.
Dodai's heart sank.
A cold sensation crept down his spine.
Konoha's intelligence network had infiltrated the Raikage's inner circle.
Its foundation was far more terrifying than rumors suggested.
Across the table—
Wen Lan continued smiling.
But his gaze was as sharp as a blade.
As if he had already seen through every secret they carried.
The room grew deathly silent.
Cold sweat formed on the Cloud shinobi's foreheads.
Yet none of them dared make a move.
—------------------------------
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