Chapter 232: A New Kind of Agreement
For a long moment, the negotiation hall remained silent.
The tension had not disappeared.
It had only shifted.
Everyone present understood that the deadlock between the four sides had reached its most critical point.
Ragnar leaned back slightly in his chair, expression calm.
To him, negotiations had always been simple.
If a problem could be solved with strength, then there was no reason to beg for compromise.
But Konoha did not operate that way.
The Will of Fire, the philosophy of protecting peace, and the traditions of the village all shaped how its leaders acted.
Hatake Sakumo, as the representative of the Hokage, could not simply impose victory through brute force.
That was why the current situation had become so complicated.
The Land of Wind and the Land of Earth insisted on dividing the Rain Country.
The Rain Country refused absolutely.
Hanzo would rather continue the war than surrender his nation's sovereignty.
And Sakumo could not abandon an ally without damaging Konoha's reputation forever.
It was a perfect stalemate.
And if the talks collapsed…
The Second Shinobi War would start again immediately.
Hanzo spoke first.
"White Fang," he said calmly.
"If Konoha finds itself in a difficult position, the Rain Country can accept abandonment."
The words shocked everyone present.
"But if that happens," Hanzo continued, his voice steady, "the war will continue under Rain's banner alone."
Hatake Sakumo's answer came instantly.
"No."
He shook his head firmly.
"We have already reached this point. If the war starts again now, all the sacrifices made so far will have been meaningless."
Silence returned.
Even Sakumo seemed uncertain about how to break the deadlock.
Then Ragnar spoke again.
"Captain," he said.
"I have a suggestion."
Every pair of eyes in the room turned toward him.
Onoki leaned forward slightly.
"Rakshasa," the Tsuchikage said, "go on."
The Kazekage, Hanzo, the Sannin, and even Sakumo all watched him carefully.
A few minutes earlier, Ragnar had been threatening to cut people down.
Now his tone had become unexpectedly calm.
"Both of you refuse to compromise," Ragnar said, glancing at the Tsuchikage and Kazekage.
"You insist on obtaining territory from the Rain Country."
Then he looked at Hanzo.
"But Rain is a sovereign nation. Hanzo will never allow his land to be carved apart."
Everyone nodded slightly.
That much was obvious.
Ragnar continued.
"So I want to ask something simple."
"What exactly do you need the land for?"
Onoki answered immediately.
"For agriculture."
"To increase our national food reserves."
The Kazekage nodded as well.
"Our reason is the same."
Ragnar leaned forward slightly.
"So you need farmland."
"Not a military fortress."
"Not political control."
"Just land for production."
Onoki frowned slightly.
"Yes."
Ragnar paused briefly.
"Then there's a compromise."
The room grew quiet again.
"What compromise?" Onoki asked.
Ragnar glanced around the table.
His eyes passed over the Kazekage, the Tsuchikage, Hanzo, the Sannin, and finally Sakumo.
Everyone waited.
Then he spoke one word.
"Lease."
The word hung in the air.
"What?" the Kazekage asked.
Ragnar explained calmly.
"The Rain Country keeps its sovereignty."
"The northern region can be leased to the Land of Earth."
"The southern region can be leased to the Land of Wind."
The room froze.
"Of course," Ragnar continued, "this lease would not be free."
"The two nations would pay rent to the Rain Country during the agreed period."
"And there would be conditions."
He raised one finger.
"First: neither nation may station military forces there."
"Second: the land can only be used for agricultural production."
"Third: all agreements must be witnessed and guaranteed by Konoha."
A collective intake of breath echoed around the table.
No one had ever suggested something like this before.
Leasing territory?
It was unprecedented in the entire shinobi world.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
The Kazekage scratched his head, clearly confused.
"Wait… hold on."
"You're saying we don't actually own the land?"
"We just… rent it?"
Ragnar nodded.
"Yes."
The Kazekage frowned.
"Then why should we pay for it?"
Ragnar didn't answer.
Instead, he looked at Onoki.
"Tsuchikage."
"Would you like to explain it to your ally?"
Onoki studied Ragnar carefully before responding.
"Kazekage," he said slowly.
"Your country may lack farmland."
"But Sunagakure certainly doesn't lack money."
"If paying some rent allows us to secure stable agricultural land…"
"That's a very reasonable trade."
He then turned back toward Ragnar.
"Iwagakure accepts this proposal."
His eyes lingered on Ragnar for a moment longer.
Originally, Onoki had thought Ragnar was nothing more than a reckless warrior.
Now he realized how wrong that assumption had been.
The young Rakshasa possessed both overwhelming strength and a frighteningly sharp mind.
Such an enemy was far more dangerous than a simple brute.
If Ragnar continued to grow…
The Land of Earth might never surpass the Land of Fire again.
The Kazekage suddenly burst into laughter.
"Money?"
"Sunagakure has plenty of money!"
"Fine. I agree too."
Then Hanzo spoke.
"The Rain Village accepts Rakshasa's proposal."
His tone remained calm, but there was unmistakable approval in his eyes.
"This solution preserves the sovereignty of the Rain Country."
"However…"
He raised one condition.
"The leasing agreement must be witnessed by all four parties."
"And it must be legally binding."
Ragnar nodded.
"That's reasonable."
At the center of the table, Hatake Sakumo still looked slightly stunned.
The impossible deadlock that had tormented him all morning had been resolved in a matter of minutes.
Leasing territory.
It was such a bold idea that most people would never even consider it.
But it worked perfectly.
The Rain Country kept its sovereignty.
The Wind and Earth nations gained farmland.
And Konoha maintained its alliance while preventing further war.
It was a delicate balance.
Finally, Sakumo laughed softly.
"Rakshasa," he said, "since the proposal was yours…"
"You should take responsibility for drafting the agreement."
Ragnar sighed internally.
Politics had never interested him.
But apparently…
He had just become the chief architect of peace.
Around the table, the Konoha shinobi looked at him with open admiration.
Strength alone could win battles.
But today, Ragnar had proven he could also end a war.
End of Chapter 231
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