Naruto - Azure Awakening

Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to Patreón @ - currently +8 chapters

[ https://www̧̧.patreón.com/azureawakening ]

The link is also in the synopsis

A/N - Thank you, Josh Wells and DoNotFriendMe for being the first Patreóns of Azure Awakening!

<<<>>>

Kumo hadn't expected Jiraiya.

They knew Konoha had a new Hokage, but they had assumed Hiruzen would be the one attending the negotiations.

That said, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Jiraiya was undeniably strong, but A didn't see him as his equal. In his mind, only Hiruzen could have truly fought him on even ground. Whether that belief was accurate or not only time would tell. But for now, the Kumo delegation was relieved to see the Fifth Hokage instead of the Third.

Their stance toward Kiri, however, was more uncertain.

On one hand, more balance in the negotiations was a good thing. Kumo was convinced that Takimura was already aligned with Konoha, so having another party in the mix meant less leverage for them.

But on the other hand, this was Kirigakure.

Even with their suspiciously passive stance toward Takimura and the internal conflicts that plagued them, Kiri remained one of the Five Great Villages. Their true strength was one of the most closely guarded secrets in the shinobi world, and when it came to battle-hardened elites, Kiri held a clear advantage.

Unlike Takimura, Kiri couldn't be bought easily. As a major hidden village, they had a reputation to uphold and pride that wouldn't allow them to be swayed by simple negotiations.

And yet, seeing two factions from the Land of Water staking claims didn't sit well with the other villages either.

Everyone in the room understood one thing.

This was going to be a chaotic and difficult negotiation.

<<<>>>

"Welcome to my humble land," the daimyo of Sunny Island greeted them with a warm smile.

But no matter how much he tried to appear at ease, the tension in his posture betrayed him.

He had no real experience in dealing with shinobi, but he did understand one thing, the giants gathered in this room could easily destroy his small paradise if things went wrong. His only hope was that Sunny Island would survive the tide that was about to come.

"We are gathered here to discuss and decide how the Dragon Vein Crystal deposit should be handled," the daimyo continued. "I will listen to all parties before making my decision."

Then, he sat down. Technically, the final decision was his. But in reality, the true power in the room wasn't his. The shinobi would decide among themselves, and when they reached an agreement, he would simply ratify it.

'In the world of shinobi, being a daimyo means nothing. My authority and influence can only get me a seat in this room - nothing more, nothing less.'

A wry, self-deprecating smile tugged at his lips as he sank into his chair.

This negotiation was going to be long and exhausting.

"Thank you for hosting us so graciously," A was the first to speak. "We don't want to take advantage of your hospitality, so we'll be on our way as soon as a decision is reached."

His words were polite on the surface, but they carried a hidden meaning. If things didn't go the way he wanted, Sunny Island would suffer the consequences.

The other delegations caught the meaning instantly. So did the daimyo. Even if he lacked experience dealing with shinobi, this wasn't his first negotiation and he wasn't a fool either.

Jiraiya smirked. "No need to be so harsh, Lord Raikage. I imagine many of us would love to stay if our host welcomes the company."

His words were just as layered. He was making it clear that Konoha would protect Sunny Island. 

The Daimyo maintained a completely neutral expression, 'So one of them is blatantly threatening us and the other is saying they will provide protection.'

But what that protection entailed was another matter entirely.

Still, A had lost the first exchange.

Diplomacy had never been his strength. And so, as expected, Dodai took over.

"I'm sure hosting the Hokage would be an honor for anyone," Dodai said with an easy smile. "But Lord Raikage prefers not to overstay his welcome, Lord Jiraiya. Besides, Kumo has already been staying at Lord Daimyo's request. That's how we discovered the deposit in the first place. We wouldn't want our host to think we were truly taking advantage of his kindness."

Jiraiya's smirk faltered slightly.

'Not only did Dodai soften A's words, but he also justified Kumo's presence in a neutral country.'

The only way to challenge them now was if the daimyo himself claimed they were lying. And that would never happen.

It was a blatant abuse of power, but Kumo didn't care.

The only real downside was that the daimyo would no longer favor their side. But that was a small price to pay compared to shutting down Konoha's strongest argument before the real discussions even began.

And so, the battle of words continued.

They hadn't even touched the subject of the deposit yet. Instead, both sides circled each other, applying subtle pressure, waiting for an opening.

Meanwhile, the two delegations from the Land of Water sat in silence.

Mei, who was in charge of Takimura's delegation, remained composed as she patiently observed the exchange between Konoha and Kumo, taking in every detail without reacting.

Mangetsu, however, was far less tolerant. His irritation was becoming more evident with every passing moment. His fingers twitched slightly against the table, his jaw was tightened and his gaze sharpened. It was only a matter of time before he erupted.

Kaoru, who was watching from his seat, was surprised by how the negotiations were unfolding. This was nothing like what he had imagined. Konoha and Kumo weren't engaging in discussions, they were hurling veiled threats, subtle insults, and accusations at each other, all wrapped in the pretense of diplomacy.

'No wonder these nations are constantly at war. They can't even have a normal conversation without trying to dominate each other.'

He couldn't understand why they felt the need to act this way, why their first instinct was to apply pressure rather than seek compromise. But then his gaze landed on Mangetsu and the Kiri delegation, and something unfamiliar yet deeply ingrained surfaced within him. It wasn't a conscious emotion, it did not even feel like his own. But it was there, a quiet, lingering hatred, one that had been passed down from his clan's suffering at the hands of Kiri.

That brief moment of instinctual resentment was enough to make him realize why the shinobi world could never achieve true peace.

'This must be the chain of hatred.'

Would he be able to put his emotions aside if he had the strength to challenge Kiri? If he carried the weight of responsibility for avenging the villagers who had suffered at their hands, could he remain rational, or would he become just another part of the cycle?

For the first time, Kaoru found himself asking the kind of questions that every leader eventually faces when they stand at the crossroads between justice and vengeance.

Kaoru's thoughts were interrupted by A who was clearly losing patience.

"Enough of these games," A nearly roared. "We all know why we're here, so let's stop pretending this is about anything else. The Dragon Vein Crystals belong to no one yet, and as the ones who discovered them first, Kumo has the strongest claim."

Jiraiya exhaled in amusement and leaned back in his chair as though A's words weren't even worth refuting. "I can't say I'm surprised you'd take that stance, but let's not rewrite history. Kumo may have found the deposit, but this is neutral land, and the discovery of resources doesn't automatically translate to ownership."

"As I recall," A countered, "Konoha has never had an issue claiming land outside its borders when it benefits them. Or should I bring up the Land of Hot Water?"

Jiraiya's smile thinned slightly, but he showed no sign of being truly rattled. "And I could say the same about Kumo and their, let's say, aggressive expansion methods. But let's not waste time digging up old conflicts, Lord Raikage. We're here to talk about this one."

Despite his frustration at the pointless verbal posturing, Kaoru had come to understand why this was necessary. Both Konoha and Kumo were strong enough that neither could afford to appear weak, which meant neither side would allow the other to dictate the terms of the discussion. Any sign of hesitation would be exploited, and every advantage would be pressed for as much leverage as possible.

Still, he couldn't help but find it ridiculous.

How much of this was about the Dragon Vein Crystals, and how much was about pride?

"Let's move this discussion along quickly," Tsunade interjected firmly. "We can both station our shinobi at the deposit and split the benefits evenly. This way, everything remains fair and…"

A loud thud interrupted her as Mangetsu's hand slammed against the table.

All eyes turned to him.

His face, which had shown clear irritation before, was now eerily calm. Whatever anger he had felt was now buried beneath something far more dangerous, cold calculation.

"Both?" he repeated, his voice was calm and cold. "Aren't you forgetting someone, Lady Tsunade?" His gaze swept over the room. "Just because we don't talk as much as you, doesn't mean we'll let you claim all the benefits while we stand by and watch. You don't get to hunt the prey and expect us to be satisfied with the scraps."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes slightly as she realized her mistake. In focusing on Konoha and Kumo, she had overlooked both Kiri and Takimura - one of which she needed to stay on good terms with.

With Kiri now asserting their stance, Takimura could no longer remain silent.

Knowing full well the decision that had been agreed upon by her council, Mei was supposed to sell Takimura's stake to the highest bidder. But she had changed her mind.

She had a different approach in mind.

"Since the deposit is on neutral land, neither village has a stronger claim than the other," she said confidently. "First of all, I propose that the deposit be divided into four shares, not three."

Her words immediately caused tension to spike.There was no way Konoha and Kumo would accept the Land of Water getting two shares.

But that wasn't what she was asking.

"Konoha and Kumo will, of course, receive one share each," Mei continued. "Since Takimura and Kirigakure both come from the Land of Water, we will divide one share between us. And finally, I propose that we allocate one share to Sunny Island itself. The deposit is on their land. They should benefit from it as well."

The room grew tense.

Traditionally, when a deposit was found on neutral land, the hidden villages simply took it. In exchange, they allowed the locals to continue living peacefully, it was an unspoken rule that was little more than a barely concealed form of extortion. It was unfair, but in a world where might makes right, it had long since been normalized.

For Mei to propose giving the daimyo an equal share was not only unconventional - it was outright disruptive.

None of the great villages looked pleased, but before they could voice their objections, Mei pressed on.

"This way, not only will Sunny Island benefit, but you will be able to buy crystals from them rather than having to distribute them yourselves. Dragon Vein Crystals are only useful to shinobi and even more so to nations with a high number of wind-affinity users. Konoha, for example, stands to gain much less from this resource than a village like Suna. By allowing the daimyo to control a portion of the deposit, you can offer him a fair price for the crystals and then resell them at a higher value. In exchange, Sunny Island will provide free housing and food for the shinobi guarding the deposit."

Silence stretched across the room.

Both Kumo and Konoha found themselves tempted to accept the proposal, not because it was particularly favorable, but because rejecting it meant prolonging the negotiations indefinitely. Neither side wanted to spend days locked in a battle of words, but at the same time, agreeing to allocate a share to neutral land was a dangerous precedent. One that could come back to haunt them in future disputes.

Before their hesitation could turn into an objection, the daimyo, who had sensed an opportunity, stepped in.

"I deeply appreciate Takimura's generosity," he said smoothly, his voice carrying just the right amount of humility. "However, I understand that Sunny Island cannot be treated as an exception. So how about this - we agree on a symbolic price for the crystals, divide that evenly among all four of you, and in exchange, the four villages will sign a treaty, recognizing themselves as joint guarantors of this agreement. The treaty will remain active until the deposit is fully exhausted and for an additional two years after that. What do you say?"

It was a bold move. But if the four villages agreed, the daimyo would not only secure small economic benefits for his people but also ensure their protection under the watch of the great villages.

The delegations exchanged glances and one by one, they agreed. For Kumo and Konoha, the biggest relief was that they could end this standoff without having to directly challenge each other, saving both their pride and resources. A prolonged argument could have escalated into an unnecessary conflict, something neither of them could afford.

The only one visibly displeased was A, who wanted a war with Konoha and saw any compromise as a wasted opportunity. However, Dodai had already accepted the deal, effectively tying A's hands. Unless he was willing to openly contradict and humiliate one of Kumo's senior advisors in front of everyone else, he had no choice but to go along with it.

A growled in frustration but gave a reluctant nod as his clenched fists were the only sign of his simmering resentment.

For a brief moment, the atmosphere in the room lightened.

But then Mangetsu turned his sharp gaze toward Mei. A slow, knowing smirk curled at the edges of his lips as he leaned forward slightly.

"And how exactly do you suggest we divide the crystals?" he asked, eyes glinting with amusement and mockery. "How about I let you and your friends leave in one piece, and in exchange, you say thank you and scram?"

**

A/N -

How will Maki & Kaoru react to Mangetsu's words? Will other villages intervene?

Small Request – If you're enjoying the story, consider gifting Power Stones to help it reach more people, it would help me a lot!

**