"Uchiha words alone are not enough."
The Daimyo slowly leaned back into his chair while speaking.
Snow continued falling heavily outside the palace windows.
"I cannot place the entire Land of Snow at risk..."
His eyes moved toward Koji and the strange communication snail resting on the table.
"...simply because of promises."
The atmosphere inside the hall grew heavier again.
Honestly—
the vision the Uchiha presented was tempting.
Too tempting.
A hidden village.
Military strength.
Economic growth.
Independence from the Great Nations.
Everything the Land of Snow lacked—
the Uchiha were offering a path toward it.
But at the same time—
the danger behind it was equally enormous.
If even a small trace of this reached the Five Great Nations—
the consequences could become catastrophic.
The Land of Snow might even face pressure or siege from powers far beyond its ability to resist.
'No...'
The Daimyo quietly tightened his fingers against the armrest.
'I cannot take such a massive risk.'
For several moments—
Toyoma and Koji both remained silent.
Neither interrupted him.
The nobles sitting nearby also said nothing.
Because everyone present already understood the reality of the situation.
One wrong decision here could destroy everything.
And more importantly—
another fear had already quietly settled inside the hearts of everyone present.
The Uchiha already knew about the Land of Snow's hidden research projects.
Even before those projects had fully achieved results.
That alone was enough to unsettle the nobles deeply.
Because if information about those developments spread outside the country—
the attention of the Great Nations would immediately turn toward the Land of Snow.
And once that happened—
there was a very real possibility that larger powers would attempt to seize those technologies for themselves.
The room gradually fell silent again.
Only the sound of the snowstorm outside continued echoing faintly through the hall.
Meanwhile—
Advisor Katagiri quietly released a tired sigh.
"forming a hidden shinobi village is out of the question for now."
The Daimyo's voice remained firm as he looked toward Koji and the communication snail.
"The Land of Snow simply does not possess the strength or resources needed for something on that scale."
Several nobles quietly nodded after hearing those words.
Even now—
many of them still struggled to fully accept the idea of a hidden shinobi village existing inside their country.
Then slowly—
the Daimyo continued.
"However..."
His gaze shifted toward Koji again.
"Something like merchant headquarters or business operations can be allowed."
A faint pause followed.
"You will simply need to pay the proper fees and taxes to the Land of Snow."
The atmosphere inside the hall eased slightly afterward.
Because compared to a hidden village—
trade agreements felt far less dangerous.
But deep inside—
the Daimyo also understood he could not completely reject every Uchiha proposal anymore.
Not after learning how much information they already possessed regarding the Land of Snow's hidden research projects.
At this point—
maintaining a stable relationship with the Uchiha had already become important by itself.
Koji quietly looked toward Katagiri and the Daimyo.
"Advisor..."
His calm voice echoed softly through the hall.
"What we are trying to offer the Land of Snow carries far greater potential than simple trade."
The firelight flickered faintly nearby.
"The medical research and products developed by the Uchiha already possess enormous value."
Several nobles quietly narrowed their eyes while listening.
Because even they had already heard some reports regarding the unusual medicines and treatment methods connected to the Uchiha medical camps during the war.
Then Koji slowly looked toward the Daimyo again.
"And yet..."
A faint confusion appeared in his expression.
"...you are still this cautious about the idea of a hidden village."
Snow brushed softly against the palace windows outside.
"The reason we wish to establish one is actually very simple."
Koji's voice remained steady.
"We need people capable of protecting our businesses, supply routes, research facilities, and future operations."
The room quietly fell silent again.
"This village would not follow the traditional hidden village system."
His eyes darkened slightly afterward.
"It would not exist for assassinations, political wars, or gathering intelligence like the Great Nations do."
A subtle pause followed.
"It would exist to protect our interests."
Koji finally finished speaking.
And for the first time—
several nobles inside the hall began looking at each other with visible uncertainty rather than outright rejection.
The discussion inside the hall gradually became louder.
The earlier silence had finally started breaking apart.
One of the nobles sitting near the corner slowly spoke first.
"And if we agree to support the Uchiha..."
His eyes remained fixed on the strange communication snail.
"...what guarantee do we have that you will not simply use the Land of Snow and later abandon us for one of the Great Nations?"
Several nobles immediately nodded after hearing that.
Because honestly—
that fear had existed inside all of them from the very beginning.
Another noble quickly added,
"Exactly."
His voice carried visible suspicion now.
"If your proposal is truly as beneficial as you claim..."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"...then why not approach one of the larger nations instead?"
The atmosphere inside the hall quietly shifted again.
The earlier curiosity and temptation slowly began turning back into caution.
Then another noble directly looked toward Koji.
"Uchiha..."
His voice remained respectful—
but distrust was obvious beneath it.
"We have no leverage against you."
The firelight flickered faintly across the room.
"So how are we supposed to trust that you won't turn your backs on us the moment a better opportunity appears?"
The hall gradually became silent again afterward.
Koji heard those words clearly.
For a brief moment—
visible irritation flashed across his face.
"You—"
His expression darkened slightly.
But in the end—
he stopped himself from speaking further.
Because deep down—
even he understood their fear was not unreasonable.
Meanwhile—
neither the Daimyo nor Katagiri interrupted the nobles.
In fact—
both of them quietly continued observing Koji and the communication snail carefully.
Because they also wanted to see how the Uchiha would answer such doubts.
Then—
Toyoma's voice echoed through the hall once more from the strange communication snail.
"If the Uchiha truly intended to betray the Land of Snow..."
His calm tone remained unchanged.
"...then why would we reveal information about our products, research, and future plans in the first place?"
The nobles quietly fell silent again.
Because honestly—
that question was difficult to answer immediately.
"We are already offering the greatest concessions we reasonably can."
The snail's human-like mouth slowly moved while Toyoma continued speaking.
Meanwhile—
Katagiri silently observed the creature without interrupting.
Then Toyoma's voice lowered slightly.
"Advisor-sama..."
For the first time since the discussion began—
a faint heaviness could be heard beneath his calm tone.
"If we cannot even reach basic understanding with each other..."
A brief pause followed.
"...then it will become difficult for us to move forward at all."
Snow continued brushing softly against the palace windows outside.
Then slowly—
Toyoma continued.
"The Uchiha who will come here are not only shinobi."
The atmosphere inside the hall subtly shifted again.
"There will also be civilians."
"Elderly people."
"Women."
"Children."
Several nobles quietly looked at each other after hearing that.
Because until now—
many of them had unconsciously imagined only armed shinobi entering their country.
But now the image becoming painted before them was completely different.
Not an invasion force.
But migration.
Toyoma's voice echoed calmly once more.
"With so many ordinary people involved..."
The snail's mouth slowly opened and closed.
"...do you truly believe we are planning to deceive the Land of Snow for some temporary scheme?"
For a few moments—
nobody inside the hall spoke.
Because the question itself quietly carried weight.
Then finally—
Toyoma spoke again.
"What the Uchiha want right now is actually very simple."
His voice no longer carried the earlier strategic sharpness.
Instead—
it sounded quieter.
More direct.
"We simply want a place where our people can live safely."
The firelight flickered softly across the cold hall walls.
"And a place where they can build a future for themselves."
Hearing Toyoma's words—
both the Daimyo and Katagiri quietly relaxed slightly inside.
Not completely.
But enough for the atmosphere inside the hall to soften a little.
Meanwhile—
several nobles also appeared far less tense than before.
Because now they finally understood something important.
The Uchiha were not planning to send only shinobi into the Land of Snow.
They were planning migration.
Families.
Children.
Elderly civilians.
People searching for stability.
That changed the emotional weight of the discussion entirely.
The Daimyo slowly exchanged a glance with Katagiri.
A silent understanding passed between them.
Then finally—
Katagiri spoke again.
"We can allow the Uchiha to establish a shinobi village inside the Land of Snow."
The moment those words were spoken—
the atmosphere inside the hall subtly shifted once more.
Even Koji's eyes narrowed slightly.
But before anyone could react—
Katagiri calmly continued.
"However..."
His old eyes remained fixed on the communication snail.
"...the full authority of that village cannot belong to the Uchiha alone."
The firelight flickered faintly nearby.
"The military authority of the village must ultimately remain under the control of the Daimyo of the Land of Snow."
The room quietly fell silent again afterward.
Because everyone present understood the meaning behind those words.
Katagiri was not rejecting the proposal anymore.
He was establishing conditions.
Then slowly—
the old adviser folded his hands behind his back.
"If the Uchiha truly wish to build a future here..."
His calm voice echoed softly through the hall.
"...then let us see whether you can agree to that."
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P@treon - Hear_tteeth [18 +]
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