After the third battle at Tsūtatsu Road, the Wind-Cloud Allied Forces, for once, didn't launch another wave of air raids on Konoha. Part of it was because they were running low on explosive tags. But the bigger reason? The allies themselves had lost over a thousand men in that last fight. The dead needed compensation, the bodies needed to be cremated, and with the summer heat turning the world into a furnace, the last thing anyone wanted was an outbreak of plague.
No army, no matter how tough, can stay sharp forever. After so many months at war, even the strongest nerves start to fray. Jinghang and the Third Raikage put their heads together and decided: Kakuzu would bring seven thousand coastal defense troops from Yuexi Peninsula to rotate out some of the frontline soldiers, and Kumogakure could spare another five thousand. That way, at least half their forces could finally get some rest—a crucial move for keeping morale from collapsing.
Of course, there were bolder voices at the table. One staff officer suggested, "Why not just gather every able-bodied ninja—thirty thousand strong—and wipe Konoha off the map in one go?"
Jinghang and the Third Raikage shared a look and could only offer a helpless smile. It was good that the young ones had fire in their bellies, but destroying Konoha? That was a fantasy. Konoha wasn't some backwater—it was the oldest, most established shinobi village, with a population in the hundreds of thousands and war potential to match. If you cornered them and forced them to fight for survival, the outcome would be catastrophic.
No, the best result was to force Konoha to sign a humiliating treaty—even if the terms were generous, it didn't matter. The Land of Fire had already been bled dry. As long as Konoha bowed its head, the war could end on their terms.
After that, Jinghang could join forces with Kumogakure to rebuild the ninja alliance and establish a new order in the shinobi world.
And once all that was done? He could retire early, hand Sunagakure over to Rasa, and go live large as the Shogun of Dragonfly City—finally enjoying the decadent life of a ninja world landlord.
As for Madara? He didn't have many years left. As long as Jinghang kept Nagato firmly in his grasp, the "Eye of the Moon" plan would stay just that—a plan. He'd put out a sky-high bounty for Black Zetsu, scouring every mountain and sea for him. Even if he never caught the thing, he'd make sure Black Zetsu could never show his face again. And Kaguya? She could stay sealed on the moon for all he cared.
The Wind-Cloud Alliance's rest period let the whole of Konoha breathe a sigh of relief. With no attacks for over a week, life slowly returned to normal. Shops reopened. People started living again—because what else could they do?
At dusk, in a quiet little izakaya on Konoha's main street, three old comrades sat together: Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado.
Hiruzen slurped down a mouthful of sake, his cheeks flushed with a healthy red. He looked relaxed—almost cheerful.
"Monkey, that's enough," Koharu said, her face as frosty as ever. "Your emphysema might be fake, but your other problems are real. Don't actually drink yourself into the hospital."
Hiruzen let out a long, contented sigh. "Ever since I took over this mess from Tobirama-sensei, it's been nothing but paperwork and battlefields—plugging one hole today, patching another tomorrow. Honestly, these days pretending to be sick have been the most relaxed I've ever felt. Eat when I want, drink when I want, sleep when I want. Look, I even have fewer gray hairs."
He pointed at his head, grinning.
"But you can't really toss aside this responsibility, can you?" Homura grumbled, taking a deep drink. "After being back these few days, I see now why Tobirama didn't pick Danzo as Hokage. That guy's still playing the blame game—never takes responsibility for anything. Put him in the Hokage's robes and he still doesn't look the part."
"Let him carry the load for now," Hiruzen replied, picking up a piece of grilled squid and crunching down with satisfaction. "Didn't he insist on it? Let him enjoy it while it lasts."
"Come on," Koharu snorted, fanning her nose dramatically. "Getting a bucket of crap dumped on his head at the succession ceremony—he made Konoha a laughingstock."
"Pfft!" Hiruzen nearly sprayed sake across the table. Homura dodged just in time.
"Watch where you're spraying that!" Homura scolded.
"Sorry, sorry—couldn't help it," Hiruzen said, still chuckling.
Koharu waved off the interruption. "He thought the Living Dead Plan would save his reputation, flip the whole game. Didn't expect the plan to flop so hard. Now his seat as Hokage is shaky at best. You should've seen his face—long as a donkey's. He even lashed out at Shikaku Nara. If Homura hadn't brought news of Waterfall reinforcements, he probably would've pinned the blame on Shikaku. Hiruzen, I really don't think Danzo can handle this. You need to step up."
Hiruzen stroked his beard, thoughtful. "The Living Dead Plan… it surprised even me. I had high hopes for it. Never thought the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu would be so underwhelming. Never expected Jinghang to be that strong, or for Kumogakure to actually bring out the Six Paths tools. That's my mistake. I'll own it."
"That's even more reason you need to stand up and stop Danzo from making things worse," Koharu pressed, her voice rising.
But Hiruzen just smiled, shaking his head. "He's enjoying himself, isn't he? No sense in spoiling his fun."
Koharu narrowed her eyes. "What are you scheming now?"
She knew Hiruzen too well.
He set down his sake cup, still smiling. "Didn't the Waterfall reinforcements just arrive? The show must go on. Two and a half billion ryo for 8,600 fighters—honestly, that's a bargain."
Koharu immediately caught his meaning. "You're not optimistic about the Waterfall troops?"
"Not at all," Hiruzen said, voice hard.
"Why not?" Koharu pressed.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "That Third Takikage, Amamiya—he's got ambition, but not much else. Riding on the foundation Kōrō built, and already thinks he's some big shot. Hmph. He doesn't realize—every ninja in the Five Great Villages today has been forged in war, baptized in blood. His Waterfall ninja haven't seen real combat in decades. Eight thousand green recruits against the Wind-Cloud Alliance? That's a joke."
He turned to Homura, who cleared his throat. "Even so, Takigakure does have some excellent shinobi. At the very least, they can hold out for a while."
Hiruzen snorted. "If I didn't need cannon fodder, would I have let you take two and a half billion from the treasury?"
Koharu stared at both of them, exasperated. "So what's your real plan for this war? There's got to be an endgame, right?"
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