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The subsequent war could be described as smooth sailing.
After Karura, the Fourth Kazekage, and Sasori, among others, were killed in battle, the remaining Sunagakure remnants, though still resisting fiercely, lacked too much, and most of their troops were temporarily conscripted, not having had enough time for training, with many elderly and children among them.
Under the Konoha's military might, scattered units in the vast desert were utterly unable to gather and resist.
In just one month, Konoha's various armies had broken into the Sunagakure.
However, war is the continuation of politics.
Although Konoha had annihilated the Sunagakure army with overwhelming force in such a short time, what happened next would determine whether they could stay long in this vast sea of sand.
"Tch!"
A sharp Kunai sliced across a neck, and a gush of blood spurted out, as the rope-bound Konoha Ninja fell powerlessly forward, landing with a dull thud.
The dead face showed an extremely distorted expression, gritting teeth, whether it was unwillingness or anger, or perhaps regret that the war had clearly ended, yet he died in a foreign land.
The only difference from the previous battles was that the person standing behind him, performing the execution, also wore a Konoha vest.
But unlike regular attire, on his shoulder, a red Supervisor armband was tied.
At this moment, these Konoha Ninja, wearing armbands of the same style, stood in a line, in front of them lay the fallen bodies, and further ahead in the plaza were the Sunagakure villagers who had been driven out, watching this scene, most of them timid and fearful, with a small portion feeling a sense of satisfaction but not daring to speak much.
Konan also wore the same armband as the others on her shoulder, facing the Sunagakure villagers in front, she tried her best to raise her voice, which was a little hoarse:
"Yesterday, those who robbed, murdered, raped, and set fires in the Sunagakure, a total of twenty-one people, have now been executed."
"Additionally, three people committed minor offenses such as theft and threats, and have been compensated accordingly, witnessed by all of you in Sunagakure."
"Eleven days ago, Sawara made three rules with you all in the Kazekage Building."
"No matter Konoha or Sunagakure, the same rules apply to all offenders."
The atmosphere in the plaza remained silent, the villagers of Sunagakure just quietly watched them, their expressions mostly complex and somber, their unblinking gazes making one feel a chill in their heart.
However, Konan and the others seemed to have long been accustomed to the gazes of these people.
After announcing these words as usual, she turned and led the team away.
After a long while, the villagers standing in the plaza dispersed, and a few individuals came forward to collect the bodies of their friends or family.
Once Konan's Konoha War Supervision Department had moved far away, a few murmurs of discussion and sighs emerged from the scattered crowd, but their tone was not as intense as when Konoha first entered the village, and occasionally, one could even hear faint praises, saying that these Konoha bastards were still reasonable in their actions.
Konan looked back, seemingly letting out a sigh of relief inadvertently.
Eleven days ago, the scene they faced was not like this.
After invading the Sunagakure, although Sawara had shattered Sunagakure's protective barrier with the force of a heavy drum, as soon as they set up camp outside the city, the two army divisions stationed outside Sunagakure encountered dozens of attacks, large and small.
Some disguised themselves as merchant caravans carrying a large amount of explosives to approach, some assassinated members of patrol teams and then infiltrated the camp disguised as them, others poisoned water and food, and there were even some who disguised themselves as prostitutes attempting to approach the main camp.
Ninja are not a profession suited for large-scale combat on the battlefield; on the contrary, assassination and infiltration are their main occupations.
At first, the group was extremely annoyed; the number of assassins killed each day could even cover half a plaza.
However, once the War Supervision Department began its work, the frequency of such incidents gradually decreased.
Until last night, there was even only one incident of an attempted ambush on a patrol member.
Ultimately, it was because people desired peace.
Also, it was because Sunagakure's actions in recent years had already exhausted the Sunagakure villagers, making them unwilling to continue fighting.
In recent years, the Sunagakure first lost the support of the Land of Wind's Daimyo, causing its economic level to plummet, forcing it to forcibly retire a large number of adult Ninja, and then its living standards began to continuously decline under Konoha's financial and trade strikes, and finally, during wartime, a large number of former Ninja who had begun to lead stable lives were suddenly conscripted.
While this series of actions did provide them with some combat power before the war began, how the Sunagakure villagers felt about it was another matter entirely.
Before entering Sunagakure, Konan had already heard Sawara's explanation, and now seeing the results of their actions, she naturally felt a sense of accomplishment.
"Everyone worked hard today, so for tonight's shift…"
As she was speaking, she instinctively turned her head.
And then, she met a pair of indifferent eyes.
Konan's heart skipped a beat, then she immediately reacted, and her slightly upward-inflected tone gradually settled, turning into her usual indifference:
"It will proceed according to the normal rotation, and I hope everyone will not slack off."
"Yes."
The members of the War Supervision Department behind her all responded, but they didn't even have the inclination to say an extra word, dispersing into groups.
Only after everyone had left did Konan slowly let out a breath and rub her temples.
Although she herself felt that what she was doing was not wrong, and it was indeed the task Sawara had assigned her, how the Konoha Ninja behind her felt was another matter entirely.
No one likes this kind of thankless job.
Moreover, their mission was to personally kill their own comrades.
However, it was precisely because of this that Konan increasingly realized the importance of a person like Sawara.
'To be able to treat everyone equally even after possessing great strength…'
'Is that guy really fulfilling his promise step by step?'
'He certainly didn't lie.'
Thinking of this, even Konan herself couldn't help but feel a little complicated.
He was clearly an enemy, yet with his help, she was slowly realizing her ideals.
If she were alone, she wouldn't be able to do anything.
Can't do anything?!
Somehow, Konan suddenly felt a bit annoyed.
She was clearly dragged here by that bastard, and when she first arrived, he was always touching her, even in front of Nagato, and now she had to do these dirty, tiring jobs for him, which just made that bastard Sawara idle!
Could it be her fault?
Thinking this, Konan suddenly felt her back stiffen.
"Knock knock."
A soft knock suddenly came from outside the office door.
"Konan-sama, Sawara has summoned you for a meeting."
For some reason, hearing the name Sawara, Konan's heart involuntarily faltered, but she quickly forced herself to straighten up:
"I'm coming now."
When Konan arrived outside the conference room, she heard a chaotic noise inside, as if many people were speaking heatedly, their voices very intense.
However, as soon as she pushed open the door and walked in, the conference room suddenly fell silent.
Konan's gaze swept over the people present.
Sawara was sitting at the head of the conference table, flanked by a group of Jonin with mid-to-high-level military officer ranks.
At this moment, these people were all glaring fiercely at her with cold eyes.
Sawara, however, seemed oblivious to their reactions, his tone still gentle: "Since Konan-san has arrived, please, everyone, explain what you were just discussing."
As soon as his voice fell, a Jonin on the left stood up and said loudly: "Sawara, I also understand the importance of maintaining discipline after the war, but no matter what, the rules set this time are too strict!"
"That Fourth-Rank Jonin under my command is only nineteen years old and has a great future ahead of him."
"He only committed the crime because his brother died on the battlefield, and he found the name of the family who killed his brother in the roster, losing control of his emotions for a moment."
"If he were sentenced to life imprisonment for hard labor, I would not dare to say another word, but the immediate execution of the death penalty…"
Sawara, sitting at the head, just smiled gently, listened quietly to his statement, and then continued to the next person:
"What about you, Kimura?"
"The same goes for my subordinate." The Jonin named Kimura suppressed his voice, trying his best to control his emotions, "Although the Ninja in our team did indeed kill someone, it was during a patrol, and there was a fierce quarrel in the other party's house. He also broke in because he was suspicious, and although it was a misjudgment, he should not be subjected to such a judgment."
"Sawara, I believe the War Supervision Department's judgment is unfair."
"Sawara…"
"Sawara!"
Clearly, everyone present had come to demand an explanation from Sawara, and without prior consultation, they all pointed their fingers at the War Supervision Department.
The objective was also very clear.
The victors should enjoy the rights due to victors, and ruthlessly trample on the defeated.
What's the big deal about killing a few people?
Most of them were over forty years old, having grown up during the First and Second Shinobi World War, and had seen far too many scenes, having long regarded bloodshed as a part of life.
But relatively, they had received too little education; apart from six years at the Ninja Academy, there was basically nothing else, and what little related to moral conduct was almost non-existent.
Konan listened to the continuous stream of words, and the slight internal conflict she had felt in the office immediately vanished, replaced by a slight frown as she looked towards Sawara.
She recognized most of the people present; they were all veteran Ninja from Konoha Village, with distinguished service in the war, and backed by a series of small factions, which allowed them to firmly hold positions as mid-level military Commanders in the army, and they were confident enough even when speaking to Sawara.
Compared to her, an outsider, they were simply not on the same level.
However, Sawara just quietly picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked:
"Are you done?"
"..."
The noisy clamor in the conference room abruptly ceased.
Sawara continued: "If you had objections, why didn't you raise them before entering Sunagakure and before the three rules were established? I believe I had already held a discussion meeting at that time, and it was a full vote."
"Do you really think we're still like before, fighting a war, sweeping through other countries, and then leaving?"
"Or are you saying…"
His azure eyes narrowed slightly, sweeping one by one over the gradually silent and quail-like crowd before him, enunciating each word:
"You're treating my words like nothing?!"
"Thud."
The teacup was placed heavily on the table, startling the papers on the table to flutter upwards.
The people at the table became even more silent, not even daring to breathe heavily.
Sawara just watched them quietly, remaining silent for a long time.
Fine beads of cold sweat slowly trickled down the foreheads of everyone present.
Only at this moment did they suddenly remember that the reason this war ended so quickly was neither their desperate struggle nor the Konoha army's invincibility.
The truly invincible person was the one right in front of them.
Suddenly, they seemed to awaken from the illusion of victory.
"However."
After a long while, Sawara's tone suddenly shifted, returning to his usual gentleness: "After all, you all are individuals who have rendered great service, and Konoha still needs your support to remain stable."
"Although the discipline in this campaign is strict, correspondingly, I will increase the allocation ratio of military merits and spoils for the Sunagakure army by three points, which can be considered an explanation to all of you."
"Phew…"
Almost at the instant his soothing voice fell, a faint sigh of relief subtly rose within the conference room.
This promise, after all, put their minds at ease.
After all, if Sawara truly didn't offer some compensation, they would lose credibility in front of their subordinates.
"Thank you, Sawara."
"Please take care of yourself, Lord."
"It's truly been a lot of trouble these past few days…"
All at once, the conference room, which had just been filled with intense clamor, immediately resounded with flattery and praise.
Don't think that Ninja don't have social graces; in fact, quite the opposite, they are very skilled at them.
Kakashi always stood by Sawara's side as a guard, never expressing an opinion, just quietly observing all the people present.
For some reason, a certain inherent impression of the 'Ninja' profession seemed to be overturned in his mind, and yet it also seemed not to be.
He just turned to look at Sawara with a hint of a sigh.
Indeed.
Even if one is invincible in the Ninja World, there are times when one must compromise with internal matters.
Kakashi was not the only one showing such an expression.
After the meeting was dismissed, Konan had no opportunity to speak, merely listening quietly as a participant in the meeting.
However, once everyone else had left, she lingered, turning instead to look in Sawara's direction.
As soon as the others left, that guy immediately lost his usual composure, leaning back in the sofa as if trying to completely sink into the backrest, wishing he could lie down on the spot.
Even with his eyes closed, he could sense Konan had walked behind him, and casually said:
"You must have been very tired these past few days, too?"
"Being stared at like an enemy by so many people, and having to do all those thankless tasks."
"Isn't that your fault?"
Konan spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, still seemingly upset, but her hands naturally went to his temples.
Sawara opened his eyes, somewhat surprised.
He saw Konan bowing her head, silently massaging his temples.
Her face still held that cold, world-weary expression, yet her movements were as soft and comforting as a caress, her heavy hair buns resting on his head, her fingers gentle and delicate.
Sawara looked at her with a strange expression, which in turn made Konan's cheeks flush slightly, and she softly scolded:
"Close your eyes."
"Yes, yes…"
Once his eyelids closed, he heard her mumble something softly again, but it wasn't very clear.
Sawara's face broke into a slight smile.
In the quiet conference room, only young Kakashi stood near the door, pretending to be a stone statue, his expression blank, his movements stiff.
What should I do?
Should I sneak away quickly at this moment?
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