"Sister, is there any news about peace talks with the Hidden Leaf Village?" Ebizo leaned on the bed, half-paralyzed, struggling to speak. His inactive body was even starting to spread in other directions. If not for Chiyo's excellent medical skills, Ebizo would have died long ago.
"Yes," Chiyo replied after a moment of silence.
During the temporary peace, emissaries from both sides went to the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers to negotiate peace, primarily discussing the terms of a ceasefire. However, the proposed ceasefire terms were difficult for Chiyo to accept.
"How is it? What did the Hidden Leaf Village say?" Ebizo noticed his sister's hesitation and asked, "Are they planning to make me step down? They certainly won't let go of the person who started the war. As the leader of the Hidden Sand Village, I naturally bear the responsibility for starting the war. I can accept stepping down; I can't serve as Kazekage in this state anyway."
"That's part of it, but it's not just you. All high-ranking Hidden Sand ninja, including myself, who supported the war, must step down, and the Hidden Sand Village's leadership will be reorganized," Chiyo replied.
"What a joke," Ebizo's expression changed slightly in surprise. "If you all step down, what power will the Hidden Sand Village have to protect itself?"
The high-ranking officials of the pro-war faction, like Chiyo, were among the strongest in the Hidden Sand Village. This was also an unfortunate aspect; the proportion was quite high in the Hidden Sand Village. Even if the pro-war faction had only temporarily suppressed the pro-peace faction, their complete removal would not necessarily lead to a loss of strength in the Hidden Sand's high command. However, the Hidden Sand Village's situation made it difficult to accept this point.
"But that's what they're demanding!" Chiyo's voice rose slightly. She said angrily, "Besides that, there are other things. Listen!"
Beyond demanding the resignation of the pro-war high-ranking officials, the ceasefire treaty for the Hidden Sand Village contained other clauses that Chiyo found unacceptable.
Firstly, the newly formed Hidden Sand Village leadership must persuade the Daimyo to join the Fire and Lightning Alliance. Declaring war or not was irrelevant, but they had to firmly stand on the side of a righteous war, declare a clear break from aggressor nations, and pledge never to engage in acts of aggression again.
Secondly, the Hidden Leaf Village demanded that the number of Hidden Sand ninja be capped at two thousand. Once this number was reached, it could not be increased. To ensure this, the Hidden Leaf Village would station troops within the Land of Rivers to constantly monitor the internal situation of the Hidden Sand Village.
Next, the Hidden Leaf Village demanded the reopening of mutual trade, and as compensation for violating the agreement, they required certain preferential treatment for merchants from the Land of Fire to make up for losses caused by the war and the cessation of trade. However, they would engage in comprehensive cooperation with the Land of Wind to contribute to the livelihoods of both nations.
Finally, the Hidden Sand Village had to pay war reparations and buy back its prisoners. They also had to cede some major mineral veins within the Land of Wind as compensation. These veins were crucial raw materials for making high-grade puppet parts. If they gave them up, the Hidden Sand Village would be even less able to recover.
The ceasefire treaty essentially revolved around these five core points. The detailed clauses beyond these need not be elaborated upon; they were merely supplementary to the core points.
"The second and fourth points are acceptable, but the others are a bit harsh." Ebizo struggled to move his body and sit up. "If the first point is accepted, who can take power? Who can suppress you all? If the pro-war faction remains dominant, the Hidden Leaf Village certainly won't accept it, right? And the third and fifth points directly weaken the Hidden Sand Village's power. How can we ensure our future status?"
Chiyo remained silent. She, too, had considered this, which was why she had been hesitant to agree to a ceasefire. However, if they dragged it out, the Hidden Leaf Village would press on relentlessly. If they didn't fight, they would lose land for free. If they fought, they might suffer a terrible defeat due to low morale and the Hidden Sand prisoners. It seemed like a dead end no matter which way they turned.
"They believe we are untrustworthy for starting the war in disregard of the agreement. If we cannot accept such terms, they cannot trust us to maintain peace in the future," Chiyo said.
Ebizo initially wanted to retort, but then his voice suddenly stopped, as if it had gotten stuck midway. Asking himself honestly, if the Hidden Sand Village's strength recovered in the future, would he still instigate war? This truly made him lack the confidence to say the words "absolutely not."
"But this makes the Hidden Sand ninja too passive…" Ebizo could only utter this sentence.
"Actually, they secretly sent me a message," Chiyo said hesitantly after a while.
"What?" Ebizo looked at Chiyo.
"If we can make Bunbuku the Kazekage, they are willing to offer more lenient terms. The Hidden Leaf Village even has a grand vision that could allow the Land of Wind to join and enjoy the earliest benefits," Chiyo said.
"Bunbuku!" Ebizo was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected the Hidden Leaf Village to mention the One-Tails Jinchuriki. But upon careful thought, he realized Bunbuku was indeed a very suitable candidate. Bunbuku was from the pro-peace faction, and his strength was formidable enough to completely suppress the pro-war faction. And for the Hidden Leaf Village to suggest this meant the terms for the Hidden Sand Village could become much more lenient.
However, as a Jinchuriki, Bunbuku had always been restrained by the Hidden Sand Village's high command. To allow him to take power was truly somewhat difficult to accept. Furthermore, with Bunbuku's personality, could he truly protect the Hidden Sand Village?
"What exactly is the Hidden Leaf Village thinking?" Ebizo couldn't help but feel anxious. The Hidden Leaf Village definitely wanted peace talks, otherwise they wouldn't have made those moves. However, if they allowed the peace talks to proceed, the Hidden Sand Village would lose its future. How would it maintain its status as one of the Five Great Nations in the future?
The two never reached a clear answer. The next day, they continuously received news from the battlefield. The Hidden Sand ninja and samurai forces, forced to engage in battle, suffered successive crushing defeats. Moreover, due to the Hidden Sand ninja prisoners, the process of taking prisoners, which would normally require many sacrifices, became exceptionally smooth.
In the Hidden Sand ninja camp, the calls for peace talks grew louder and louder, hoping that the high command would immediately give an answer. Dissatisfaction with the high command intensified.
At the same time, it was unclear where the news originated, but a rumor circulated throughout the camp that Bunbuku had the ability to persuade the Hidden Leaf Village to cease hostilities. Many people didn't know who Bunbuku was, curious about where the Hidden Sand Village found such a capable person. However, under the influence of this rumor, they began to demand that this ninja named Bunbuku come forward.
Under the combined pressure from external and internal sources, Ebizo and the others finally decided to summon Bunbuku to secure a dignified outcome for the Hidden Sand Village.
Thus, the Hidden Sand Village's Anbu began to head to the village's high tower to invite out the monk who had been imprisoned there since becoming the Jinchuriki. This was probably the first time they approached the One-Tails Jinchuriki with such a respectful attitude.