News of the ceasefire quickly reached the neighboring Land of Earth.
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was in the midst of planning his next military strategy when he heard the news, and he immediately froze.
Although he knew the situation of Sunagakure was extremely unfavorable and they would surely surrender eventually, he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
"Damn these bastards, couldn't they have held out a little longer?" Onoki fumed, looking down at the half-written plan in front of him.
After a moment of silence, he abruptly grabbed it and tore it into pieces, scattering them carelessly to the side like falling snow.
Onoki slumped into his chair, countless curses for Sunagakure boiling in his heart.
If he had known Sunagakure was so unreliable, he would never have entered the Shinobi World War.
At that time, he should have joined the Land of Fire in carving up the Land of Wind's territory.
Thinking of this, Onoki quickly asked the Anbu ninja in front of him, "What are the terms of the ceasefire agreement? What price did Sunagakure pay?"
"The specific conditions are not yet clear, but according to the intelligence we've gathered, the main points are: First, the pro-war high-ranking officials of Suna will step down, with the Third Kazekage's siblings and a small number of others bearing this responsibility.
Second, a monetary ransom is being paid for the captured Suna ninja, and this is currently underway.
Third, war reparations to the Land of Fire are also being prepared," the Anbu ninja replied.
"Wait, there's no cession of territory from the Land of Wind at all?" Onoki frowned slightly.
"No.
If there is anything, it's that the smaller countries near the Land of Wind are all leaning towards the Land of Fire, no longer dependent on it.
Countries like Lou Lan and others outside the Land of Wind's borders are all doing this; they all hope to join something called the Shinobi Alliance," the Anbu ninja said.
Countries like Lou Lan, being very close to the Land of Wind, had been its vassals for many years.
However, after this war, these small vassal states broke free from the Land of Wind's control and showed great interest in the Shinobi Alliance proposed by Fumori Masaki, all expressing their desire to join.
While many small countries held little value, some, like the Land of Rivers, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Waterfalls, had unique positions and were among the stronger small nations.
However, vassals like the Kingdom of Lou Lan were truly too weak.
Yet, due to the special role of the Kingdom of Lou Lan and the normal functioning of the Shinobi Alliance, they had to be brought in.
"Shinobi Alliance, what is that?" Onoki was indeed immediately drawn to this Shinobi Alliance and eagerly asked for details.
"The specific situation is not very clear.
According to the intelligence we've gathered from the small countries, it seems to be about many countries forming an alliance, resolving disputes not through war, but through coordination and discussion, and jointly addressing a series of political, economic, cultural, and defense issues," the Anbu ninja said.
"What nonsense is that?" Onoki didn't know the specific concept of the Shinobi Alliance, only feeling it was a jumbled mess.
"Resolve things through coordination and discussion?
Heh heh, who came up with this idea?
The Five Kage Summit didn't even solve the problem of war, so what good is this 'alliance'?"
In Onoki's view, any alliance was just an empty piece of paper.
As long as one had strength, anything was negotiable.
Even if there was an alliance in the past, it could be ruthlessly torn up later due to self-interest.
For example, now, he was originally on the same side as Konohagakure, but driven by the goal of suppressing Konohagakure, he eagerly joined in after other countries entered the fray, though the outcome was that he was played by Konoha and Kumogakure.
Thinking of this, Onoki gritted his teeth in anger, feeling that Fumori Masaki was a big liar, and so was the Third Raikage of Kumogakure.
The former was one thing, but the latter, a man so tall and robust, with a magnanimous temperament, also playing such a schemer's game—it didn't fit his image.
"Is there anything else to report?
Tell me everything, whether it's about the Land of Wind or Konoha!" Onoki took a deep breath and said.
"There's one more thing.
The political situation within the Land of Wind is in turmoil.
Rumor has it that the current Daimyo murdered his own father, and due to the responsibility for the war's defeat, many nobles are forcing the current Daimyo to step down," the Anbu ninja said.
Onoki raised an eyebrow slightly; he was an experienced man and naturally saw the implications.
He said, "This wasn't included in the ceasefire agreement, was it?"
"No."
"Heh, then it's an unspoken agreement," Onoki was quite familiar with this tactic, having used it himself in the past.
"Ultimately, the Daimyo of a country cannot be forced by a ninja village.
The ceasefire agreement, apart from the Kazekage, also needs the Daimyo's approval.
The other party won't overthrow himself like that old man Ebizo, so it can only be done through the consensus of others."
Onoki's guess was more or less accurate.
The ousting of the Land of Wind's Daimyo and the pro-war nobles was an implicit clause of the ceasefire agreement, not written into the main text, but a tacit understanding between the two sides.
For the nobles, the current Daimyo's perverse actions meant he deserved to fall, and the other pro-war nobles were implicated.
Forcing them to step down would satisfy Konohagakure's demands and allow others to carve up their interests and assets.
Why wouldn't they agree?
"In this way, the Land of Wind will be a dog of the Land of Fire for a long time," Onoki said with a sneer.
"I wonder if they'll regret it later; perhaps the future Shinobi World War will be instigated by these very people."
This was also because Onoki didn't know the specific method of establishing the Shinobi Alliance or what the Land of Wind gained from it.
If he had known, even though he might still not approve of the Shinobi Alliance—because Onoki would not accept a situation where the Land of Earth was not the leader—he might not have thought the Land of Wind had any possibility of stirring up trouble again.
The Anbu ninja did not answer; such matters were not for him to analyze.
He continued his report: with the ceasefire between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, Konohagakure's First Ninja Division also began to move north.
The pressure on Iwagakure would undoubtedly increase further, even though both Jinchuriki had already been deployed in the war, but after all, it was two great ninja villages, Kumogakure and Konoha, here.
Among them, the Third Raikage even personally joined the fray.
Even though Onoki was the oldest of the Five Kage, he was already outmatched just facing Fumori Masaki, let alone adding the Third Raikage.
Onoki recalled what Fumori Masaki had said during their previous battle: that ending the war sooner might be the best way for the Land of Earth to cut its losses.
At that time, he hadn't agreed, because he too had been deceived by the illusion of Sunagakure's victory, believing that they might still be able to hold out.
But looking at it now, it might indeed have been a good method.
Without Sunagakure's assistance, Iwagakure alone might not be able to hold on any longer.
"Perhaps we should try for a ceasefire," Onoki muttered to himself.
Although the Anbu ninja in front of him heard it, he said nothing, as this matter was for the Tsuchikage to decide; he was merely a subordinate executing a mission.
At the same time, due to the official signing of the ceasefire agreement, the situation in the Land of Wind began to improve.
Prisoners were slowly returned, and the high-ranking officials began to reorganize.
Regardless of the internal activities for now, what was more noteworthy was the political change within the Land of Wind's capital.
The conflict between the Daimyo and the nobles finally fully erupted.
The courtiers formally pressured the Daimyo, and facing the nobles' demands, the current Daimyo had no choice but to humiliatingly abdicate.
Because of the agreement among the nobles, if he abdicated obediently, he might even save his life, but if he stubbornly refused, the future outcome would be unknown.
There might even be assassination attempts, and then it would truly become a case of someone murdering the monarch.
The current Daimyo could only choose to trust the nobles' agreement; even now, after the ceasefire, he no longer had the power to oppose others.