Luo Sha gave the order — Sunagakure surrendered.
At that moment, all the fighting across the battlefield came to a halt.
The strong might have remained indifferent, but the countless "cannon fodder" shinobi who fought desperately felt the end profoundly.
They no longer cared who won or lost — they only knew this nightmare was finally over.
Looking at the corpses strewn across the bloodstained ground, some shinobi broke down, crying bitterly. Scattered among the dead were their friends, comrades, even beloved teachers — all felled in this cruel war. One shinobi slumped weakly to the ground, his body having endured beyond its limit, now utterly broken.
"Will you return our village's jinchūriki to us?"
Luo Sha descended from the sky, his face grim as he gazed at Jiraiya, who was holding the unconscious Fenfu, the One-Tails' jinchūriki.
The three Sannin exchanged glances. Simultaneously, they shook their heads, and in a flash, Namikaze Minato appeared beside them.
"We'll hold onto him for now," Minato said, voice calm yet firm. "Once the armistice agreement between our two nations is signed, we'll arrange a proper exchange."
Although Minato hadn't stated it directly, the implication was unmistakable — Konoha did not trust Sunagakure.
After all, the power of a tailed beast was immense. They had been lucky to seal Shukaku this time with the combined efforts of Jiraiya and Tsunade. Should they try again, success would not be guaranteed.
"You—!" Luo Sha's face twisted in fury, but sensing the grievous injuries plaguing his body, he swallowed his anger.
Their jinchūriki was already in Konoha's hands. If Kazekage himself pushed further and provoked more conflict, Sunagakure could plunge into chaos. And in the volatile state of the current ninja world, internal strife would spell disaster for the Village Hidden in the Sand.
"In that case," Luo Sha growled, "I expect to see a fair share of the spoils when the treaty is signed."
With that, he unfurled his wings of sand and departed the battlefield without another glance.
"Sunagakure shinobi — return to the village!" his command echoed.
The exhausted, grief-stricken sand shinobi below rose one after another, supporting each other as they retreated toward the Land of Wind.
Thus ended the battle between Fire and Wind. The Land of Wind became the first nation defeated in the Third Great Ninja War, and Konoha at last extricated itself from its conflict with Sunagakure.
—
"Sensei, and Orochimaru-senpai," Minato spoke urgently. "Thank you for coming. News of your appearance will surely spread quickly to Kumogakure."
"I know," Jiraiya nodded heavily. "Orochimaru and I will head directly to the Land of Thunder's battlefield."
Although Jiraiya and Orochimaru were drained from the intense battle, they couldn't afford to delay. The situation in the Land of Thunder remained precarious — their immediate return was vital. If Kumogakure learned of their absence, Konoha's forces there would be dangerously exposed.
Especially Hui — alone, even with his abilities, he couldn't fend off the combined might of Ay and Killer Bee indefinitely.
A battle of this scale was impossible to conceal. The mere presence of Jiraiya and Orochimaru would soon become known. Kumogakure would likely seize the opportunity to launch a swift and brutal attack against Konoha's vulnerable position.
Luckily, their timely return would avert such a disaster — though Jiraiya and Orochimaru themselves remained unaware of just how close Konoha came to calamity.
—
After Ma Jia shared the battlefield's memories with him, Hui understood the situation.
"Danzo... You've gone too far!"
This was no longer the Hui who was weak and constrained in the original timeline. The Hui of now — a powerful clone born of Uchiha Kiyo's will — had no emotional ties binding him to Konoha.
Danzo's repeated ambushes and betrayals had long eroded any lingering loyalty or sentiment. Konoha's so-called collective honor held no meaning for Hui. Danzo's attacks on his person were unforgivable — and Hui had the power to respond decisively.
Especially when Danzo targeted Lin. As her teacher, Hui could not overlook it.
Suppressing his simmering rage, Hui began formulating his plan.
First, revenge was non-negotiable. Danzo had crossed a line. There was no need for patience, no need for forgiveness. Hui possessed overwhelming power — there was no longer any reason to endure humiliation.
Moreover, this wasn't just personal vengeance. The entire timeline was diverging from the original. If Danzo continued unchecked, the consequences could spiral uncontrollably.
Danzo had already accelerated the timeline. His prosthetic limb transplant, using Hashirama cells, had occurred far earlier than in the original. This technology, once thought stagnant, could now advance rapidly.
If Genbu (Root) developed stable intercellular techniques earlier — if Danzo's army were strengthened by Hashirama's genetic power — Konoha's entire balance of power would be destabilized.
Imagine it: an army of pseudo-Shadow-level shinobi — an unbearable risk.
Thus, Hui concluded without hesitation:
"Danzo must die."
However, he was unwilling to defect from Konoha yet. That would only complicate matters. Instead, Hui decided to prepare thoroughly before making his move.
He needed protection — political protection — to ensure he wouldn't suffer harsh punishment after striking down Danzo.
Light punishment could be tolerated; heavy punishment or exile could not.
And for that, he needed influence — a figure capable of swaying Konoha's people and politics.
There was such a person.
Tsunade.
The granddaughter of the First Hokage. The Princess of the Fire Country. One of the Legendary Three Sannin. A medical shinobi revered across the continent.
Tsunade's words carried immense weight. If she stood publicly in his defense, the Third Hokage would be forced to relent. She had once abandoned the village in disillusionment — it was not hard to imagine she harbored deep grievances still.
If Hui could involve her at the right moment, it might tip the scales completely.
It was time.
Coincidentally, he also had another reason to seek her out — the resurrection of Nawaki Senju.
Even if Tsunade refused to help politically, Hui would still resurrect Nawaki.
But if he could use this miracle to sway Tsunade's heart? All the better.
Resurrect Nawaki, save Konoha's Seventh Class, avenge Lin, destroy Danzo — everything would fall into place.
Having formulated his plan, Hui left the frontlines without hesitation, setting his course for the Land of Rivers where Tsunade was rumored to be.
Although Konoha had won a major victory, Hui knew the war was far from over.
And in the shifting shadows of the ninja world, change — true change — was just beginning.