This victory was built on the premise that the war with the Hidden Mist Village had ended after only two months. Had it dragged on, the losses on the other two major fronts would have been even more devastatingespecially in the Land of Earth.
News of Konoha's victory over the Hidden Mist spread rapidly, throwing the entire village into a state of jubilation. Rong Lin, the man most responsible for this triumph, saw his prestige reach unprecedented heights. Tales of him single-handedly raiding the enemy camp, subduing the Three-Tails Isobu, and slaying the Third Mizukage were on everyone's lips.
"Sigh..."
Inside the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage stared at the casualty reports sent back by Tsunade and let out a deep, heavy sigh. Konoha might have emerged victorious, but the damage was incalculable. Even the reparations paid by the Hidden Mist would not be enough to mend the wounds.
Beyond the staggering losses, a heavy burden pressed down on the Third Hokage's shoulders. As the war dragged on, the constant drain on manpower and resources had sparked murmurs of discontent within the village.
Even the Daimyo had sent a formal inquiry expressing his dissatisfaction. Coupled with his advancing age, the issue of selecting a successor for the title of Hokage had become an urgent matter that could no longer be ignored.
While the Third Hokage was mired in worry, the fronts in the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind were energized by the news of the Mist's defeat. Both Danzo and the White Fang felt a newfound surge of confidence.
The defeat of the Hidden Mist meant Konoha had successfully ended a three-front war. Their effective strength could now be concentrated on the remaining two battlefields, and with increased support, most believed it was only a matter of time before the remaining enemies were crushed.
But would that truly be the case?
The Hidden Mist was defeated, but the forces Konoha had deployed there had also suffered heavily. They required a long period of rest and reorganization before they could return to the field. Furthermore, the rapid consumption of supplies meant that Konoha's support for the other two fronts wouldn't actually increase significantly. A quick victory remained an impossibility.
Back at the Mist front, the battlefield was being cleared. The dead were being processed, and the survivors were being treated as best as possible. Fortunately, Tsunade was leading the Medical Corps, and they were putting every effort into treating the wounded, keeping the death toll from rising further. As for the rest of the logistical nightmare, it had all been dumped onto Shikaku Nara's head.
This led Shikaku to complain constantly that Rong Lin was being a poor friend for not helping out. After just a few days, Shikaku had lost a significant amount of weight, looking completely drained.
Heaven knew he wasn't exhausted from some secret indulgence; he didn't even have the time to rub one out, let alone anything else. Every waking moment was spent handling a mountain of troublesome affairs.
In contrast, Rong Lin had become the most leisure-bound person in the wake of the war. Taking a daily stroll had become his routine, while Isobu remained obediently slumped outside the camp.
During these past few days, Rong Lin had discovered something interesting. Just like in the original history, Fugaku Uchiha had awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan due to the deaths of his many companions and the clan's Great Elder. However, the man was keeping it hidden.
If Rong Lin hadn't noticed it by chance, he never would have guessed that Fugaku had awakened those eyes. The fact that he possessed the Mangekyo but refused to reveal it spoke volumes about Fugaku's private schemes.
"Lord Rong Lin, why is it that even though the war is over, we don't even get time to rest before we have to escort these guys back to the village?"
Sitting on Isobu's back, Shisui looked thoroughly unwilling. His military merits hadn't even been tallied yet before he was dragged out to accompany Rong Lin on this mission.
The task was simple: escort all the imprisoned Mist shinobi back to the village.
"Because each of these guys is worth a lot of money. The Hidden Mist Village will pay quite a sum to get them back, so we need to get them to the village safely to make sure nothing goes wrong on the road. Those guys in the village really lucked out this time; they've truly struck it rich."
By rights, a mission like this shouldn't have fallen on Rong Lin's shoulders, yet it had. Rong Lin hadn't refused; after all, wasn't it better to go back to the village and rest properly?
In reality, Rong Lin's presence was primarily a deterrent. He didn't actually need to do anything along the way; others would handle the guarding and surveillance. He just had to follow along. Once they reached the village, he would receive a reward comparable to an S-rank Mission.
"If you ask me, it would be better to just slaughter them all. So many of our people died at their hands, and yet we're just trading them back!"
The murderous aura on Shisui hadn't quite faded yet. He was still somewhat bloodthirsty, and it bled into his speech.
"Hahahaha..."
Rong Lin hadn't expected Shisui's thoughts to align so perfectly with his own. He also wanted to kill those bastards, but the problem waswould that satisfy the mission requirements?
Konoha maintained an amicable attitude, yet they were attacked by other nations time and time again. Look at the Land of Earth, which had almost zero tolerance for such thingswho would dare to be so presumptuous with them?
Being friendly had its merits, but one could never afford to lose their iron-blooded edge.
Otherwise, people would just think you were a pushover. Even if they failed to bully you and got beaten back instead, they'd figure they could just sit down and talk it out later. No big deal.
If Konoha truly possessed that iron blood, would the other villages dare to be so arrogant? Before starting a war, they would have to measure their own strength and weigh the consequences.
"Say, Shisui, what do you think Konoha's 'Will of Fire' actually means?" Rong Lin asked after his laughter subsided.
"The Will of Fire?" Shisui blinked. Wasn't this something that every teacher and Hokage explained personally to everyone who entered the Academy?
It was used to indoctrinate the children as soon as they started school.
Shisui hadn't expected Rong Lin to bring up this topic. He thought for a moment before answering, "The Will of Fire is..."
"Wait!" Rong Lin raised a hand to interrupt him, sounding speechless. "I'm asking you for the meaning, not for you to recite the propaganda to me."
"Uh..."
Shisui's eyes widened as he thought hard. Rong Lin looked at him expectantly, but after a long silence, Shisui made a pained face. "I'm sorry, my lord... I don't know."
"..."
Lines of frustration appeared on Rong Lin's forehead. "It's not your fault. I was overthinking it. I should never have asked you that question in the first place!"
Shisui obediently lowered his head, not daring to make a sound.
Helpless, Rong Lin could only say, "The Will of Fire is quite good; it's very inspiring. But do you know, Shisui? If our Uchiha Clan hadn't lost to the Senju Clan back then, perhaps the Will of Fire we talk about today wouldn't carry this same meaning."
Even if that had happened, Konoha would have still been establishedmostly because of Hashirama Senju's powerful Talk no Jutsu.
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