CHAPTER 205: THE HOKAGE'S SHOCK
"That child Ragnar... his situation should be better than most." Sarutobi Hiruzen murmured to himself, worry etching deeper lines into his aged face. "But with two powerful Kage-level opponents on the field, even Hatake Sakumo will struggle to withstand them."
He paused, considering the worst-case scenario.
If the battle truly ended in defeat, the Konoha ninja on the front lines might already be nearly wiped out. Such a loss would strike at Konoha's very foundation—injuring muscle and bone alike.
But more than that—could Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang of Konoha, survive?
With White Fang's reputation, Onoki would almost certainly not let him escape. Killing Sakumo would have an impact far greater than destroying an ordinary Konoha force. It would shake the entire village.
Hiruzen sighed heavily, self-blame coloring his thoughts. He truly hadn't expected Tsuchikage Onoki to be so decisive—to commit Iwa's forces to the Rain Country battlefield again under these circumstances, and to personally join the fight.
He should have realized sooner. He had underestimated Onoki.
Now, leading a force of Konoha's elite ninja, Hiruzen prepared to rush to the front lines. At the same time, he had already summoned additional chunin and genin troops to follow behind—ready to stabilize the situation after what he assumed would be a tragic defeat, and hopefully regain control of the battle.
It was a desperate measure. But it might give Konoha a slight chance to turn things around.
"Let's go, Dai!" Hiruzen's eyes hardened with determination.
The group stepped forward, crossing the threshold of Konoha's gates—
And then an ANBU communication ninja appeared before them, dropping from the sky like a black hawk.
THUD.
The black-clad ninja landed directly in front of Hiruzen at the head of the column, dropping to one knee.
"Hokage-sama! Urgent report from the Land of Rain!"
Hiruzen's pupils contracted. His body trembled slightly.
So soon.
He took a slow, deep breath.
"Speak."
His voice was steady, but inside, he braced himself for the worst. Bad news traveled fast. The front line situation must be even more dire than he imagined.
The communication ANBU's expression was... strange. A mixture of shock and excitement that seemed wildly inappropriate if he were delivering news of defeat.
In the Hokaged's experienced eyes, this was highly unusual.
"My lord—good news!" The ANBU's voice rang out clearly. "Frontline Commander Hatake Sakumo, in coordination with ANBU Rakshasa, has decisively defeated the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure—Onoki—and the Kazekage of Sunagakure in a single engagement! They have also killed the Five-Tails Jinchuriki!"
The words tumbled out, almost too fast to process.
"The Iwa-Suna coalition forces have been crushed! Over half their forces are dead or wounded! They have been forced to surrender unconditionally to Konoha! An armistice agreement will be signed in the Land of Rain in seven days!"
"...?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's brain momentarily ceased functioning.
"Huh?!" Might Dai's eyes bulged like copper bells. His mouth hung open. He looked like someone who had just heard the most impossible thing in the world.
Behind them, more than twenty jonin stood frozen, identical question marks seemingly floating above their heads.
Was this fake news?
The Tsuchikage and Kazekage—defeated? Two Kage-level masters—defeated? And Konoha's forces on the battlefield had somehow withstood the destruction of two Kage-level opponents?
Plus a Five-Tails Jinchuriki?!
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen lost his composure. He stared at the ANBU ninja as if the man had grown a second head.
The ANBU shrugged helplessly, a small smile tugging at his lips despite himself.
"Third Hokage-sama, you heard correctly. I know it's difficult to believe—but this is what actually happened. We have won. The Tsuchikage and Kazekage have surrendered. The war is over."
HISS!
A collective gasp swept through the assembled ninja. Cold air rushed to the crowns of their heads. This news was explosive beyond imagination!
Sarutobi Hiruzen fumbled for his pipe, jammed it in his mouth, and took a long, deep drag. The familiar ritual helped calm his racing mind.
The ANBU produced another scroll from his uniform. "This is a letter written personally by Lord Hatake. It describes the overall battle situation in detail."
Hiruzen snatched the scroll and unrolled it with trembling hands. He devoured the contents.
Yes—this was Sakumo's handwriting. There was no mistaking that distinctive ugly scrawl. No one in Konoha could forge this level of atrocious penmanship. It was uniquely, unmistakably Sakumo's.
As his eyes raced across the characters, the picture became clear.
Sakumo mentioned Ragnar repeatedly. Ragnar. Again and again. The success or failure of this entire war rested on Ragnar's shoulders.
How Ragnar had killed the Five-Tails Jinchuriki. How he had defeated the Kazekage. How he had stood against the Third Tsuchikage Onoki.
How, in the end, it was Ragnar who had held a blade to Onoki's throat and forced his surrender.
The child Ragnar...
Destroyed a Jinchuriki.
Defeated a Kazekage.
Defeated a Tsuchikage.
"HAHAHAHA!"
Hiruzen threw his head back and laughed. Laughed until tears nearly came to his eyes. Laughed until—
His laughter cut off abruptly. His expression solidified.
Wait.
Ragnar destroyed a Jinchuriki. Defeated a Kazekage. Defeated a Tsuchikage.
What level of strength was Ragnar at now?
Kage level?
The thought struck Hiruzen like a physical blow. His expression cycled through a truly wonderful series of expressions—shock, disbelief, calculation, and something almost like fear.
Monster.
He looked back at the letter, reading between the lines. Now he understood why Sakumo had written a private letter instead of sending a standard report.
Sakumo was subtly reminding him. Warning him.
If Ragnar had achieved Kage-level strength... how should the Hokage treat him now? The same as before? That was impossible. Things had changed. Everything had changed.
In the letter, Sakumo had mentioned Ragnar repeatedly—but also emphasized Ragnar's bonds with Konoha. His friendships. His connections. Over and over, Sakumo stressed that Ragnar was one of them.
Hiruzen understood Sakumo's concern. How should he treat such a young Kage-level existence?
"Hokage-sama?" Might Dai's voice broke through his thoughts.
"What is it, Dai?" Hiruzen folded the scroll carefully, his voice deceptively casual.
"What does the scroll say? Is Ragnar okay? Is he injured? I'm worried sick about him!"
Hiruzen looked at Might Dai—at the genuine concern on that bald, earnest face.
Ragnar? Okay?
He didn't know how to answer. If he told Dai what Ragnar had actually done in the Land of Rain, this simple man would probably be shocked into a coma.
"Ragnar... this child is very well." Hiruzen chose his words carefully. "This battle... he has achieved great things for our Konoha. Hundreds of millions of achievements."
"Ah, that's too modest!" Dai beamed, relief flooding his features. "Ragnar's strength has always been formidable. How could he achieve only a little? When he returns, he'll definitely be a hero of Konoha!"
Hiruzen's face twitched almost imperceptibly.
You're sharper than you look, Dai. You guessed exactly right.
A hero. Yes. By the time Ragnar returned, even the Hokage himself might need to personally welcome such a great hero.
Behind him, a jonin from the Hyuga clan spoke up:
"Hokage-sama—since Konoha has won, should we still proceed to reinforce?"
Hiruzen's entire demeanor shifted. His tense posture relaxed. He waved a hand dismissively, already turning back toward the village.
"No need."
No need at all.
He took another long drag from his pipe, savoring the smoke as he walked away.
The Tsuchikage and Kazekage had surrendered. What was he going to do—rush to the battlefield to offer congratulations? To hand out medals?
Much better to return to the Hokage's office. Settle into his comfortable chair. Maybe take a peek through the crystal ball at the Konoha women's bathhouse.
A group of elite jonin were left standing at the gate, staring at each other in shock.
(End of Chapter)
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