Surrender

"We did suffer a loss, but to surrender like this would be too... too humiliating, wouldn't it?"

An elder said unwillingly.

"Even if we have to admit defeat, we have to win at least one battle, otherwise it will look too embarrassing..."

Another elder spoke up, holding a similar opinion.

Many people echoed this sentiment, generally saying that they couldn't just admit defeat so easily. Sunagakure was one of the five Shinobi World villages, and they should lose with dignity to avoid being looked down upon.

Ebizo watched the elders' heated discussion speechlessly, his lips twitching. These old guys had been holed up in the village for too long; their minds had become rigid.

"Cough cough!!"

He coughed loudly twice to suppress the noisy conversation.

Dissatisfied gazes were directed at Ebizo, little did they know that Ebizo himself harbored no goodwill towards these stubborn, old-fashioned people.

"Win a battle? Given the village's current state, do you elders really think we can continue the war? Leaving aside the question of whether we can win, can we even afford the cost in terms of money, food, and supplies? The cost of rebuilding the village is astronomical. Even all the supplies plundered from the Land of Rain wouldn't be enough. A single major battle could bankrupt the village's finances just by paying for the deaths of the fallen..."

Ebizo's question silenced the elders who were clamoring for another battle.

Destruction is always easier than construction.

Houses are relatively easy to rebuild, as most buildings in Sunagakure are made of earth and stone, Earth Release ninjas can easily rebuild with a little effort, unlike the wooden houses in Konoha, which are much more difficult to rebuild. However, while houses can be rebuilt, other furniture and property cannot be conjured up. The residents fled in a hurry, leaving most of their belongings in their houses. However, after a chase, most of their belongings were destroyed.

These are all buildings that need the village's assistance. While full compensation is impossible, the necessary gestures are still essential. Otherwise, no one can live in an empty house, especially the shops, which will suffer even greater losses. The village will likely be deserted for a while.

The Land of Wind is notoriously poor among the Five Great Nations, so much so that its successive daimyo have been extremely stingy, scrimping and saving when it comes to funding the Sunagakure, never once being generous. This is partly because the Sand Villagers are extremely envious of the Konoha and the Hidden Cloud Ninja Land of Fire is wealthy and generous, always allocating more or less funding to Konoha Land of Lightning isn't as wealthy as the Land of Fire, its daimyo is a fervent martial artist who has always wholeheartedly supported the Kumogakure.

In short, the Sand Village is very poor. Now, all the pots and pans in the village have been smashed to pieces. They are so poor that they could even pawn their pants.

There's nothing we can do about it. The Land of Wind has a vast territory, but most of it is desert. This huge country doesn't have any special products to speak of. The Land of Earth, on the other hand, is also desolate, with rocky mountains all over its territory, but it has minerals!

All things considered, Sunagakure is really poor. Among the Five Great Ninja Villages, it is difficult to distinguish their strength, while in terms of wealth, the Land of Fire is the richest and the Land of Sand is the poorest.

The Third Kazekage's face was numb, his heart filled with bitterness. Ebizo's words had struck a nerve. Damn, Sunagakure was too poor. He, Kazekage Sunagakure, was almost old and gray. Just thinking about the expenses of rebuilding the village made him feel terrible. He had no strength left to speak and let Ebizo do as he pleased.

Anyway, these old fogies can't cause any more trouble.

"If the fighting continues, the village simply cannot withstand the consequences. Wasting the lives of our compatriots for the sake of some meaningless face... that is the most foolish decision." Ebizo stared at the elders, but the old men and women all looked around, avoiding Ebizo's gaze.

"Konoha is incredibly strong right now, arguably the second golden age since the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha. The Third Hokage is in his prime, the Konoha's White Fang is a ruthless killer, and then there are those newly risen Sannin, plus that brat who destroyed half the village this time..." Ebizo paused here, suppressing the bitterness welling up in his heart. How come Konoha is so lucky? There are just too many geniuses; they're practically giving them no chance to survive.

"In short, we simply cannot sustain this fighting any longer. The war cannot continue. We must end the conflict as soon as possible, take on missions, and train the next generation of ninjas. This is the most urgent task."

Ebizo a sigh of relief; he had finished speaking.

Are there any other objections?

The Third Kazekage asked softly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd.

After a long silence, the elders all kept their mouths shut. What right did they have to raise any objections at this point? The village was so poor they were practically selling their pants. Raising objections? Ha! The word "funding" was enough to kill them.

"Just like that..." The Third Kazekage's face turned ashen; the word "surrender" was truly difficult to utter. "Regarding negotiating a ceasefire with Konoha... Ebizo, you'll be in charge. Try to minimize the losses. You know the situation in the village..."

The meeting ended, Third Kazekage stood by the window, gazing at the crowd outside.

After leaving the shelter, the villagers discovered that their homes, where they had lived for decades, were gone. They stood in front of the ruins and burst into tears, cursing incessantly. Fortunately, thanks to the Sand Village ninja's calming words, the chaos did not escalate further. Compared to the loss of property, the fact that no ordinary villagers were injured was a cause for celebration.

Thanks to the tireless propaganda of the Sand Village ninja, the villagers' mindset shifted, and they began to accept reality.

The Third Kazekage also breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, the worst thing was internal strife, which would be the most troublesome thing.

On the street, the red-haired little boy broke free from his aunt's arms and ran towards Chiyo.

"Grandmother!"

The boy's voice was no different from usual, but when Chiyo heard it, she felt as if a knife had been plunged into her heart. The pain was so intense that she could hardly breathe, and she reached out to hug the little boy.

"Grandma, where are Dad and Mom?"

The little boy opened his eyes wide and asked innocently.

"······"

Chiyo gazed silently at her obedient grandson, and in that instant, she seemed to have aged more than ten years.

"Scorpion······"

"Where are Dad and Mom? They said they'd come to pick me up..." The boy pouted, complaining, but then he noticed tears streaming down his grandmother's face. "Grandma, why are you crying?"

······

In this battle, as many as 59 Jonin and 327 Genin died Jonin the hands of Katsuki. That is to say, nearly 400 families lost their loved ones. Moreover, unlike those who died on the front lines, the ruins before them were undoubtedly more impactful, and the whole village was filled with an atmosphere of sorrow.