Sand Ninja Surrender

After the commotion died down, Utatane Koharu arrived. She and Danzo had never gotten along.

This woman was the head of Konoha's Medical Department and the current director of Konoha Hospital.

The previous director had been Tsunade, but she'd run off. Everyone knew that.

When Koharu arrived, she reached for Danzo's arm.

In a moment of panic, Pingsan sent an Ice Arrow Technique (Water Arrow Technique) straight at Koharu's face.

Koharu jumped in fright.

Ever since Danzo had fallen unconscious, Pingsan had trained himself to the bone every day. His combat ability was now above that of a Chunin, though he still lacked the experience of a Jonin.

With a crash, the Third Hokage shattered Pingsan's ice arrow.

The old man was certainly strong. Calling him the strongest Hokage was an exaggeration, but among the three Hokage, he was probably the most powerful overall.

Don't be fooled by that old musclebound loudmouth Ay's boasting. If Ay fought Tachibana Muneshige one-on-one, Ay would definitely be the one to die.

The Third Hokage shook his hand and said, "Pingsan, don't be so tense. Koharu is the best medical ninja in the village right now."

Listen to that. "The best in the village right now" meant the woman's medical skills weren't all that great.

Pingsan reluctantly stepped aside. After all, ever since he'd met her, the woman had been badmouthing Danzo.

Koharu placed a hand on Danzo's chest to examine him, then felt his pulse. "Everyone, move along. What are you standing around here for? He's regained consciousness, but he's probably fallen asleep again because his body is so weak.

"Give him some nutrient solution. He'll be fine when he wakes up tomorrow morning." Then she swayed out of the room.

Before long, everyone had dispersed. Only Sarutobi Hiruzen and Pingsan remained.

Sarutobi Hiruzen could certainly be called a good teammate, but he wasn't a good leader.

The reason was simple: he was too indecisive.

"You don't need to be so hostile toward Koharu. We've been teammates for many years. Back then, Koharu almost became your mother. She..."

Before Sarutobi Hiruzen could finish, the door swung open again. Koharu came in with a sour expression.

She glared and said, "Monkey, you're talking about me again, aren't you? Do I look like the kind of woman who'd be interested in Danzo?

"That was just a misunderstanding. You've been bringing it up for over a decade. Aren't you tired of it?"

Then she tossed Pingsan a quilt and left without a thought for either the old man or the young one.

Pingsan and Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at each other, dumbfounded.

Sarutobi Hiruzen thought for a moment, then lost interest in chatting with Pingsan and left.

Early the next morning, Pingsan woke up beside the hospital bed. Danzo had finally come around.

That skill really was useful.

Koharu brought in a team of professionals and their equipment to give Danzo a full examination.

Danzo was wheeled out looking utterly defeated. Pingsan had no idea what they'd done to him.

Four days passed. Sarutobi Hiruzen returned from the Daimyo's Mansion.

He came to discuss something with Danzo, wearing an expression like he was constipated. Pingsan and Tomoko were there, too. Pingsan was massaging Danzo's muscles, which had grown a little atrophied from lying down, while Tomoko fed him.

As soon as Sarutobi Hiruzen entered, he began to complain. "Tsunade is getting more and more outrageous. She doesn't show her teacher any respect at all."

Then he grabbed the water on the table and gulped down a couple of mouthfuls.

From the look of it, Sarutobi Hiruzen had probably taken a loss at the Daimyo's Mansion in the Land of Fire.

Pingsan and Tomoko tactfully left the hospital room together.

They vaguely heard phrases like "wishful thinking" and "you'll be the death of this old man."

Tsunade had probably lost money again and was trying to make him take the blame.

Pingsan didn't know what the two of them discussed, but Sarutobi Hiruzen still looked constipated when he left.

Danzo had been unconscious for too long, and now he couldn't speak easily. He could only manage a word or two at a time.

Pingsan and Danzo stayed together to recover until a month and a half later.

During that time, Danzo was occasionally called to attend Jonin meetings, but Pingsan was no longer invited.

His position as commander of the western front had become completely meaningless. The reason was that the Sand Ninja had surrendered.

Orochimaru was due to return to Konoha soon with his victorious army, and everyone was preparing to welcome them. As for the Sand Ninja's current situation, it was hard to put into words.

That old hag Chiyo had gone mad. She'd gone to the Daimyo's Mansion, killed the Daimyo of the Land of Wind, and then taken her own life.

The Sand Ninja's acting Kazekage was now that woman, Pakura. Unless something unexpected happened, she'd become the Fourth Kazekage.

Chiyo really had suffered terribly. Her teacher, Monzaemon, had been killed by the Second Hokage. Her husband had been killed by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Her son and daughter-in-law had been killed by Hatake Sakumo, and her younger brother had been killed by Pingsan.

Now all she had left was Sasori, and she didn't even know whether he was alive or dead.

Pakura had become a hero to the Sand Ninja for nearly killing Danzo last time.

And because she'd drifted down the river with Roshi for four or five days, her body had been invaded by Sun Wukong's Chakra. Her skin had turned an ugly red, but her Scorch Release had changed. Instead of water vapor, it now resembled a high-temperature sandstorm. She called this form Sand Release Chakra Mode.

Perhaps this was what people meant when they said, "I've gotten stronger, but it's complicated."

In any case, Pakura officially announced the Sand Ninja's surrender to Konoha, and their willingness to join forces with Konoha to fight the Stone Ninja and Cloud Ninja.

All they needed was for Konoha to provide food. The Sand Ninja were starving.

The Daimyo had already cut off their funding and supplies, and the provisions they'd stolen had been buried for good by Pingsan.

If the Daimyo were still alive, it wouldn't have been a problem. They could have swallowed their pride and appealed to him, and he could have gathered food to help them recover quickly.

But Chiyo had slaughtered everyone at the Daimyo's Mansion in the Land of Wind. She hadn't even left a single chicken alive.

The Land of Wind was now in complete chaos. It was even less likely to have time to care whether they lived or died.

In short, with the western front victorious and Orochimaru about to return, Rasa came to Konoha on behalf of the Sand Ninja to submit their surrender documents.

Pakura had taken the Sand Ninja back to Sunagakure. At last, the Third Shinobi World War had a glimmer of hope.

Pingsan had thought things would settle down, until Sarutobi Hiruzen came to the hospital looking dejected and found Danzo and Pingsan. He wasted no time. "Danzo, I need Root to deploy immediately and reinforce the front in the Land of Water. The Mist Ninja are launching a major assault.

"The Uchiha family's fighters are strong enough, but there aren't enough of them. They won't be able to hold out much longer."

Danzo hesitated for a long while, but in the end, he agreed. Danzo was a serious egoist, but he understood that when the nest was destroyed, no egg would remain unbroken.

While still bewildered, Pingsan was assigned by Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo to lead Root in support of Fugaku Uchiha.

Early the next morning, Pingsan went with Torifu Akimichi to Root's base. They gathered the more than three hundred Root operatives still in Konoha, along with members of some of Konoha's prominent clans, and prepared to set out.

Standing at Konoha Gate and looking at its weathered entrance, Pingsan thought, I'm only ten years old, still a baby not even five feet tall. Why do I always have to bear burdens I shouldn't have to? This is too much.

Then he said to Shisui Uchiha, who was about his height, with short hair and a round nose, "I'll leave the way ahead to you."

Shisui smiled shyly. "Then I'll be in your care."

Then he used the Body Flicker Technique to take off first, and the group vanished from Konoha Gate in a flurry.

Finished.