Elsewhere, inside the conference room of the Kazekage Building.
The atmosphere was extremely heavy, with an even deeper emotion faintly lingering beneath it... one called despair.
Around the circular conference table sat all of Sunagakure's higher-ups and elders. Every one of them wore grim expressions, their brows tightly furrowed.
Baki sat in one of the seats, feeling the gazes converging on him from all directions.
Those gazes were filled with anxiety and expectation.
Of course, Baki knew what they were waiting for: Konoha's final response to Sunagakure's unconditional surrender.
That response would determine whether Sunagakure's future would be one of humiliating survival, more complete destruction, or nothing at all.
However, before he spoke, Baki's thoughts involuntarily drifted back to three days earlier.
To what had happened in a hospital room in Konoha.
At the time, Naruto Uzumaki, who had just become the Fifth Hokage, had personally come to see him.
Baki and Naruto faced each other in silence.
There was no victor's arrogance on Naruto's face, only an almost indifferent calm. He spoke first. "Word came from Sunagakure that you're willing to surrender to Konoha unconditionally and place all responsibility on Otogakure and Orochimaru."
Upon hearing this, Baki had secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If it was Otogakure's fault, then Sunagakure should...
But Naruto's next words instantly drained the color from Baki's face.
"But I don't agree. I believe your Sunagakure leadership had planned it this way from the start, and I have evidence to support that."
"In other words, by all rights, I could execute every Sunagakure ninja remaining in Konoha, and even... extract Shukaku from Gaara."
Baki's heart sank. Trembling, he asked, "You... decided to do that?"
"At first, I did." Naruto changed the subject. "But because of someone, I changed my mind."
"Who?"
Baki asked instinctively.