Ebizo's ominous premonition soon came true.
Night had only just fallen when Ebizo received an urgent report from a messenger ninja.
After reading the Intelligence Scroll, Ebizo said nothing and sat in the main camp all night.
Early the next morning, Chiyo, whose injuries had mostly healed, had barely opened her door when she saw the haggard Ebizo writing something.
"Little brother, what are you doing?" Chiyo did not think much of it. After all, they had just suffered a crushing defeat. It would have been stranger if Ebizo had looked radiant.
Ebizo paused, then slowly set down his pen and said hoarsely, "A Letter of Surrender to Konoha."
"What?!" Chiyo stared wide-eyed. "We haven't reached the point of surrender yet. What are you doing?"
Ebizo said nothing. He merely pulled out the Intelligence Scroll and handed it to Chiyo.
The moment Chiyo opened it, her vision went dark, and she nearly fainted.
After a long while, she finally caught her breath and asked hoarsely, "Is this true?"
Then she came to her senses, knowing it could not possibly be forged. With a bitter smile, she said, "Konoha... what a Konoha."
Ebizo said despondently, "This war can't go on. Lord Kazekage is dead, and the entire ninja village has suffered terrible losses. Rebuilding alone will cost us dearly. Although the village's ordinary ninja did not suffer too heavily, fifty-three Jōnin died—nearly a third of all Sand Shinobi Jōnin. With the losses from the war added in, if we keep fighting, the Sand Shinobi will truly be beyond salvation."
Sarutobi Toru and the others had attacked the Kazekage Tower, the heart of the Sand Shinobi. Although the Yellow Sand Barrier had blocked most of the Annihilation Bombs' power, limiting the casualties among ordinary Sand Shinobi, everyone in the central area except