The Terms of Surrender

Chiyo had faith in the Third Kazekage. Although she was the wife of the First Kazekage and a highly experienced elder, the position of Kazekage had always gone to the most capable.

Judging by the first two generations, the Third Kazekage was indeed the strongest of them all. There was no question about it. And he held Elder Chiyo in high regard and cared deeply about her.

"Elder Chiyo, are you hurt?" The Third Kazekage had barely landed before asking about her injuries. He hadn't forgotten how she had once looked after him.

Chiyo smiled and shook her head. "Thanks to Lord Kazekage arriving in time, this old woman might have suffered serious injuries otherwise." She wasn't exaggerating.

Salamander Hanzō was no weakling. If he'd been allowed to keep fighting Chiyo, she would have lost. Given his temperament, he might even have killed her on the battlefield.

The Third Kazekage couldn't allow that. Chiyo was a genuine Kage Level fighter, and Sunagakure had very few of those left. Only he and Chiyo had reached that level. They had two talented apprentices, but both were still only jōnin.

So the Third Kazekage couldn't just stand by and let Hanzō attack Chiyo.

"Heh, as long as you're all right. Seven of the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets were damaged this time. We'll have to demand proper compensation from the Land of Rain." The Third Kazekage raised his brows. Sunagakure's finances might finally get some breathing room.

Chiyo and the Third Kazekage chatted for a while. The ninjas would rest for the time being; in the afternoon, they would confront Salamander Hanzō beneath the city walls and force him to sign a treaty!

Beneath the South Gate

Salamander Hanzō snorted. "Who's on duty up on the wall? Open the gate! Your leader is back!"

Just then, Tsunade suddenly appeared atop the wall. She smiled down at Salamander Hanzō. "Hey! Who's that down there? State your name! Konoha has occupied this city, so please take another route!"

Tsunade knew perfectly well who was below. Wasn't that Salamander Hanzō? A few days without seeing him, and he'd gotten this pathetic?

Salamander Hanzō's eyes widened as he stared up at Tsunade in disbelief. What was going on? Would the Tsuchikage really just stand by and let them take Rainy Clearing?

No, wait. Had the two villages formed an alliance? That couldn't be! As far as he knew, Ōnoki of Both Scales was an extremely ambitious man. Why would he cooperate with Konoha?

Then what was going on? Damn it! What was he supposed to do now? Rainy Clearing had been taken, and the Sunagakure pursuers were behind him. Damn it!

Salamander Hanzō's face darkened. "So the principle the God of Shinobi spoke of—that Konoha never occupies another country's territory—was a lie?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Of course not." Before the assault, Uchiha Kō had told her what might happen, so she was ready to answer Salamander Hanzō without missing a beat.

"Then what do you mean by this? You're breaking the rules Senju Hashirama laid down!" Cold sweat trickled down Salamander Hanzō's face. In his heart, he thought that no one cared about rules made by the dead.

Still, he couldn't help hoping. What if Konoha Ninja gave the city back to him?

And Konoha would indeed return it to him. The question was how.

"Lord Hanzō, do you remember declaring war on Konoha?" Uchiha Kō asked with a smile as he stepped onto the wall. He wanted to see what Salamander Hanzō looked like. The Demigod of the Ninja World in such a sorry state was a rare sight!

Salamander Hanzō frowned. There was no mention of this man in the reports. "Who are you? Of course I remember declaring war. But now you've occupied Rainy Clearing, and you've won! If you withdraw from Rainy Clearing now, I won't hold it against you afterward!"

Uchiha Kō laughed at that. "Lord Hanzō, are you joking? Why were you so high and mighty when you declared war, but still so full of yourself after losing? Do you think war is child's play?"

Uchiha Kō's words made Salamander Hanzō's heart sink. But his opponent hadn't refused to return Rainy Clearing, which meant they had terms.

"You're right. Then state your terms." Salamander Hanzō closed his eyes and took a deep breath. What else could he do? He had lost.

"First, the Land of Rain must sign a declaration of surrender!

"Second, the Land of Rain must pay us three hundred million ryō in silver as compensation.

"Third, after the war, the Land of Rain must hand over ten percent of its ninja missions to Konoha!"

These were the compensation terms Uchiha Kō and Lord Orochimaru had agreed on beforehand. They were within the Land of Rain's means, and after being defeated by the Sunagakure Ninja, Salamander Hanzō had no choice but to accept them.

Salamander Hanzō shuddered. He had expected Konoha to demand compensation, but when he heard the amount, his heart still sank. Did he have the right to refuse? No!

His heart hollow, he said, "Fine. I agree. Let me in."

Uchiha Kō scoffed. "Words alone aren't enough. Lord Orochimaru and a force of eight hundred are outside the city. He'll sign the treaty with you. Once it's signed, we'll withdraw. Then we'll release your Rain Ninja and let them open the gate for you!"

Salamander Hanzō clenched his fists. He'd planned to wait until the gate opened, then force his way inside. There might still have been a chance to turn things around. But that brat and that girl had planned for everything!

"Fine. Send out an envoy!" As soon as he spoke, Lord Orochimaru sent three ninjas forward with three copies of the treaty. There was one for Konoha, one for the Land of Rain, and one for Hanzō, ensuring the agreement was fair.

Salamander Hanzō gritted his teeth as he signed the treaty. After exchanging a glance with Uchiha Kō and seeing the envoy nod, he said, "Lord Hanzō certainly is a man of his word. We'll release your men now. Please wait a moment!"

Then Uchiha Kō signaled to Tsunade. She nodded and led the soldiers out of Rainy Clearing to meet up with Jiraiya and Orochimaru. About ten minutes later, Uchiha Kō said, "Until we meet again, Lord Hanzō!"

Uchiha Kō's figure turned into a cloud of smoke and vanished. It had been a clone! The Rain Ninja then opened the city gate and let Salamander Hanzō in.

Salamander Hanzō, burning with rage, cut down a Rain Ninja with his sickle and cursed, "Useless fools!" He snorted at the cowering ninjas around him. Remembering the treaty he had just signed, he sighed. "Forget it. Give him a proper burial."

Then he trudged home in a daze and sat down. No one dared disturb him. As he stared at the walls of his home, tears slipped down his face.

Humiliation. Utter humiliation! He had surrendered to Konoha. This battle was already lost!

Meanwhile, the Konoha forces

They had reached the border of the Land of Fire. After crossing into the country, they met Sarutobi Hiruzen and the main force, who were heading toward the battlefield.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared in surprise. "Tsunade, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, why are you back? Did you lose?"

The three exchanged glances and smiled in unison. Tsunade handed Sarutobi Hiruzen the treaty. His eyes lit up, and he drew in a sharp breath. "You won! And you made Salamander Hanzō sign the terms of surrender!"