The War Wasn't Over

No one objected this time.

Midori, a jonin, headed for the exit. "I'll go notify everyone."

Yashamaru nodded. "As soon as possible. Once we're ready, notify the patrols, and we'll withdraw at once."

Midori nodded and left.

"They really did withdraw."

Hatake Sakumo listened to the Konoha intelligence unit's report and smiled warmly. "We've driven Sunagakure out of the Land of Fire. Mission accomplished."

He publicly ordered a full-scale assault for the day after tomorrow. The order wasn't just for Konoha to hear; it was meant for Sunagakure as well.

It had worked remarkably well. Just one day later, Sunagakure had withdrawn.

When Sakumo finished speaking, everyone present exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with joy.

"Heh, that just leaves Amegakure, right?"

Nawaki was in high spirits. Once they dealt with Amegakure, the war could end!

Tsunade tapped Nawaki on the head, ignoring his glare. "Amegakure won't be so easy to deal with. Unless we find a way to counter Salamander Hanzo's deadly poison, we can't act recklessly."

"We were able to deal with Sunagakure because your big sister could counter their poison. Without that advantage, Sunagakure was like a tiger with its teeth pulled—they could only fight us head-on."

And in a straight fight, Konoha had nothing to fear.

They were, after all, the strongest ninja village in the Ninja World. They had every reason to be confident.

"Senior Sakumo, what should we do next?"

Uchiha Chonhua looked at Hatake Sakumo.

Sakumo looked around at everyone present, then said slowly, "Next, we'll push our positions up to the border. I'll stay here and deal with Elder Chiyo's anger."

After the deaths of her son and daughter-in-law, Chiyo would certainly come here herself, consumed by rage.

Sakumo staying here would make him a better target for Chiyo's hatred.

"Leave Rasa's body and the Akasuna Couple's bodies here. Have the Anbu come and examine them. I have an important use for them."

Every ninja village trained its shinobi differently, leaving deep traces of their village's methods on their bodies.

Anbu specialists in autopsies could learn a great deal about the enemy from these traces.

The more important the person, the more useful the information.

They had originally planned to take Rasa's and the Akasuna Couple's bodies back to the village for a thorough examination.

But Sakumo had an important use for them, so the Anbu would have to come here instead.

"I'll report this to Lord Hokage. I don't think he'll refuse my request if it could help us win the war."

Everyone exchanged glances, then nodded.

Tsunade and Orochimaru also joined Sakumo in submitting a joint report.

With all three of them backing the request, it was sure to be approved!

Chapter 73: The War Wasn't Over

Sunagakure's withdrawal from the Land of Fire didn't mean the war was over.

Everyone in Konoha knew that.

Especially since Uchiha Chonhua and Hatake Sakumo had killed three of the enemy's most important figures.

Chiyo had returned to Sunagakure to meet with the Third Kazekage when she suddenly received the terrible news: her son and daughter-in-law had been killed by Konoha's Hatake Sakumo. She staggered, her mind reeling as if she'd been struck over the head.

Grief and fury swept through the Sunagakure elder.

She gritted her teeth as an unbearable pain pierced her heart. She nearly collapsed.

"Elder Chiyo!"

The Sunagakure ninja who had brought the news hurried forward to support her, but Chiyo shoved him away, her gaze cold.

"Go tell the Kazekage that I won't be attending any more meetings."

"I'm going to the front lines myself. I'll kill Hatake Sakumo and avenge my son and daughter-in-law!"

As for Rasa's death, Chiyo dismissed it completely. Of course Rasa didn't matter as much as her son and daughter-in-law!

With that, Chiyo turned and headed straight home.

The cold expression she'd worn toward the Sunagakure ninja turned to anguish as soon as she faced away.

How am I supposed to tell Sasori that his parents are dead?

She couldn't bear to see Sasori's grief and pain... She could only keep it from him for now.

Salamander Hanzo was in a foul mood.

He'd just received the news that the Akasuna Couple had died in battle and Sunagakure had suffered heavy losses as it withdrew from the Land of Fire.

He'd been especially taken aback when he learned that Hatake Sakumo had appeared on the southern battlefield.

Hanzo smashed the table to pieces in a fit of anger.

When had Hatake Sakumo gone to the southern battlefield? How had he not heard a thing about it?!

"Lord Hanzo, what should we do now?"

A Rain jonin looked at Hanzo, waiting for his orders.

Hanzo fell silent, deep in thought.

He knew the Akasuna Couple's background and status well, having dealt with Sunagakure for several years.

Sunagakure's withdrawal from the Land of Fire didn't mean the war was over.

That stubborn old puppeteer was a difficult opponent—difficult enough to give even Hanzo a headache. Even if the Third Kazekage wanted to end the war, Chiyo, consumed by hatred, would never agree to a truce.

If anything, because of Chiyo, Sunagakure would send even more ninja into the war.

The fighting wasn't dying down. It was only getting more intense.

So what was Konoha after?

Hanzo quickly figured out what Konoha wanted.

"There can't be a war within the Land of Fire."

Hanzo suddenly gave a mocking smile. "The arrogance of the great nations."

Now that Sunagakure had been driven out of the Land of Fire, Amegakure would be next.

Could he retreat?

If there was no war within the Land of Fire, would Konoha really stop fighting?

Chiyo wouldn't agree to a ceasefire.

With the deaths of the Akasuna Couple and Rasa, the war between Sunagakure and Konoha would only grow more intense.

If they couldn't fight in the Land of Fire, and couldn't fight in the Land of Wind, where else could Sunagakure and Konoha make their battlefield?

Hanzo turned around, purple smoke puffing from his gas mask.

He faced his homeland, the place where he'd grown up: the Land of Rain.

It could only be the Land of Rain.

Hanzo had a grudge against Sunagakure, and one against Konoha. Those two sides could naturally turn the Land of Rain into their battlefield.

The same question remained. Right now, Amegakure was the only invading force left in the Land of Fire.

Could he retreat?

He couldn't!

Hanzo ordered a Rain Chunin, "Assemble the troops. We're going to break through to the rear!"

"Yes, sir!"

The Rain ninja answered loudly!

"Rasengan!"

Lightning crackled around Uchiha Chonhua. In a flash, he appeared in front of a Sunagakure ninja.

As the enemy stared at him in shock, Chonhua slammed a Rasengan into his chest.

The tremendous force twisted the Sunagakure ninja around and sent him flying backward.

Bang!

The ninja crashed hard into a tree trunk. His clothes were shredded, leaving a bloody spiral-shaped mark on his chest.

His body convulsed. He spat out a mouthful of blood, then his head lolled to one side, and he fell silent.

After taking out one Sunagakure ninja with ease, Chonhua rushed to help his teammates.

It wasn't long before they'd wiped out the entire Sunagakure squad stationed there.

"This should have been the last Sunagakure squad."

Chonhua activated the Mind's Eye of the Kagura. Within its range, he sensed no other chakra signatures from Sunagakure ninja.

Hearing that, Nawaki sighed with relief. "Finally, they're all gone."

Looking at the Sunagakure ninja's corpses, Nawaki wore a sympathetic expression.

"Poor guys. Sunagakure just abandoned them."

Sunagakure's main force had withdrawn in such a hurry that they hadn't bothered with the squads they'd sent out to harass the enemy and wage guerrilla warfare.

Without support from the main force, the Sunagakure squads stranded in the Land of Fire had become a major target for Konoha.

By now, they'd nearly been wiped out.

Nawaki put his hands on his hips and shook his head, passing judgment on Sunagakure. "How cold and heartless. They'd abandon their own comrades! Konoha would never do something like that!"

Chonhua gave Nawaki an awkward look.

With the plot cheat I've got, that remark has a certain ironic charm to it.

Nawaki looked at Chonhua in confusion and blinked. "Chonhua, why are you looking at me like that?"

He checked himself, then felt his face.

Nothing was wrong, so why was Chonhua looking at him strangely?

"Did I say something wrong?"

Chonhua patted Nawaki on the shoulder. "No, you're absolutely right."

"Who could say you were wrong? You're right. Completely right!"

Nawaki thought Chonhua sounded a little sarcastic, but he couldn't prove it.

"Clean this place up. We're heading back to camp."

As the squad leader, Chonhua gave the order. These Sunagakure ninja weren't important figures, or even jonin, so there was no need to take them back for intelligence gathering.

They dealt with the bodies on the spot and returned to camp just as the sun began to set and night was rising.

The moment Chonhua entered camp, someone told him to report to the captains' tent.

"Senior Jiraiya."

Chonhua greeted him.

Jiraiya came over with a smile. "You're finally back. How did things go with the Sunagakure squad?"

"We've dealt with nearly all of them. I don't think there are any Sunagakure squads left."

Chonhua gave a brief report on their sweep.

"To be safe, our squad will keep patrolling the surrounding area for the next few days..."