We Can Only Negotiate After We Win

"Big brother, Lord Kazekage is back. The village has ordered you to return immediately!" Pakura said anxiously.

"Pack up and get ready to return to the village. Be prepared—it'll soon be our turn to go to war." Keiko said as he straightened his combat uniform.

The Second Kazekage had indeed returned, but he had returned lying down.

The war in the Land of Rain had been fraught with twists and turns from the very beginning. Just as Sunagakure and Hidden Rain were locked in fierce battle, the Hidden Leaf Village intervened. Yet the commanders were not seasoned battlefield veterans like Shimura Danzō and Torifu Akimichi, but a new generation of ninjas led by Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade.

Their target was not Sunagakure, which had launched the war of aggression, but Hidden Rain, which had been invaded. Hidden Rain's pressure surged at once. Hanzo of the Salamander decisively ceded vast territories where they had been fighting Sunagakure, concentrated his forces, and turned to meet the incoming Hidden Leaf Village army. As Hidden Rain clashed with the Hidden Leaf Village, Hanzo summoned Salamander Ibuse onto the battlefield, releasing widespread poison that brought down large numbers of Hidden Leaf ninjas.

In the end, only Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru remained standing on the battlefield. Hanzo greatly admired them and bestowed upon them the title of the Three Konoha Sannin. The Hidden Leaf Village won a costly victory, but its upper ranks remained intact, while Hidden Rain completely threw in its lot with the Hidden Leaf Village. Thus, the exhausted Sunagakure forces and the subsequent Hidden Leaf reinforcements collided head-on on the soil of the Land of Rain.

The Second Kazekage could hardly be blamed for his misjudgment. The wet, rainy Land of Rain was simply ill-suited to Sunagakure ninjas accustomed to fighting in the desert. With their pressure greatly reduced, Sunagakure did not press its advantage. Instead, it stood aside and watched the tigers fight, hoping to reap the benefits.

Who could have expected the Hidden Leaf Village's new generation to be so powerful that Hanzo of the Salamander, known as the "Demigod," directly gave up and submitted? By then, the Hidden Leaf reinforcements led by Shimura Danzō had already arrived, leaving the Second Kazekage no choice but to lead his troops into a bitter battle against this new enemy.

Because the war had failed to meet the strategic expectations of the ever-stingy Daimyo of the Land of Wind, the requested war funds had never come through. The prolonged stalemate had depleted logistical supplies and ninja tools alike. Sunagakure fell into a disadvantage the moment the battle against the Hidden Leaf Village began. All the poisons Chiyo had developed were countered by the Hidden Leaf Village's Tsunade, leaving Chiyo in an extremely difficult position.

Shamon, the Second Kazekage, had intended to turn the tide with his formidable personal strength, only to find that Shimura Danzō and Kagami Uchiha of the Hidden Leaf Village were equally formidable. Shamon used every trick he had and could only barely force a draw. The Sunagakure army lost a large number of elite Jonin and entered a full defensive posture. Their defensive line could collapse at any moment.

As the saying went, a long defense was bound to fail. At last, the keen-nosed Danzo seized an opportunity and concentrated his forces for an all-out assault on Sunagakure's defensive line. The line crumbled in an instant. The Second Kazekage personally stayed behind to cover the retreat, playing directly into Danzo's hands. Several elite Hidden Leaf Jonin immediately surrounded and attacked Shamon. Though Shamon's methods were exceptional, even a fierce tiger could not withstand a pack of wolves.

Before exhausting his chakra, he launched one final strike and took Kagami Uchiha down with him. Then Danzo ambushed his lower back with a Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere. Just as Shamon was about to die on the spot, Elder Chiyo rushed in and unleashed her ultimate secret technique—White Secret Technique: Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets. Only after sacrificing an arm did she manage to snatch the barely breathing Shamon away.

Unfortunately, Chiyo had not yet developed the Reincarnation Technique and could not prolong Shamon's life. By the time they reached the camp gate, he was taking more breaths out than in. They only heard him murmur, "Find... Keiko," before he passed out.

Left with no alternative, Chiyo commanded the remnants of the army to retreat toward the Rain-Sand border while arranging for medical ninjas to escort Shamon back to the village and prepare for his final affairs.

When Keiko stepped into the Kazekage Hall, he saw the Elders' Council seated in a circle, led by Ebizo. Nearly half the seats were empty. It seemed their occupants had all perished in this war.

The Second Kazekage's face was ashen, and not a trace of color remained in his lips. It seemed he had only held on this long to wait for Keiko. When he saw Keiko enter the hall, a different light appeared in Shamon's eyes.

"Keiko... it seems... you were... right. I was too hasty," Shamon said weakly.

"Lord Kazekage, please stop talking..."

"No, I have to speak!" Shamon abruptly opened his eyes, as though burning the last of his strength.

"Jonin Keiko possesses foresight and insight, extraordinary ninjutsu, youth and vigor, and noble character. After my death, he shall become Kazekage. Does anyone object?" Shamon finished the long declaration in one breath and swept his gaze across the hall.

The elders all raised their hands in agreement.

"Heh heh, good, good, good." Shamon spoke the word three times, then passed away in the Kazekage Hall.

Everyone bowed before Shamon's body. Then they bowed to Keiko. The former was in remembrance of the deceased; the latter was recognition of the successor.

"May I ask what instructions Lord Kazekage has? How should the funeral be arranged, and when will the succession ceremony be held?" Elder Ebizo asked.

"Elder Uekusa, please arrange for someone to prepare the Second Kazekage's body and place it in cold storage for now. Jonin Baki, set up the war room immediately. All Jonin will convene for a strategy meeting in ten minutes! As for the Second Kazekage's funeral and the succession ceremony, we'll discuss them after I return," Keiko said.

"A strategy meeting? Keiko, are you going to keep fighting?" Ebizo was somewhat surprised. He knew Keiko had been the most opposed to this war.

"There's no other way, Elder." Keiko tightened his wrist guards.

"We can only negotiate after we win."

"The current situation is that Lady Chiyo is leading the remnants of the expeditionary army in setting up defenses around the Night-Cry Sand Sea. The vanguard of Danzo's Hidden Leaf forces has already entered the Land of Wind. They are expected to reach Lady Chiyo in one day." Baki's command baton pointed across the enormous sand table.

"Any other news from the Hidden Leaf Village?" Keiko asked.

"Yes. According to intelligence from our informants within the Hidden Leaf Village, its upper ranks have decided to organize a force that will take the western route through the Land of Rivers and attack our heartland!"

"When did this information arrive?"

"Three days ago!"

"Who is their commander?"

"The White Fang of Konoha, Hatake Sakumo!"

The Elders' Council immediately broke into discussion. The White Fang of Konoha's vicious reputation was well known, and he had always been famed for his ferocity and cunning.

Keiko stared intently at the sand table, silently calculating and running through possibilities in his mind. This move by the Hidden Leaf Village was a devastating blow aimed straight at Sunagakure's heartland. Shamon, the Second Kazekage, had died in battle, and Sunagakure's main force was tied down at the northern border. Sunagakure could no longer scrape together much mobile strength to defend the west. According to the manga's timeline, Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law had died in this battle.

Suddenly, Keiko pointed at the map. "I remember we have some ninjas stationed at Lishi Fortress in the west, right? How many are there? Who is the commander?"

"There is a small force, a little over fifty people. The commanders are Jonin Akasuna Guimu and his wife."

So that was it.

"Elder Ebizo, how are the war funds requested from the Daimyo and the gathered provisions coming along?" Keiko asked.

"After our repeated applications, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind allocated fifteen million ryo the day before yesterday. Through our efforts, the provisions we have collected are enough to support the current war for three months. In addition, the ninja tools we purchased on credit from the Land of Crafts have arrived, though only half the requested quantity. And if we cannot settle the payment by the end of this year, they will no longer provide us with ninja tools," Ebizo said helplessly.

"Damn it." Keiko cursed under his breath. There was no helping it. This was the mess he had inherited—no money, no food, and no manpower. One problem after another kept piling up.

Keiko rubbed his brow and calculated carefully. Though the northern defensive line was a defeated army, it was still Sunagakure's absolute main force. It was merely short on food and pay, with low morale, and had now retreated into the Land of Wind.

Fighting on home ground, if reinforcements could arrive in time, Danzo likely would not be able to break through for a while. The real killing move was Hatake Sakumo's detached force. It seemed Keiko had no choice but to go in person and meet the White Fang of Konoha.

"Orders!"

Everyone tensed and stood at attention.

"Elder Ebizo, organize the logistics personnel to deliver our current funds, provisions, and ninja tools to Lady Chiyo's front line."

"Yes!"

"Jonin Rasa, aside from Abyss Prison, gather every Jonin and Chunin in the village. Complete the reorganization within two days, then depart to reinforce Lishi Fortress."

"Yes!"

"Jonin Pakura, prepare two days' worth of Soldier Rations Pills for me. I'll eat them on the road."

"Ah?!" Everyone stared at Keiko in surprise.

"There's no other way." Keiko shrugged helplessly.

"Based on the intelligence analysis, Hatake Sakumo of the Hidden Leaf Village will likely reach Lishi Fortress by noon tomorrow. Akasuna's handful of people can't hold them off at all. If I leave now and move fast enough, I should arrive just in time."

"But it's too dangerous for you to travel alone. Why don't I lead the troops out right now?" Rasa said.

"Can you move faster than I can?" Keiko smiled and patted Rasa on the head.

"Besides, most of the Jonin remaining in the village are ANBU members, Ninja Academy instructors, and guards from various departments. Their combat capabilities and ninjutsu differ. Combat types, sensory types, medical types—if they all rush in as a disorderly mass, wouldn't that be sending them straight into the White Fang of Konoha's mouth?

"That's why they must be reorganized. Only then can they bring out their fighting strength. Understand?" Keiko said, resting a hand on Rasa's shoulder.

"Yes, sir. I will not fail in my mission." Rasa dropped to one knee.

"Good. All right, I'm leaving first." Keiko took the canteen and Soldier Rations Pills Pakura handed him.

"Make sure you get there by the morning three days from now. Otherwise, I'll be the Kazekage with the shortest reign in history."