At the foot of Kikyō Mountain, rows of tents had been set up.
Some housed wounded soldiers from Konoha, while others held injured shinobi from Sunagakure—among them, even children as young as four or five years old.
They, too, had been made genin and sent to the battlefield.
Atop the mountain, Kyohiko and Minato sealed away the bodies, gazing silently at the forest below. A heavy stillness hung between them, broken only by quiet sighs.
Behind them, the earth shifted as Orochimaru emerged from the ground.
"Orochimaru-sama."
The two turned and bowed.
No matter what, Orochimaru was their senior and superior—basic respect was necessary.
Orochimaru waved a hand dismissively.
Then, he looked at Kyohiko and Minato.
"Having fought in a battle of this scale, what are your thoughts?"
"Unless one reaches a certain level of strength, even a jōnin's impact on the battlefield is limited," Minato answered.
Orochimaru chuckled, then turned to Kyohiko.
"And you?"
"The tide of war is decided by top-tier fighters, but its foundation lies in the chūnin and genin. Sunagakure held the advantage in the mid-to-low tiers, but at the jōnin level and above, their puppetry became a liability..."
Kyohiko shared his analysis.
Even the strongest puppeteer could only reach someone like Sasori's level.
Orochimaru let out a soft laugh.
"Kyohiko, it's not that puppeteers are weak—it's that your standards are too high, and your talent too monstrous."
His gaze drifted downward.
"War and death... Once you've experienced enough, you'll understand. Some things are unavoidable. All we can do is make the least terrible choice."
Then, a faint smile crossed his lips.
"But unlike some stubborn old fools in the village—who only point out problems and expect others to solve them—you actually proposed a viable solution."
Countering jutsu with jutsu.
Orochimaru didn't believe for a second that Kyohiko had stumbled upon this by accident. He must have researched it deliberately.
Having a plan before acting already put him above many of Konoha's higher-ups.
His eyes gleamed with approval.
"Once we finish here, I'll report everything truthfully."
Kyohiko didn't claim sole credit.
"This was only possible thanks to Orochimaru-sama's research and refinements, as well as everyone's combined efforts. Without that, Minato and I alone could never have repelled Sunagakure."
"Of course, the victory belongs to everyone. But contributions vary in size. Don't downplay your own."
Orochimaru's voice was hoarse.
Then he looked at the two.
"Now, share your thoughts on what comes next."
Minato's opinion leaned heavily toward reconciliation—establishing lasting peace between the two villages.
Orochimaru neither agreed nor disagreed.
Minato wasn't offended.
He knew Orochimaru was more interested in hearing Kyohiko's perspective.
After this battle, Orochimaru had clearly taken a keen interest in Kyohiko—perhaps even considering him as a protégé.
Kyohiko didn't answer immediately.
"Not reconciliation. Sunagakure must surrender."
Moreover, the key issue of "surrender" would inevitably involve the Third Kazekage's corpse—and their captured prisoner, Pakura of the Scorch Release kekkei genkai.
"Minato, this is the difference between you and Kyohiko. One-sided peace is just self-delusion—and in the end, it only harms your own people."
Orochimaru smirked in agreement.
As for the body...
After a moment's thought, Orochimaru recalled a certain piece of intel.
Human Puppets.
"Sasori of the Red Sand?"
"Yes."
Minato nodded.
Orochimaru asked, "Do you have a plan?"
"We must return the body. Breaking the rules of inter-village warfare would invite pressure from the other great villages. But we can use the human puppet issue as leverage."
Kyohiko paused.
"A forbidden technique like that isn't just our concern. In the end, Sunagakure will have no choice but to exile—or even execute—Sasori."
Minato remained silent.
This kind of discussion was beyond his comfort zone.
Orochimaru mused, "Feasible. But Sasori might also steal the body and defect."
"Or, they might deliberately let him defect, then reclaim the puppet through some means later..."
Kyohiko added.
Even if a human puppet retained only half the Third Kazekage's strength, it would still be a valuable asset for a weakened Sunagakure.
He didn't believe Ebizō and Rasa were truly above such tactics.
Orochimaru nodded.
"We'll return a body that can't be turned into a puppet. Leave that to me."
"And the Scorch Release user?"
Kyohiko asked.
"Keep her imprisoned for now. Ignore Suna's stance. First, we'll negotiate with the Land of Rivers, then deliver her there. As you said—this is surrender, not mutual reconciliation."
...
At a border outpost in the Land of Wind, an eerie silence reigned.
The shinobi who had returned from the front lines sat slumped against the walls, their faces ashen.
The Third Kazekage—
Sunagakure's strongest leader—
The invincible figure they had believed in was gone forever.
Morale had collapsed. Even Ebizō and Rasa didn't know how to console them, because they themselves couldn't fathom how Konoha had done it.
"Elder... How did Konoha master Magnet Release?"
Rasa's mind raced.
There had to have been a shinobi underground controlling the magnetism.
Elder Ebizō shot him a tired glance but said nothing.
If he knew, he wouldn't be sitting here in stunned silence.
The two sat in their chairs, unsure of their next move.
Retreat?
If they returned to Sunagakure, would Konoha let them off?
After all, they had started this war—and now Konoha held the key to countering their Magnet Release.
If Konoha attacked, how could they defend themselves without the Kazekage?
Elder Ebizō's thoughts were in turmoil, but he knew he had to decide.
"First, we need a clear objective."
"Rasa, you must step up now. The future of Sunagakure rests on you."
"Me?"
Rasa opened his mouth but couldn't voice his doubts.
Finally, he gritted his teeth.
"I'll go rally the troops."
Yet—
After just two steps, he froze, his face twisting in frustration.
"Elder... How? I was never their match to begin with. And now that Magnet Release is countered, I stand no chance..."
The root of their despair was the Kazekage's death.
If even he couldn't defeat Konoha, what weight would Rasa's words carry?
Elder Ebizō fell silent.
The core issue was simple: they couldn't win. Unless they found a way to reverse the situation, nothing else mattered.
As he pondered—
A figure rushed in from outside.
An ANBU operative.
Elder Ebizō stood immediately.
"Report."
"Elder, Konoha hasn't advanced. Instead, they've sent a squad to the capital of the Land of Rivers."
"The Land of Rivers' capital?"
Elder Ebizō was stunned—then his face paled.
He understood.
Konoha was making a show of securing passage through the Land of Rivers, signaling their readiness for a prolonged campaign.
Whether it was a bluff or not, the implications were dire for Sunagakure.
They had to act fast.
"Rasa."
"Elder."
Rasa stood at attention.
Elder Ebizō exhaled slowly.
"We surrender."
"What?"
"Surrender. I'll go myself."
Elder Ebizō's voice was heavy.
"The Kazekage is dead. Fighting on won't bring victory—it'll only give the other villages an opening. Is there any point in continuing?"
Here is your revised text with all asterisks (*) removed:
"But..."
"I will bear the consequences. You will become the Fourth Kazekage and lead Sunagakure forward."
Ebizō patted his shoulder. "As for how Konoha did it—set that aside for now. We'll consider the reasons once we've regained enough strength."
"Understood, Ebizō-sama."
Rasa's tone had shifted.
Ebizō nodded faintly. "This is the last thing I can do for the village. After this, I will step down and await death in peace."
Then, he walked out.
In Konoha, Tsunade sighed repeatedly, too restless to focus on paperwork.
The east was under attack by Kirigakure.
The west had already seen battle with Sunagakure.
And in the north, Ōnoki watched like a lurking tiger.
She had already sent Jiraiya to secure the northern front. Now, Konoha's remaining internal forces were stretched thin.
She needed good news.
Yet—
So far, none of the three fronts had moved.
"Tsunade-sama."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke appeared in a shunshin.
Tsunade immediately strode over. "Which front?"
"A letter from Orochimaru-sama."
Shinnosuke handed it over.
The message had been delivered by hawk. Unfolding it, she recognized Orochimaru's handwriting at once.
A few seconds later, uproarious laughter erupted from the Hokage's office.
Tsunade slammed the paper onto the desk.
"Good!"
"How should we handle the matter of the Third Kazekage?"
Shinnosuke asked.
This was the most pressing issue.
They couldn't empower the enemy, nor could they breach wartime conventions...
Tsunade smirked coldly.
"What's so pressing? Orochimaru is right—delay as much as possible. Creating a human puppet must have its conditions. Even if Suna gets the body eventually, it'll just be a corpse by then."
"Understood!"
Shinnosuke read between the lines.
Orochimaru was right?
According to the letter, those were clearly Kyohiko's words.
That kid was dangerously sharp.
He couldn't help but worry for his younger brother.
"Ah, Shinnosuke."
Tsunade set down the report, thinking for a moment. "You should keep an eye on your brother too. Talk to him more."
"Asuma?"
"Yes. He's been training frantically with Gai, but Gai built his strength step by step. Asuma hasn't gone through that process. If he's not careful, he'll break himself."
Since mastering the Telescope Technique, Tsunade had been observing the village's younger generation—and had noticed Asuma's near-fanatic regimen.
Shinnosuke paused.
He knew Asuma's motivations well enough. The boy had no real conflict with Kyohiko—it was just that his childhood friend, Yūhi Kurenai, had grown close to him...
But—
Hearts were their own masters. Whom Kurenai liked was her choice.
He really did need to talk to Asuma.
Nodding, Shinnosuke bowed in gratitude.
By evening, Asuma was panting like a dying dog as he struggled to keep up with Gai's relentless pace. Yet he refused to quit, stubbornly trailing behind.
Might Gai inwardly praised him.
Such determination! Truly, Asuma was admirable!
Outwardly, however, he remained stern.
"What's wrong? Is this little challenge too much for you? Years ago, Kyohiko could already do what you're doing now!"
"I—I won't give up! One day, I'll surpass him!"
Hearing Kyohiko's name, Asuma found a burst of energy and surged forward.
But—
Gai accelerated again.
The two pushed on, neither willing to yield.
After finishing his ANBU duties, Shinnosuke watched from above, tracking their progress silently.
Only when Asuma could barely stand did he shunshin down.
"Asuma."
"Brother...? Why are you here?"
Asuma blinked in surprise.
Since joining the ANBU, Shinnosuke had rarely been around. Even when they met at home, they exchanged fewer than ten words a month.
He hadn't expected this visit.
"I need to talk to you."
Shinnosuke then turned to Gai. "Thank you for looking after my brother."
"Ah, no—I'm just training with him!"
After Gai left, Shinnosuke led Asuma home.
Halfway there, on a quiet street, he spoke.
"Your issue with Kyohiko... It's about Kurenai, isn't it?"
"Huh?"
Asuma stiffened, caught off guard.
"Why bring that up?"
He averted his gaze.
Shinnosuke said calmly, "You can't decide who Kurenai likes. But I support you competing with him."
"Healthy rivalry drives progress. Look at Kakashi and Gai—see how much they've improved in two years?"
Shinnosuke was patient.
He might not have time for his brother, but he wasn't oblivious.
Asuma fell silent.
Kakashi and Might Gai...
Their growth was remarkable. Especially Gai—before graduation, his ninjutsu and genjutsu scores had barely passed. His early graduation had seemed like a miracle.
Yet in just two years, his taijutsu had soared, and he was even developing lightning-style techniques.
As for Kakashi—
"Has Kakashi improved that much?"
Asuma asked curiously.
Since Kyohiko's rise, Kakashi had faded from the spotlight.
Shinnosuke sighed. "Kakashi... He's a genius content to live in Kyohiko's shadow. Few talk about him now, but his strength is already close to an average jōnin's."
He paused.
"At most, two more years—he'll make jōnin."
Two years...
Asuma did the math.
Kakashi was nine now. So by eleven, he'd be a jōnin?
Wait—
His brother meant Kakashi's strength was already near-jōnin level.
Asuma's shoulders slumped. "The gap between us... Is it really that big?"
"They're talented, but they also train relentlessly. Have you pushed yourself as hard as they have?"
Shinnosuke didn't coddle him.
Asuma shook his head.
No.
At the very least, he hadn't trained as fiercely as Gai.
Shinnosuke smiled. "Recognize the gap. Then chase it. Surpass it. Don't let petty emotions cloud your path."
"Then... how big is the gap between me and Ryōhō Kyohiko?"
Asuma couldn't help asking.
Shinnosuke pondered. "Do you want the truth?"
"Of course."
Asuma nodded solemnly.
"I don't know."
"What?"
"I don't know how strong he is. But I'm certain he's far beyond Kakashi—perhaps even on par with Minato."
Shinnosuke's voice held awe.
Kyohiko was a true genius, a figure comparable to Senju Tobirama.
The gap between him and Asuma...
Was simply too vast.
Hearing this, Asuma fell silent.
On par with Namikaze Minato...
He had never imagined the chasm was so wide.
Was there even a chance for him?
"So? Will you give up?"
Shinnosuke scoffed.
"No! Why would I?!"
Asuma's reply was instinctive.
Then, he clenched his fists. "Right. I'll never give up!"
"Good. Father entrusted me with a gift for you. Since you refuse to quit, take it—then grow stronger. Surpass him."
Shinnosuke retrieved a weapons pouch.
From it, he withdrew a cloth-wrapped bundle.
A pair of chakra blades.