"Yo, yo, explosion maniac, Mitsuki, your… mmph!" Killer B had just found some inspiration and was about to freestyle on the spot, but before he could finish, Mitsuki, who had long been prepared, activated the curse seal and sealed his mouth shut again.
"Alright, it's your turn to take the stage, future Fourth Raikage."
"Mitsuki, are you interested in joining our Kumogakure?" A looked at Mitsuki with a serious expression as he made the offer. "I can make you the Fifth Raikage before you turn twenty."
"Huh?" Mitsuki was completely baffled by A's unexpected move. "Did you get your brain suffocated by sand or something?"
Several veins popped uncontrollably on A's forehead, but he truly admired the genius standing before him. If he had known this earlier, he should have kidnapped him back to Kumogakure when he was still a child and trained him there.
"I've read your intelligence reports. Your parents died at the hands of Kirigakure, and you no longer have any family in Konoha. So why do you insist on staying there?" A continued. "Join Kumogakure. I can help you launch a war of annihilation against the Land of Water to take your revenge. Konoha would absolutely never do something like that just for you."
Mitsuki's eyes flickered slightly, but he still rejected him decisively. "Forget it, A. The Third Raikage was killed by Iwagakure. Why didn't I see you launch a war of annihilation against the Land of Earth?"
A was a bit speechless. Wasn't it because he couldn't beat them? "If you join us, then adding Iwagakure to the list of targets to be crusaded is also fine."
"I refuse."
"Hmph."
At this point, the conversation could no longer continue, but A did not give up. Anyway, he would be going back to Konoha as a prisoner, so there would be plenty of time to sway him later. For now, it was better to end this already lost war.
Under A's booming voice, those Kumo ninja who felt retreat was hopeless and were preparing to fight to the death wisely chose to surrender. Before, they had been ignorant enough to think they could turn things around. Now that their boss and two Jinchuriki had all been captured, what was there left to fight for?
With no one left on the Kumogakure side capable of calling the shots, it was ultimately Cee who led several Kumo jonin to conduct a temporary battlefield negotiation with Minato.
"Minato Namikaze, Kumogakure is willing to enter peace talks with Konoha. However, before that, could you return Lord A to us? Otherwise, many matters in the negotiations cannot be decided."
Even Cee himself did not think Konoha would agree to this, but trying would not cost him anything. What if it worked?
"No." Mitsuki, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up and rejected him mercilessly. Just as Minato intended to use Killer B as leverage to exchange for the method of becoming a Perfect Jinchuriki, Mitsuki also had his eye on obtaining the Lightning Release Chakra Mode from A, which was why he had not killed him on the spot.
"The Two-Tails and Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, along with A, will be escorted back to Konoha. I heard Kumogakure is currently being led by a ninja named Dodai. Since you don't have the authority to decide, then let him personally bring people to Konoha for peace talks."
Mitsuki did not have the brain of Shikaku, but he did not need to play any schemes with the Kumo ninja either. There was only one rule: if you want to ransom them back, then bring enough chips to Konoha to exchange.
Minato thought the same way. After fighting for so long, Konoha had emerged victorious. There was no way Kumogakure would not have to pay a price. The ninja world was not some fairy tale.
"Alright. I will return and relay this to Lord Dodai. I hope Konoha will not do anything to Lord A and the others before the peace talks begin."
After cleaning up the battlefield, Minato led the victorious Konoha forces back to their camp in the Land of Hot Water. After the war initially ended, Minato somehow became even busier than he was during the fighting. Exchanging ordinary prisoners, confirming the identities of fallen Konoha ninja recovered from the battlefield, checking remaining supplies, and a long list of other matters all had to be personally handled by him.
However, Minato truly lived up to his reputation as the fastest man in the ninja world, one who would later make even the Hokage's desk spotless. These complicated battlefield affairs were all wrapped up in just two days. Back when Tsunade handled Sunagakure's surrender, if not for Shikaku's help, she probably would have dragged it out for weeks.
Inside the command room at dusk, the high level Konoha officers dealing with the Kumogakure front were collectively working overtime in a meeting. Mitsuki, Minato, Doto, and Inoichi were all present.
"Besides the method of becoming a Perfect Jinchuriki and Kumogakure's secret techniques, we should be able to demand even harsher conditions," Doto said seriously. "After all, we captured three ninja Kumogakure absolutely cannot afford to lose."
"Indeed," Minato affirmed. "But we can't think everything through right now. Let's wait until we return to Konoha and let the Third Hokage decide."
Knock knock knock.
A knocking sound came from the door.
"Please come in," Minato called out.
Outside the door, Kakashi had originally intended to politely say "Excuse me," but the Obito beside him, upon hearing Minato's permission, directly rammed the door open with his head.
"Mitsuki, Mitsuki!" Obito's excited voice echoed into the room.
"Yeah yeah, I'm here," Mitsuki lazily raised a hand.
"The Land of Hot Water Village is holding a fireworks festival tonight to celebrate the end of the war!" Obito's face was filled with longing as he kept talking. "Mitsuki, Mitsuki!"
"Yeah yeah, I'm here."
"Let's go watch the fireworks together! And Minato-sensei too… ow!"
Kakashi withdrew the hand chop he had just landed on Obito's head, stared at the people in the room with his signature dead fish eyes, and bowed. "Sorry for the disturbance."
Then he grabbed Obito by the collar, preparing to close the door and leave.
"Let go of me, Kakashi! Don't you want to go have fun too? Didn't you say you wanted to buy the latest ninja novel?"
"I… I never said that! Minato-sensei and the others are discussing important matters. As a ninja, how can you not know how to endure!" Kakashi did not expect Obito to blurt out everything. He had only mentioned it casually, yet this idiot actually remembered it.
"Haha." Watching his students' antics, Minato could not help but laugh. "There's nothing to apologize for, Kakashi."
"Yeah, at your age, it's natural to be interested in activities like that," Inoichi said with a smile.
Minato looked at Mitsuki and suggested, "Mitsuki, you can put the meeting aside for now. Go relax a bit and watch the fireworks with Kakashi and Obito."
"I…" Mitsuki hesitated. He was indeed curious about events like this, but Inoichi-sensei had just said only kids were interested in them. He was not a kid anymore, and Captain Minato and the others were still working.
"Alright, alright, Mitsuki. Just go and enjoy yourself properly. The work here can be handled by us adults." As Inoichi spoke, he pushed Mitsuki toward the door.