Hidden Mist was no longer able to fight and had to withdraw from the war. Even if it wasn't explicitly stated, their actions had already proven this point.
As for Iwagakure's desire for peace talks, this news had already reached Hiruzen Sarutobi before Bai Mu and Tsunade returned.
There was good news from Hidden Mist; they were no longer able to fight, meaning they could no longer threaten the Land of Fire's eastern border. Although the Uchiha clan had stolen the spotlight in this battle, it wasn't entirely unacceptable.
Because on another battlefield, Minato Namikaze, on whom Hiruzen Sarutobi had placed great hopes, had turned the tide and thwarted Iwagakure's invasion plan in one fell swoop.
If Iwagakure's thousand ninja troops had broken through, it would have been truly difficult to defend. Considering that Konoha's border defense force was reduced to four people by over fifty Iwagakure ninja, if they had truly broken in, Konoha would certainly have suffered early losses.
Although Hiruzen Sarutobi was confident he could deal with the invading Iwagakure forces, Konoha would definitely suffer heavy losses in the early stages. If the enemy could be kept out of the country, it would certainly benefit Konoha.
Now, with Iwagakure proactively seeking peace talks, it meant that Ōnoki, that old thing, couldn't hold on any longer. Hiruzen Sarutobi had also long wanted to stop fighting, so these peace talks were essential.
As long as Iwagakure withdrew, even if it was only a temporary withdrawal, it would be of great help to Konoha, because it meant they could free up their hands to completely resolve the Sunagakure problem.
With Sunagakure defeated and Hidden Mist withdrawing early, what else could Iwagakure do?
They definitely wouldn't dare to act rashly again.
And in that case... the only remaining major enemy would be Kumogakure.
Hiruzen Sarutobi believed his plan was quite good, and the peace terms would naturally be relaxed a bit. As long as Konoha didn't suffer a loss, there was no need to be fixated on specific things.
In short, the priority was peace talks, a ceasefire with Iwagakure, focusing efforts on defeating Sunagakure, and finally confronting Kumogakure to see who would emerge victorious.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi was still confident that Konoha would achieve ultimate victory.
Kumogakure was merely a spent force.
The Third Raikage was dead.
Would they really fight to the death?
Probably not.
If both sides could get along, a ceasefire was highly probable. Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi believed that these peace talks with Iwagakure would be the turning point of the Third Great Ninja War.
Ōnoki, that old thing, was also wary of Kumogakure. Now that their main army couldn't enter the Land of Fire, it meant that Iwagakure would no longer entangle with their side, unless there were subsequent changes.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi was confident that there wouldn't be any major changes later, and everything would develop in a direction favorable to Konoha, so these peace talks were a must.
Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu understood what Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to do. Moreover, they both supported Iwagakure's desire for peace talks at this time. This meant reduced pressure and was beneficial to Konoha, so how could they not support it?
So, without Hiruzen Sarutobi even needing to speak, they both expressed their views, clearly supporting the peace talks.
"Hiruzen, since Iwagakure is seeking peace talks, it means they are no longer able to fight. Even if Ōnoki has some other schemes, achieving a ceasefire will be beneficial to us, so this matter must be facilitated."
"Yes, Hiruzen, I share the same view."
As Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu successively expressed their opinions, Hiruzen Sarutobi was very pleased. His two old friends still understood him, so next, it was Danzo's turn.
"Danzo, what do you think about this?" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Danzo Shimura beside him and spoke unhurriedly.
Danzo sneered, "Hiruzen, do you think Ōnoki, that old thing's so-called peace talks, are genuine peace talks?"
Could Ōnoki, that old thing, be trusted?
He would never believe it.
Hiruzen Sarutobi heard this and calmly replied, "Danzo, what's important now isn't Ōnoki's sincerity; none of that matters. The key is how we can free up our hands to solve the problems with Sunagakure and Kumogakure. Therefore, peace talks and a ceasefire with Iwagakure are of paramount importance."
Do you think I would believe that Ōnoki?
I don't believe Ōnoki, but I know that if we continue to be bogged down with Iwagakure, it will be very detrimental to Konoha. So, for the sake of the bigger picture, a ceasefire with Iwagakure is necessary.
There's no choice. Moreover, they also have this desire. Now is a rare opportunity that must be facilitated as quickly as possible, so that our active forces can swiftly deal with Sunagakure, and then concentrate our strength to deal with Kumogakure.
Although Kumogakure cannot be underestimated, the Third Raikage is gone. Can Kumogakure really go all out and fight us to the death?
Certainly not, and they won't do that. So, Kumogakure will eventually be willing to talk peace.
In this way, the war would also end.
Utatane Koharu directly stated that peace talks were very important, and Iwagakure's withdrawal from the battlefield was an even more crucial matter, a major turning point in the Ninja World War, and even more beneficial to Konoha.
Based on this point, she said, "Hiruzen is right. The key now is Iwagakure's withdrawal. As long as Iwagakure is willing to withdraw, even making concessions is acceptable, but I don't recommend doing so."
"Hmph, all you know is talk. Iwagakure is showing clear signs of decline on the Land of Grass battlefield. In my opinion, Minato Namikaze should lead the charge and attack."
Danzo was naturally unwilling, and instead strongly pushed for Minato Namikaze to continue fighting, demanding that he lead a large force to continue battling Iwagakure's main forces.
"Danzo, this is not advisable."
Hiruzen Sarutobi, puffing on his old pipe, immediately objected upon hearing Danzo's aggressive words.
"Why is it not advisable? Minato Namikaze is capable; he can do this." Danzo snorted, saying with great dissatisfaction.
Why did Hiruzen Sarutobi object?
It wasn't that he didn't approve of Minato Namikaze.
To be precise, Hiruzen Sarutobi highly approved of Minato Namikaze, but this mode of commanding large-scale army operations was not suitable for Minato Namikaze.
Instead, he was more suited for solo incursions, where no one could hold him back, maximizing the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Of course, this didn't mean Minato Namikaze should go alone, but rather that he was suitable as a single-person breakthrough point, specifically targeting Iwagakure's elite small squads, rather than leading a large army to clash head-on with Iwagakure's main forces.
"Danzo, Minato is capable, but he is not suited to command large-scale army operations. Asking him to lead a large force to engage Iwagakure's main forces is an unreasonable approach that cannot fully utilize Minato's abilities, so this matter needs no further discussion."
Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly understood Danzo's intentions: nothing more than wanting Minato Namikaze to be constantly on the battlefield, hoping for an accident to befall him. Even the Third Raikage could die, so why not Minato Namikaze?
This was Danzo's thought, and moreover, this guy would likely cause trouble secretly.
He knew Danzo too well and knew that the other party would stop at nothing to achieve certain goals. Sometimes Hiruzen Sarutobi would turn a blind eye, but not now.
"Hiruzen, don't misunderstand anything." Danzo clearly understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's thoughts; he was misunderstanding him.
Yes, Danzo had some opinions about Minato Namikaze, because this kid had been a bit out of control lately, and his achievements were a bit too frightening, but it wasn't to the extent of being overly wary of a junior.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a few puffs from his pipe before slowly saying, "Danzo, I know you're aggressive, and I know your heart is for Konoha, but wars aren't fought like this. Moreover, Minato has other missions; I need him to rush to another battlefield..."
"Hiruzen, are you talking about Kumogakure?"
Utatane Koharu guessed, unsure if it was true, so her tone carried a hint of question.
"Yes, it's Kumogakure. We can't ignore them." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, his voice somewhat low.
Kumogakure!
That was truly a huge threat.
For Konoha, the pain brought by Kumogakure was unforgettable.
The Second Hokage, their teacher—Senju Tobirama, sacrificed his life because of Kumogakure. If there hadn't been a rebellion in Kumogakure, how could the Second Hokage have died?
It was all Kumogakure's fault!
"We all know that, but what do you plan to do?" Utatane Koharu indicated that they all understood what Hiruzen Sarutobi was saying, but how to act was the problem.
"What to do?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered repeatedly.
To be honest, Kumogakure needed someone dedicated to handle it, and the most suitable candidate was Minato Namikaze. He had this intention, and more importantly, it would allow Minato Namikaze to continue racking up achievements.
Although there were risks, he believed in Minato Namikaze's abilities. Even if there was danger, with the Flying Thunder God Technique that Minato Namikaze had mastered, escaping danger would not be difficult.
"I plan to..."
Pondering, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly began to speak.
Just then, the office door was pushed open.
Tsunade's figure appeared at the doorway, looking at the people in the room with a dark expression.
"Tsunade, what are you doing?" Seeing Tsunade, Utatane Koharu immediately questioned her.
So lawless!
How could you do that? You need to know the rules.
"What am I doing? What do you mean, 'what am I doing'? I'm just asking, what are you all doing? The front line is so urgent, yet you called me back. What are your intentions?"
Tsunade snorted coldly.
As soon as she returned, she started making accusations.
Danzo was unmoved. Instead, he accused Tsunade of recklessness, questioned her inaction, and also demanded to know how she dared to unilaterally command the front-line battle. If there was a mistake, who would take responsibility?
"Tsunade, this is nonsense. Don't play around; you left the village without permission. When the Ninja World War broke out, you didn't care, and then this time you ran to the front line to command recklessly. Do you know that if something goes wrong, our eastern front will be exploited by the enemy? Do you know the consequences?"
The problem was that Danzo's accusations had little effect on Tsunade.
She sneered, "Hearing you say that, the fault lies with me?"
"Just tell me what you mean now!" Danzo snorted, ignoring Tsunade's question and instead asking what her intentions were.
"Danzo, shut up!"
Before Tsunade could speak, Hiruzen Sarutobi, with a grim face, looked at Danzo.
Being reprimanded by Hiruzen Sarutobi like this, Danzo's expression was somewhat ugly, but knowing the other party's intentions, he could only forcefully suppress his anger. He couldn't really make things too tense with Tsunade, could he?
That wouldn't be worth it, so Danzo could only hold back, but he still couldn't resist asking Hiruzen Sarutobi what he ultimately wanted to say and what he planned to do.
"Hiruzen, what do you mean?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored Danzo and put down his pipe, looking at Tsunade with a solemn expression.
"Tsunade, where is Uchiha Bai Mu? And where is Miroku?"
Where's my son?
And where is Uchiha Bai Mu?
You can't tell me you're the only one who came back, can you?
Tsunade shrugged, saying indifferently, "Your son is too slow; he's behind. As for Uchiha Bai Mu..."
At this point, Tsunade paused slightly, then continued, "He's right here, waiting for Hokage-sama to summon him!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."
Sarcastic?
Tsunade, who did you learn this from?
To be honest, Tsunade's attitude really caught him off guard. He couldn't quite grasp her thoughts, and what did Uchiha Bai Mu mean by all this?
Hiruzen Sarutobi truly didn't understand the underlying meaning of all these things, but he absolutely had to figure it out; he couldn't remain ignorant.
"Tsunade 327, since he's back, come in!"
First, he needed to meet the person.
He would talk after meeting him.
Tsunade stepped aside, and Bai Mu walked in.
He stood in the same position as Tsunade, appearing as if the two were standing shoulder to shoulder.
This scene made Hiruzen Sarutobi frown immediately, a shadow already falling over his heart. At the same time, Tsunade's actions made him even more uneasy.
Tsunade, what do you mean?
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't speak, but Danzo had already jumped out, loudly questioning, "Uchiha Bai Mu, what is the meaning of your unauthorized actions?"
"What unauthorized actions?"
Bai Mu said calmly, looking directly at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his posture very casual.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi saw this, he grew even more displeased. Such behavior was truly irritating. How could a young man be so disrespectful?
You should know this is the Hokage's office, and you are facing the Hokage. Truly, Uchiha...
"Presumptuous! What kind of attitude is that?" Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't say anything, but Danzo Shimura completely exploded.
How dare you?
Is such an attitude one of disdain?
For Danzo, this was very difficult to accept.
Undoubtedly, he hated Bai Mu to the core.
Danzo was not a magnanimous person to begin with, and Bai Mu's demeanor completely disregarded him, so he naturally couldn't accept it.
Seeing this, Tsunade frowned slightly, clearly annoyed by Danzo's shouting and constant yelling, always liking to point fingers... Hmph, only the Old Man could tolerate him.
She said in a deep voice, "Danzo, what are you yelling about? Were there unauthorized actions? I personally gave the order; I requested such actions. What does it have to do with Uchiha Bai Mu?"
Danzo: "..."
No, Tsunade, what's wrong with you?
Wait, you're speaking up for the Uchiha. Why is that?
Utatane Koharu's expression was displeased upon hearing this, and she said in a deep voice, "Tsunade, Danzo just said you were being reckless, and he wasn't wrong. Without the Hokage's authorization, how could you take over command of the front lines?"
She had strong opinions about Tsunade's behavior. How could she speak up for the Uchiha? And from Tsunade's demeanor, it seemed she was intentionally protecting Bai Mu, which was intriguing.
"Why not?"
Tsunade snorted coldly, saying, "The Uchiha, Hyuga, Nara Clan, and other Ninja Clans all support it, so why not? As for eliminating the Third Mizukage of the Hidden Mist, is that wrong?"
Face?
No need to give it.
She wouldn't give face to these old things. Only her teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, might get a little respect, but Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado? Forget about them...