It had to be said, Kazuyama Gekkō had done an impressive job this time, even if his actions were a bit over the top.
Charging straight into an enemy village wasn't something you saw often in the Ninja World. Even back in the Second Shinobi World War, the fighting had only reached the borders of the Land of Rain—no one had ever taken the battle into Amegakure itself.
Given Hanzō's temper, there was no way he'd allow anyone to bring the fight to his doorstep.
Yet Kazuyama had done just that. He charged straight into Amegakure and started a brawl. It was a move that left everyone stunned.
What was more shocking was that he made it out unscathed. Only someone like him—who could fly, turn invisible, and use space-time ninjutsu—could pull something like that off.
"He really pulled it off beautifully."
"Sure, he ran off on his own before the battle began, but once the fighting started, the blow to Amegakure was serious."
"But the intel says the village fell into chaos. How should we make sense of that?"
"Even if he fought Hanzō inside Amegakure, that shouldn't be enough to throw the entire village into disorder, right?"
Homura Mitokado shared his thoughts as he sat to the side. Koharu Utatane nodded in agreement.
"You're right. That kid must've done something else too."
"Otherwise, there's no way Amegakure would be in such turmoil. Hiruzen, we need to ask him about this when he returns."
Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed. He was just as curious about how Kazuyama had managed to cause so much destruction in Amegakure—it was enough to drive Hanzō of the Salamander into a rage.
Inside the office, only the Hokage and the two advisors were present. It was odd—Danzō Shimura hadn't shown up.
This raised some suspicion in Hiruzen's mind, along with a flicker of dissatisfaction.
He thought, "Hmph, Danzō must've had a hand in Amegakure's situation. Otherwise, he wouldn't be skipping this meeting. Danzō, you're getting bolder—how dare you openly go after people from your own village?"
Suddenly, an ANBU operative appeared in the room, dropping to one knee, visibly trembling.
Clearly, he was excited.
"What is it?" Hiruzen and the two advisors asked in unison.
Without hesitation, the ANBU pulled out a scroll and swiftly placed it on the desk.
"Lord Hokage, this is news from the front lines."
"Iwagakure has sent its ninja to the Daimyō's Manor. It seems they're requesting peace."
"This intel came directly from Lady Midori—there's no mistake!"
No wonder the ANBU was so worked up—Iwagakure making such a move was a big deal.
And for Konoha, it was great news.
"Excellent! Hahaha, good things just keep coming."
"Looks like that bastard Ōnoki caught wind of the chaos in Amegakure."
"That old bastard actually dragged Hanzō into the war, and now both Hanzō and Amegakure are completely out of commission."
"Ōnoki doesn't want to fight anymore, hahahaha!"
Hiruzen laughed louder and louder—he hadn't felt this joyful since the war began.
Just then, a commotion broke out outside.
Hiruzen frowned, cutting his laughter short and signaling the ANBU to check it out.
Moments later, the ANBU returned. "Lord Hokage, Danzō is here."
Hiruzen snorted coldly. "Let him in."
Danzō stepped into the office with a blank expression, as if nothing could disturb his composure.
"Danzō, you missed today's meeting. Don't you think we deserve an explanation?"
Hiruzen's gaze was sharp, but Danzō remained unfazed, speaking as if he were simply stating a fact:
"Hiruzen, the situation is clearly in our favor now. Iwagakure wants to end the war—but I think we need to discuss it carefully."
"We are the victors. If Ōnoki wants peace, then he must offer compensation."
The two advisors didn't object. On the contrary, a sharp glint flashed in their eyes.
Danzō's suggestion was sound. As the winning side, demanding compensation was entirely reasonable.
But Hiruzen frowned. He understood Danzō's point, but in his view, ending the war at all was already incredibly difficult.
If they directly demanded reparations from Ōnoki, the war might not end as smoothly as they hoped.
"Let's just drop it."
"We all know Ōnoki's temper. You want him to apologize? Heh, I bet he'd come to the front lines himself."
"And if Dust Release enters the battlefield, you all know what that means."
At the mention of Dust Release, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane's expressions immediately shifted.
They clearly understood the weight of that technique.
A power beyond Kekkei Genkai, Dust Release—hailed as a "Kekkei Tōta"—was known entirely for its overwhelming destructive force.
From what they knew, no known defense could withstand an attack from it.
If things really fell apart with Iwagakure and Ōnoki came to the front lines personally, Konoha's casualties would skyrocket under the sheer devastation Dust Release could unleash.
"Hiruzen is right. We can't let Ōnoki step onto the battlefield."
"Let the Daimyō's Manor handle the negotiations for compensation. We should stay out of it."
Danzō's expression didn't change. He only let out a cold snort.
"You're all being too cautious. No matter how strong Ōnoki is, he's still just one man."
"With our current strength, we're more than capable of going another round with Iwagakure. Hiruzen, you've lost your edge."
"That's why we keep getting hit."
"You really should step down."
As he finished, Danzō turned to leave—but Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice stopped him.
"Danzō, my resignation is already set in stone."
"The Daimyō's Manor has already made its decision. The results will be announced in a few days."
"When the new Hokage takes office, I hope you'll behave."
"And don't think just because I'm not questioning what happened in Amegakure that you're in the clear."
"Root's actions have already crossed the village's line. I suggest you watch yourself."
Hearing the warning, Danzō opened the door and walked out.
Duang!
The door slammed shut.
The two advisors exchanged glances—they seemed to have picked up on something.
"Hiruzen, you're talking about Kazuyama Gekkō?"
"Yes, Koharu, let's not talk about it now. We'll find out when Kazuyama gets back."
Hiruzen knew exactly what kind of man Danzō was. There had to be something shady behind what happened in the Amegakure operation.
As for Kazuyama Gekkō, he was currently enjoying himself, heading toward the Land of Frost.
It was the perfect place he had found to offload all the wealth he'd just plundered.