After collecting all the spoils of war, the Konoha ninja army, aside from those assigned to guard the borders, began their triumphant return under the leadership of Tsunade and Orochimaru.
During this journey, news of Konoha's decisive victory over Suna in the great battle gradually made its way back to the village, how they had nearly annihilated Suna's army of ten thousand, forced them to sue for peace, and even secured a war indemnity of two billion.
Some of this information had already been rumored, but without any details. Other parts had been classified as top battlefield secrets and were completely unknown until now.
For instance, the details of battles in which Tsunade, Orochimaru, Shin, the Uchiha clan, Sakumo, Minato, and others had distinguished themselves.
Each piece of news that arrived caused a huge stir and ignited waves of excitement throughout the village.
The gloomy, oppressive mood that had built up in Konoha during this period was almost completely swept away. The vast majority of people now looked forward to a hopeful future with eager anticipation.
In truth, many people could see that all this buzz was being intentionally stirred up to celebrate the war victory and promote Tsunade's rise in status.
But instead of feeling annoyed, people enthusiastically joined in the effort.
For a long time, Konoha had been in turmoil due to internal strife. Then came the war, which kept everyone on edge. Now that everything had come to a clear and favorable conclusion, it was time to celebrate properly.
So, no amount of promotion seemed excessive, in fact, it greatly boosted morale and united the people.
The spoils of war from the frontline were abundant, and with no urgent matters pressing, the army returned at a leisurely pace.
It took seven days for the force to reach Konoha.
What they hadn't expected was that the villagers of Konoha would voluntarily come ten miles out of the village to welcome them home.
All along the road, cheers and congratulations echoed continuously. Everyone beamed with joy and was brimming with excitement.
Many ninjas couldn't help but start recounting their war experiences to the eager villagers, whose blood boiled with excitement as they listened.
Some stories were so captivating that no one ever got tired of hearing them. Through the many accounts, even the common people found themselves sighing in awe.
But for the villagers, the excitement was only just beginning.
In every restaurant, tavern, tea house, and even noodle shop, wherever a returning ninja could be found, people would ask eagerly about the course of the war.
Some ninjas who loved to talk would recount the war in vivid, dramatic detail.
"You have no idea how dangerous it was!" said a ninja at the Yakiniku Q, rolling up his sleeves. One foot rested on a stool, a bottle of sake in his hand as he exclaimed, "I really thought I was going to die back then."
"You'll never guess who saved me!"
He paused for a long while, deliberately building suspense and drawing in everyone's curiosity.
Just as someone was about to lose patience and curse at him, he took a sip of sake and said, "It was Minato."
"Of course, now we should be calling him Minato-sama. I don't care if others do or not, but I sure will from now on."
"That Suna ninja's kunai was only 0.01 centimeters from my throat."
"I swear I thought I was about to meet my great-grandmother."
"Then suddenly, this wild gust of wind blew in, dust flying everywhere, and a small but awe-inspiring figure appeared right in front of me."
Bang!
The ninja slammed his bottle onto the table, capturing everyone's full attention, and shouted, "He grabbed that Suna ninja's wrist with his left hand, his kunai couldn't move even a millimeter."
"Then, in his right hand, he conjured a terrifying chakra ball, about the size of a human head, glowing with blue and white light."
"Later I found out, it's called the Rasengan. Man, when that Rasengan hit the Suna ninja, the sky changed color, thunder roared, and lightning flashed."
"The moment that ninja got hit, he started spinning like a windmill, flying backward while spinning, crashing into several huge trees and snapping them like twigs."
The ninja acted out the scene with dramatic gestures, then continued, "I couldn't resist taking a look at that ninja afterward out of curiosity. Good grief, he was a pile of mush. Totally wrecked! That's how brutal it was!"
"And do you all know about the Flying Thunder God Technique?"
"I know you've heard of it, maybe some of you have even seen it. But have you felt it used right in front of you, just a few feet away?"
"I have!" the ninja declared proudly, tilting his head back.
"You don't even know, I was just about to rush in and help out."
"Thinking back now, I was so clueless. As if someone like me could interfere in his fight?"
"I had just gotten to my feet when I saw him appear here, then there, then suddenly above, and then again on the ground."
"I'd only blinked a few times, and those seven or eight Suna ninjas were all dead."
"Even his teammates complained that he was too fast and didn't give them a chance to fight. That's how powerful he is."
"All I can say is, if you didn't see it with your own eyes, what a pity!"
The ninja told the story like a master storyteller, his tone rose and fell with rhythm and emotion. His lively gestures and dramatic flair drew the entire crowd in, making everyone wish they had been on the battlefield themselves.
"What happened after that?" someone couldn't help but ask.
"Ah… I was useless!" the ninja sighed and said with a look of regret, "Later, in another battle, I got hit by a jutsu. A huge boulder came crashing down on me!"
"I really thought I was going to die. But guess what? The one who treated me was none other than Shin-sama."
"He himself, personally!"
"I felt like I'd been flattened, but after he worked his healing jutsu on me, my whole body felt warm and full of energy."
"And look, I'm standing here now, good as new."
"Sadly, my luck ran out after that. I was assigned to guard the supply lines, stuck at camp, so I missed the final big battle."
"Listening to those guys brag on the way back… I swear, I wanted to punch them all. So damn irritating. Ugh, forget it, the more I talk, the more I want to cry."
Everyone in the barbecue shop was roaring with laughter, clinking drinks with the ninja. The place was filled with a cheerful and festive atmosphere.