Scenes of returning battlefield ninjas bragging could be seen in every corner of Konoha.
After all, it was an unprecedented great victory. With all the shadows of internal strife completely dispelled, the people of Konoha shared in the glory and were eager to take part in the joy of victory.
As nearly ten thousand ninjas boasted in various colorful ways, many details of the war and battles were revealed, and several people became truly famous.
The names most frequently mentioned were: Tsunade, Shin, Orochimaru, Konoha's White Fang Sakumo, the Yellow Flash Minato, Genjutsu Master Fukuyama, and the useless Danzō.
Although this list felt like it had some odd additions, it reflected the truth.
The difference was that the others were praised and respected for their renown and accomplishments.
Only Danzō received nothing but scorn, and everyone who mentioned him did so through gritted teeth.
There were also two other people who gained modest fame. Though not mentioned as often, they were well known because of their connection to Minato.
They were his two teammates: Fugaku and Hizashi.
In terms of brilliance, they certainly didn't match him, but the trio, dubbed "The Madmen Three," had nearly wiped out all the Suna's infiltrators in revenge for the people, something that was still talked about with admiration.
The next day, news broke, something everyone had already expected, but still brought tears to their eyes.
Seven days later, Tsunade would officially be inaugurated as the Fourth Hokage at the newly rebuilt Hokage Tower.
Upon hearing the news, many people rushed to spread it.
But everyone also widened their eyes, saying they would keep close watch on any strange happenings in Konoha.
After all, during Danzō's inauguration, Hiruzen had suddenly appeared and stabbed him to death, which still left many uneasy.
Unlike that power-hungry failure Danzō, Tsunade's ceremony absolutely had to go off without a hitch.
Some people were initially worried that standouts like Orochimaru, Sakumo, and Fukuyama might refuse to accept Tsunade's leadership, potentially sparking another round of internal conflict in Konoha.
After all, the last internal strife had left deep psychological scars on the people.
But to everyone's surprise, without exception, all of them publicly stated their full support for the Fourth Hokage and pledged unwavering loyalty to her decisions.
At that moment, the once-fractured spirit of Konoha came together in unprecedented unity. Not a single voice of dissent remained.
In response, Shin simply said people were overthinking it, so long as he was around, nothing would go wrong.
He didn't interfere with people's good intentions, but what mattered was that the hearts of Konoha's people were now aligned, offering a renewed sense of hope.
Meanwhile, the other great ninja villages had fallen into chaos.
Especially after Suna deliberately leaked detailed battle intelligence, the leaders of all the villages were rattled.
Though the Five Great Ninja Villages had varying degrees of power, the differences were never extreme. They used to balance each other out and always acted with some restraint.
But now, Konoha had first crushed Ame in a sweeping victory, and then utterly decimated Suna, leaving it on the brink of collapse, like a candle in the wind, struggling to survive. It would take at least twenty to thirty years to recover.
Such a decisive victory was previously unimaginable.
And once they learned about the final battle between Konoha and Suna, especially the massive bombardment using endless explosive tags, a strong sense of crisis swept through all of them.
They had never even heard of such a scene before. Just imagining it was chilling to the bone.
And unconsciously, a terrifying question emerged in their minds:
If Konoha were to unleash such methods on us, could we withstand it?
Rumors spread that the one who developed this new type of explosive tag and pioneered this entirely new mode of warfare was none other than Orochimaru, the rising star of the current Great Ninja War.
In addition, they learned something else from the latest intelligence coming out of Suna, this time about Shin.
According to the intel, Shin was an extremely terrifying sensory-type ninja, with an enormous sensory range. Combined with his elusive Flying Thunder God Technique, he could constantly monitor enemy movements with uncanny precision.
The previous defeat in the war with the Land of Whirlpools had been due to a complete intelligence disadvantage.
And the one responsible for creating that imbalance, was Shin.
This time, Shin employed the same tactic again. The exact strategy he had used against the Land of Whirlpools was replicated, which was what caused both Ame and Suna to fall into complete passivity and end up devastated.
Orochimaru and Shin, these two individuals had directly redefined the meaning and understanding of war.
And in doing so, they made the threat posed by Konoha impossible to ignore.
That was why Ōnoki couldn't sit still. He was the first to initiate a new Five Kage Summit, reaching out to Kumo, Kiri, Suna, and Ame.
This time, the summit was held in absolute secrecy. None of the villages wanted Konoha to know about it.
The primary topic of the meeting: How to collectively restrain Konoha's development, and what to do if Konoha began expanding its power outward.
In the face of a common enemy, all the villages were willing to set aside their old grudges and began preparations for the summit.
"When one possesses a powerful weapon, the intent to use it inevitably follows."
From the perspective of these villages, Konoha's rapidly increasing strength would naturally lead to expanding ambition, something they could not afford to ignore.
And frankly, they weren't wrong about Konoha... or about Shin, who had always had that mindset.
Since he had resolved to fully support Tsunade and help Konoha grow stronger according to her vision, then Konoha couldn't just settle for being number one.
What was the point of just being number one?
Still, the fears of the other villages wouldn't come true in the short term.
Until Konoha could confidently ignore any and all threats in the shadows, they would remain quietly focused on development, acting low-key.
The devastating blow dealt to Suna this time was simply a warning to the rest.
Thinking about provoking Konoha?
You'd better think twice. Ask yourself: Can you really handle the consequences?
While the five great villages were busy preparing for their secret summit, Konoha was also bustling with activity.
The entire village was eagerly looking forward to Tsunade's inauguration, all hoping to witness this historic moment with their own eyes.
Back when Hiruzen succeeded Tobirama as Hokage, the mood in Konoha had been somber.
After all, Tobirama had only recently passed away at the time, and Konoha was in a state of instability and unease.
So that inauguration ceremony had been, at best, modest.
But this time, Orochimaru proposed making Tsunade's ceremony a grand celebration, and his proposal received unanimous support from the village leadership.
Tsunade herself was not one to care for formalities and had initially intended to decline.
However, a few words from Shin changed her mind:
"It's time to let everyone redefine what it means to be Hokage, through a grand celebration."
"This time, you're ascending with the momentum of a great victory. The people aren't just celebrating you, they're celebrating our triumph in war."
"A public celebration involving everyone will make the citizens feel a sense of shared pride, boost morale, and strengthen unity."
After hearing that, everyone present gave Shin a big thumbs-up.
With that decision made, everyone threw themselves into preparations.
But no one expected what happened next, three days before the ceremony, the daimyō of the Land of Fire personally arrived in Konoha.
He had come not only to congratulate Tsunade but also to take part in the celebration himself.