Autumn of Konoha Year 34, Rain Country, Iwagakure front.
It had already been half a month since Ōnoki's surprise attack. Orders from Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly reached their side. First came high commendations and rewards for Gekkō Hoshiyomi, followed by Jiraiya and Shinku.
Kuugetsu and Minato weren't forgotten either; the two of them directly skipped the Chūnin Exams and were promoted straight to chūnin.
As for Hoshiyomi, Jiraiya, and Shinku—they were already at the level of jōnin elite, so there was no further promotion in rank. Instead, what they received was political elevation.
Each of them was granted the title of "department head" of some nominal division. These so-called departments barely held any actual power, nor did they even have subordinates to command. In fact, whether these departments even truly existed within Konoha's internal structure was questionable.
But that didn't mean the title was completely meaningless. Because within Konoha there was a rule: a department head had the right to attend high-level council meetings.
Not just jōnin meetings—the council meetings.
The jōnin meetings usually dealt with combat missions, while the council meetings decided the great political policies that shaped the village.
From this moment on, Hoshiyomi and his companions were no longer just children sitting in the back, listening quietly behind Mito-sama. They now had seats of their own, the right to weigh in on decisions shaping the future of Konoha.
Anyone with eyes could see what this meant—it was practically the sign of the next generation of leadership.
For now, the elders and the Hokage's advisors still held their positions and could not be easily moved. But when they stepped down, one after another, it would be time for Hoshiyomi and his peers to rise.
After the commendations and promotions, the next order of business was of course the war plans.
There wasn't much debate to be had. The Second Great Ninja War had always been a four-sided struggle. With Amegakure and Iwagakure now withdrawn, the only enemy left to deal with was Sunagakure.
Originally, by this point Hoshiyomi and the others should have already joined Tsunade at the Sand front, but weather delayed their movements.
The Land of Rain had entered its long rainy season once more. Weeks could pass without a single clear day. Neither Konoha's nor Sunagakure's shinobi could tolerate the unending downpour, and the war ground to a halt.
Only routine patrols and supply runs occasionally sparked scattered skirmishes. For the most part, both sides stood at a stalemate.
Because of this pause, the Konoha forces on the Iwa front did not immediately redeploy to the village or to the Suna front. Instead, they stayed in their current camp and enjoyed a rare, extended period of rest.
Konoha was calm and unhurried. Sunagakure, however, was on the verge of panic.
Their ally Iwagakure had simply withdrawn without warning. That left Sunagakure stranded in the worst possible position.
At first, Ryuunosuke had believed that fighting Konoha with two villages combined would be an easy matter. He had therefore invested heavily—spending the funds granted by the Wind Daimyō and even pouring in the inheritance left by his late master, the Second Kazekage Shamon.
He thought victory would yield enormous profits. Never did he imagine the war would reach this stage.
Now Iwa had quietly withdrawn. What was Suna supposed to do?
For the past two days, Ryuunosuke had worried so much he was losing his hair, yet still couldn't make a decision.
In the end, he chose to convene a high-level council.
Sunagakure's leadership was not large. With Monzaemon dead and Chiyo's younger brother Ebizō stationed on the frontlines, only five or six figures remained.
At the meeting, Ryuunosuke laid out his question:
"This matter concerns the future development of Sunagakure for decades to come. I sincerely hope each of you will share your thoughts."
But when the question was laid bare, the elders only glanced at one another, none daring to suggest a clear path forward.
Though they held high positions, none could guarantee that their judgment would be correct in such a crucial decision.
Just as the room stagnated in silence, a short, frail middle-aged woman stood. Her voice rang sharp and unyielding:
"Fight! We must continue the fight!"
It was none other than Chiyo.
Her son and daughter-in-law had both perished at the hands of the White Fang. Unless she killed White Fang, her hatred would never be soothed. Hearing Ryuunosuke's uncertainty, she of course was the first to speak up.
Seeing the nearly crazed look on Chiyo's face, Ryuunosuke sighed deeply. Perhaps he shouldn't have summoned her to this meeting.
He softened his tone as much as possible:
"But Elder Chiyo, Iwagakure has already retreated. If those Konoha shinobi from the Iwa front rush to reinforce Orochimaru and the others, the combined might would be something we cannot withstand."
At that, the youngest of the elders rose to his feet and spoke:
"Sensei, I believe we should withdraw. At present, neither our funding nor our forces can match Konoha. If we keep fighting recklessly, it will only drain our ninja and our treasury.
These reserves are the foundation our village has built up over many years. If they're all squandered in one war, what will we do when new troubles arise?"
This was Rasa, Ryuunosuke's most valued disciple. Still young, he had already inherited his sensei's Magnet Release. Though his gold dust was not as formidable as Ryuunosuke's iron sand, it was still an undeniable force on the battlefield.
Ryuunosuke nodded to himself at Rasa's words. But before he could respond, Chiyo's sharp voice cut across the room:
"You little brat, what do you know? The tides of the shinobi world are not so simple! You think just because you want to retreat, Konoha will let you retreat?
Do you think any of Konoha's forces are easy to deal with? If Suna shows even a hint of weakness now, they will absolutely chase us all the way to our village gates.
And if you think you can negotiate after that—ha! Then prepare to have them strip us to the bone."
Rasa flushed at her scolding, angered, but when he opened his mouth no words came. His rational mind told him she was right. That was indeed the reality.
The other elders nodded one after another. Seeing this, Ryuunosuke pressed on:
"Then Elder Chiyo, in your view…?"
"As I said—fight. Fight them head-on. Only if we make them hurt, only if we make them fear us, will we have the leverage to negotiate with Konoha. Otherwise, any talks will be meaningless."
Ryuunosuke wiped cold sweat from his brow at her fierce words and looked around at the other elders.
"What do you all think?"
After a long silence, Bunpuku, the jinchūriki of the One-Tail, finally rose.
"Elder Chiyo does indeed have a point. Very well—let us act as Elder Chiyo says. But, Elder Chiyo, I beg you—do not let hatred blind your eyes.
Our true goal is to disengage from this war. We must not let Sunagakure sink deeper and deeper into the mire."
With that, Bunpuku cast Chiyo a long, meaningful look, then without another word, turned and slowly left the Kazekage's office.