In the Land of Fire, Konoha's village felt eerily quiet, with only the occasional villager passing through.
The constant flurry of ninja darting through the Hokage's building had dwindled significantly.
Most of Konoha's ninja had been dispatched to the four major battlefronts, each guarded by numerous shinobi.
The village itself retained only a minimal force, a precaution for emergencies.
"War…" Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. The ongoing conflict with the four great ninja villages was in full swing, and each day of battle was a torment for Konoha and for Hiruzen himself.
He dreaded hearing bad news, perhaps a report of Konoha's ninja being routed on a battlefield, or enemies invading the Land of Fire.
If that happened, Hiruzen wasn't sure what he would do.
One misstep could lead to a cascade of failures. He felt that weight now. If one battlefield collapsed, it could trigger a domino effect, toppling everything.
Recovery would be impossible.
"I hope you all hold strong." Hiruzen thought of the commanders on the four fronts, each bearing immense pressure.
"Hokage-sama." A knock came from the door, accompanied by a ninja's voice.
"Come in." Hiruzen said calmly.
"Hokage-sama, an urgent report from the Kiri-nin front." The Anbu ninja said hurriedly.
"What? An urgent report?" Hiruzen slammed his hand on the desk, his expression incredulous.
Urgent reports were reserved for critical situations; routine battlefield updates didn't come this way.
Could it be…?
No, that shouldn't be possible!
The front against the Kirigakure had Minato and Tengen. They were more than capable of holding it.
In Hiruzen's mind, the battlefield with Tengen was the safest of the four.
His thoughts raced, unsure of what could have happened.
"Give me the letter." Hiruzen said, taking a deep breath.
"Yes, Hokage-sama." The Anbu ninja said, placing the letter on the Hokage's desk before quietly leaving the office.
The Anbu ninja sensed that something dire might have occurred on that front.
Otherwise, it wouldn't warrant an urgent report.
Hiruzen exhaled, staring at the letter with a complex expression. Good or bad, he had to face it. Ignoring it wasn't an option.
Even if Konoha's forces had been defeated, he would need to send reinforcements.
He picked up the letter, opened it with a special method, and unfolded the contents. The title read: Konoha's Great Victory, Kiri-nin Routed, Withdrawn from the Land of Fire.
"What?" Hiruzen rubbed his eyes, disbelief washing over him. He thought he'd misread it.
Rubbing his eyes again, he confirmed the title was unchanged.
"Not Konoha?" Hiruzen took a deep breath to steady himself. His emotions had been a rollercoaster.
Hoping he hadn't misunderstood, he carefully read the letter from start to finish.
As time passed, Hiruzen's smile grew brighter.
By the end, he burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the Hokage's office.
Since the ninja war began, Hiruzen had never been this happy, never.
It was as if all the anxiety and worry bottled up over time had exploded into joy.
He hadn't expected such good news, such incredible news: Konoha had truly defeated the Kiri-nin.
The Kiri-nin had withdrawn from the Land of Fire, retreating to the Land of Water.
If the Kirigakure sent envoys for peace talks, this front could be considered resolved. Relieving pressure from one battlefield was a tremendous boon for Konoha.
It meant Konoha could redirect more strength to face the other three great ninja villages.
Defeating one village raised hopes of defeating others. If they could defeat another, the remaining two might see the tide turning and seek peace with Konoha.
"All this was Tengen's doing." Hiruzen said, smiling. "Tengen, you haven't let me down. You destroyed the Kirigakure single-handedly."
"And with such powerful Fire Release ninjutsu and swordsmanship." Hiruzen mused, recalling the report's details.
Tengen had used Fire Release to destroy the Kirigakure, swordsmanship to obliterate a Tailed Beast, and even summoned the dead to fight.
"But should this news be shared now?" Hiruzen pondered.
"Perhaps we wait. Let Tengen lead a group of ninja to aid other fronts. They could serve as a surprise force." He considered.
The idea of Tengen destroying another ninja village didn't cross his mind.
That would be far too dangerous for Tengen.
It might even unite the other ninja villages against him.
Such a nuclear-level threat was best used as a deterrent. If Tengen kept destroying villages, the others wouldn't rest easy with him alive in the ninja world.
"For now, we wait for the Kirigakure's response. If they confirm peace talks, Tengen can lead a team to the Land of Hot Water's front." Hiruzen decided.
He needed confirmation of the Kirigakure's intentions before redeploying Konoha's ninja. If the Kiri-nin resumed their attack, it could be disastrous.
But based on the letter's account, Hiruzen doubted they'd want to keep fighting.
Hiruzen then wrote a letter and instructed an Anbu ninja to deliver it to the Kiri-nin front.
Meanwhile, days later, after traveling by sea, the retreating Kiri-nin reached the Land of Water.
Thousands of Kiri-nin disembarked, their destination: the Kirigakure.
***
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