In the days that followed, the uproar in Konoha gradually settled into silence.
Handling captives, calming the villagers, interrogating for intelligence... Minato and the village's high-ranking officials were swamped, buried in endless work.
Arashi, however, remained detached, occasionally summoning theater troupes and dancing girls for his amusement.
Cleaning up the aftermath was not something the Daimyo needed to bother with.
His Shadow Guard had already delivered his will to the Fire Capital.
A letter, issued in the name of Arashi, Daimyo of the Land of Fire, would soon land on the desks of the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, the Land of Earth, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Water.
The war game was over.
Next, it was time for the political game.
…
Lightning Capital.
Unlike its usual bustling activity, the Daimyo's residence was eerily silent.
Just moments ago.
Urgent intelligence had arrived from the Land of Fire.
"Defeated?"
"Four thousand elite troops... completely wiped out?"
"The Raikage and the Jinchūriki... captured alive?"
A minister muttered to himself in disbelief, unable to process the contents of the report.
Previously, the court had fiercely debated whether to dispatch troops.
The civil officials, led by a conservative faction, had strongly opposed the idea, arguing the risks far outweighed the benefits.
But the Daimyo had acted alone, ignoring their counsel.
It wasn't until large-scale military provisions were allocated that they realized what had happened.
And now, the worst-case scenario had become reality.
At the head of the hall.
The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning sat in silence, staring blankly at the report in his hands, thoughts in turmoil.
He was furious.
And terrified.
A Kumo official in uniform stepped forward, grief and rage on his face.
"Your Highness! I request to fight! Mobilize the full power of our nation and battle the Land of Fire to the death! Avenge the Raikage!"
"That's right! Wash away this humiliation with blood!"
The Kumo faction immediately rallied behind him, and battle cries rang out again.
"Fight to the death?"
A voice echoed in the chamber, dripping with sarcasm.
A civil official stepped forward and scolded, "I told you from the beginning, this plan was reckless!"
"Now, our most elite forces have fallen, and both the Raikage and the Jinchūriki are prisoners. With what exactly do you plan to fight?"
His words instantly silenced the room.
The official glanced at the speechless Daimyo, then turned toward another court minister.
"The Raikage is unmatched in battle. Those four thousand troops were hardened elites. Why did they lose so quickly? So completely?"
"I'd like to ask the Ministry of Finance!"
"Were the military provisions you delivered to Kumogakure sufficient?"
"Did someone embezzle frontline supplies and cause the entire army's collapse?"
His harsh accusations quickly shifted the court's focus.
The Minister of Finance, suddenly singled out, dropped to his knees with a thud, his forehead drenched in sweat.
"I've been wronged, Daimyo-sama!"
"Every single provision is accounted for! I would never dare touch military funds!"
"Hmph. Records? Records can be forged."
"That's right! You must've embezzled funds and doomed the Raikage-sama!"
The court erupted into chaos once more.
The civil officials, having initially opposed the war, had now found an outlet for their anger.
They couldn't accuse the Daimyo directly, so they pointed the blame at the logistics department, using them as scapegoats.
"Enough!"
The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning slammed the table, roaring.
The entire chamber fell into dead silence.
"Our nation is on the brink. Our elite troops have fallen. And yet here you are, arguing like fools!"
He wanted to say more, but in the end, he held back.
"Court dismissed!"
With a flick of his sleeves, he turned and left the hall, leaving the officials exchanging nervous glances.
No one knew what he was thinking.
As he walked the long corridor toward his personal chambers, his steps felt heavier than ever.
The setting sun stretched his shadow behind him.
Thinking of the failed invasion, and everything he would soon have to face…
Shame. Rage. Helplessness. Fear.
All of it surged together.
He had walked this path countless times, but today it felt endless.
He wanted to lock himself away, hide in the darkness and lick his wounds.
But reason told him that retreat wouldn't solve anything.
This military failure pressed down on him like a mountain.
Just as he reached a fork in the path, he suddenly stopped.
To the left was his bedchamber, a temporary place of comfort.
To the right led to a quiet, secluded courtyard he rarely visited.
A sudden thought rose from deep within.
Maybe… she could help him.
With that thought, he turned decisively and walked right.
…
At the same time.
News of the Land of Lightning's failed surprise attack spread rapidly throughout the ninja world.
Iwagakure.
Tsuchikage's Office.
"Bang!"
"What did you say? Four thousand Kumo shinobi, along with the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, were defeated at Konoha?!"
The elderly Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, slammed his fist on the desk, cracking the solid stone.
An overwhelming pressure radiated from his short figure.
"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama."
Hearing confirmation, Ōnoki's beard bristled in disbelief.
Even Kitsuchi, standing nearby, was stunned.
Ōnoki pressed on, "Why was there no intel about such a large-scale movement from Kumo?"
"This…"
Unable to answer, the Iwa-nin looked away.
Ōnoki's fury burned hotter.
This was a massive oversight.
Kumo had suddenly appeared at Konoha's doorstep, and no one in Iwa had known?
This broke every established rule of war in the ninja world.
If Kumo could appear in Konoha without warning today, who was to say they wouldn't appear in Iwagakure tomorrow?
What was the point of border defenses then?
The thought made cold sweat drip down his back.
Something was very wrong with this world.
Just then, another shinobi rushed into the room.
"Tsuchikage-sama! An urgent message from the Daimyo's residence!"
Ōnoki snatched the letter and quickly opened it.
The contents were simple.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire had invited the Daimyo of the Land of Earth to a conference. The Daimyo requested that Ōnoki accompany him.
"Father, what do we do?" Kitsuchi asked.
"Go. Of course we go." Ōnoki slapped the letter on the desk. "We have to figure out how Kumogakure pulled this off."
…
Sunagakure.
The Kazekage's Office was filled with an even heavier atmosphere.
Having recently suffered a defeat and a budget cut by their own Daimyo, Suna was already a mess.
Now, Kumo's disastrous defeat only deepened the gloom.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, sat in his chair, a dark expression on his face. The gold dust in his hand gathered and dispersed rhythmically, reflecting his unrest.
"Land of Fire… Daimyo Chiba Arashi…"
He repeated the name over and over.
An existence that could suppress the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki with ease…
Did that not mean he could suppress Shukaku just as easily?
And how had Kumo even reached Konoha?
Just thinking about it gave him chills.
"Rasa, a letter from the Daimyo's office." Ebizō handed over the same invitation.
Rasa read it in silence.
Then, after a long pause, he gave his order.
"Prepare. I'll meet with the Daimyo."
The same decision as the Tsuchikage.
This meeting must be attended.
The future of Sunagakure might very well depend on it.
…
Kirigakure.
Compared to the shock and swift responses from Iwa and Suna, the mood in the far-off Land of Water was far more eerie.
The Bloody Mist Village.
On the Mizukage's seat sat the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, expressionless as he listened to his subordinates' reports.
To him, Kumogakure's disastrous defeat and the capture of the Raikage seemed no more than trivial news.
"Understood. You may leave."
Once the Anbu exited, Yagura sat alone.
Moments later, three figures appeared in the chamber.
Uchiha Obito and White Zetsu, who had fled from Konoha, stood before him.
(To be continued.)