Chapter 116: Setting the Tiger to Devour the Wolf
Dawn broke, darkness retreated. After fighting all night, all sides began regrouping, each cleaning the battlefield and gradually withdrawing. The killing sounds ceased, but the battlefield's deathly silence was more suffocating than the clamor.
Hiruzen Sarutobi released his blood-stained Adamantine Staff, letting the Monkey King Enma cancel the summoning and return to rest.
His gaze swept across the chaotic battlefield, landing on the temporary field hospital not far away.
Medical personnel hurried in and out of the tent entrance. Row after row of stretchers were carried inside, bringing out waves of agonized moans.
Mixed with suppressed quiet sobbing, the sounds were like dull knives cutting flesh, drilling into his eardrums one after another.
Outside the tent, corpses lined up in rows stretched far into the distance. Stiff limbs arranged with difficulty, yet still unable to conceal that deathly cold silence. Under the cold gray dawn light, those bodies resembled a forest of lifeless withered trees, endless as far as the eye could see.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood there, his back seeming to bend even more than before, even his shoulders sagging slightly.
He didn't move or speak, just staring at that expanse of corpses and tents. In that moment, he seemed to age another ten years.
Though Jiraiya had returned in time, there had ultimately been a brief window period where Konoha was suppressed by the enemy.
Without Jiraiya's restraint, the Raikage brothers went on a killing spree on the battlefield, unstoppable. Only by piling up lives could Konoha drag down Kumogakure's offensive and prevent the battlefield from collapsing.
But even after Jiraiya's return, the battle situation only improved slightly.
Counting Kakashi absorbed by Hiruko, plus the dozen or so chunin and jonin killed by Yasushi, Konoha's combat power losses were actually substantial.
If the Land of Wind hadn't held back, not taking the opportunity to join the siege, Konoha's losses this round would have been even greater.
Looking at Jiraiya who'd fallen into silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed and slowly shook his head.
Compassion has no place commanding troops!
His disciple was good in every way, just too impulsive. Really not the makings of a Hokage.
If they'd decisively abandoned Kakashi tonight, the enemy wouldn't have had a chance to exploit the situation. Daily normal combat only—the damage wouldn't have been this severe.
But saying this now was useless. He walked behind Jiraiya, reaching out to pat his shoulder.
"Jiraiya, don't blame yourself too much. This isn't your fault."
"War is like this—using every means possible."
"What we must do is shoulder the will of those fallen comrades and better protect Konoha, making their sacrifice meaningful."
Jiraiya lowered his head despondently, but the rage in his eyes hadn't diminished in the slightest.
"Old man, Itachi was right. We need to deal with that Uchiha Yasushi first. Otherwise, it's easy to dodge open attacks but hard to guard against hidden arrows."
"We're a shinobi village with large numbers. In open combat, no matter how many enemies come, we're not afraid."
"But Uchiha Yasushi is different. He's an assassin."
"He'll pop up from time to time when you're unprepared and strike."
"Once he succeeds, he shows no attachment, immediately retreating from the battlefield without giving us a chance to overwhelm him with numbers."
"We don't know when he'll come next, and we can't maintain high alert against him every day."
"Only by killing him first, or at least keeping him too busy to trouble us, will we be able to concentrate fully on ending the Fourth War."
After hearing Jiraiya's words, the Third was naturally quite moved. He now also hated Uchiha Yasushi thoroughly.
"But our manpower is completely insufficient now. We have absolutely no way to spare people to hunt down Uchiha Yasushi." The Third shook his head.
"Here's what I'm thinking." Jiraiya lowered his head, bringing his mouth to the Third's ear, saying quietly: "Haven't negotiations with Sunagakure been at a stalemate?"
"They don't want to ally with us and fight side by side, to avoid depleting their village's combat power."
"They surely won't easily back down from this condition, and we don't have that much time to argue with them."
"Why don't we use Uchiha Yasushi as the bargaining chip?"
"As long as Sunagakure kills Uchiha Yasushi, we'll release the Kazekage Rasa."
"I see..." The Third's heart stirred, nodding thoughtfully. "That method is quite good. I'll send someone to negotiate with Sunagakure."
The Third delegated the tasks here to the new jonin commander Nara Shikaku, then turned back to the village.
After sitting down in his office, he had someone invite the Kazekage Rasa over.
Though Rasa was captured, he still enjoyed Kage-level treatment. Now summoned over, knowing negotiations were about to begin again, he directly lowered his head and compromised:
"My side can retreat one more step from the previous conditions."
"In this war, the Land of Wind admits defeat and is willing to sign a peace agreement with Konoha, never to invade again."
"But fighting alongside Konoha against the other three nations is impossible. Even if I agreed, the daimyo wouldn't consent."
"Defeat has already cost the village many interests. We still don't know where to find compensation for the pensions of fallen shinobi and resources burned in war!"
"If we fight another meaningless war against the other three nations, I'm afraid the daimyo would rather replace the Kazekage than agree."
"Not enough." The Third held his pipe, exhaling smoke clouds, hiding his expression behind the vapor. "I can understand Sunagakure's concerns. Personally, I'd very much like both nations to cease fighting and restore peace."
"But if simply withdrawing from the war and admitting defeat can make this incident disappear, wouldn't all our fallen shinobi have died in vain?"
"The Land of Fire has always loved peace and is willing to coexist peacefully with neighboring nations."
"But this peace can't be the Land of Fire's unilateral effort. The Land of Wind must also make a peaceful example."
Rasa's brow furrowed as he listened. His gaze flashed across the Third's face but was blocked by smoke, completely unable to see the Third's expression clearly.
He carefully pondered the Third's words, seemingly detecting a hint of compromise within.
"Then according to Hokage-sama's view, what must the Land of Wind do to make a peaceful example?" Rasa asked politely.
The Third took another puff of his pipe, exhaling the smoke in a long stream, saying meaningfully:
"This shinobi world war originally didn't need to erupt, but because a Konoha rogue ninja stirred up trouble, instigating conflict between Amegakure and Konoha."
"Under multiple factors' influence, the Fourth War finally erupted again."
"You—you don't want to make Sunagakure attack Amegakure, do you?"
Rasa was so shocked he nearly jumped up, waving his hands repeatedly in refusal:
"No way!"
"I said before—the daimyo won't agree to Sunagakure warring with any shinobi village again, not even a small nation."
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