That very night, while Hoshiyomi, Tsunade, and Rie were happily eating hotpot at the Gekkō household, Sakumo and the others, far away in the Land of Wind, accomplished an achievement that would go down in shinobi world history.
In the early summer of Konoha Year 36, after three long months of negotiations, Sunagakure's delegation finally signed the official surrender agreement with Konoha.
When Konoha's representative Sakumo and Suna's representative Bunpuku forced themselves to shake hands at the conference table despite their mutual resentment, the war that had raged for years finally came to an end.
Although every major power had already mentally prepared for this outcome, when the complete surrender agreement was made public, they still fell into a brief silence.
Thoughts on this surrender agreement varied among the different factions.
Far away in the Land of Rain, Hanzō drank gloomily as he read the agreement, his heart heavy with unspoken resentment. No village had suffered more in this war than Amegakure, and yet they had gained nothing. Rain remained the same poor, backward, small village as before. The only thing it had gained was ruined farmland and the cries of grieving civilians.
But such matters no longer concerned him. After this war, all of Hanzō's sharp edges had been worn away. He no longer sought anything but to spend the rest of his years in peace.
As for the defeated nations, Iwagakure and Sunagakure, their hearts burned with hatred for Konoha and Hoshiyomi. Yet with their countries now weakened and exhausted, no matter how much they hated, they could do nothing but lie low and recover their strength.
On the other side, Kirigakure and Kumogakure grew restless. As victors, Konoha's demands weren't excessively harsh, but the resources they gained were abundant enough to make those two villages envious. Would such an opportunity ever come to them in the future?
While the other villages each had their own hidden agendas, only Konoha was filled with laughter and joy. This was the glory belonging solely to the victors!
Even without Hiruzen organizing it, the villagers of Konoha had already spontaneously begun decorating the streets with lanterns and banners, preparing to welcome their heroes home. It had been far too long since they had seen their loved ones who had gone to the front lines.
Hoshiyomi and Tsunade also quietly slipped back into the returning ranks—not because they craved cheers, but to dispel political rumors that could harm them.
Danzō's disappearance meant little to the common folk, but to Konoha's upper echelons it was nothing less than an earthquake. Hoshiyomi and Tsunade absolutely could not allow anyone to connect them in any way to Danzō's death.
Though Tsunade's rise to power was now unstoppable, maintaining a proper political image was still necessary. If opportunists twisted the story and painted Danzō as a martyr while spreading rumors that Tsunade and the others had staged a coup, it might not block her path to Hokage, but it would certainly weaken her future administration.
That was a risk neither Hoshiyomi nor Tsunade would ever willingly create for themselves.
Finally, under the eager anticipation of all Konoha's people, the heroes who had gone to the front lines returned.
Early that morning, the great gates of Konoha swung open. The entire village poured into the streets, leaving them empty as everyone rushed to the main road, eyes straining to catch sight of their family members—or of the legendary pillars of Konoha themselves.
At last, the returning army appeared on the horizon. As soon as they came into view, a wave of cheers like a crashing tide erupted, led by enthusiastic voices at the front.
Amid that atmosphere of joy and triumph, Hoshiyomi, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Sakumo, and Makoto led thousands of shinobi through the gates of Konoha.
Listening to the villagers' passionate cheers, seeing all those faces lit with joy and excitement—even those who normally kept their emotions hidden couldn't help but break into relaxed, genuine smiles.
The crowd spontaneously parted to open a path, and amidst the roaring applause, they watched the six figures, now regarded as living legends, step by step make their way into the Hokage's Building. To the common folk, it was simple: their heroes were going to receive commendation from the Third Hokage.
But among the clansmen scattered within the crowd, a different thought prevailed: Konoha's leadership may soon change.
And in the shadows, some who had been plotting frowned as they watched Tsunade and Hoshiyomi at the head of the group. With the two of them returning to Konoha under the spotlight of all its people, many of the careful schemes laid out in advance now seemed doomed to fail.
When they considered the still-formidable Senju clan behind them—even if somewhat diminished—and the Uzumaki clan already resettled inside the village, more than a few calculating minds could only sigh inwardly.
We can't beat them after all.
As the crowd reached the Hokage building, most villagers began to disperse, hurrying home to reunite with their families. The jonin, however, had to wait. Before they could go home, they were required to receive commendations from the Third Hokage.
Hoshiyomi and the others lingered nearby until most of the jōnin had been honored and dismissed. Only then did the six of them, bringing Minato and Kuugetsu along, step into the Hokage's office.
Inside, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already greeted many shinobi, but his smile had not faded in the slightest. When he laid eyes on these six of his most outstanding disciples—and the two promising students from the next generation—his expression grew even warmer.
The first to be addressed, of course, were Minato and Kuugetsu.
These two students of Hoshiyomi had already proven their extraordinary potential, earning great merit on the battlefields of the Second Shinobi World War. They had even broken records set by Hoshiyomi and his peers, achieving the rank of jōnin at just twelve years old. Though the war's special circumstances played a part, their strength was unquestionable.
Hiruzen had originally fretted over how to properly reward such prodigies, but fortunately Hoshiyomi had already given him a clear suggestion. After offering them generous praise, Hiruzen pulled a scroll and two notebooks from beneath his desk.
Handing the scroll and one notebook to Minato, Hiruzen smiled:
"Your sensei Hoshiyomi must think very highly of you. When he heard you wanted to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique, he immediately came to me and requested this scroll. As for this notebook—it contains the Second Hokage's own notes from when he developed and practiced the technique.
I hope these two items will aid you in mastering it. I, for one, am very much looking forward to seeing the third shinobi of Konoha capable of space-time ninjutsu."
After encouraging Minato, it was Kuugetsu's turn.
As the young Uchiha stepped forward, Hiruzen watched her closely. He remembered well how shy and reserved Kuugetsu had once been. Seeing her now—poised, calm, with just a hint of aloofness—Hiruzen gave a silent nod of approval. Now this… this was the bearing of a true shinobi.
With a sigh of sentiment, Hiruzen handed over the second notebook and said:
"This is for you. It belonged to your uncle, Uchiha Kagami. Inside are many of his personal insights on training and combat. For someone like you, a fellow Uchiha, I trust it will offer much inspiration.
Do your best—I hope you can one day revive the brilliance your uncle once brought to Konoha."