"Prepare for attack!" Shikaku said in a solemn voice.
Renjiro and other two nodded with serious expressions, in instant their posture changed, they were ready to engage if Iwagakure ninjas made a surprise attack.
The reason why Shikaku and his team were so alert and serious about that Iwagakure might attack them, was because Iwagakure team had brought dozens of shinobi with them.
Judging by their defiant looks and aggressive posture, they clearly weren't here for a friendly treaty.
As the acting team leader, Shikaku immediately gave a quiet warning to the others: "Be alert, and retreat at the first sign of danger. They were outnumbered, and a fight here would be unwise."
Stepping forward but maintaining a safe distance, Shikaku pulled out a scroll and called out across the canyon: "This is a letter from the Hokage!"
Whoosh!
He tossed the scroll over and followed up: "Deliver it to the Tsuchikage. We expect a reply as soon as possible."
But the Iwa shinobi only sneered. Their leader smirked and replied mockingly: "No need to deliver it. I can give you our answer right now."
"Get ready!" Shikaku shouted, and the Konoha team moved their hands near their weapons.
The atmosphere became very tense and solemn, if a fight is about to break out.
Body Stimulation!
Crrkkk!
Renjiro's eyes flashed with whitish blue electricity—the first sign of activating his Body Stimulation Mode.
It was clear now—Iwagakure had no intention of negotiating.
At their leader's signal, the Iwa shinobi began to draw their weapons. The tension increased even more. A single spark would ignite the battlefield.
"Humph! You think the war will stop just because Konoha wants to stop it!" The Iwa team leader snorted and said with a sneer, and just he was about to give the attack order—
A calm, unfamiliar voice rang out across the field.
"Let's not be so quick to fight."
"Who is there?!"
Both sides froze.
No one had noticed, but a large group of Sunagakure shinobi had silently taken position at the border—completely surrounding the standoff.
And among them stood a figure that shocked everyone.
"The Fourth Kazekage?!" One Iwa shinobi blurted out in disbelief.
"Why is Sunagakure here?" Both Konoha and Iwagakure side thought in themselves.
Because the meeting spot was near the area where the Land of Grass, Land of Rain, and Land of Wind come close to each other, it was a region where the influence of Konoha, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure overlapped. So, when both Konoha and Iwagakure gathered near that border, it immediately caught the attention of the Fourth Kazekage, who saw it as a potential threat near his country's territory.
Standing high above the crowd, the Kazekage looked down coldly and said in a serious voice: "This border belongs to the Land of Wind as well. I won't let a war break out here. The air is too heavy with gunpowder. It's time someone cleared it."
His message was crystal clear: Sunagakure would not sit back and watch. And if Iwagakure chose to fight, they'd have to face the full force of both Konoha and Sunagakure.
The Sunagakure shinobi behind him quickly took up combat stances—a clear signal that this wasn't just a diplomatic visit. If anyone dared to start a fight near their border, they were ready to strike back without hesitation.
"Damn it!" Cold sweat trickled down the Iwa leader's face.
He knew the reality—if a battle broke out here, they'd be annihilated. Starting a war against two great nations was pure suicide.
He wasn't strong enough to take that kind of gamble. And with the Fourth Kazekage standing right there, it was even worse—that man alone could wipe them out.
"Fine. We'll take the Hokage's letter." He muttered bitterly. In the end… he backed down.
Without another word, the Iwa squad turned around and withdrew.
"Let's go back."
The Fourth Kazekage didn't spare Konoha's team a single glance. No nod, no words—he left just as silently as he had arrived.
It wasn't personal. It was politics.
Even though Konoha and Sunagakure were now allies, the scars of war ran deep. The bitterness between their villages wouldn't vanish overnight… and maybe it never would.
---
Iwagakure – Tsuchikage's Council Chamber
"How do you intend to respond to the peace treaty?" Asked a bearded elder, his tone was formal and rigid.
Before the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, could speak, another high-ranking Iwa shinobi cut in sharply, voice filled with anger: "We reject it, of course! Even if Konoha and Sunagakure have formed an alliance, they still can't compete with our unity!"
"That's right!"
"Let's keep fighting!"
His words stirred a wave of approval—cheers and clapping echoed through the chamber as several elders voiced their agreement.
"Silence!" Onoki snapped, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.
Immediately, the room went silent.
All eyes turned to Onoki. That was his weight in Iwagakure—these so-called advisors were little more than echo chambers.
"I'm proud of our unity." He said coldly, casting a glance at the Third Hokage's letter lying on the table: "But let's not fool ourselves. We gambled—sent thousands of shinobi to two separate battlefronts, hoping to crush the Land of Fire through sheer force."
His hand trembled slightly, clenched with restrained anger: "And what did we gain from it? We lost the war in the Land of Waterfall, and that upstart 'Lightning Flash' made his name off our defeat! Then in the Land of Grass, our entire strategy collapsed because of one man, the Yellow Flash!"
He paused, took a long breath, and forced himself to calm down.
"These are the facts." He said calmly: "Whether we like them or not."
The chamber remained silent. None of the high-ranking officials dared speak.
Two fronts. Two defeats. The losses had been severe, and the village was running on fumes. With no clear path to victory and their forces too thinly spread, the truth was undeniable.
There was only one choice left. Iwagakure would accept Konoha's offer of peace.
---
Land of Waterfall, Konoha Camp
Iwagakure eventually agreed to the peace treaty, but that didn't mean they pulled their troops out of the Land of Grass or the Land of Waterfall right away.
Konoha wasn't about to let its guard down, Hiruzen Sarutobi was no fool. In the shinobi world, there was no such thing as eternal friendship or alliance—only eternal interests.
Betrayals weren't shocking; they were expected. That's why, until the treaty was officially signed and fully upheld, Konoha kept its camps stationed along the western front, fully prepared for any treachery from Iwagakure.
Still, the war was clearly coming to an end. With Iwagakure now stepping back and agreeing to peace, the situation calmed down. The borders grew quiet again, and for the first time in a long while, stability returned to the region.
---
Compared to the relaxed atmosphere of the Konoha camp in the Land of Waterfall, the situation back in the village was anything but peaceful.
Konoha had plunged into political turmoil. The peace treaty hadn't brought calm—it had ignited a storm.
Danzo was furious over the terms of the treaty and got into a heated verbal dispute with Hiruzen during a high-level council meeting. In response, Hiruzen took full responsibility and resigned from his position as Hokage.
Immediately, powerful factions within the village began competing for the title of Fourth Hokage.
The three leading candidates were: Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin; Jiraiya, another of the Sannin, backed by some families and high ranking shinobi; and the rising star Namikaze Minato—the hero who had stunned the world in the final stages of the war and played a key role in ending it at Kannabi Bridge.
Even Shikaku, known for his dislike of politics and tendency to avoid trouble, was pulled into the conflict. He stepped down as commander of the Waterfall front and rushed back to the village to take part in the unfolding power struggle.
If everything so far had felt intense, what happened next was like something out of a Hollywood political drama.
Danzo was sure he had it all under control. He believed that with his power and influence, Orochimaru would definitely become the Fourth Hokage.
But Hiruzen, experienced and sharp as ever, pulled off a brilliant move during the final vote. He threw his full support behind Namikaze Minato—and with overwhelming backing from the Daimyo and other village elders, Minato won.
Danzo was stunned. Hiruzen had completely outplayed him.
Just like that, the debate was over. The Fourth Hokage had been chosen—and it was Namikaze Minato.
As power transitioned smoothly in Konoha, those who had hoped to take advantage of the village's turmoil were left disappointed. With Minato's rise, the Shinobi World had no choice but to shift toward peace.
Once Minato was officially appointed as the Fourth Hokage, Iwagakure finally began withdrawing its troops from both the Land of Waterfall and the Land of Grass. Their stalling had ended—this time, they were truly backing out of the war.
With Iwagakure's retreat confirmed, Konoha also began pulling back its forces from the western front. After more than six months away, the exhausted soldiers could finally return home.
Renjiro and his teammates would soon begin their long-awaited journey back to the Hidden Leaf Village.
---
War or peace, a village could not afford to be without a leader. Konoha's leadership moved quickly, scheduling Minato's inauguration as the Fourth Hokage to align with the return of the shinobi from the Iwagakure front.
A victorious army and a new Hokage, it was a double celebration.
Though the decision felt hurried, the timing was deliberate. Minato's public ascension would send a clear message to the other villages: Konoha remained united and unshaken.
The moment the returning forces set foot in the village, ANBU operatives immediately led them toward the Hokage Residence.
Villagers streamed out of their homes, joining the wave of returning shinobi, and together they formed a vast crowd beneath the Hokage Residence.
And then… the ceremony began.