Since the start of this Great Ninja World War, although the several confrontations between Mist and Konoha had been described as "twists and turns," the overall situation was actually quite simple to summarize: Mist had launched a sudden attack against Konoha first, killing and injuring around seventy to eighty Konoha ninja. In terms of results, it was only a minor victory for Mist, but more importantly, they successfully disrupted Konoha's early preparations and initial stance regarding the entire war.
Taking advantage of the brief window created by this surprise attack, Mist seized the initiative in the war.
So then, did Mist profit from this?
After launching its large-scale invasion into the Land of Fire, Mist first faced exaggerated counterattacks, and even had its home village raided... To put it bluntly, Mist had already suffered severe damage. Since the establishment of their village, they had never endured such humiliation before.
Besides, good news travels fast, bad news even faster. The news that Mist Village had been invaded and severely damaged by Konoha quickly spread throughout the Ninja World. Although no one could clearly understand how exactly everything happened, other ninja villages soon confirmed that Mist had entered a weakened state.
Therefore, what Mist now faced wasn't simply about how many lives were lost; rather, their entire village had effectively been banned from action.
Regarding the damages they had suffered, Mist naturally chose silence, so most of the detailed information originated from Konoha.
As a result, the Sannin were no longer confined solely within Konoha Village—ninja across the entire Ninjutsu World began paying attention to these emerging young shinobi... Undoubtedly, this was also a form of pressure that came with rising fame.
When the Sannin passed through Konoha and returned once again to the Western Front battlefield that resembled a quagmire, they had become the top priority targets for all three enemy factions—perhaps this was precisely what people referred to as "If you want the crown, you must bear its weight."
Haseo, on the other hand, chose to withdraw quietly, silent as if he were an old constipated man sitting on the toilet. Peace held for nearly two months—the war did not reignite… With no choice but to remain restrained, Mist ultimately did choose restraint. Though this decision might not necessarily have appeared wise, it at least proved that they still retained some rationality.
The desperation that might have driven them to drastic actions never materialized, which was fortunate for Haseo. At the same time, this period of peace meant that it had become extremely unlikely for another large-scale war to erupt between Konoha and Mist.
Haseo had nearly achieved his goal early—ending the battle on the Eastern Front ahead of schedule.
...
A Konoha Anbu ninja silently crossed the sea and stepped onto the soil of the Land of Water, though he hadn't infiltrated here to assess the extent of Mist's damage… Such evaluation was unnecessary since all the information was already visibly evident on the map:
Mist had shrunk from a whole territory to just half, as if bitten away by a rabid dog.
This Anbu ninja had come bearing a far greater mission. Since the Land of Fire had formally declared war against the Land of Water, all official communication channels between the two countries had already been severed.
Based on such necessity, this Anbu ninja codenamed Juge had arrived at the Land of Water. He had come as a messenger, bearing a letter from the Third Hokage to the Third Mizukage.
When he reached the arranged location, he found a squad of Mist Anbu already waiting there. Though clearly on high alert, these shinobi showed no obvious intent to attack.
After a careful and cautious handover process, Juge was secretly escorted into Mist and eventually brought before the Third Mizukage through highly discreet means.
For reasons too complicated to explain, the Third Mizukage's appearance and demeanor were notably poor at this time.
Without preamble, Juge handed over the secret letter from the Third Hokage to the Mizukage.
The Mizukage casually unfolded the letter with one hand… While the gesture may have looked elegant and impressive, it was far from intentional. The truth was, he simply couldn't afford to leisurely open the letter with both hands even if he wanted to.
After quickly scanning the content, the Third Mizukage spoke up toward the Konoha Anbu: "Is the Third Hokage suggesting we should surrender… after what you've done to Mist? Surrender?"
His furious tone immediately tightened the atmosphere in the room. The Mist Anbu guarding the Mizukage seemed ready to swarm forward at any moment… This was exactly why someone like Haseo could never handle such a diplomatic mission. If Haseo were to appear in Mist again, no negotiation would even be possible—the result could only go one of two clear ways:
Either Haseo would end up dead on the spot, or Mist itself might descend into chaos along with his presence.
To avoid leaving behind political complications, the Third Hokage's letter actually contained little substantive material. It held nothing more than meaningless pleasantries and vague implications—it was mainly intended to express sincerity and willingness to negotiate.
Therefore, the main burden of negotiation fell upon this Anbu operative.
"Not surrender by any means. Even now, Konoha and the Land of Fire have not placed themselves above Mist or the Land of Water…"
Despite the fact that Konoha had already gained an absolute strategic advantage over Mist.
"The precise and formal wording is that the Third Hokage proposes both nations enter into a Peace Agreement. Victory and defeat are mere labels without real meaning; peace is our true common pursuit… Indeed, peace is all we desire."
Consider yourselves fortunate—we've even offered a dignified way for you to withdraw from this war.
We haven't even demanded any compensation or imposed any unequal treaties on you as the defeated side.
"Now both of us face serious challenges, and these difficulties are well-known to all. The situation on Konoha's Western Front is extremely complex, and cannot be resolved quickly."
As for Kirigakure... After suffering such damage, I believe strategic retreat rather than expansion would be more appropriate for you now. It's rational to prioritize village reconstruction and focus on restoring your strength.
I understand Lady Mizukage's anger, but truthfully this isn't Konoha's fault—we're both victims of war. You attacked us without declaration first, so we naturally responded accordingly with targeted retaliation.
However, since fresh wounds remain painfully visible and never heal easily, this is precisely when we must not let hatred cloud our judgment. This is when we should appreciate peace more than ever."
You're already half-defeated—if you still insist on fighting on, who knows what will become of what's left of your village?
And considering how weakened Kirigakure currently is, do you really still want to keep opposing Konoha? Don't you worry about me roaming around the map… No, I mean, don't you fear sudden invasions from other villages like Kumo?
Who wouldn't want to grab low-hanging fruit while they still can?
Persuasive, well-reasoned, and laced with sarcasm—it sounded courteous enough, but cut deep beneath the surface. If Haseo were here, this Konoha Anbu ninja's idea of what an "Anbu ninja" should be would be completely turned upside down.
Not every Anbu agent is a man of few words. As for this "Juge," he's more than just talented—he's a treasure.
A village leader should normally control his emotions, but right now the Third Mizukage's face kept shifting between pale and flushed.
Finally, he forced a bitter smile.
It's already rare enough for Konoha—who holds absolute advantage in this war—to proactively reach out to Kirigakure to discuss peace negotiations. Their approach even leaves dignity intact for Kirigakure… Since Konoha isn't asking for surrender—just a peace agreement. What more could one really ask for?
But conversely, if even this "polite approach" gets rejected, who knows how Konoha would respond next?
Certainly Konoha's main battlefield strategy focuses on the Western Front, but they haven't neglected the Eastern Front either—in fact, following one individual's strong advocacy, they adopted aggressive strategies on the Eastern Front specifically to prevent complications. The logic goes: since the Western Front is crucial, better resolve Eastern Front issues first, then fully concentrate resources on fighting the Western war.
It might sound counterintuitive, but the thing is—Haseo really did make it work.
So now, does Kirigakure even have options left?
The Third Mizukage stared at the stale piece of bread in his hand. What else could he possibly do?
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