The Sand Village had gone mad.
Or rather, Chiyo had gone mad.
The former was the conclusion reached by Konoha's Command Headquarters.
The latter was the conclusion reached by the Third Kazekage himself.
"…I was foolish. Truly foolish."
Chiyo lifted her dull, bloodshot eyes and continued speaking in a hoarse voice.
"I only knew that Shukaku was powerful, unmatched in the desert. I never imagined that Konoha's White Fang would appear there. When Iwakura and Gin left that morning, they told me they would return soon, so I waited for them on the battlefield…"
Her words broke apart as sobs overtook her. She could no longer form complete sentences.
Ebizo stood quietly at her side, watching his sister in silence.
When it came to misfortune, Chiyo's life could only be described as cruel. She lost her husband early, her son in middle age, and her grandson in old age. In terms of tragedy, very few could rival her.
The deaths of Iwakura and Yin were the final blow. Overnight, she seemed to have aged decades, even though she was not yet forty.
"Sister," Ebizo finally asked, "what do we do next?"
"Fight," Chiyo replied without hesitation. "Fight Konoha at all costs."
Her answer did not surprise Ebizo.
It was precisely because of this attitude that Konoha's Command Headquarters concluded that the Sand Village had lost its reason.
The Sand Village was launching relentless assaults on Konoha's garrison, sparing no cost, fighting as if this were a decisive battle.
With the entire village mobilized, and with the terrain advantage on their side, Konoha's forces could barely hold the line. Even while defending, their positions were nearly breached several times.
The fighting was brutal. Casualties during this short period alone rivaled those of the previous six months combined.
Later generations would call this high intensity, large scale battle the Akihabara Meat Grinder. It became the most destructive and longest engagement on the Land of Rivers front during the Second Ninja World War.
In the history of shinobi warfare, it was also one of the few battles where the Sand Village truly suppressed Konoha. The achievement sounded glorious, but it carried severe consequences.
When Orochimaru acted this way in the past, there had been no immediate problem. As a front line commander, he had broad authority. By the time the Third Hokage, far away in the village, sent a letter of reprimand, the situation had already stabilized.
Chiyo, however, was different.
The Third Kazekage himself was stationed at the garrison. No matter how influential she was, she could not act with complete disregard.
Resources, authority, political pressure, all of it mattered.
And it was not only Chiyo who had lost family. In war, which shinobi had not lost relatives or friends?
Among shinobi, bloodshed and hatred were unavoidable. Loss bred resentment, and resentment demanded an outlet. But war could not be driven solely by personal vengeance.
Ebizo understood this well, which was why his concern deepened. Discontent was already spreading through the garrison. Sooner or later, the Third Kazekage would order this madness to stop.
Chiyo clearly understood his worries.
"Do not concern yourself with the Third Kazekage," she said in a low voice. "After this Ninja World War ends, I will retire."
"Sister?!"
She raised a hand, silencing him.
"The Sand Village has suffered immense losses. Whether for the village's shinobi or for the daimyo, someone must take responsibility. I am the most suitable choice. The Third Kazekage also wishes for me to step down. I have already agreed."
She paused, her voice steady despite the grief in her eyes.
"In exchange, he will support me fully in this battle."
Ebizo fell silent for a long moment before nodding.
"In that case," he said quietly, "I will retire with you. We can fish, and I can spend more time with Sasori."
...
At the temporary hospital within Konoha's garrison, Hatake Sakumo lay quietly on a bed.
His entire body was wrapped in bandages. Only his uninjured little finger was free, and he used it with great effort to slowly turn the pages of a book.
"Hehehe…"
Reaching an especially engaging part, Sakumo let out a strange laugh, only to wince in pain as it tugged at his wounds.
"Is it really that good?"
Hayashi, who sat beside the bed slicing an apple, glanced over and asked.
Sakumo smacked his lips thoughtfully before replying, "The writing is still rough, but the content is captivating, especially the detailed descriptions."
He closed the book with a satisfied expression.
"I've read many books in my life. This one feels the most real."
Hayashi rolled his eyes. "It's clearly an indecent novel."
"You're still young, Hayashi, you don't understand," Sakumo said solemnly. "Yes, it's explicit, but through those details, you can feel the hardship of the heroine. That's the true value."
"…So is Jiraiya teaching students in the Land of Rain, or just gathering material?"
"Don't focus on the small details," Sakumo replied calmly. "Art comes from life, but it also rises above it. For realism, it's understandable if Jiraiya occasionally crosses a line."
He continued without shame, "He's only writing this to sharpen his skills. His next book is supposed to be called…"
"The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja," Hayashi said after a pause. "That should be the title."
Hayashi was momentarily stunned. He never imagined that writing such novels was considered training. It was hard to reconcile this Jiraiya with the author of The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja.
"Enough about that," Hayashi said, changing the topic. "Did Tsunade sama say when you can be discharged?"
"Two more weeks," Sakumo sighed. "She said that if I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, I should stop using that secret technique so recklessly."
He glanced at Hayashi.
"What surprised me was that you managed to retreat safely against Shukaku. If I had known, I wouldn't have forced myself so hard."
"…It was just luck," Hayashi replied.
Sakumo shook his head. "Once might be luck, but that was the third time you faced Shukaku."
He smiled faintly. "When I'm discharged, let's spar."
After lying in bed for nearly a month, sustained only by books, his hands were itching, especially his right hand.
"Alright," Hayashi agreed.
Fighting strong opponents was the fastest way to improve.
"By the way," Sakumo asked, "how is the war going?"
"Not very well," Hayashi replied. "We can only barely hold off the Sand Village for now."
After a moment of thought, he continued, "Village reinforcements will take time. Orochimaru sama plans to return Iwakura and Gin's bodies to Chiyo in exchange for a truce. The interrogation team has already extracted all useful information."
Sakumo fell silent for a moment.
"I respected Iwakura and Yin," he said quietly. "Letting them be buried in their homeland is the right thing. But will the Third Kazekage agree?"
"He should," Hayashi replied, though uncertainty lingered in his tone.
"The Sand Village also needs time. But once the truce ends, the next battle will be even more violent."
Just the news of their deaths had triggered such madness. Hayashi could not imagine Chiyo's reaction upon seeing their bodies.
If Chiyo were an Uchiha, she might have awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan in an instant.
"There's one more thing," Hayashi added.
"The Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Stone Village have stopped fighting."
Sakumo thought for a moment. "The Eight Tails' rampage caused severe damage. They're also likely waiting for us and the Sand Village to decide a victor."
Hayashi nodded. Orochimaru sama and Tsunade sama had said the same.
Still, something felt off.
The fighting between Konoha and the Sand Village was intense, but it was far too early to speak of a decisive outcome.
And the Third Raikage was not a man who would back down once he sensed opportunity.
The battlefield felt… too quiet.
____
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