Sunagakure.
The Kazekage's office had fallen into a deathly silence, with only the sound of the wind and sand swirling outside.
"In the end, the final victor is still Konoha."
Temari let out a deep breath and spoke.
"Without dealing with Shinho, the Anti-Konoha Alliance was nothing more than a grand display."
Baki's face inevitably showed a hint of fear.
"That's true."
Kankuro agreed.
Ever since he had witnessed Shinho's strength firsthand, he had been left with a deep psychological shadow.
"This is actually a good thing."
After a brief moment of thought, Temari spoke again, "We are allies with Konoha."
"That's hard to say."
Baki shook his head.
"Do you think Konoha would turn against Sunagakure?"
Temari frowned slightly, clearly unconvinced.
"I don't believe that."
"I know you have a good relationship with Shikamaru, but among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, only Sunagakure remains. He won't just sit idly by."
Baki's tone was pragmatic.
Temari fell silent.
After all, Shikamaru's status in Konoha was not high enough to influence such decisions.
More importantly, Shinho's ambition was too great.
He was no longer a traditional shinobi.
The fact that he had become the Daimyō of the Land of Fire was proof enough.
"Then… what should we do?"
Kankuro asked gravely.
No matter how they looked at it, the current situation was extremely unfavorable for Sunagakure.
"First, we send our congratulations to Konoha."
Gaara put down the document in his hands and spoke.
"And then, we wait."
Temari hesitated to speak.
Had Sunagakure, once one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, truly fallen to the point of waiting for its fate to be decided?
But what else could they do besides wait?
A knock on the door broke the heavy silence.
"Come in."
Gaara lifted his head, an ominous premonition settling in his heart.
"Kazekage-sama."
A masked ANBU stepped forward and presented a scroll with both hands.
"This just arrived from Konoha."
Gaara's expression shifted slightly as he slowly reached out.
Temari and Kankuro exchanged uneasy glances.
"You may leave."
Gaara took the scroll and waved his hand.
"Yes."
The ANBU ninja bowed slightly before leaving.
Gaara unrolled the scroll and began reading.
His eyes narrowed instinctively.
What was meant to come had finally arrived.
Just as Baki had predicted, Shinho would never allow Sunagakure to remain as it was.
But the terms…
They were utterly outrageous.
Gaara's brows furrowed deeply.
"What does it say?"
Temari couldn't hold back her impatience.
"..."
Gaara handed her the scroll.
"This is beyond insulting!"
Temari took a glance, and her pupils shrank as she burst out in anger.
Kankuro, seeing her reaction, moved closer to read it.
His entire body stiffened, and at that moment, he finally understood why Gaara and Temari had such strong reactions.
The scroll contained three demands, Shinho's terms for Sunagakure.
The content was consistent with what he had proposed to the other villages.
But for Sunagakure, the situation was even harder to accept.
After all, they had been allies with Konoha and had not even participated in the Fourth Shinobi World War.
Yet, their fate was now no different from the defeated villages.
"This is outrageous!"
Baki was the last to read the scroll. The moment he finished, he rejected it outright.
"What happens if we refuse?"
Gaara looked at everyone and asked the most critical question.
Baki clenched the scroll tightly before quickly loosening his grip.
He had no answer.
Neither did Temari or Kankuro.
More importantly, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure had already shown them the consequences of defying Konoha.
"Perhaps this is the last shred of dignity we can have as allies."
Gaara rubbed his temples, speaking in a weary tone.
"Dignity? What dignity?"
Baki said with dissatisfaction.
What difference was there between Sunagakure accepting only fifty shinobi into its ranks and outright becoming part of Konoha?
"..."
Gaara opened his mouth slightly but ultimately said nothing.
Seeing this, Baki also fell silent.
The Kazekage's office once again became deathly quiet.
"They are only temporarily joining Konoha under a different identity. They will still belong to Sunagakure. Maybe there will be a chance in the future."
After a few moments of silence, Temari tried to offer some consolation.
"We do not have the strength to refuse."
Gaara finally made his decision.
"Send a reply to Konoha. Sunagakure is willing to cooperate."
"I will make the arrangements."
Baki sighed, his voice heavy with resignation.
…
Konoha;
Standing at the village gates, Shinho yawned lazily.
Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki stood straight, their postures rigid and formal.
Ever since Konoha had secured a decisive victory, Shinho had become the most influential figure in the shinobi world.
On top of that, he was their Hokage, so naturally, they had to maintain absolute vigilance and discipline.
Footsteps echoed from the distance.
Shinho's expression shifted slightly as he lifted his head.
A large group of people was approaching Konoha in an orderly manner.
However, his eyes were drawn to just one figure, Tsunade.
"Shinho!"
Naruto waved at him excitedly.
Sasuke glanced at Shinho but quickly averted his gaze.
Tsunade's lips curled into a small smirk.
She had noticed that Shinho had been staring at her the entire time.
There was no doubt about it, this little brat had come to personally welcome her.
At least he had some sense of gratitude.
Tsunade walked forward at a leisurely pace.
"Sensei, welcome home."
Shinho greeted her with a smile.
Home?
Tsunade's heart trembled slightly.
This brat was cunning.
Just two simple words, and he had stirred up emotions within her.
"Hokage-sama!"
Might Guy and the others greeted her warmly.
Shinho nodded in response, then shifted his gaze to Ōnoki and Kurotsuchi, along with the rest of the Iwagakure group.
Noticing his gaze, the Iwagakure shinobi immediately tensed up with unease.
From past Shinobi World Wars, they knew that prisoners of war typically had only two fates, either they were exchanged for appropriate ransom, or they were executed.
And now, there was no option for an exchange.
"One month from now, you will attend the Konoha Summit."
Aburame Shinho stated calmly.
"Until then, you will temporarily reside in Konoha."
Ōnoki and Kurotsuchi exchanged glances, their expressions filled with uncertainty.
However, without receiving any further explanation, they were taken away by the ANBU.
"You all can go rest now."
With a smile on his face, Shinho spoke, "There will be a celebration banquet tomorrow night, make sure to attend."
A victory of this magnitude didn't necessarily call for a grand festival, but a celebration banquet was certainly appropriate.
"Yes!"
Mikoto, Kakashi, and the others responded in unison.
The large ninja force dispersed in an orderly manner.
After such a life-and-death battle, everyone was eager to reunite with their families.
Before long, only Shinho and Tsunade remained as they walked side by side.
The two exchanged smiles and headed toward the Senju Clan Residence.
"You worked hard, Sensei."
Shinho glanced sideways at her as they walked.
Since there were too many people in the streets, he couldn't act as freely as he wanted, which was somewhat regrettable.
"Worked hard?"
Tsunade shook her head and said, "This was the easiest war I've ever participated in."
Whether it was the Second Great Shinobi War or the Third Great Shinobi War, both had been far much, much more brutal than this.
Especially the Second Great War, it had left an indelible shadow on her heart.
It was during that war that she developed hemophobia.
But, fortunately, she had met Shinho.
"I feel like eating something made by you today,"
Tsunade smiled and said.
"How could I not fulfil my sensei's wishes?"
Shinho was momentarily stunned as he responded, "I'll take the rest of the day off, and stay home with you."
"Day off?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Shouldn't you be extremely busy right now?"
Whether it was the Five Great Shinobi Villages or the Five Great Nations, countless matters required his attention.
At this moment, she was beyond relieved that she had retired early, otherwise, she would have worked herself to death as Hokage.
"How could the shinobi world be more important than you?"
Shinho grinned and shot back.
"Smooth talker!"
Tsunade glared at him.
She wasn't some young girl, she wasn't going to fall for this kind of flattery.
"What? I'm serious."
Shinho said with a straight face.
"Go to the Hokage office and work. You can cook dinner when you come home."
Tsunade frowned, "As Hokage, you can't neglect your duties, especially at such a critical time."
"Relax."
Shinho waved his hand dismissively, "I have Hokage assistants and secretaries. Skipping a day won't be a problem."
His three Hokage secretaries had returned to Konoha earlier than him.
Konan was unquestionably diligent.
Mabui had been a secretary for years, and with intelligence rivalling the Nara Clan, she could handle ten people's worth of work.
Samui was slightly less capable but still reliable.
With these three, along with Shikaku and the others, there was little need for him to personally oversee everything.
Tsunade trusted him, so she didn't press further.
Once they left the bustling streets and entered the bamboo forest, Shinho reached out his hand.
Tsunade glanced at him, her lips curving slightly, before clasping his hand tightly.
"Home is still the best place."
Shinho sighed with deep emotion.
"Shut up and open the door."
Tsunade grinned playfully.
"Yes!"
Shinho straightened up, speaking in a serious tone, "Hokage-sama!"
"You're the Hokage now."
Tsunade corrected him as she watched him open the door.
"Then you're the Hokage's wife."
Shinho stepped inside and extended his hand toward her.
Tsunade suddenly paused, standing frozen in place, momentarily dazed.
"What are you standing there for?"
Shinho asked with a smirk.
Tsunade snapped out of it, took a step forward, and wrapped her arms around him.
She took a deep breath, just about to say something, when she found herself feeling helpless.
This brat!
Return my heartfelt emotions!
Tsunade lowered her gaze slightly and immediately saw his hands resting firmly on her plump backside.
She rolled her eyes, leaned close to his ear, and whispered with warm breath, "Behave yourself, brat!"
"Come on! There are still two hours until lunch."
Shinho looked at her fair, flawless face and asked, "How about we eat something else to prepare our apetite?"
"What?"
Tsunade blinked in confusion.
The next moment, she suddenly felt her body lifted off the ground, her legs dangling mid-air.
Just as she was about to speak, her lips were sealed.
Tsunade's eyes widened, her initial reaction one of fury.
But soon, her body softened.
One after another, clothing fell to the ground.
Tsunade let out a soft groan and instinctively wrapped her arms around his head to keep from falling.
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