The Second Raikage quickly ordered his men to clean up the scene and confiscated four treasures from the bodies of the Golden Horn and Silver Horn. As he glanced at the lifeless Silver Horn, his gaze lingered on Fumori Masaki. It was said that this young man had single-handedly killed Silver Horn. Such strength at a young age was impressive, and it made sense that Sora had lost to him.
When the Second Raikage took the four treasures, no objections were raised. After all, they originally belonged to another village, and in forming an alliance, one couldn't be too greedy. However, the Bashōsen, which had been taken earlier, was another matter entirely. As a trophy, it was not something that could be returned, and the Raikage understood this well, choosing not to mention it.
At that moment, a Kumo ninja team approached from the distance. They had been dispatched as reinforcements but encountered the Raikage's guards, who had been fleeing from the Golden Horn and Silver Horn forces. The captain halted his team, seeing the surrounding Konoha ninja and the captured Kumo comrades, but did not view them as enemies.
"Raikage-sama, it's a relief to see you're safe!" the Kumo team captain exclaimed, surprised by the sight of Konoha ninjas and captured allies. Though startled, he showed no hostility toward them.
"The village must be in chaos. We need to return immediately," the Second Raikage said. He then turned to Tobirama and spoke with a respectful tone. "Hokage, I ask for your help in dealing with Iwa Ninja Village. Kumo will not forget this kindness."
True to form, the Second Raikage would not allow Konoha ninjas to enter the Land of Lightning to quell their internal rebellion. Even as allies, their relationship wasn't that strong. His primary concern was that Iwa Ninja Village might exploit their civil unrest. With Kumo embroiled in a civil war, they were too vulnerable, and destruction seemed a real possibility.
Tobirama understood that now was the perfect time to strike if Konoha wished to eliminate Kumo. However, he had no desire to prolong the conflict or destroy Kumo, which would only benefit Iwa. Such an action could backfire on Konoha, so he agreed to the Raikage's request.
The Second Raikage could only hope Tobirama's character, as the brother of Hashirama, would align with the peaceful philosophy his sibling had always upheld. With gratitude, the Raikage departed, taking his ninja and the captured Kumo comrades with him.
Tobirama wasn't concerned about Kumo breaking their agreement. They were too embroiled in their own issues to pick a fight with Konoha. Even though Kumo's prisoners were released early, it was certain that they would also release Konoha's captured ninjas once the conflict ended.
For now, Konoha only needed to wait for Kumo's civil war to conclude. But negotiations with Iwa Ninja Village would still be necessary to prevent them from taking advantage of Kumo's internal strife. As masters of Lightning Release, Kumo remained Iwa's greatest enemy.
After the grueling battle, Tobirama and his guards were exhausted. The Konoha ninja troops helped them return to camp, where they rested and recuperated. Once recovered, Tobirama reorganized the troops, repositioning them to block any potential Iwa movements into the Land of Lightning.
While Konoha and Kumo had reached a temporary agreement, the Mist Ninja Village had not given up. Driven by old grudges from the Warring States period, the second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu pursued the Second Tsuchikage, Mu relentlessly. With the Tsuchikage's Dust Release being particularly effective against water, the battlefield between Iwa and Kiri generally remained near the coast. Other Iwa forces were stationed near the Land of Wind, creating a clear divide. This allowed Konoha to guard key routes, preventing Iwa from launching a surprise attack on Kumo.
Although Iwa could technically pass through if they pushed hard enough, they would first have to fight Konoha and then face the Mist's assault, making it a losing proposition. Aware of this, the Second Tsuchikage, Mu gave up any plans of raiding Kumo, focusing instead on the ongoing conflict with the Mist.
With no external interference, the rebellion in Kumo was quelled swiftly. In the original timeline, the Second Raikage's untimely death and the transition to the Third Raikage would have delayed efforts to restore order. The new leader would have needed time to assert his authority and quash the rebellion in the name of justice.
However, with the Second Raikage still alive, he returned to Kumo and, as the rightful leader, garnered support from most of the village. The Golden Horn and Silver Horn faction, who had led the rebellion, panicked upon hearing of their leaders' deaths.
Without the Golden Horn and Silver Horn to lead them, the rebellion crumbled quickly. Within three days, the civil war was over. Though some of the rebels managed to flee, their numbers were too few to pose any further threat. The village, though scarred, was stable once again, but the cost in lives had been heavy.
To maintain stability, the Second Raikage enacted a harsh purge. Though the Golden Horn and Silver Horn were dead, their supporters were still a danger. All members of the Golden Horn and Silver Horn's forces were executed, along with the more extreme members of the faction who had pushed for the rebellion. Even those who had family ties to the rebels were not spared. It was a bloody, ruthless campaign to ensure no remnants of the rebellion survived.
In Kumo's history, this civil war and purge would be marked as a dark period. Countless criminals and innocents alike were caught up in the purges. At this time, Kumo began to resemble the notorious "Village of Blood Mist." It was cruel, but in the end, it was necessary. Betrayal was met with death, even for civilians who had no ability to fight but were deemed too close to the rebel cause.
The Second Raikage stood overlooking his village, the air still heavy with the scent of blood. Though the streets had been cleaned, the memories of the devastation remained fresh. He sighed deeply, regret weighing on his shoulders. If he had a choice, he would have spared many of these people. But he couldn't risk leaving anyone with ties to the Golden Horn and Silver Horn alive—anyone who might one day seek revenge against the village.
The Raikage began to reflect on how things had reached this point. His mind turned to the causes of war and the reliance on force to conquer. The Golden Horn and Silver Horn had been warmongers, unable to accept peace. Their bloodlust was not just a personal trait but a reflection of Kumo's traditions. The village's culture had long embraced strength and warfare as the ultimate solution to any problem.
Now, the Second Raikage found himself disgusted by this mindset. He had once sought peace only out of necessity. But now, he truly believed in the peace policies championed by Konoha. If Kumo had embraced such ideas earlier, perhaps the civil war could have been avoided.
The Raikage resolved to change Kumo's martial culture. He needed to steer the village away from the violent traditions that had allowed figures like the Golden Horn and Silver Horn to rise to power. Kumo's future had to be different, or else the cycle of violence would continue.
In the following days, the remnants of the Golden Horn and Silver Horn's forces were hunted down and executed. There were likely a few who escaped, but they posed no significant threat. With the traitors eliminated, Kumo's unity was restored, and no one dared challenge the Raikage's authority.
The Second Raikage then sent another envoy to Konoha to reopen negotiations. Though peace had been agreed upon, no formal treaty had been signed, and the Raikage understood the importance of making it official. This written agreement would solidify the new alliance between Kumo and Konoha.
As for the Konoha captives, they would be returned once Kumo's internal strife had been fully resolved. To oversee the handover, the Second Raikage sent Sora, while Konoha chose Fumori Masaki to represent them.