Sometimes, changing a person's mind isn't all that difficult. Once a thought takes root in someone's mind, they tend to keep drifting back to it, unconsciously believing it's the right path. And since the Nine-Tails hadn't yet gone on a rampage within Konoha, there was little resistance to accepting Kushina.
If this had been after the Night of the Nine-Tails, however, things would've been different. As for the events of the Battle of the Valley of the End, how many people even remembered? Moreover, the village had purposely sealed that information. The common villagers, even most shinobi, including the Third Hokage's generation, had only a vague understanding.
This meant that Kushina and the Nine-Tails being accepted by the village wasn't such a difficult task. Just like how, in the original storyline, Gaara had been treated as a monster, leading to his emotional isolation and insanity. Later, after being defeated by Naruto, and due to Sunagakure's lack of capable leaders, Gaara had no choice but to step up and protect everyone with his strength, gradually changing people's perception of him. He eventually became the Fifth Kazekage, earning everyone's respect.
If Gaara, who'd had the One-Tail rampage multiple times, causing endless tragedy, could gain acceptance, why couldn't Kushina? As long as no one sabotaged her image from behind the scenes, Kushina and the Nine-Tails' acceptance was just a matter of time. And if anyone dared try, Takuya would make sure they understood the meaning of regret.
Takuya's forces had achieved a resounding victory, and the news spread quickly. Nara Shikashige couldn't stop smiling, already convinced that Tsunade's decision to send Kushina for reinforcements had been entirely correct.
Sakumo Hatake was also pleasantly surprised and immediately ordered a retreat, unwilling to continue clashing with Chiyo. If he could avoid it, he didn't want Konoha's shinobi to lose their lives on the battlefield.
While Konoha celebrated, the mood in Sunagakure's camp was incredibly bleak. When Chiyo heard that over a thousand of their shinobi had been annihilated and that Rasa had been captured, her vision darkened, and she almost passed out.
The death of over a thousand shinobi was an unbearable loss for Sunagakure. But what was even worse was the capture of Rasa.
The entire new generation—the village's future pillars—was gone.
Although Chiyo had struggled with the capture of Pakura, she had still managed to accept it. On the battlefield, anything could happen.
But with the Third Kazekage dead and Sasori having defected, Chiyo felt as if the sky itself was crumbling.
And now, with Rasa captured, her emotional defenses shattered completely.
"Are you sure it was the Jinchuriki?" Chiyo finally spoke after a long silence, her voice raspy and heavy.
Ebizo lowered his head, guilt clear in his expression. "Yes, it was Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. We were hit by the Tailed Beast Bomb as soon as we reached the battlefield. Only a handful of us, including myself, survived—the rest vanished along with the forest."
Shinobi were known for their high attack power but low defense—except for freaks like the Third Raikage. Against an attack capable of vaporizing entire forests, rock, and earth, leaving behind a corpse seemed impossible. There wasn't even a body left to recover.
"I understand. Go rest now—I'll take care of what's next," Chiyo replied, her voice tinged with exhaustion. She seemed to have aged overnight, her once straight posture now slightly hunched. The battle had dealt her a severe blow.
Rasa's capture had shattered her remaining composure. Though she still held considerable authority over the village, she knew she couldn't lead forever.
While the Konoha camp erupted in celebration, the Sunagakure camp was eerily silent. Chiyo sat quietly in the command tent throughout the night. Early the next morning, she set out with a few guards, approaching Konoha's lines.
"I am here to announce, on behalf of Sunagakure, our desire to end this war. We hope Konoha will grant us the opportunity for peace talks."
Chiyo's personal appearance was a clear sign—Sunagakure could no longer continue the fight.
Negotiations were inevitable. Whatever terms Konoha proposed, no matter how harsh, Chiyo would have to accept them. She couldn't allow Sunagakure to remain bogged down in the quagmire of war, nor could she allow Rasa to be lost to them.
"So soon?" Takuya looked a bit puzzled when the ANBU came to report.
A lost battle, along with the capture of their future leader—unless Chiyo had lost her sanity, there was no way they could continue this war. The display of strength by Kushina and the Nine-Tails had left Sunagakure with no other option. Surrendering now would allow them to preserve at least some of their power. The longer they dragged this out, the worse it would be for them.
No one could guarantee that Rasa wouldn't be harmed during the war. Konoha's interrogation department was already very interested in Rasa. If Takuya hadn't explicitly ordered them not to interfere, Rasa would probably have been in their clutches by now, already undergoing their "methods."
Takuya had thought Chiyo would hold out a bit longer, but here she was, requesting peace talks after just one night.
"Could this be a trap?" Sakumo Hatake questioned, also finding it unusual. This didn't seem like Chiyo's usual way of handling things.
Even Nara Shikashige, the brilliant strategist, was a bit stumped. Sometimes, the more intelligent a person was, the more they overthought things. Like now, for instance, Shikashige had spent the night trying to analyze Chiyo's motives until his thoughts had gotten all tangled.
"Unlikely," Takuya said, sipping tea with a calm smile. "Instead of thinking it's some sort of trap, it's more likely that Chiyo's spirit has been broken. She's tired and doesn't want to see Sunagakure's foundation destroyed. She doesn't want Rasa to be returned to them as a broken shell."
Once Rasa ended up in the hands of the interrogation department, even if he came out in one piece, his mind might never be the same. That kind of place wasn't for humans.
"Ahem," Shikashige coughed pointedly, glaring at Takuya.
After all, the interrogation department was mostly run by the Yamanaka clan, who were part of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Takuya's comments had essentially roped the entire trio into the critique.
"Just a metaphor, Shikashige-senpai. No need to take it to heart. Besides, the Nara clan isn't really involved in the interrogation department, so what's there to worry about?"
Shikashige's reaction made Takuya chuckle.
"You brat," Shikashige sighed, half amused, half exasperated. "Fine, let's hear what you propose."
"I don't have any big ideas. We hold the advantage now—whether we want to keep fighting or begin peace talks, it's our decision to make. Peace talks are a must, though. We should send word back to the village. The situation at the coastline is dire, and the village could use some uplifting news to boost morale and confidence."
Takuya had no intention of racking his brain over this. Better to inform Tsunade and leave the rest to her. As for Sunagakure, they could wait. He'd let them know that peace talks were possible but only after the village had given a response. This would at least reassure Chiyo that they weren't planning to harm Rasa and had merely taken him into custody.
"Since you were appointed by Tsunade, we'll follow your lead," Shikashige said, exchanging a glance with Sakumo Hatake. He was more than willing to defer. He wanted to end the war as soon as possible and return to the village to enjoy his retirement. Better to let the younger generation take on these responsibilities.
After all, it wouldn't look good if the old kept taking on burdens meant for the young.
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Next Bonus: 700 power stone
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