The turmoil had been quelled, albeit temporarily, but for the Third Hokage, that was enough.
Some matters could not be resolved with just a few words, like the burial of fallen shinobi and the distribution of their bereavement compensations—both enormous undertakings.
It would require a large expenditure to fill these enormous gaps.
Even if the attention of the villagers was diverted for now, after some time, the tension would erupt once more.
The Third Hokage did not care about that anymore, as he had already determined the candidate for the Fourth Hokage.
Once the war ended and Konoha entered a phase of stable development, he planned to step down and pass the title to Tsunade.
The news reached the frontlines, and many were left stunned.
Compared to the villagers, who could be appeased easily, the shinobi on the battlefield were far from being that naive.
Arguments that convinced the villagers could not convince them.
"The old man really dares to take risks," Jiraiya muttered with a helpless smile, his eyes showing a mix of exasperation and frustration.
What kind of ridiculous reinforcements were these? Konoha didn't need them at all. Once the war with the Sand Village ended, Konoha—fighting on a single front—was not afraid of an extended confrontation with the Mist Village. It was the Mist Village that would run out of steam first.
War reparations should be demanded, not replaced with some flimsy alliance or reinforcements that couldn't be relied upon.
Even more frustrating was that Konoha would be responsible for all the provisions required by those so-called reinforcements.
"Damn it!" Jiraiya grumbled. "Did the old man fall under Chiyo's genjutsu or something? How else could he agree to these outrageous conditions?"
Orochimaru, on the other hand, seemed more composed.
"The old man wants to end the war quickly. Konoha needs ample time to recover, to heal from the wounds and exhaustion brought on by the war. Though, yes, these conditions do seem somewhat overboard."
This was the Third Hokage's decision, and Orochimaru wasn't in a position to say much.
What worried him was how he was going to deal with the reinforcements when they arrived.
Chiyo was not an easy person to deal with.
The reinforcements—how would he arrange them once they came?
Sending them to battle against the Mist Village would make it look like Konoha was deliberately sending them to their deaths.
It would give the impression that Orochimaru intended for the Sand Village ninjas to perish.
However, placing them in the camp or in a safer area would be pointless.
Even if the Sand Village was willing, Orochimaru was not.
What if they used this as an opportunity to gather intelligence? In that case, why even have reinforcements if Konoha couldn't deploy them properly?
It was nonsense.
"How will you handle them?" Jiraiya asked, a mischievous smile crossing his face.
He couldn't change the Third Hokage's decision, so why bother worrying? Come what may, if the sky fell, let the tall ones bear the weight.
And with that thought, Jiraiya was ready to sit back and watch the show.
These reinforcements would be tricky to accommodate.
If they weren't utilized properly, it could lead to friction between the two villages. If they weren't given an important role, it would be a massive loss for Konoha.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
"I'll request to return to the village for a break. You can handle the battlefield," Orochimaru shot Jiraiya a sidelong glance.
"Get lost," Jiraiya immediately protested.
"Back then, you fought tooth and nail to take over this role and lead this battle. Now, you want to throw the burden on me and run away? No way!"
"I'm warning you," Jiraiya said, pointing at Orochimaru. "If you dare leave, I swear I'll vanish and start collecting intel and research materials in all the nations."
"Idiot," Orochimaru muttered, deciding not to entertain Jiraiya any further.
"Forget it. It's your business how you handle them. I'm not going to worry about it," Jiraiya said, shrugging.
If Orochimaru wasn't willing to explain, Jiraiya wouldn't push him. Besides, if he pushed too hard and Orochimaru really left, the consequences would be severe.
Leaving the command post, Jiraiya returned to his tent and sat down cross-legged, resting his chin on one hand. He rubbed his stubbled chin thoughtfully, muttering to himself, "The old man made a foolish move. Even if he calms the villagers' anger now, it won't last forever. This isn't a long-term solution."
Once the villagers' anger subsided, would it be gone for good?
As the war dragged on, as people with their own thoughts and opinions voiced them, those who had been convinced by the Third Hokage would start to waver.
People who had lost family members, those whose lives had become more difficult because of the war—they wouldn't be so easily placated.
They would lay the blame squarely on the Third Hokage.
In the original storyline, these very factors led to the Third Hokage decisively abdicating, even if only on the surface.
But Tsunade wasn't Minato. Minato, upon becoming Hokage, would be a figurehead with no real power. Tsunade, however, would not.
She would be able to wield all the Hokage's authority herself.
Retire and still try to act as a puppet master from behind the scenes?
Such a thing wouldn't happen with Tsunade.
She would never allow it.
Once the Third Hokage stepped down, he could participate in village matters as a former Hokage, but he wouldn't be allowed to interfere in everything.
"Sensei."
A flash of golden light appeared, and Minato was suddenly in the tent. Even though Jiraiya was used to Minato's sudden appearances, he couldn't help but roll his eyes and grumble.
"Minato, can't you just walk in like a normal person?"
Suddenly popping up like that—how startling!
"But it's faster this way," Minato replied, blinking innocently.
Did he do something wrong? Sensei seemed to be in a bad mood.
"Sensei, did something happen?"
"See for yourself," Jiraiya said, tossing Minato a scroll containing his notes.
Minato quickly unrolled it and began reading. Soon enough, his eyebrows knit together in concern.
"Sensei, why is it that even though Konoha won, these negotiation terms make it feel like we lost?
"We shouldn't have agreed to these terms. War reparations are the price paid by the losing side.
"The Sand Village initiated the war. We can't be blamed for being greedy.
"The Sand Village wants to surrender, and the crux of the negotiations is Rasa. We can hand him over unconditionally, but removing the war reparations... And these reinforcements..."
The more Minato read, the more puzzled he became. How were they supposed to handle these reinforcements from the Sand Village?
The Mist Village had gone mad, fighting Konoha with everything they had. If the Sand Village reinforcements entered the battlefield, the losses would be severe, giving the impression that Konoha was deliberately sending them to die.
If reinforcements were supposed to fight on the frontlines, you couldn't just put them in a camp or keep them in the rear.
What good were these reinforcements if you couldn't even use them? Konoha was not in such dire straits that it couldn't muster a thousand shinobi.
Wow!
Minato couldn't help but feel dumbfounded—Konoha would even need to cover all their provisions. These weren't reinforcements; they were a bunch of freeloaders.
Minato just couldn't understand the Third Hokage's decision.
"Hahaha..."
Jiraiya scratched his head awkwardly, and as he laughed, his smile turned bitter.
"So, I don't understand what the old man is thinking either. He probably just wants to end the war urgently."
"Forget about these unpleasant matters. Have you submitted your leave request?"
"Yes, I submitted it. I'll be able to return to Konoha tomorrow after packing my things."
With his growing strength and age, Minato found it relatively easy to return to Konoha, even with Nawaki in tow.
Let the tall ones bear the weight if the sky fell. Minato disagreed with the Third Hokage's decisions, but he wouldn't spend much time worrying.
After all, it wasn't his place to worry about such matters.