My Techniques are a bit off

"You don't want to start a war either, do you, Fourth Kazekage?"

The Third Hokage took a deep breath and said, "Surrender."

Surrender, after only a few minutes of battle? Such actions—breaking alliances, invading an allied village, and then immediately falling to their knees—would only deepen the Land of Wind's Daimyo's mistrust of the Sunagakure.

Not to mention the deaths: Konoha ninja, Sunagakure ninja comrades, and even nobles and daimyo who had perished in the attack...

Someone would have to bear the burden of all these sins.

Rasa was jolted back from his idealized vision of death to the harsh reality of what lay ahead. The thought of facing the consequences was suffocating.

Dying would be a simple escape; living, however, would require immense courage.

He looked at the aged Hokage before him, silently pleading for a swift end.

"Swoosh!"

"Lord Third Hokage."

Baki leapt toward the two Kage, kneeling as he landed, surrounded instantly by Konoha's Anbu. Bowing deeply, he declared, "I have already signaled the Sunagakure to retreat. All plans for invasion were devised, planned, and executed by me—Baki, Jonin of the Sunagakure—in collaboration with Orochimaru."

Baki...

Rasa glanced at his subordinate, stunned. Their gazes met, and Baki's eyes were firm, filled with resolve—a look Rasa recognized all too well. It was the same determination he'd had when he first became Kazekage.

"Thud!"

Link landed nearby, carrying both Rock Lee and Gaara, with Kankuro and Temari dangling from his shadow, their disheveled forms a testament to their defeat.

They didn't escape?

Baki looked at his captured subordinates, not surprised but somewhat relieved. At least they were alive.

They represented the village's future; as long as they lived, there was hope.

This boy... truly changed everything, Baki thought, giving his three subordinates a meaningful glance before swiftly raising his hand.

"Slash!"

A blade of wind severed Baki's head cleanly.

No one stopped him. Everyone silently watched.

"We..."

Rasa scanned the injured faces of his comrades. Some familiar ones were no longer among them. After a brief silence, he turned to the Third Hokage, his expression heavy. "On behalf of the Sunagakure, I surrender to Konoha."

For the first time in his life, Rasa realized how difficult it was to speak.

When sacrifices carry weight, escaping through death becomes laughable.

The Sunagakure ninja slowly raised their hands in surrender. There weren't many left—Konoha had strictly limited the number of foreign ninja allowed in the village. Counting them all, there were only about a dozen, most of them the elite of the Sunagakure.

The giant snakes Orochimaru had summoned to breach Konoha's walls had barely begun their advance when the "Kage" leading them was defeated and the retreat signal issued. The resulting damage was far less than what occurred in the original events of the manga.

The remaining enemies in Konoha were now limited to a few abandoned Otogakure ninja who continued their futile resistance. With the surrender of the Sunagakure's elite and their Kage, the war ended far sooner than expected.

From an individualistic perspective, the Third Hokage had almost single-handedly turned a war that should have caused catastrophic destruction into a minor skirmish. Defeating the enemy Kage quickly was a massive blow to morale.

Had the enemy's Kage remained engaged in battle, it could have resulted in a one-sided situation.

Baki's decision was correct. Continuing the invasion, even at the cost of greater damage to Konoha, would not have significantly altered the outcome. It would only bleed the already weakened Sunagakure dry.

With the war abruptly halted, Konoha had suffered minimal harm, opening the door to peace talks. The "culprit" Orochimaru had fled, and Baki's death further diffused tensions, giving both sides a way out.

When Rasa announced the Sunagakure's surrender, the remaining Jonin followed suit, raising their hands.

Konoha's Anbu appeared to detain the surrendered enemies, while medical ninja rushed to treat their injured comrades. The entire scene unfolded with calm precision.

As she was led away, Temari glanced back at her teacher's severed head being sealed, her composure finally cracking to reveal traces of sadness.

Kankuro wiped his tears as he followed his sister.

The Sunagakure ninja who had allied with Orochimaru would either escape or be detained, left to await the outcomes of future peace talks.

Rasa, as the Kazekage, received no special treatment. The Anbu refrained from physically restraining him but kept a close eye.

Rock Lee, critically injured, was taken to the hospital by the medical corps. Link, reverting from his transformed state, exhaled heavily. While his transformation granted him enhanced physical capabilities and chakra reserves, it came at a cost to his energy and stamina.

His ability was akin to the Akimichi clan's calorie control—greater stored energy meant a higher transformation cap. But the advantage was that he could transform at any time without requiring external aids or preparation.

This was why Link always maintained his rigorous training routine.

"Link," the Third Hokage called out as he was about to leave. The aged Kage smiled faintly. "You've become an outstanding ninja."

"You're too kind." Link bowed slightly. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

The village, still recovering from the attack, had much work to do. From clearing out lingering Otogakure ninja to treating injured comrades, there were plenty of opportunities to gain recognition and contribute.

Opportunities like this didn't come often, and Link wasn't about to waste it.

"Old man, I'm not too late, am I?"

A white-haired, middle-aged ninja carrying a giant scroll and wearing geta sandals appeared on the scene.

It's already over.

Link guessed this must be the Toad Sage, Jiraiya. Seeing him in person for the first time, Link thought the man looked slightly more disheveled than he'd imagined.

Still, his appearance carried an air of power.

"Jiraiya," the Third Hokage addressed him.

Link walked away, not lingering to eavesdrop on the teacher-student conversation.

A few hundred meters away, he found Sasuke Uchiha sitting against a wall, battered and bruised, with three dead Otogakure ninja around him.

"How are you?" Link asked, crouching to check Sasuke's injuries.

"I encountered one of Orochimaru's men. He used a strange technique to sever the muscles in my arm," Sasuke summarized tersely, omitting the fact that he'd killed the three ninja.

After a pause, he added, "Naruto and the others went to assist at the academy."

"That guy was likely Kabuto Yakushi. Next time you meet him, be careful not to engage in close combat," Link said, treating Sasuke's severed muscles while sharing intelligence.

Sasuke glanced at his comrade, who was focused on healing him, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

~~~

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