The Iwa forces retreated.

  Faced with their withdrawal, the Konoha ninjas didn't insist on pursuing them to the death. Both sides tacitly withdrew their forces back to their respective camps.

  Everyone uood why they were fighting in the first pce.

  They were the top pyers in the shinobi world, well-versed in the rules of the game.

  pete, yes, but without breaking the unspoken code.

  After that, it was time to up the battlefield and prepare fotiations.

  Once again, Masashi domihe battlefield honor rankings in this campaign.

  It couldn't be helped.

  He obliterated the Explosion Corps, captured the Tsuchikage's disciple and granddaughter, single-handedly wiped out an Iwa unit, and finally held off the Tsuchikage himself, seg a strategic advantage for Konoha's forces.

  When you tallied it all up, his tribution was leagues ahead of anyone else. No one could realistically challenge him for the top spot.

  Still, even when you domihe rankings, the formalities had to be observed.

  Although he repeatedly cimed he wouldn't participate iiations, iy, he still had to attend.

  He didn't o speak, as long as he showed up.

  So, while the battlefield up was underway, Masashi found himself being something of a professional "host" for visitors.

  The militant faembers loved to drop by unannouo chat with him.

  Even members of the Sarutobi showed up.

  All these people had ohing in on: they were part of the militant fa.

  It's fair to say that here a ninja's value truly shone, and militant faembers teo harbor one peculiar belief: those who killed impressively otlefield were probably also militants.

  You couldn't bme them for thinking that way.

  Militant ninjas, by definitiohose who seek to prove their value through war.

  It didn't necessarily mean they were aggressive or war-hungry.

  A ninja could be calm and unassuming in daily life, greeting everyoh a smile, but the moment war was mentiohey were ready to draw their bde without hesitation. That ical militant mi.

  As the sayi: low-key in life, high-profile in a.

  Get along well with colleagues, but when it's time to make money, go all in.

  Danzō ter lost favor with the militants because they realized he wasn't really one of them. He used war as a means to achieve his ideals, but he wasn't ied in showg his value through war. In fact, when it suited his goals, he could be even more dovish than Hiruzen.

  Hard to imagine, right?

  That was why he didn't quite fit in with the militant crowd.

  As for the militants seeking to build es, Masashi pyed along, responding, "Yes, yes, I'm totally part of the militant fa."

  Being part of a fa had its pros and s, summarized as sharing both wealth and responsibility.

  In the past, due to their outsider status, the Uchiha wasn't part of the militant fa or the dovish fa—they were just "the antisocial fa."

  Quite sad...

  But things were different now. The Uchiha was finally "in the game."

  In this geion, objectively speaking, Masashi and Shisui were the representatives.

  However, Shisui's personality made him better suited for the dovish circle, leaving Masashi to join the militant one.

  That day, after waking up and realizing no one had e to chat, Masashi decided to visit Deidara and Kurotsuchi.

  After all, he'd captured them, and not cheg on them even once seemed inappropriate.

  iations otlefield had yet to begin, and both Konoha and Iwa were still in preparation mode.

  For instance, both sides o firm their statements, locate missing personnel, aermine who had been captured and who had been quietly killed.

  Iwa had already checked on Deidara and Kurotsuchi and firmed that they were being held in Konoha's prison camp.

  The so-called prison camp was essentially just part of Konoha's base.

  There wasn't any deep hatred between Konoha and Iwa, so the prisoners weren't treated harshly.

  In fact, many captured Iwa ninjas found the food standards in the Konoha camp to be higher than what they got in their own units.

  It was awkward, to say the least.

  Many of them were fag Konoha in battle for the first time. Though they didn't say it out loud, they privately thought: If there's a ime, and things aren't going well, we might as well surrender.

  Iwa's ninjas only refuse to surrender when fighting Suna.

  When Masashi ehe prison camp, some Iwa ninjas immediately reized him. Their whispers followed his path: "That's him—the one who took on thousands of us."

  Walking past one crowded tent after another, he eventually found where Deidara and Kurotsuchi were being held.

  Sihey were children, Konoha treated them more humanely, providiively better living ditions. So, the tent he found was er and less crowded thahers.

  Wheered, he saw fewer beds, and the living space was noticeably better than in the rger tents.

  He immediately spotted Deidara beiered by Kurotsuchi.

  The future "Bomber Man" wore a serious expression, but Masashi saw right through him—he was deeply stressed out.

  The tent also housed other Iwa ninjas, most of them young and inexperienced.

  They looked at Masashi with unease.

  Deidara noticed him too. He grabbed Kurotsuchi's hand, climbed off the bed, and approached Masashi.

  "Masashi, is the war over?"

  "Yes, it's over," Masashi replied, gng at the anxious Kurotsuchi before adding, "I've met with the Third Tsuchikage. He's quite ed about you two."

  "You're joking, Masashi," Deidara said, c Kurotsuchi's mouth to keep her from speaking. "The Tsuchikage is our sensei. He wouldn't waste time thinking about an unremarkable student like me."

  Pying humble now? "There's o be so defensive," Masashi said with a smile. "I'm not a bad guy, after all. I wouldn't lie to kids—that much is true most of the time."

  He gnced around.

  "How's the living enviro here?"

  "It's fine," Deidara replied dryly.

  "Good. Behave yourselves, and you'll be able to go home soon."

  Without waiting for a response, and leaving Deidara visibly fused, Masashi turned a.

  On the way back, he took anood look at the prison camp.

  Konoha's ninja had done a good job maintaining and monit the camp, ensuring basic hygiene and living standards.

  That was ideal. The less bad blood between Konoha and Iwa, the better.

  Iosed hreat to Konoha. Occasional lessons were suffit—both sides could get what they wanted and move on.

  Konoha's real rival wasn't Iwa.

  The real challenge was Kumo.

  After all, the Two-Tails jinchūriki was still locked up in Konoha. After this battle, Kumo would likely have to abandon their ambitions.

  Ohe Kumo issue was resolved, it would be time to deal with Kiri.

  If both were handled properly, the shinobi world could look forward to a decade of peace.

  Hopefully, the s in Kiri wouldn't be foolish enough to rebel against the Mizukage at the slightest provocation.

  If they did, he'd have to switch to Pn B.

  ---

  There was no she of strange happenings in the world.

  A few days after Masashi visited the prisoner-of-war camp, both Iwa and Konoha—thanks to Suna—decided to withdraw their troops earlier than pnned.

  The trigger for this decision was a sudden movement by Suna.

  The Kage of the Mines—no, the Kazekage—began mobilizing troops uhe pretense of being Konoha's ally.

  It was obvious: they wao exploit the fact that Konoha hadn't yet withdrawn, using it as an opportunity to deal a blow to Iwa.

  No one knew why Suna chose this moment to make a move, but Iwa and Konoha, without any prior unication, reached a unanimous decision: withdraw their troops.

  As for whether Suna would have any objes, the people of Konoha already had their excuse prepared.

  Military anders on the ground have the authority to adepely. If Hiashi ordered a withdrawal, how could the Hokage's office have known in advance?

  Hiashi had an eveer justification: We've finished our part of the battle. Why wouldn't we leave?

  To solidify this arra, both sides exged some prisoners before the withdrawal.

  By "some," it meant the particurly valuable ones would be kept back for formal iations ter.

  Unfortunately for Iwa, they didn't have any high-value prisoners in their hands, while Konoha had captured more than its share.

  ōnoki's face was as dark as storm clouds when he left.

  As for Deidara and Kurotsuchi, they didn't even have expressioo show.

  Masashi could uand how the two kids felt.

  It was like everyone else got to clock out, while you're still stuck at the office, typing away at the keyboard.

  But as valuable prisoners, they had to apany the Konoha forces back to Konoha. Until iatioween Konoha and Iwa were finalized, they could treat it as an all-expenses-paid "vacation."

  As for esg? Not a ce.

  The victorious Konoha forces were in high spirits on their return journey.

  This war hadn't sted lohan three months.

  Most people were thrilled about peace finally arriving. It meant they could go back to the retively easier life of taking missions.

  Masashi walked alongside members of his . Trailing behind were Deidara and Kurotsuchi.

  As his "spoils of war," the two kids would be pced uhe supervision of the Police Force they arrived in the vilge.

  This wasn't something Masashi—or the Uchiha as a whole—had specifically volunteered for. It was just that all tasks of this nature now fell uhe jurisdi of the Police Force.

  With the Uchiha, Hyūga, and Inuzuka s running the Police Force, esg from uheir collective watch was absolutely impossible.

  So the Hokage's office assighis task to the Police Force.

  Rather than bother someone else, he decided to personally handle esc the two kids back.

  And how would he carry them? Simple—one in each hand.

  With the wind whistling in his ears, he leapt from tree to tree, holding the two small "packages."

  Around him, tless Konoha ninja were doing the same.

  It ectacur sight.

  Deidara looked around, taking in the sery so different from the Land of Earth.

  Ohey ehe Land of Fire, everything was green. This lush, verdant nd was the kind of envirohe people of the Land of Earth had always envied.

  No matter which dire he looked, all he could see were seemingly endless grees.

  "Konoha's not so bad," came a voice from beside him.

  Deidara turned his head. The speaker was a woman.

  Although she wore a Konoha ninja's gree, it was clear she wasn't inally from the Land of Fire.

  "Is the rumor true?" Deidara suddenly asked. "That Surayed you."

  "That doesn't matter," the woman replied.

  "You're not like a kid at all, are you?" Masashi gnced down at him. "'t you act a bit more like a child? A genius who attrauch attention don't live long."

  "I'm not a genius," Deidara retorted. "But you're the real genius here, aren't you? And you seem to be doing just fine."

  o them, Pakura burst out ughing.

  Masashi gave her a look.

  "Pakura, do you want to carry one of them?"

  "Sure, give me the girl." Pakura poio Kurotsuchi, who was dangling from Masashi's other hand. "I've been meaning to say it—your carrying style is absolutely ridiculous."

  Masashi handed Kurotsuchi over to her.

  Pakura cheerfully took the girl a ahead. She seemed to enjoy teasing him more and more these days.

  That wouldn't do.

  He was the one who teased others, not the other way around. He'd have to find a way to put her in her pce...

  "How long will I stay in Konoha?" Deidara asked.

  "That depends on when your teacher officially signs an agreement with Konoha," Masashi replied. "Si involves two vilges, the Hokage has to ha personally. There's no avoiding this trip to Konoha."

  "If I weren't my teacher's student, would I have been killed back then?"

  "You're more valuable than you realize," Masashi said, studying the boy. "But would you have surrendered?"

  Deidara fell into thought at Masashi's question.

  If Kurotsuchi hadn't been there, he might have surrendered immediately. That big jutsu was clearly uable.

  But for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to say it now.

  "If you'd surrendered, you wouldn't have died," Masashi answered his question. "You're more valuable thahers."

  Holy, he might have beeed to recruit Deidara, if the boy hadn't been ōnoki's disciple,

  In Akatsuki, Deidara wasly the most well-rounded ninja, but he mao do amazing things with a bunch of cy.

  A talent like that would be a huge win if recruited.

  The rest of the journey passed quietly.

  Eager to return to the vilge a to Minato, Masashi used the Flying Thunder God as soon as they entered Konoha's territory.

  This was rough for Deidara. By the time they arrived at the Hokage's office, he was pletely disoriented.

  "Masashi-sama, we'll take custody from here," a Police Force officer said as they arrived.

  "Treat them well. They're diplomatic assets, not criminals," Masashi instructed as he handed over the dazed Deidara and expihe situation.

  He instructed them to escort Deidara to the Police Force headquarters first.

  Theered the Hokage's office.

  Ohird-floor corridor, he bumped into Fugaku, who was just leaving the office.

  "Fugaku-sama," Masashi greeted him. "Is the Hokage busy right now?"

  "Back already? The Fourth just finished a meeting." Fugaku g him. "Did you use the Flying Thunder God? What's the rush?"

  "Something suddenly came to mind."

  "What is it?"

  "About Kiri. You know, the matter with the Fourth Mizukage." Masashi reminded him. "The vilge hasn't sent an envoy yet, has it? I just realized that if we dey any lohings might escate on that end."

  "Actually, we were just discussing that," Fugaku nodded. "Oh, and since you're back, there's something else you should know. An shinobi named Momochi Zabuza failed in his assassination attempt on the Mizukage and has fled to the Land of Fire."

  "What?!" Masashi was stunned.

  Did no oell you to calm down?

  Kiri ninjas truly cked on sense.

  "Kiri has officially requested assistance from the vilge to capture Zabuza. If we're unwilling, they're asking for permission to pursue him through our territory."

  "Dream on."

  "Exactly. That's out of the question." Fugaku nodded. "This will likely fall on your shoulders again."

  Just as he finished speaking, the door behind him opened.

  Koharu and Homura stepped out.

  Seeing Masashi, the two elder advisors him before leaving.

  They didn't say a word.

  "Masashi?" Minato's head poked out from the office. "Perfect timing! You and Fugaku e ba for a moment—we'll hold a quick follow-up meeting."