The last batch of Sunagakure remnants, dragging their heavy steps, staggered across the border line between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers—a border that had already changed hands. When they looked back and saw not the familiar Sandstorm banner, but the cold, watchful eyes of Konoha Shinobi and the fluttering Fire Crest, their final psychological defense completely shattered. Despair and humiliation, like the swirling Sandstorm behind them, completely swallowed them.
However, for Hidden Sand Village, this long and humiliating retreat was missing the final, most crucial step—their Kage had not yet returned.
Inside Kikyō Mountain Castle, a fierce debate erupted among Konoha's high-ranking officials regarding the fate of Fourth Kazekage Rasa. The Hardline Faction, led by Danzo Shimura, took an extremely rigid stance, adamantly opposing Rasa's release.
"Letting the tiger return to the mountain will lead to endless trouble!" Danzo's voice was cold and decisive. "Rasa's Magnet Release poses a huge threat, and his character is resilient. After suffering such a great humiliation, if he is released, he will definitely become a grave problem for Konoha! He should be detained long-term, or even..." He left the rest of his sentence unspoken, but the ruthless intent was obvious.
Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu, however, leaned toward cautious handling, believing that detaining a Village's Kage long-term would be overly provocative and might trigger a desperate, all-out counterattack from the Land of Wind, hindering the assimilation of the war gains.
The final decision was placed in the hands of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. This Hokage, known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu," smoked his pipe and deliberated for a long time. He knew Danzo's worries were not unfounded, but he prioritized overall stability and Konoha's image of "benevolence" (at least on the surface). Long-term detention of Rasa would be like continuously rubbing salt into Sunagakure's wounds, only accumulating deeper hatred, which was detrimental to maintaining that "alliance" relationship.
Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi made his decision: "Execute according to the agreement. Let the Fourth Kazekage return. A Sunagakure that is internally chaotic and leaderless is not beneficial to Konoha. What we need is an 'ally' who can be bound by treaties and maintain basic stability, not a powder keg that could explode at any moment."
Thus, after the main Sunagakure forces had all withdrawn from the Land of Rivers, Fourth Kazekage Rasa was finally allowed to leave Kikyō Mountain Castle after many days of house arrest. There was no farewell, no ceremony, only the cold gaze of a squad of Konoha "escort" Ninja. As he crossed the border alone and saw the few remaining high-ranking Sunagakure officials and Anbu who had come to greet him, the usually stern Kazekage's eyes couldn't help but turn slightly red. He had finally returned, but his Village was no longer the same.
Meanwhile, inside Hidden Sand Village, Sayo, being one of the earliest personnel to withdraw days ago, immediately threw himself into work at the Sunagakure Hospital without taking any rest.
The Sunagakure Hospital was already overflowing with people, filled with the cries of distress. Casualties continually sent back from Kikyō Mountain and the Land of Rivers crowded every ward and corridor. The painful moans, the pungent smell of medicine and blood, and the exhausted figures of the medical staff formed the truest and most tragic microcosm of the Village after its defeat.
Sayo changed into clean clothes, washed his hands, and began moving between the beds like an ordinary Medical Ninja. His exquisite Chakra control and Healing Jutsu, enhanced by Natural Energy, played a massive role at this moment. He processed wounds quickly and steadily, and his assessment of complex injuries was far more accurate than that of a regular Medical Ninja. He worked almost nonstop, only leaning against the wall for a brief rest when his Chakra was depleted, while the pocket body cultivation furnace on his wrist quietly operated, accelerating his recovery.
He witnessed the cruel aftereffects of war firsthand: Ninja who had lost limbs, comrades whose Chakra pathways were completely destroyed, patients who had suffered mental breakdowns due to Genjutsu or trauma... All of this deeply stung him, making him focus even more intensely on the immediate task of healing. Only by immersing himself in medical work could he temporarily forget the external humiliation and the uncertainty of the future.
It wasn't until late at night, when the clamor in the hospital finally subsided slightly, that Sayo, dragging his extremely exhausted body, walked home under the cool moonlight.
His father, Sharyu, always kept a small lamp lit, waiting for him. Seeing his son return, he silently served the simple meal that he had kept warm.
The father and son sat facing each other, often without speaking. Sharyu looked at the exhaustion that his son could not hide, his eyes filled with heartache and emotion. He had lived through the Second Great Ninja War and had witnessed the cruelty of conflict, yet he never imagined Hidden Sand Village would suffer such a complete defeat, nor did he expect his own son to be so deeply involved and bear such heavy responsibilities.
"It's good that you're back... It's good that you came back alive..." Sharyu could only repeat this phrase, his voice hoarse. He wanted to ask about the situation on the front lines, and about the Village's future, but seeing his son's condition, he swallowed all his questions. As a retired old Ninja, he knew better than anyone what defeat meant: a long and difficult winter lay ahead.
Sayo ate silently, nodding occasionally. The warmth of home temporarily dispersed his physical exhaustion and the coldness in his heart, but he knew the outside world remained frigid. Although the Fourth Kazekage had returned, the massive reparations, the humiliating treaties that surrendered national rights, and the inevitable internal turmoil and skepticism within the Village, all hung like heavy dark clouds over the heads of every Sunagakure resident.
The brief tranquility was only preparation for tomorrow's greater challenges. He needed rest, and he needed to recover quickly, because there were too many things that needed to be done for the reconstruction of the Village and for his personal path. The disastrous defeat at Kikyō Mountain was an end, but it was also a thorny new beginning.