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At the Kumo encampment, two Kumo-nin entered the main tent and handed over two letters to the Third Raikage, who was still recovering from his injuries.
"Raikage-sama, these messages just arrived from a Konoha envoy."
The Raikage's sharp gaze narrowed. He opened the envelopes and skimmed through the contents of the first letter—written by the Sandaime Hokage—then fell silent in thought.
"Both of you are dismissed."
After the messenger left, the Raikage summoned a trusted Kumogakure elite jōnin, Dodai.
He handed the letter to Dodai, who quickly glanced over it. Then, as if reading the Raikage's unspoken question, Dodai voiced his opinion:
"Raikage-sama, the Hokage's proposal is for Kumo to withdraw from its war against Konoha. In exchange, they'll return the Eight-Tails to us. If we further agree to—help them out a little, they're offering a handsome reward. So, do we keep fighting or accept Konoha's deal?"
The decision was in the Raikage's hands.
"I called you here not so you'd ask me what I think, but to hear your perspective. Which path benefits Kumo most?"
Dodai inhaled, weighing the facts:
"Since you're asking for my thoughts, I suggest we take their offer, Raikage-sama—make peace with Konoha."
"Our forces are too battered after everything that happened with Uzumaki Shin. Right now, we have only about eighteen hundred Shinobi left who can still stand, and over five hundred of those are wounded and unfit for combat."
"Our morale plummeted after you were injured. Honestly, the odds of us beating Konoha now are pretty slim."
"Dodai, you speak as though you've lost your nerve."
He understood the logic—Suna, Iwa, and Ame were also fighting Konoha—but feeling this "Fear—" from his own men stung the pride of the Raikage.
Dodai lowered his head a bit.
"I admit it. I am afraid. I'm not alone, either—After the battle at Iwa's encampment, where Uzumaki Shin unleashed the colossal Susano'o, just about everyone who witnessed it has been traumatized."
"That dread might never leave us. Even though Uzumaki Shin left Konoha, our fighting spirit has been shattered."
Silence loomed for a few long seconds. Finally, the Raikage let out a resigned sigh.
"Sigh, Fine. We'll accept Konoha's terms and retreat. We'll trade for the Eight-Tails."
Inwardly, he felt a pang of humiliation. The entire Kumo force hadn't really been defeated by Konoha so much as broken by one man—Uzumaki Shin.
Dodai coughed softly.
"Raikage-sama... I have an idea. When we pull out, perhaps we can strike at Iwagakure on our way home."
"You're suggesting we recoup some of our losses by attacking Iwa as we withdraw?"
"Yes. If we manage to seize Iwagakure, it'll offset at least some of the damage we've taken. If we actually conquer them, Kumo could still claim a kind of victory in this war."
The Raikage hesitated for a long moment—such a move felt dishonorable. But the potential gains were tempting.
Clenching his fists, he nodded.
Soon, the Raikage penned a reply to Sarutobi Hiruzen, stating that Kumo would only trust Konoha if the Eight-Tails was immediately handed over.
Of course, Hiruzen wasn't about to trust Kumo blindly, either, so each side stalled for a couple of days to finalize the—under-the-table deal.
Eventually, Hiruzen dispatched Hatake Sakumo, who carried the sealed form of the Eight-Tails to Kumo's camp.
"If Kumo tries any trickery," Hiruzen had told Sakumo, "break the seal right then and there. Let the beast run wild."
But Kumo made no such move; once Sakumo reached their camp, the Kumo forces withdrew immediately, formally exiting the Shinobi World War. Only after confirming their withdrawal did Sakumo release the Eight-Tails to them.
This news sent shockwaves through the other villages.
Ōnoki was shocked when he heard the news. So were the Third Kazekage and Hanzō.
No discussions, no warnings—Kumo simply pulled out of the war.
Ōnoki sent a messenger to inquire, but the Raikage was resolute. He even asked to pass through the Land of Earth to return to the Land of Lightning.
He had borrowed passage through the Land of Earth to reach the Land of Rain, and his supplies had also been transported through the Land of Earth. It was a sign of trust between the two villages.
Ōnoki had invited Kumo to join the war; they had to trust each other.
He had allowed Kumo's forces to pass through his territory, and the Raikage had accepted, unafraid of being ambushed.
Ōnoki hadn't thought much of it before. They had been cooperating well.
The Third Tsuchikage exasperated but left with no choice, allowed Kumo to pass. He simply expressed his regret at them leaving the war.
Once Kumo's forces moved through the Land of Earth, Hatake Sakumo handed over the sealed Eight-Tails, then parted ways.
Upon returning to Konoha's camp, Sakumo headed straight to the Hokage's tent to report:
"Hokage-sama, the Raikage left me a message for you: they intend to strike Iwagakure, and want us to keep Iwa's main force busy to make it easier."
Hiruzen's expression turned pensive. A moment later, a small smile crept to his face.
"They want us to keep Iwa pinned down while they raid Iwagakure. Seems they also expect us to uphold our earlier promise of 'handsome reward' for their pulling out of the war. Alright. So be it."
He exhaled lightly, then nodded.
"Sakumo, gather our shinobi. Prepare to attack the Iwa lines."
Sakumo saluted and left to rally the troops.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Earth, the Kumo forces had changed direction and were heading towards Iwagakure.
If they could take down Iwagakure, they would control the entire Land of Earth. Iwagakure was the most important military force in the Land of Earth.
In the Shinobi world, Hidden Villages were the most powerful military forces.
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