Chapter 180: The War Ends
Among the four great hidden villages, Kumogakure was the only one with the strength to threaten Kirigakure.
Konoha and Sunagakure couldn't spare any forces. Iwagakure, under increasing pressure from Konoha on the battlefield—especially due to the Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato—gradually lost the capacity to act.
Once tensions with Kumogakure were resolved and a cooperative relationship was established...
The balance of power on the continent tilted back toward the three major villages, with Iwa and Kumo upping their stakes.
Kirigakure fully withdrew from the war, turning inward to strengthen itself in isolation.
Time passed swiftly, marked by Kirigakure's peace and the flames of war still raging on the mainland.
...
44th Year of Konoha
Kirigakure publicly distanced itself from Konoha, ending a half-year "honeymoon period" between the two.
Kirigakure moved closer to Kumogakure, and together they occupied several islands belonging to the Land of Whirlpools.
The eastern borders of Konoha were no longer secure and could not go undefended. The village had no choice but to redeploy the Hyuga clan and other units from different fronts to fortify the east.
Meanwhile, Kirigakure reduced its exports of ninja tools and supplies, directly impacting Konoha's frontline logistics.
Previously, Konoha shinobi could throw kunai and explosive tags like they were free—suppressing the enemy with overwhelming firepower.
Now, the tide had turned. It was Kumogakure and Sunagakure's turn to rain down firepower without restraint.
Yes, not just Kumogakure—Sunagakure was involved too. Iwagakure refused to join in, though.
Kirigakure agreed to let Sunagakure purchase military supplies on credit. With Kumogakure mediating the deal, Kirigakure eased its export restrictions toward Sunagakure.
As Kirigakure pulled back and others advanced, Konoha's combat effectiveness dipped noticeably. In contrast, the forces of Kumogakure and Sunagakure surged.
Seeing the war turning in their favor, both Kumo and Iwa doubled down, determined to crush Konoha.
...
45th Year of Konoha
The war had dragged on for over a year—longer than the Fourth Kazekage's initial expectations and beyond what Sunagakure could bear.
But since it was Sunagakure that had started the conflict, and since they had dragged Iwa and Kumo into it (at least on the surface), it wasn't something the Fourth Kazekage could just walk away from.
Once Iwa and Kumo noticed that Sunagakure was quietly reducing its support on the front lines, they immediately applied diplomatic pressure—and Kirigakure quietly backed them, too.
With tears he couldn't shed, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa had no choice but to keep fighting.
To support the front lines, Elder Chiyo, now nearly sixty, personally took to the battlefield.
On another front—the battle between Konoha and Kumogakure—a new player entered the field: the latest Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B.
Shockingly, this new Jinchuriki could actually control his tailed beast's power.
With such a powerful reinforcement, Konoha faced a sudden surge in pressure from the Kumogakure front.
The Raikage's son and Killer B—known as the "A-B Duo"—soon became legendary figures in the shinobi world.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield between Konoha and Iwagakure, another war hero rose to fame.
He was a Konoha shinobi named Namikaze Minato. Known for his speed in killing, he earned the title "Yellow Flash."
More and more high-ranking enemy shinobi were falling to him—dozens, even hundreds of elite jonin.
In response, Onoki sent the Four-Tails' Jinchuriki, Roshi, and the Five-Tails' Jinchuriki, Han, to kill Minato. They failed.
This confirmed to Onoki that Minato had truly reached Kage-level strength.
Later that year, Onoki's own student, Akaiwa, was killed by Minato.
Unable to withstand the pressure, Onoki issued a now-famous order to his forces:
"If you encounter the Yellow Flash, you are permitted to abandon the mission. No consequences."
With that, Onoki effectively acknowledged Iwagakure's disadvantage in the war against Konoha.
By the third year of the war, each village had committed nearly all of its Kage-level power to the battlefield—excluding the Kage themselves.
...
46th Year of Konoha
At the start of the year, Konoha launched a massive offensive and recaptured Kikyo Mountain, which had been seized by Sunagakure in an early raid and held for over two and a half years.
Even with Chiyo holding the line, Sunagakure's situation continued to spiral downward.
When Rasa received the battlefield report, it was the final straw. The burden broke the young Kazekage.
From the very beginning, Rasa had only envisioned a one-year conflict.
But now, two and a half years in, with no way to pull back, Sunagakure had completely drained its resources. Its debts to Kirigakure had grown to astronomical levels.
Over ten thousand Sunagakure shinobi had died at Kikyo Mountain. Their blood had been shed, yet no victory was won—nothing had been gained from Konoha.
With its military and economy both gutted, Sunagakure had no choice but to propose peace.
This time, neither Kumo nor Iwa pressured Rasa.
Sunagakure was exhausted, but Konoha wasn't much better off.
During the brutal campaign to retake Kikyo Mountain, Konoha had also suffered over ten thousand casualties.
Unlike Sunagakure, however, Konoha still had two other fronts bleeding it dry.
After much deliberation, Hiruzen Sarutobi reined in Konoha's anger toward Sunagakure and reluctantly agreed to peace talks.
Konoha reoccupied Kikyo Mountain and, assessing Sunagakure's diminished strength, decided to leave behind only a thousand-man garrison and begin fortifying the pass.
The remaining forces were redirected to the Iwa and Kumo fronts.
...
Mid-Year
Namikaze Minato led his squad—Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, and Nohara Rin—in a raid on Kanabi Bridge, Iwagakure's main supply line.
The mission resulted in Uchiha Obito's death. Before dying, he gave one of his eyes to Kakashi.
Kanabi Bridge was destroyed—and even worse for Iwagakure, Minato took control of the area.
With their supply line cut, Onoki immediately ordered a full retreat and requested peace talks with Konoha.
Though ninja aren't ordinary soldiers, and losing one supply route wouldn't typically decide a war, the defeat at Kanabi Bridge gave Onoki the perfect excuse to back out.
A peace agreement was reached between Iwagakure and Konoha. Iwa withdrew from the war.
By this point, Iwagakure had lost over 30,000 shinobi. Though Konoha's losses were smaller thanks to Minato's efforts, they still suffered nearly 30,000 casualties, with over 10,000 dead.
After the Iwa front ended, Minato—Konoha's tireless warhorse—headed straight for the Kumo front to face the A-B Duo.
By then, Kumogakure had already advanced deep into the Land of Fire. Despite the withdrawals of Iwa and Suna, they had no intention of retreating.
Konoha was hanging by a thread. Kumo still had strength to spare.
—So they kept fighting!!
...
Year-End
A shocking report came from the long-silent Kirigakure.
With permission from the Land of Water's Daimyo, Kirigakure launched a surprise attack on the Land of Artisans. The already-crippled Craftsmens' Village was wiped out.
The country was forced to sign an agreement appointing Kirigakure as its official shinobi village.
Kirigakure relocated the Blacksmiths' Village—once a subordinate of the Craftsmens' Village—back to its homeland, taking full control.
Yagura fulfilled his promise to the former refugees of the village that had settled in Kirigakure.
...
47th Year of Konoha
Following the peace agreement with Iwagakure, Konoha made certain concessions.
At the same time, Kumogakure's alliance with Kirigakure raised alarms in Onoki.
After withdrawing from the Konoha front, Iwa attempted to strike back—sending 10,000 shinobi in a surprise attack on Kumogakure.
To buy time, the Third Raikage went out alone—and died in battle.
In response, the A-B Duo, who had been fighting Minato on the front lines, were forced to withdraw and return to the village.
After returning to Kumogakure, the Raikage's son officially became the Fourth Raikage and, out of necessity, withdrew from the war.
Onoki, satisfied with the outcome, proposed peace talks with Kumogakure.
The new Raikage, a hot-headed man with a fiery temper, wanted to declare war on Iwagakure to avenge his father.
But Killer B and others stopped him—B, in particular, played a key role.
Killer B didn't disappoint the Third Raikage's expectations. Not only could he fully control the power of the Eight-Tails, he also became a reliable right hand to the new Raikage.
Ultimately, the Fourth Raikage agreed to peace.
By August of Konoha Year 47, the war was finally over.
The Third Great Ninja War, which had raged for four years, had officially come to an end.
Konoha emerged victorious—barely—at a staggering cost of 30,000 dead and over 50,000 casualties. Every standing ninja, every reserve, even first-year academy students had been mobilized.
...
Postwar Power Rankings
Pre-war standings:Konoha >> Kumogakure > Iwagakure >> Kirigakure ≈ Sunagakure
The war's greatest losses were suffered by Konoha. Though still considered the strongest by name—thanks to its deep foundations and the presence of leaders like Hiruzen Sarutobi, Orochimaru, Namikaze Minato, and Shimura Danzo—it had effectively been dethroned.
Sunagakure, with losses second only to Konoha, was now firmly in last place.
Iwagakure suffered the third-highest losses, coming close to Suna's numbers. Onoki, the master tactician, ultimately lost to Minato.
Kumogakure, having maintained the upper hand for most of the war and facing Minato only in the final stages, suffered the fewest losses. Though the Third Raikage fell in Iwa's betrayal, a capable Fourth Raikage succeeded him.
Kirigakure, under Yagura, had spent the war years quietly expanding and strengthening its forces. By now, their known ninja count surpassed even post-war Iwa's, and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had begun making a name for themselves—elevating Kiri to third place.
New Rankings:Konoha > Kumogakure > Kirigakure > Iwagakure >> Sunagakure
...
Postwar Diplomacy
Pre-war alliances:Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure vs. Konoha and Sunagakure
Iwa and Kumo, who jointly initiated the war, were now divided. Iwa's betrayal—culminating in the death of the Third Raikage—made future reconciliation impossible.
Kumo still wanted to fight, still sought to challenge Konoha's dominance. An alliance with Konoha was out of the question. And weak, distant Sunagakure? Even less likely.
Only Kirigakure remained—once an ally during the war, and now strong enough to matter.
So the Fourth Raikage chose to ally with Kirigakure. Kiri gladly accepted.
As for Iwagakure...
With the Fourth Raikage's fiery temperament, rebuilding ties with Kumo was a nonstarter.
Aligning with Konoha, their sworn enemy, or with the Kirigakure that had pushed them down a rank? Impossible for Onoki's pride.
Left with no better option, he chose the weak and dependent Sunagakure—where he could still lead the alliance.
Konoha, watching Kumo and Kiri grow closer, hoped to ally with Iwa to balance the scales—but was rejected.
In the end, Konoha found itself turning to the same partner it had started with: Sunagakure.
With no strength to make enemies, Suna accepted both alliances when approached by Konoha and Iwa.
They also reaffirmed their ties with Kirigakure—burdened as they were by massive debts.
Yagura didn't rush to respond to the Fourth Kazekage's offer. He set the letter aside and continued playing shogi with Elder Genshi.
Genshi had aged further, but was in excellent spirits—looking even younger than a few years ago. "Post-war," he said, "it'll be Kiri and Kumo vs. Konoha and Suna, and Suna with Iwa."
"Number Two and Three against Number One and Five. Number Four can only hang out with Number Five."
Twelve-year-old Yagura, now visibly more mature, nodded.
"Yeah... It won't be long before the Kazekage stops liking us."
With the war over, the villages would soon resume taking commissions.
Yagura had already planted explosive surprises for Konoha and Sunagakure in the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.
The youngest Kage was about to give his rivals a shock they'd never forget.
He curled his fingers, opened his palm, and let the captured shogi piece fall.
"Boom."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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