Chapter 113: The Cost of Peace

"It's not just about my Lightning Release," Gin muttered, analyzing the battlefield as the tension slowly settled. "It wasn't the lightning that broke him."

He glanced at the Konoha forces behind him, then to the enemy.

"Before your teleportation here," Gin continued, "Ōnoki was still stalling, asking questions about the Kazekage, building up chakra for a possible surprise attack. But after we arrived—after the group teleportation—he stopped. That was the true turning point."

Jiraiya nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense. Teleporting an entire army… that changes everything."

Gin narrowed his eyes. "I used to underestimate it. But now I understand—it's a strategic weapon. Ōnoki realized it too. Once he saw it, he knew fighting was pointless."

Tsunade turned to Gin. "So what do we do now? Push the advantage and crush them, or negotiate peace?"

All eyes turned to Gin—Jiraiya, Sakumo, even Minato. After two battles and a massacre of Suna's elite forces, his position among the leadership was unquestioned.

Gin took a breath. "Either path is possible. But if it's peace, Ōnoki must pay for it. He has to offer compensation worthy of what he's asking."

"We agree," the others nodded solemnly.

Gin stepped forward toward the elderly Tsuchikage, his voice steady and cutting.

"Peace negotiations and an alliance are acceptable—if you prove your sincerity. Compensation must be offered. Otherwise, we continue this war. Don't forget—Konoha just annihilated 3,000 Suna shinobi and killed the Third Kazekage. That's only the beginning."

He smiled, calm and cold.

"We now hold absolute superiority. I wouldn't mind finishing you here. Konoha could grow peacefully for years after wiping you out. What do you think, Ōnoki?"

Ōnoki's jaw tightened in anger. But his eyes narrowed as he studied the battlefield. The corpses. The wounded Konoha shinobi. The weariness masked by adrenaline.

And the Kazekage? Gone.

He couldn't verify it for certain, but the evidence was persuasive. There had clearly been a brutal battle. Suna had not appeared to reinforce—Gin might be telling the truth.

"Could it be true… they really killed the Kazekage and destroyed Suna's army?" he thought, fists clenched.

"It would be humiliating to pay compensation," Ōnoki thought. "But I didn't come here to die."

Still, the boy's tone grated on him. It was exactly what he would've done—press the advantage without mercy. That made it worse.

Grinding his teeth, he finally asked:

"What compensation do you want? I'll agree to something reasonable. But don't push too far—my army may be bloodied, but you've used a tremendous amount of chakra. How much do you really have left after that lightning storm?"

Gin raised a hand to silence him.

"Against high-level combatants, chakra reserves mean nothing if your side has no equals. On our end, we have Tsunade-sensei, Sakumo-dono, and Jiraiya-sama—three Kage-level shinobi. What do you have that compares?"

He stepped forward.

"And why are you so sure I'm out of chakra?"

Suddenly, Gin's body erupted in pressure. Dense, vivid chakra surged around him, taking visible form—an aura that pulsed with intensity, weight, and terrifying control.

It wasn't just high chakra reserves—it was pure, refined, original chakra. Years of cultivation had given Gin chakra on par with a tailed beast, both in volume and quality.

Ōnoki reeled.

"Wh–What is this? That chakra... it's not human! How the hell can he be this powerful?! Is he the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths?!"

Gin arched an eyebrow. "Of course I'm human, old man. What, you trying to insult me?"

He let the pressure linger for another moment before easing it.

"Make your choice—compensate us, or prepare for extinction."

Ōnoki's face twisted with frustration. He didn't want to surrender, but the reality was undeniable. Even if he fought now, even if he somehow won, he wouldn't be able to stop Konoha's group teleportation in the long term.

"Until I find a way to counter that technique… fighting Konoha is suicide."

He exhaled deeply, then said:

"Fine. Compensation is possible. But first—I want proof. Show me the Kazekage's body. Prove Suna was truly defeated."

Gin raised a brow, then waved his hand. With a puff of chakra smoke, the corpse of the Third Kazekage appeared at his feet.

Ōnoki stepped forward warily, scrutinizing the body. It was real. Recent. No illusions.

"Storage technique?" he wondered. "Or did he reverse-engineer the Flying Thunder God? Either way, this boy is dangerous…"

Gin looked down at the body with faint amusement.

"Half a day ago, you were commanding armies. Now you're a corpse. The world's cruel, huh?"

Ōnoki sighed heavily, his expression hard.

"Let's talk compensation. Just don't be unreasonable, or we'll return to war."

"You'll understand what's fair."

Gin nodded, sealed the Kazekage's body, and returned to the Konoha formation.

Back in their ranks, Gin conferred with Tsunade, Sakumo, and Nara Shikayama. After finalizing the terms, Gin appointed Shikayama to negotiate on behalf of Konoha while he oversaw the army's withdrawal and rest.

After an hour of tense deliberation, both sides reached an agreement.

Iwagakure would pay Konoha one billion ryō worth of wealth or resources.The first 400 million would be delivered within one month; the remainder paid over two years.If unable to provide currency, mineral exports from Iwagakure would be accepted.

Once the agreement was signed, Ōnoki hastened the formalization of a peace and alliance treaty.

He then ordered his troops to recover their dead and begin a swift retreat to the Land of Earth.

"Until I learn how to counter that teleportation… I won't declare war on Konoha again," he vowed silently.

But as they marched away, the thought gnawed at him.

"They really killed the Kazekage… but did they truly destroy 3,000 Suna ninja?"

A few kilometers from Amegakure, Ōnoki summoned his son, Kitsuchi.

"Take two elite squads. Head to the Suna forward camp. Search for signs of their battle with Konoha. Investigate the scope of their losses."

"Yes, Father," Kitsuchi replied. Then, with hesitation: "Are you planning to attack Suna?"

Ōnoki glared. "In the field, refer to me as Tsuchikage."

Kitsuchi fell silent.

Ōnoki's anger faded, replaced with a sly grin.

"Truthfully… yes. That thought crossed my mind. Originally, this war was about seizing resources to support the village. Now, not only did we lose 1,500 shinobi—we're being forced to pay compensation. We've gained nothing. We must balance the scales."

He scowled.

"Attacking Konoha now would be suicide. That group teleportation… if they used it while our army's deployed, they could strike Iwa directly."

His gaze turned grim.

"No, better to look elsewhere."

His thoughts turned to Kumogakure and their recent disputes over island resources—but that was a longer game.

For now, Suna was weakened. Vulnerable.

"They're poor, yes," he muttered. "But they've just suffered catastrophic losses. If we strike now, we can recover what we lost—and maybe even come out ahead."

Ōnoki looked toward the west, calculating.

"Kitsuchi will confirm the facts. If Suna truly lost 3,000 troops and their Kazekage… they'll be easy prey."