Chapter 126: Madara, Konoha, and the Sealed Truth

Madara also felt a dull headache just thinking about Black Zetsu's uncanny ability to survive and escape.

Previously, when he still believed Black Zetsu was part of him—his will incarnate—he admired that tenacity. But now that it had revealed itself to be an enemy, a deceiver, those same qualities only stirred disgust in him.

Humans are truly fickle.

"All right, Madara! These things aren't resolved overnight!" Hashirama clapped a strong hand on Madara's shoulder with a warm smile, sensing the man's shifting mood. "We'll capture Black Zetsu! And once we've wrung every bit of use out of it, you'll get your revenge."

He grinned. "We've got a little time before then! Come on, let's walk through Konoha—together. It's been years since we did that. The village has changed a lot!"

Without waiting for permission, Hashirama threw an arm around Madara's shoulder, half-dragging the scowling Uchiha along with him as he turned to nod at Gin and the others.

"Hashirama, stop dragging me like a child!" Madara barked, resisting. "Who the hell cares about your Konoha? What's there to see in that cursed village? You have no idea how much I hate it!"

"Come on, Madara! Stop acting! I know deep down, you still love this village! Don't pretend!" Hashirama laughed heartily.

Madara: "….."

Uzumaki Mito: "….."

Hikari: "….."

In the end, Madara begrudgingly allowed himself to be pulled along, as though giving in to reality. Hashirama was the only one who could drag Madara like that—literally and emotionally.

"Tch. Looks like an unstoppable force met an immovable object," Gin muttered, shaking his head at the scene.

Whack! Uzumaki Mito smacked the back of his head. "Watch your mouth! You talk like they're a married couple, seriously…"

Gin rubbed the spot and gave Mito a loaded glance that seemed to say, Aren't they?

Mito glared. Her hand rose again.

Gin quickly raised his arms in surrender. It was a battle he knew better than to fight—especially with a woman like her, even if she was older now.

"Pfft!" Hikari, who had been watching with growing amusement, finally couldn't hold back a laugh. "But she's got a point. Their relationship is… odd. Doesn't feel like normal friendship, right, Mito?"

"Enough!" Mito snapped, turning a glare on her.

Then, remembering something, she changed the topic with deliberate force. Pulling an old scroll from her sleeve, she handed it to Gin and Hikari.

"You wanted information from the Senju archives about Uchiha Hinako? I found it. It even records the place where she was sealed."

"What?!" Gin and Hikari both snapped to attention, eyes wide. They grabbed the scroll and unrolled it hurriedly.

"It's true!" Hikari exclaimed. "Mount Senki! That used to be a Senju stronghold, right?"

She looked to Mito for confirmation. The place was only two hundred kilometers from Konoha—not far at all.

"Yes," Mito nodded. "Senju and Sarutobi used it as a trap. They lured Hinako there, ambushed her, and sealed her away."

"What do you say? Planning to release her?"

"Of course!" Gin and Hikari answered together, eyes gleaming.

"Then we'll head there tomorrow," Mito agreed.

"Good thing we already have a map of that region," she added. "You can teleport directly. If the seals haven't degraded too badly, we'll be back in no time."

She paused then, expression turning serious. "But you should be warned—Hinako was rejected by the Uchiha clan. According to this scroll, they treated her… badly. It's likely she hates the clan now."

She looked at them both. "Don't expect her to be friendly. Be prepared to deal with a broken worldview—maybe even reshape it. That won't be easy."

"A child raised as a weapon doesn't see the world like normal people."

"Understood," Gin and Hikari nodded, eyes sharp.

"I'll manage something," Gin said quietly, voice low and determined. "First, we save her. Then we figure it out."

"Alright. That's settled then." Mito closed the scroll, ending the discussion.

Gin turned and left to train with Mikoto and the others.

A few days earlier, in the Iwa front-line camp…

"Lord Ōnoki, it's confirmed—Kazekage is dead," the scout reported grimly. "Suna lost two to three thousand elite shinobi. Their camp is in chaos."

"Ebizo and Chiyo are trying to hold it together," the man continued, "but there's infighting. Some want revenge on Konoha. Others want to retreat and negotiate peace."

Ōnoki's son, Kitsuchi, stood to one side, arms folded, absorbing the news.

"I think they'll choose peace," Kitsuchi finally said. "We should take advantage of that—strike now, catch them mid-negotiation, reclaim what we lost."

"No." Ōnoki shook his head. "We wait until they sign the peace treaty. When their forces begin retreating back to Suna, we'll ambush them halfway."

He narrowed his eyes. "Better not to drag Konoha into this. If we attack during negotiations, they'll use it to blackmail us again. I won't suffer that humiliation twice."

Until he could counter Gin's Flying Thunder God mass teleportation tactics, he had no choice but to retreat and negotiate carefully.

"That's the plan," he said curtly.

Kitsuchi frowned. "But if they sign a peace treaty with Konoha… that'll become an alliance. It'll be harder to attack afterward."

Ōnoki snorted. "If we strike after the treaty, Konoha won't have any reason to intervene. We're their allies too—they can't take sides without exposing hypocrisy. That's how we corner them."

Kitsuchi stared in admiration. "Understood."

"Good. Prepare the forces," Ōnoki ordered, ending the discussion.

Just as Ōnoki predicted, Suna had no choice but to surrender. Weakened, bleeding, and with morale shattered, they opted for peace.

Konoha accepted the proposal swiftly. The war needed to end—Gin's inauguration as Fourth Hokage was approaching, and the villagers were preparing for it in full swing.

The peace talks wrapped up in two days. A union treaty was signed. Suna, as the losing side, agreed to pay one billion in compensation.

Though Chiyo and others resisted, they had no choice. Konoha's power was overwhelming.

Their one request: to pay in gold dust and rare minerals rather than ryo.

Orochimaru, who had spearheaded Konoha's war campaign, readily agreed. Konoha needed minerals far more than coin.

The arrangement benefited both sides: Suna could save face, and Konoha gained rare resources in bulk.

"Finally, it's settled!" Tsunade exhaled with relief, rolling her shoulders. "Time to gather the troops and return to the village."

"Indeed," said Orochimaru, standing beside her. "Gin's inauguration awaits. We can't delay the transfer of power."

He wasn't exactly thrilled. He'd rather be back in his lab.

Jiraiya, standing nearby, looked hesitant.

"I… don't think I'll return to the village," he said suddenly. "I want to travel for a while."

His voice was low, unsure.

He didn't know how to face his old sensei. Everyone knew now—Sarutobi Hiruzen and those loyal to him were under arrest, awaiting public trial after Gin's ascension.

Most shinobi on the front had heard the whispers.

Jiraiya feared that his teacher might ask him to intercede… and he didn't know if he could.

The man had been like a father to him once. But the secrets of his past, the corruption, the hoarding of Konoha's resources—learning all that had changed Jiraiya's heart.

He still felt conflicted. Torn between loyalty… and justice.

And in the end, he walked away in silence.

To be continued......