The confrontation at Kikyo Pass between Konoha and Sunagakure came to an end with the collapse of the battlefield—triggered by the intervention of an unknown force that struck Konoha from the shadows.
That method—manipulating the balance of the entire shinobi world with cold precision—left Shiraishi with an unshakable sense of unease about the future. This assassination had likely peeled back just one corner of how deep the undercurrents beneath the ninja world truly ran.
Even a village as powerful as Konoha could be outplayed.
"So this is the shinobi world… no one knows what will happen in the next moment."
With manpower stretched thin, Ebizō personally treated Shiraishi's injuries. As they spoke about the events, the old man appeared surprisingly calm. At his age, having witnessed multiple Shinobi World Wars and countless upheavals, this was merely another turn of the cycle.
"It could be another hidden village, or an entirely different threat," Ebizō said evenly. "But none of that matters right now. Stabilizing the situation and accelerating negotiations with Konoha—that's what matters."
Several medics wrapped Shiraishi in layers of bandages, smearing potent ointments over his wounds. His body was barely capable of movement.
"In truth," Shiraishi said quietly, "Konoha is very weak right now…"
This battle at Kikyo Pass had erupted earlier—and far more violently—than in recorded history. Despite Konoha's high-intensity offensive, Sunagakure's lines had not collapsed, meaning the war would drag on and continue bleeding both sides.
For Sunagakure, however, this exchange was a net gain. Konoha's losses were clearly heavier. As for the attack on Konoha's Sensory Division, Sunagakure neither admitted nor denied responsibility.
A massive volume of intelligence recovered from the Sensory Division was swiftly organized and sent back to the village. Much of it proved extremely valuable. As a result, Shiraishi's performance in this battle was praised in unusually strong terms.
The overall situation had begun to tilt in Sunagakure's favor. In the next round of negotiations, they would have far more leverage.
Shiraishi's implication was obvious: this was precisely the moment to press further—launch deeper raids into Konoha while it was still reeling, accelerating the negotiation process rather than stagnating in a prolonged standoff.
"Rasa doesn't want to expand the war any further," Ebizō replied. "And he especially doesn't want to overly provoke Konoha, which he still views as a future ally."
The Fourth Kazekage's calculations were meticulous—but Ebizō was not pleased. Since the battle at Kikyo Pass began, Rasa had remained safely in the village, sending only the Yamaji Clan as reinforcement.
It meant that Ebizō, Pakura, and the Yamaji Clan were the ones bleeding on the front lines while Rasa stayed behind. The optics were terrible.
Konoha, meanwhile, was in a far worse state.
The one-month ultimatum had pushed the militant faction to stake too much. Massive losses of special cards, the annihilation of the Sensory Division and elite ANBU, and—most damaging of all—the public exposure of Tsunade's hemophobia.
Yet at this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi demonstrated why he was regarded as one of the great pillars of the ninja world.
He reinforced the front against Iwagakure while deliberately delaying negotiations with Sunagakure.
"Sunagakure holding Kikyo Pass does not mean they have won," the Third Hokage said slowly. "Suppress negotiations for now. Cool their momentum. Then negotiate gradually."
His focus shifted toward Iwagakure. Kumogakure had been stabilized through diplomacy. Kirigakure, due to logistics and geography, had never been able to fully commit to a major war.
In other words, Konoha was signaling—quietly but unmistakably—that it still possessed the capacity to open second and even third fronts.
Especially with Jiraiya's return.
"And Orochimaru and Tsunade?" someone asked.
At the mention of Orochimaru, Hiruzen's face darkened. If not for Orochimaru's recklessness, Kikyo Pass would never have reached such a disastrous point—nor would Tsunade and the Sensory Division have been dragged into this mess.
Rubbing his temples, Hiruzen sighed.
"Have Orochimaru continue watching Sunagakure. As for Tsunade… recall her to the village to rest."
With her hemophobia now exposed, Konoha feared other villages might target her deliberately. The Senju princess was urgently withdrawn.
"And Kirigakure's response?"
Information about Shiraishi's black Mist technique had already reached the Hokage's desk. Believing Kirigakure to be the source, Konoha issued a formal inquiry.
"Also," Hiruzen added softly, holding a card that had nearly degraded into scrap metal, "have ANBU increase surveillance on that Sunagakure newcomer."
These cards had been recovered from fallen medical ninja—protective tools distributed under Orochimaru's orders.
Shiraishi and his squad could not possibly have annihilated the Sensory Division and elite ANBU alone—but Konoha still needed answers. Especially with cards ending up in this condition, vigilance was mandatory.
At Sunagakure's rest camp, Ebizō reviewed a freshly issued evaluation report on Shiraishi before suddenly asking:
"The black mist you used on the battlefield—was that a technique you created yourself?"
"It's the result of combining two chakra natures," Shiraishi answered. "It carries a partial ice attribute, but it isn't complete."
Ebizō nodded after hearing the explanation.
"Continuing that research is a good thing. Don't worry about idle rumors."
The appearance of the black Mist had drawn enormous attention. Tsunade's remark about the Yuki clan had sparked whispers—but Ebizō chose to trust his disciple.
After all, Shiraishi's water and earth affinities had been cultivated personally by Ebizō through the medicinal vats. If the boy truly possessed an Ice Release bloodline, would he not have noticed?
It was clearly Tsunade's attempt to sow discord.
And with Ebizō—a core pillar of the Elder Council—taking this stance, the rumors lost much of their impact.
Shiraishi felt relieved. Allowing Sunagakure to recognize his value as a researcher rather than treating him as an anomaly had been the correct choice. Otherwise, surviving in this village would have been nearly impossible.
This time, Ebizō did not ask Shiraishi to surrender or exchange the technique.
That subtle shift in attitude spoke volumes—both about Ebizō's changing perspective and the Council's growing intent to protect him.
"Master," Shiraishi said, "I want to check on Maki."
Ebizō chuckled. "Go. You wouldn't be able to sit still anyway."
Wrapped in bandages from head to toe, Shiraishi forced himself to stand and made his way toward Maki's camp.
From the end of the battle until now, he hadn't seen her even once. He knew she was safe—but for reasons he couldn't quite explain, he needed to confirm it with his own eyes.
Within the system of his glasses, information from five recovered cards finished unlocking.
Together with Black Mist and Flying Water Shuriken, Shiraishi had obtained seven cards in total this time.
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