After the most heated argument had passed, neither side had reached any truce or agreement.
Uchiha Some extended his perception of the Hiraishin space through his Mangekyō Sharingan, sensing the movement of Sand Village shinobi approaching. With a subtle gesture to Orochimaru, he stepped forward and spoke:
"If the Sand ninjas cannot reach a ceasefire, perhaps you should hear me out. After listening, you may finally understand your true position."
"What?! You insolent Uchiha brat! Who do you think you are? Do you think a single sentence from you can make us cede the interests of the Land of Wind?!"
Chiyo's expression darkened, her patience gone. How dare this Uchiha speak with such arrogance, as if their proposal could be accepted on his whim.
"Indeed," Rōsa interjected, his voice firm. "Your conditions are outrageous. We came here for negotiations to protect our own people, not because we lack strength. We are far from powerless!"
In truth, this wasn't entirely different from the position they had held upon arriving. It was simply the opposite in tone.
Rōsa had assumed that Konoha must have felt the pressure from the Iwa and Kumo Villages, which would explain their urgency to hold these talks. They had expected Konoha to offer concessions: retreat the border by a hundred kilometers, grant the Sand Village the thriving forests within that territory, return all captured personnel, provide compensation for fallen ninjas, and pay reparations for wartime damages.
Instead, Konoha had arrived with arrogance, demanding the Sand Village take full responsibility for the war, cover all Konoha casualties, provide exorbitant reparations, and keep all captured Sand personnel. In reality, Konoha didn't want anything else—the Sand Village was simply too poor, and nothing beyond their captives caught Konoha's interest.
"How dare invaders demand compensation from Konoha? Have you lost all sense of shame?!"
Tsunade's gaze was sharp, filled with danger. As one of the legendary Three Nin of Konoha, she assessed the three Sand leaders before her. If talks failed, she had Some and Orochimaru at her back—and leaving Rōsa, Ebizō, and Chiyo alive would be entirely within her grasp. She could deal with them if necessary; she was Tsunade, after all.
"It's impossible. Absolutely impossible. Even if every one of our people dies on the battlefield against Konoha, we will not agree to these unreasonable terms!"
Ebizō's voice carried raw emotion. This was completely unlike what they had envisioned. If it were up to him, they would have already struck, seizing the advantage here and now.
"Calm down, Tsunade. No need for so many words," Uchiha Some said, glancing at the horizon. "In a moment, they'll realize our conditions are fair. If not, they'll be begging us instead. It's clear—the Sand Village simply cannot compete with the likes of Iwa or Kumo."
Some could feel the Sand Village messengers approaching.
"What? Insolent Uchiha brat! We will never accept Konoha's conditions! Elder Chiyo! Elder Ebizō, let's go!"
Rōsa rose, addressing the two respected elders beside him.
Three… two… one…
Some silently counted down, anticipating the arrival of the messengers.
Sure enough, a call rang out:
"Fourth Kazekage, and the two elders, please wait! Critical news from the village has arrived!"
The messenger, dressed in the Sand's distinctive attire, handed a scroll to Rōsa. Chiyo and Ebizō hurried forward, eyes scanning the urgent document.
The longer they read, the graver their expressions became. Meanwhile, the Konoha trio—Tsunade, Some, and Orochimaru—could barely contain their restrained smiles.
Rōsa, recognizing the shocking news, finally calmed his voice. "My apologies if I raised my voice earlier. Please, let us continue discussing the previous matters." His gaze toward Uchiha Some betrayed a hint of caution.
The Sand leaders had learned the truth: a strike led by Some and Tsunade, with Others among the Uchiha, had hit the Sand Village in the past two days. Some had revealed a terrifying power: activating his Mangekyō Sharingan to create a massive chakra-armored giant, dozens of meters tall, impervious to normal ninjutsu or taijutsu, an unstoppable force of destruction.
Even more alarming, they had bypassed the village's detection barriers, striking the Kazekage Tower directly before being noticed.
Chiyo, a veteran of the Warring States era, remembered tales of Uchiha Madara and the fearsome power of Susanoo. She recalled the first Kazekage describing the terror in Madara's eyes when wielding Susanoo.
"Chiyo," the first Kazekage had said, "never face an Uchiha wielding the Mangekyō. I barely survived against a giant over a hundred meters tall. When I questioned Madara about violating the treaty, he showed me the true horror of Susanoo!"
As senior leaders of the Sand, Rōsa, Chiyo, and Ebizō exchanged glances. Their choice was clear: surrender now, while they could still negotiate favorable terms. Against a Mangekyō Uchiha with time-space ninjutsu, even the most prepared battlefield was insufficient.
Hearing Rōsa consider further discussion, Uchiha Some cut in, his voice calm yet firm:
"Enough, Fourth Kazekage Rōsa. You don't want your people to live in daily fear of attacks caused by your own aggression, do you?"
His words were simple but cutting. The Sand Village had no defenses against time-space ninjutsu—an oversight that left Rōsa and the two elders in deep thought.
"Thi… this…" Rōsa murmured, staring at the scroll, his mind racing.