While Iwagakure sank into a heavy silence, the Land of Water and the Land of Wind were moving in the opposite direction.
The news from Kumogakure had not given them time to think slowly.
Iwagakure had already submitted, and now the Hidden Cloud, a village known for its military strength and aggressive style, had also lowered its head after preparing for battle.
That result made the remaining villages understand that waiting was no longer caution. It was gambling with their own survival.
In the Hidden Mist Village, Elder Genji sat across from Mei Terumi with an intelligence report in his hand.
He had read it more than once, but his expression only grew worse each time. By the time he placed the report on the table, his old hands were trembling slightly.
"It is time to make a decision, Fifth Mizukage," Genji said in a low voice.
"We cannot hesitate any longer. If we delay even one day and Tejima Shinichi reaches the Land of Water before we act, the Hidden Mist may not even have a chance to negotiate."
Mei's expression turned serious. She had already guessed what Genji wanted to say, but hearing it directly still made her pause.
The village had only recently escaped the shadow of the Bloody Mist. Although she had taken the Mizukage seat, the situation inside the village was still not completely stable.
After a moment, she said, "You want me to send a delegation to Konoha and sign the same agreement as Iwagakure?"
Genji nodded without hesitation. "Exactly."
Mei pursed her lips. "Then the others in the village..."
"Ignore them," Genji said, cutting her off before she could finish.
"Those people are still thinking about reputation, old grudges, and whether the Mizukage will look weak. They do not understand that this is no longer a normal political dispute."
"Iwagakure has submitted, and Kumogakure lost even after preparing for him. At this point, any rumor against you will collapse before Tejima Shinichi's battle record."
Mei looked at the old man who had supported her rise to power.
Genji was not someone who panicked easily, and that made his words harder to dismiss. If even he believed there was no room left to wait, then the Hidden Mist truly had no better choice.
"I understand," Mei said at last.
Once the decision was made, the hesitation in her voice disappeared.
"Form a delegation immediately. Tomorrow morning, I will personally lead the team to Konoha. We need to arrive before Kumogakure finishes the formalities."
Genji lowered his head slightly.
"That is the right choice."
At almost the same time, Sunagakure was holding its own meeting inside the Kazekage's office.
Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Chiyo, and Ebizo stood around the latest intelligence report from Kumogakure.
The report was not long, but every line pressed down on the room. After Iwagakure, Kumogakure had also lowered its head, and Sunagakure could no longer pretend this was someone else's disaster.
Chiyo sighed. "I didn't expect that even after retiring for so long, I'd still have to deal with something like this."
There was no humor in her voice. She looked at Gaara and said, "Gaara, there's no need to hesitate. You're the Kazekage, so you understand Sunagakure's situation better than anyone."
Gaara looked at the old woman who had helped him stabilize the village after Rasa's death. "Grandmother Chiyo..."
Chiyo did not let him continue. "We are short on manpower, our combat strength has not recovered, and the One-Tail was already suppressed by that boy back then."
"On top of that, Konoha has not forgotten our cooperation with Orochimaru during the Konoha Crush. The alliance between our villages still exists, but do you really think that will matter now?"
Temari bit her lip and could not help speaking. "But we are still Konoha's ally. The situation should not be that serious, right?"
"Ally?" Chiyo looked at her and gave a small, tired smile.
"After what happened to Iwagakure and Kumogakure, this is not about allies or enemies anymore. Konoha, or rather Shinichi, does not need allies. He wants people to submit."
The room quieted.
Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro all remembered the boy from the Chunin Exams.
Back then, Shinichi had suppressed Shukaku, faced Orochimaru, and had even become the Third Hokage's student.
At that time, they only thought he was dangerous, but now that danger had grown enough to decide the fate of whole villages.
Ebizo, who had been quiet until now, finally sighed and spoke. "My sister is right. You all know the situation of Sunagakure."
"Rasa's death, the losses from the attack on Konoha, and the payments after that have made us very weak. If my sister and I had not helped to steady the village, Sunagakure might not even be able to stay among the Five Great Hidden Villages."
He looked at the report on the table, his voice becoming heavier. "With our current strength, facing someone who can suppress a great nation alone is not resistance. It is asking for destruction."
No one in the room refuted him.
Chiyo looked back at Gaara. "We don't have much choice. If Shinichi can deal with Kumogakure, he can deal with us too. We should send a delegation and sign the agreement."
For Gaara, the decision was cruel, but not complicated. As Kazekage, he could not gamble with the lives of everyone in the village just to protect Sunagakure's pride.
"I agree," he said.
Temari looked at him sharply. "Gaara..."
Gaara shook his head and stood by his decision. His face stayed calm, and Temari didn't argue further.
Chiyo watched him for a moment, then nodded. "Then it's settled. Prepare the delegation. Tomorrow morning, Gaara and I will leave for Konoha."
With those decisions, the outcome was almost settled.
Iwagakure had already submitted, Kumogakure had followed after its defeat, and now Sunagakure and Kirigakure were sending envoys to Konoha before Shinichi reached them.
The balance between the Five Great Nations was breaking. The system Senju Hashirama had helped create sixty years ago was now being forced into a new shape by Shinichi alone.
Meanwhile, in Amegakure, Konan brought the latest intelligence to Nagato.
"Something big happened in the Ninja World."
Nagato did not need to ask who it involved. "Shinichi again?"
"Yes. Kumogakure has submitted after Iwagakure. Sunagakure and Kirigakure will probably send envoys before he reaches them."
Nagato read the report in silence.
What interested him was not which village had fallen first, or which one would lower its head next. It was Shinichi's method. He did not persuade the villages, negotiate with them, or slowly gather support for his ideals.
He simply forced the world to accept his will.
After a while, Nagato said, "He is not that different from us."
Konan paused. "Not different?"
"Yes," Nagato said. "He is also trying to change the world through power."
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