Chapter 56 Surrender

Sunagakure.

Sand Council.

Everyone under the leadership of third kazekage was seated, but one person who used to be present in the past meetings was missing, chiyo the puppet master missing.

Most in the meeting including the kazekage had sad and frustrated looks, an aura of defeat looming over everyone.

"After my sister, probably no one wants to take revenge against Konoha's white fang more than me but we have fought this war long enough."

"A rage attack will only end up hurting us even more, it's a shame but the way sand is right now we have no way of defeating konoha, continuing to fight will yield no positive result."

Ebizo who also had a sad face, broke the silence in the council room as he put the facts before everyone, which couldn't be ignored everyone.

Just yesterday, in another attack launched by sand on konoha, Sunagakure ended up losing two elite shinobi of the village who were also closely related to chiyo, one her son and other daughter in law.

They were killed in a battle against Konoha's white fang, and though everyone wanted revenge against white fang but the facts put before by Ebizo couldn't be ignored any more.

Suna has been fighting this war for years now but aside from being able to kill Dan Kato, an Elite Shinobi of Konoha, they have been unable to do anything further.

The number of the causalities they had over the years are immense, the resources consumed in this war were already at the point of destabilizing the economy of the village.

They couldn't afford fighting anymore, it was hard to swallow but Suna had no choice, they had lost the war.

Sigh…

At the words of Ebizo, Kazekage let out a long sigh with a helpless look on his face, all eyes focusing on him immediately.

"Send a squad towards konoha to announce our surrender, I just hope that the third hokage doesn't demand too much compensation."

Said Kazekage in a tired voice, his face looking a lot aged suddenly, stress even affecting a shinobi of his class.

As the leader of the village, the one who'll be blamed the most for the loss will be him despite the fact that he had given his all in the war.

Over the years he fought every battle while putting his life on the line, but all that struggle will be forgotten and what will remain? The fact that sand lost a war under his reign.

Now the only thing he hoped for was that konoha don't end up demanding too much war compensation, sand has consumed a lot in this war already and a huge compensation can leave them in dire state.

No one in the council objected the decision of kazekage as for a while now they were seeing it coming, even if the son and daughter in law of chiyo hadn't died, sand would have surrendered at most a month or two later anyway.

The meeting ended and just like Kazekage had ordered, a squad from sand soon departed in the direction of konoha, led by a man looking around 14, having auburn hair and a slash mark on his closed right eye.

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Konoha.

Hokage Office.

"The stalemate at tanzaku battlefield has now lasted for more than a year; Onoki is not someone who will stick to the same strategy for long, they might be planning something big."

Said Hiruzen leaning back on his seat, his eyes on the elders sitting on the sofa on the right of the table before him.

"But what can they do? Onoki and Roshi are busy dealing with kumo near land of waterfalls, they have no high combat power that can change the situation in their favor."

Asked back Homura to the concern put forward by Sarutobi, he couldn't see a reason to worry, the stalemate was not a choice, iwa had no power to break the stalemate.

"We shouldn't rule out Hanzo; don't forget the land they are using as a base is his, if he enters the battle, it could be disastrous."

Reminded Danzo about the main concerning point, han and Hanzo together could be a disaster for the army stationed at tanzaku town.

Knock!

The tense atmosphere in the office was broken by a knock on the door, Sarutobi giving permission to enter, as an Anbu stepped in the room and retreated immediately after handing a scroll to Sarutobi.

In the curious eyes of Danzo, Koharu and Homura; Sarutobi opened the scroll and quickly gave its contents a look.

It didn't take Sarutobi long to completely go through the contents of scroll, putting it down on the table with a strange look on his face.

"Just what is this kid doing?"

Muttered Sarutobi in a confused tone, the news on the scroll wasn't something that affected the war or anything, it was a message from Jiraiya that the latest war sensation of konoha, the blue storm of leaf has refused to be promoted to a jonin.

Sarutobi himself seeing his merits on the battlefield had promoted him and issued his certificate of appointment, but now this? He was not angry, just confused at his actions.

Which shinobi doesn't want to be promoted? this was the first ever case since the foundation of every shinobi village.

"What do you think, Hiruzen?"

Danzo and other two also gave the contents of the scroll and look and were left as clueless as Sarutobi, finally passing the ball back to the latter again.

"After this war ends I will have a talk with this kid. His proficiency of water style at such age, the possession of the forbidden multi-shadow clone jutsu and now this, this kid is too strange and needs to answer a lot of questions."

Said Sarutobi with a deep look in his eyes, he was now really looking forward to meet this strange kid, who in just a years' time had made a name for himself on the battlefield.

Read chapters ahead on p@treon.com/Gojo6666.