The situation had been critical. Any major disturbance could have shattered the fragile negotiation table. Under such pressure, choosing to instantly and completely annihilate the enemy was a justifiable tactical decision—at least, that was the argument.
While it couldn't be said that Ui had committed a mistake, his approach lacked a certain... finesse. Or perhaps he had considered everything perfectly but simply lacked a non-lethal method that would allow him to capture a live prisoner with such certainty.
Regardless, following this silent elimination, the Konoha shinobi could no longer assume the Forbidden Zone was clear. While maintaining a heightened alert level, they intensified their search of every sector, paying particular attention to the underground—a variable they had previously overlooked.
Unfortunately, Ui's chakra was spent, meaning his "little bird" could no longer grace the sky. His team was forced to join the rest of the vanguard in a grueling, traditional foot-based sweep.
Luckily, the Byakugan remained effective. With Hyuga Hizashi's presence, their detection radius remained vast, even if their physical mobility was limited compared to their earlier flight. Despite the repeated sweeps, however, no other enemies were found. It seemed the Rain had hit their limit with sixteen infiltrators; any more would have been too conspicuous to hide.
As the final minutes ticked away, the search was called off. The reconnaissance teams were recalled, converging toward Minato's position. Once unified, the thirty-two shinobi marched toward the center of the Forbidden Zone to rendezvous with the Hokage.
The Sand shinobi were doing the same.
By the time they arrived, the peace treaty ceremony had reached its climax. As one of the thirty-two, Ui stood as a silent witness to history.
The Third Hokage, face set in stone, exchanged the official scrolls with the Fourth Kazekage, whose expression was even more severe. Then, in a synchronized motion, they reached out and shook hands.
With that single gesture, the conflict between Konoha and the Hidden Sand in the Third Shinobi World War officially reached its end.
The outcome was clear: Konoha, the strongest of the Five Great Nations, had emerged victorious. Through years of grueling warfare across shifting fronts, the Leaf shinobi had used their blood and lives to dismantle the Sand's ambitions, step by step.
The war on this front was won, but the key figure who had led them to this victory was no longer there to see it.
"The war is over."
At the moment the Kages released their grip, Ui heard Minato whisper beside him. He knew Minato meant this specific front, not the war as a whole, but there was a distinct note of yearning in the man's voice—a hope for the day the Great War would cease entirely.
That day, however, was still a distant horizon. Peace had returned to the desert, but the Third Shinobi World War raged on elsewhere, and would continue to do so.
Hearing the whisper, Ui looked up at Minato. Noticing the gaze, Minato looked down and offered a small, weary smile. He remained confident; if Konoha could defeat the Sand, they could defeat any other village.
Whether or not Namikaze Minato was truly the "Child of Prophecy" Jiraiya spoke of, he was undeniably the man leading Konoha toward final victory. Watching the confidence radiating from the future Fourth Hokage, Ui couldn't help but feel the title was well-deserved.
In the world of shinobi, actions speak louder than words. Having exchanged the scrolls, the two Kages shared no further pleasantries. They turned and led their respective forces away. The victors claimed their spoils; the defeated paid the heavy price and slunk away. There was nothing more to be said.
"Lord Hokage..."
As the guard detail escorted the Third Hokage back toward the perimeter, Minato reported the earlier incident. He detailed the traces of suspected Rain activity, but noted that because the enemies had been completely erased, their specific intent and confirmed identities were now impossible to verify.
There was simply no way to prove they were from the Rain. The Reverse Four Symbols Sealing was so effective it hadn't even left a single hair behind, let alone any meaningful clues. The only intelligence available came from the eyewitness accounts of Hizashi and Ui.
"I see. Ui did well."
From the Hokage's perspective, Ui's handling of the situation was commendable. High-ranking leaders often value results over process. Ui had neutralized a potential disaster before it could disrupt the peace process—that was a victory, plain and simple.
While the exact plot remained a mystery, the motive was easy to guess: to shatter the paper-thin trust—or rather, the fragile consensus—between the Sand and the Leaf, forcing them back into a state of war. The plan had failed, which was a regret for the Rain, but a blessing for everyone else.
The Hokage's party moved quickly. Once they regrouped with the 500-man perimeter force, their pace finally slowed. Despite the friction in the Forbidden Zone, the Hokage had brought back peace.
Back in Konoha, this news would have sparked immediate celebration and revelry. But they were still in foreign territory—territory that, until a few hours ago, was "enemy" land. Ninjas, unlike civilians, are trained to master their emotions. They felt the joy, but they didn't indulge in it.
According to the treaty, Konoha had three days to vacate the Land of Wind. The Hokage saw no reason to linger; they had what they came for. Staying for the full three days would have been an unnecessary act of arrogance. The fight was over; looming over the loser's home with an army was just bad form.
By that afternoon, the evacuation had begun. However, for strategic reasons, they wouldn't return directly to the village just yet. They would temporarily garrison at the border of the Land of Fire.
The first wave to leave included the medical teams, the severely wounded, and a protective escort. The rest of the force was scheduled to depart the following day.