Once Ishiki recovered his full state, he began moving toward the Land of Earth.
At the same time, he slightly loosened his control over Gale Deluge. As long as he didn't deliberately mend the ozone layer's rift, the effect would rapidly expand at an exaggerated rate.
Even while still over a hundred kilometers from the border, the Rainbow had already appeared above the frontier of the Land of Earth.
The border guards spotted it immediately—and in doing so, sealed their fate. Snail transformation was inevitable.
They managed to send out an alert just before the metamorphosis overtook them.
Then chaos erupted across the nation. Anyone near the border fell into terror. No one knew when that dreaded Rainbow—the harbinger of calamity—might appear overhead.
Its indiscriminate nature and impossibly vast coverage induced a despair that spread deeper into the country with every passing hour.
Within ten days, the entire Land of Earth teetered on the edge of mass panic.
In utter despair, some even gouged out their own eyes.
Kujo Ishiki, the demon who unleashed the Rainbow, became the waking nightmare of every citizen.
The peace envoy entered the Rainbow zone, searching for Ishiki. When they finally found him, they groveled and bowed—ready to perform ritual seppuku if it would make him stop the jutsu.
By then, Ishiki had already received a message from the Land of Fire.
"If you don't want to become the target of every shinobi nation, now is the time to stop."
That single sentence.
He knew it came from Orochimaru. And the rage he'd felt after Diego's attack had already faded over these past days.
Now… it was time to enjoy the spoils of war.
At the same time, a Konoha team headed toward the Land of Grass, seeking Ishiki.
They were ANBU—agents preconditioned by Orochimaru through subconscious implants.
While they couldn't fully resist the Rainbow's effects, they could endure its influence for a short time—long enough to deliver the Hokage's message to Kujo Ishiki.
. . .
Half a month ago, the Third Hokage had received a battlefield report from the front.
The report detailed not only the appearance of Turtle Island in the Land of Earth, but also the capture of Ōnoki's disciple—Deidara.
Hiruzen praised Inuzuka Zawa's team for their boldness.
Turtle Island was important, yes—but the Jinchūriki within it was still under two years old. Konoha had no immediate use for it.
What drew his attention more was a classified ANBU report: Orochimaru had officially accepted Kujo Ishiki as his disciple and begun teaching him new jutsu.
Hiruzen didn't react much at first.
Until three days later.
Another report came in—this time stating that Kujo Ishiki had used the Kujo Clan's secret art at the border, causing devastating casualties to Iwa. Preliminary figures estimated over fifty enemy shinobi dead.
Ishiki had not returned to the Land of Fire. He had remained in the Land of Grass.
The reason? His secret technique had not dissipated. Returning would bring danger to the Fire Nation.
The report included a detailed explanation of the jutsu's effects and activation conditions.
Even Hiruzen—renowned as the "Professor of Shinobi"—was stunned. The technique's power and near-impossibility to defend against were shocking.
Attached was a personal message from Orochimaru, vouching for Ishiki's decision to remain in the Land of Grass. It was authorized.
Hiruzen was surprised. But after reading the specifics, he had to agree: remaining in the Grass was the best option for now.
He responded with a direct order—protect Kujo Ishiki. Do not allow Iwa-nin to assassinate or sabotage him within Grass territory.
Recognizing Ishiki's strength, Hiruzen's old admiration for talent reignited.
After all, he'd watched the boy grow up. Even if Ishiki had changed, Hiruzen still believed he was a loyal, Konoha-loving youth.
During this time, Danzō visited his office, once again ranting about the threat Kujo Ishiki posed.
But Hiruzen had no patience left for Danzō. ANBU's investigations had uncovered numerous clandestine acts under Danzō's command—none of which could be condoned.
Were he not Danzō, Hiruzen might have already thrown him into Konoha's maximum-security prison.
Still, Danzō's presence helped Hiruzen realize what Orochimaru was doing—shielding Ishiki from internal political attacks.
Orochimaru had given Hiruzen the justification he needed to silence Danzō.
It made Hiruzen reevaluate Orochimaru. His former student… still cold on the surface, but clearly still loved the village.
Danzō, snubbed, huffed and stormed out.
He never imagined that just seven days later, the Land of Earth would abruptly announce defeat and surrender—offering reparations to Konoha.
It happened so quickly that even Hiruzen struggled to process it.
Only when the full intelligence dossier was laid out on his desk did he finally understand what Kujo Ishiki had done at the border.
In short: after being ambushed by Iwa-nin in the Land of Grass, Ishiki responded by unleashing his jutsu into the Land of Earth.
The result? Iwa's forces were annihilated.
Ōnoki himself offered reparations—just to have Konoha retrieve Kujo Ishiki.
Three days later, Iwa's emissaries would arrive in Konoha, and the news of their surrender would become public.
Hiruzen understood something else—with this, Kujo Ishiki would become a war hero.
His fame might surpass Orochimaru.
It could even rival the late Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
With Orochimaru backing him, and if he gained the Fire Daimyō's support… Kujo Ishiki could very well contend for the title of Fifth Hokage.
Hiruzen acknowledged Ishiki's genius. His excellence as a shinobi.
But the thought of Ishiki becoming Hokage brought him an unease he couldn't explain.
It wasn't just Danzō's whispering that planted seeds of doubt.
It was Orochimaru too.
Danzō had once lobbied hard for Orochimaru to become Hokage.
That memory alone unsettled him.
He felt he still had a few good years left.
Perhaps it was time to get closer to Ishiki—truly understand his ideals.
Such a brilliant young man… perhaps he did have the heart of a Hokage.
If that proved true, Hiruzen was willing to take one more gamble—for Konoha's future.
But if Ishiki harbored anything darker, anything hidden…
Then the hat would not pass so easily.
Having made his decision, the Third Hokage began preparations for the Land of Earth's formal surrender.