Kazekage Kaka, Please Step Down!

The wind whipped the sand into clouds of yellow haze. It scraped against exposed skin like coarse sandpaper, periodically obscuring the blazing sun overhead without doing anything to hide its scorching heat.

As far as the eye could see, nearly everything was shrouded in grayish yellow. Only the occasional faint patch of green stubbornly took root in the sand.

Dryness and scarce water, ever-present storms and flying sand, and a life spent around a pitiful few scattered oases—this was daily life for the people of the Land of Wind.

"It really hasn't changed!"

Pulling his cloak tight around himself, Dōmeki walked slowly across the desert, telling his companion about the homeland he had been away from for so long.

Kimimaro, who had always lived in the water-rich Land of Water, was seeing the sights of the Land of Wind for the first time. The blazing desert sun and yellow winds whipping up sand left the boy wondering what kind of people could survive here.

"Life is a tenacious and wondrous thing!"

Noticing Kimimaro's puzzlement, Dōmeki stamped hard on the ground. A little gray lizard crawled out of the sand at once, flicked its tongue and glared at the boy who had disturbed it, then burrowed back into the desert and vanished in the blink of an eye.

"But most life is fragile!"

Kimimaro glanced at the lizard, then looked into the distance.

"Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!"

Dark figures flashed through the sand-filled air, accompanied by a rapid patter of footsteps on sand, nearly drowned out by the wind. The group of four sped onward and soon reached the place they had agreed upon beforehand.

The Sunagakure Anbu Captain leading them was tall and carried a huge object wrapped in bandages on his back, yet he remained agile.

He was the first to stop and wait in place, secretly gesturing to his subordinates. The other three quickly scattered and hid among the dunes.

Tap, tap, tap!

Under the Sunagakure Anbu's watchful gaze, two boys who made no attempt to conceal themselves slowly approached him.

"A puppet master?"

Dōmeki glanced with interest at the Sunagakure ninja's back. Come to think of it, he was half a fellow practitioner himself!

"Sound Ninja?"

Seeing someone arrive at the meeting place, the Sand ninja made no unnecessary moves and asked the question coldly.

"That's right!"

Dōmeki waved enthusiastically in greeting to his fellow countryman, but received only an icy stare in return. Kimimaro stood quietly behind Dōmeki, saying nothing.

For a moment, the entire desert fell silent.

At last, the Sand ninja frowned at the two small figures and demanded sharply,

"Where is Orochimaru? Sending two brats instead—is he making a fool of Lord Kazekage?"

"Huh?" Dōmeki scratched his head in confusion. "Important people always make their entrance last. Isn't that common knowledge in the Shinobi World? Isn't that why Lord Kazekage hasn't appeared yet either?"

"I've never heard of such a thing!"

The Sand ninja's voice remained cold. "Besides, hasn't Lord Kazekage already arrived?"

As the Sand ninja's words fell, the desert behind him surged into a towering sea of sand. Waves that blotted out the sky and sun came roaring toward them.

Beneath the wave, their small figures looked like pebbles that could be swallowed at any moment, creating an apocalyptic spectacle.

Just as the wave was about to swallow everyone present, the sea of sand suddenly froze, then collapsed with a thunderous crash.

A man in a long white robe and a conical hat marked with the character for wind stood atop a yellow cloud, looking down imperiously at the people below. He was Sunagakure's Fourth Kazekage, the Magnet Release user-Rasa!

What a flashy entrance! Anyone who didn't know better would think he was some big shot, Dōmeki muttered inwardly, narrowing his eyes. When he's really just the gatekeeper of Kage Level.

In the Shinobi World, if you haven't killed a Kazekage, you'd be embarrassed to say your strength has reached Kage Level! Isn't that right, Orochimaru?

"Orochimaru, now that you're here, why don't you show yourself?"

Unaware of the boy's thoughts, Rasa clearly had no intention of paying attention to Orochimaru's two subordinates either. He spoke directly toward a patch of sand.

"As expected of the Kazekage. You truly are extraordinary!"

Orochimaru's familiar voice echoed across the desert. From the empty patch of ground where Rasa was looking, countless snakes swarmed out, erupting like a fountain made of snakes. The horrifying sight was surely a nightmare for anyone with trypophobia.

The mass of snakes then rose like a fountain until it reached the same height as Rasa, who was hovering in the air. A python at the very top suddenly opened its jaws, and a soaking-wet Orochimaru emerged whole from its mouth.

Dōmeki watched the dripping-wet Orochimaru greet Rasa, his mouth twitching. Orochimaru, your entrance definitely lost! And I wonder what Rasa is feeling right now?

But the Kazekage was indeed the Kazekage. Faced with the bizarre Orochimaru, Rasa remained cold and impassive.

In the end, it was Orochimaru who spoke, smiling. "It's been a long time, Lord Kazekage!"

Rasa's expression, however, was anything but pleasant. The last time they had met had been on the battlefield, and Orochimaru's words reminded the Kazekage of that humiliating rout—the Battle of Kikyo Pass. The devious man before him had been Konoha's commander.

It was after that battle that Sunagakure announced its withdrawal from the Third Shinobi World War. As punishment for its defeat, the daimyo assigned most of the Land of Wind's missions to Konoha, and Sunagakure fell into further decline.

In a sense, it had taken great resolve for Rasa to swallow his anger and choose to cooperate with Orochimaru.

"Cut the nonsense. Tell me your plan!"

Rasa decided to get straight to the point.

"How impatient!" Orochimaru continued with a smile, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was despised.

"Ninja from Sunagakure and Otogakure will infiltrate Konoha during the Chunin Ninja Exams and launch an attack during the final round."

"I'll personally deal with the Third Hokage. As for Konoha's other experts..."

Seeing Orochimaru's meaningful look, Rasa revealed his own trump card.

"I'll send out Sunagakure's Jinchūriki. I doubt Konoha could withstand another Tailed Beast rampage!"

"The One-Tail?"

Orochimaru licked his lips hungrily, then narrowed his eyes. "I hear your Jinchūriki still can't control the Tailed Beast. How much fighting strength will he be able to bring to bear?"

"I happen to know a thing or two about Sealing Jutsu. Why don't I..."

Rasa interrupted Orochimaru coldly. As a ninja village's most important asset, the Jinchūriki could hardly be left in another's hands.

"Sorry for the trouble, but you needn't concern yourself with that! Let's first agree on how to divide the spoils after the war!"

"The spoils?" Orochimaru laughed and said meaningfully, "I have no interest in anything Konoha has. I only ask that you allow me to take a few children away when the time comes!"

Rasa pondered for a while before agreeing. If Orochimaru went back on his word when the time came, he wouldn't mind personally sending him off!

Seeing that their discussion had gone smoothly and pleasantly, Orochimaru smiled and made one final request.

"To make the plan more viable, I may need to borrow one more thing from you!"

Rasa's gaze sharpened. "And what might that be?"

Orochimaru looked at Rasa, his tongue flicking excitedly back and forth.

"Why, that would be-"

"Your head!"