Lord Kazekage!
The series of explosions quickly stopped.
Sasuke landed awkwardly on the water, his steps unsteady; his Lightning Release Cloak had vanished, and his cat ears and tail in his Demon Body Mode were charred in several places.
"We lost."
He raised his hand, shook his head, breathed a sigh of relief, and frankly admitted defeat.
Sasuke suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia, realizing it had been a long time since he had said those words to her.
If it were Naruto, I probably wouldn't have surrendered so easily—no, I wouldn't have been forced into such a sorry state by that guy at all!
But when it comes to Sakura, he's already used to admitting defeat to her.
Regardless, this was a battle that required all-out effort, but both sides held back until the very end. Therefore, the true outcome still remains somewhat uncertain, even though his chances of winning are very low.
Sakura Haruno appeared beside him. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Sasuke, deactivating his Combination Transformation and handing the Ninja Cat to Sakura. "Let's heal those two first."
The shameful thing about the Combination Transformation technique is that it allows the Ninja Cat to take the damage first, and only when the damage overflows and it can no longer bear it will it release the clone and summon the cat back home to recuperate. That's why Sasuke still looks so calm and collected.
The poor siblings, Gui and Zhi, were only a little over a year old and hadn't fully matured before their owner dragged them out to be bombed, injuring their tails and ears. The girl stroked and treated them while silently mourning for them.
"This technique is quite useful. Felines are very strong, and it suits me well," Sasuke said.
After healing the cats' injuries, Sasuke took the two Ninja Cat into his arms, patted their heads, and said, "Ninja Cat develop very quickly. Right now, they're like sixteen or seventeen-year-old teenagers, but by the end of the year, they'll be fully grown."
Sasuke brought the two kittens, Oni and Ash, home when they were still babies, so he watched them grow up. He has a deep affection for them, both cute and powerful, and his expression softens considerably when he pets them.
"So cute..." Sakura Haruno said with a slight smile.
Sasuke nodded, summoned the unconscious cat back home, and, looking at Sakura, suggested, "It's getting late... how about some ramen?"
The sun was already setting in the west; it was dinnertime.
"Great! We haven't had Ichiraku in ages without Naruto!"
"Hmph... Naruto, that guy..."
The black-haired boy spoke in a cryptic tone, a faint smile playing on his lips.
On the same day, in Sunagakure.
At this time last year, the Sand shinobi were having a headache over the question of who would become the next Kazekage.
After discovering that Baki was unsuitable to be the leader of Sunagakure, the selection of Kazekage became a major problem. In the end, Chiyo suggested postponing the issue for a year to allow time to verify whether anyone could shoulder the responsibility of Kazekage.
The proposal was approved by the majority.
Now, the one-year period has officially come to an end.
Under the blazing sun, the intense sunlight made the air feel stuffy and hot.
The Sand shinobi's high-level conference room was unusually cool: cheap ice imported from Konoha had become the Sand shinobi's perfect tool for escaping the heat.
Of course, the amount of ice that Yuki Haku can create is limited. Therefore, apart from hospitals and the Kazekage Building, ordinary Sand shinobi can only enjoy ice to cool off occasionally.
Unless they befriend a ninja who knows Ice Release.
The spacious conference room was lavishly furnished with numerous ice blocks, lowering the room temperature to a comfortable level. Traditionally, ninjas shouldn't be too enamored with such luxuries; however, ever since Konoha began exporting ice blocks to cool down the sweltering summer, the high-ranking officials present seemed to have selectively forgotten the Sand shinobi's tradition of enduring hardship.
"Today's topic is the election of a new Kazekage," Chiyo said slowly. "The one-year term has ended. What are everyone's opinions on the candidate for the new Kazekage?"
"How about Yura?" a senior executive suggested casually.
"He has a great advantage in leadership," Ebizo waved his thin hand, denying it, "But his strength is far too lacking! As the village's leader, if he doesn't have enough strength to protect the village when invaded by foreign enemies, it would be the greatest dereliction of duty, so he's not suitable."
Chiyo's deep-set eyes swept across the conference room. Seeing no one object, she said, "Then let's remove Yura. Next?"
"Hey, it's me," a middle-aged Sand shinobi official tapped the table, "Stop dawdling! Everyone knows there's only one candidate for Kazekage: either Gaara, or we'll leave it vacant like last year. Anyway, we didn't run into any problems doing that last year!"
Chiyo glanced at the middle-aged ninja with her deep gaze and said calmly, "The situation in the Shinobi World is becoming increasingly tense. Akatsuki's operation will likely begin in the next year or two. If a suitable Kazekage cannot be found, and there is no one to make decisions when problems arise, the village will be in great chaos!"
"So, we have to choose a new Kazekage this year?" a voice said. "Wouldn't that be tantamount to officially Gaara? Who else could it be?"
Chiyo frowned and glanced in the direction of the voice, saying, "There's no issue of appointment. If Gaara doesn't get enough votes in the high-level meeting and the Jonin trust vote, we still won't let him become Kazekage."
"I still hold the same view: Jinchūriki are not suitable to be Kazekage!" another elder said slowly. "I will not vote for Gaara!"
"Then I'd like to ask you, besides Gaara, who else in our Sunagakure is qualified to be the Kazekage? Or should we leave the Kazekage position vacant, so that when the Shinobi World faces upheavals, we'll be leaderless and in complete chaos?"
Dissenting voices arose, Gaara's performance over the past year had been remarkable, at least to the point that some people had noticed.
Therefore, there are many more voices supporting him in the meeting room than at this time last year.
However, there are quite a few people who Gaara!
"Are you trying to repeat the mistakes of the Bloody Mist Village by appointing a serial killer as the Kazekage?"
Another voice spoke.
The exaggerated metaphor instantly attracted everyone's attention, and the two factions, those who supported Gaara and those who opposed Gaara, immediately split into two groups and began to discuss and even argue fiercely!
"Big sister..." Ebizo said with some concern, glancing at the scene that was starting to get out of control.
"Let them keep arguing!" Chiyo raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "Don't worry, they know their limits..."
"Once they get tired of arguing, they'll come to terms with the facts."
The truth is, Gaara had no other choice but Sunagakure...!
Meanwhile, the person the Sand shinobi leaders were discussing and debating was quietly at home, waiting for the outcome with his siblings.
"It's been way overdue!" Even the coolness of the ice Sakura Haruno had given them couldn't mask Kankuro's frustration. He yelled, "When did their efficiency become so low? Gaara's application has already been submitted! Is there any ninja more suitable to be Kazekage than Gaara? What are the higher-ups thinking?"
"Alright, Kankuro, what's the use of rushing? Stop pacing around the room!" Temari impatiently. "You're driving me crazy!"
On the contrary, Gaara was at the center of the incident, seemed completely unconcerned, sitting quietly on the sofa waiting for the outcome, showing no signs of anxiety whatsoever.
"You two calm down," the boy with dark circles under his eyes said calmly. "If you're getting impatient, go do your own thing. You don't need to stay here with me. I can manage on my own."
"No way!" The siblings, who had just been bickering, exclaimed in unison, "How could we possibly abandon you when something so important is happening!"
Temari up and walked to her younger brother's side, took his hand, and solemnly said, "If you pass today's high-level vote and Jonin trust vote, you will be the new Kazekage! This is the most important moment of your life, how can we be absent from something like this!"
"Yes, if I miss today, I'll regret it for the rest of my life." Kankuro also came over and patted Gaara on the shoulder.
Temari's hands, though rougher than those of the female ninjas of Konoha, were very warm.
Gaara, who forced himself to calm down, felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
"Thank you..." he said softly, the unease in his heart dissipating considerably.
"No need for thanks, we're family!" Kankuro shook his head with a smile.
Kankuro's words were eloquent, but as he waited, he almost despaired.
Temari lunch and put the sugar and salt in the wrong places; none of the three of them could tell the difference.
Just when Gaara was beginning to feel that his chances were slim, an Anbu visited and informed the three of the results. "The high command has voted, and your proposal to become the Fifth Kazekage has been approved with eleven votes in favor and eight against. Congratulations, Gaara!"
He removed his mask, revealing Gaara had met in the regular army. Many of the ninjas in the regular army who had interacted with him had changed their opinions of him greatly, and now fewer and fewer people regarded Gaara as a monster.
The four exchanged a glance. Even the usually composed Gaara stood up, took a deep breath, and smiled slightly, saying, "Thank you."
The Sand shinobi high command held the most prejudice against Gaara, while ordinary ninjas had a more favorable impression of him. However, after Gaara's efforts over the past year or two, his reputation has greatly improved, and Jonin trust vote.
"You're welcome, Gaara." The Anbu Ninja waved goodbye, adding as he left, "I also hope you can become the Kazekage!"
The results of the Jonin the afternoon would directly determine whether Gaara could become Kazekage, making the long wait even more agonizing.
Fortunately, the outcome was ultimately positive.
The Anbu who came to deliver the message was very respectful, which made everything clear.
He knelt on one knee, took out an appointment letter, and handed it to Gaara: "Lord Gaara, the Jonin meeting this afternoon voted and passed the resolution to appoint you as the new Kazekage. This is the appointment letter from the Elder Council."
"Please accept this, Fifth Lord Kazekage!"
(Third update! Bonus chapter for 600 monthly votes!)
(It's the end of the month, and today is the last day! Monthly tickets will expire if you don't vote now! Please vote~~ I've finished three chapters today!)