After the latest video on the Heavenly Screen ended, the Kage in their distant nations each had different thoughts and feelings.
Among them, the Land of Earth's Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, floated before his office window, his small frame casting a long shadow on the glass. His aged fingers absently rubbed the ninja tool pouch at his waist—a fragment of rock was still hidden inside.
"Madara Uchiha..." As he forced the name through his teeth, he seemed to become the boy pinned against a rock once more. The light of Dust Release flickered in his palm, but it could not dispel the oppressive feeling in his memories. "That devil probably never imagined his own clansmen would fall so low..."
The Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, leaned against the railing of the Mizukage building, a strand of red hair twined around her fingertip. The sight of the Uchiha brothers fighting side by side on the Heavenly Screen made her lick her lips without realizing it.
"What handsome young men~" she said with a soft laugh, though her gaze gradually dimmed. "It's a shame there are only two Uchiha left..."
Suddenly, a sea breeze swept in, carrying a faint scent of blood. Mei looked toward the distant Memorial Stone, where the surnames of countless vanished ninja clans were carved: Yuki, Kaguya, Hozuki...
The Fourth Raikage A stood before a floor-to-ceiling window, his muscular arms folded across his chest and his eyes fixed on the Uchiha brothers on the Heavenly Screen. The purple Susanoo, the black flames of Amaterasu, the Izanami that could rewrite fate... all of it kindled an agitation in his chest that he could scarcely suppress.
"The Uchiha Clan... they're annoyingly strong, all right." He let out a low growl and slammed his fist onto the desk.
"Too bad. No matter how strong they were, they couldn't escape killing each other. Now there are only two brats left." He sneered and turned to his secretary, Mabui, who stood respectfully nearby. "But we in Kumogakure can't just sit back and watch everyone else put on a show."
"Mabui!" The Raikage's voice boomed like thunder. "Any progress on the leads about Kinkaku and Ginkaku?"
Mabui quickly opened the intelligence scroll in her hands and reported calmly, "According to the Anbu's latest intelligence, after Kinkaku and Ginkaku defected all those years ago, they were active around the Land of Hot Water's border, but later vanished without a trace. However... there are rumors that their bodies may have been sealed in some secret realm."
"What about the Six Paths' treasures?" A glint of greed flashed in the Raikage's eyes.
"They haven't been found yet, but judging from our intelligence, the Amber Purifying Pot, Seven Star Sword, Benihisago, Bashōsen, and Golden Canopy Rope they possessed should still exist somewhere in the Shinobi World."
"Hmph, those things are far more useful than the Sharingan!" The Raikage grinned. "Send word for Yugito Nii to lead a team and step up exploration along the borders, especially where the Land of Hot Water meets the Land of Iron. Also, have Darui look through the ancient records in the Valley of Clouds and Lightning and see if he can find any mention of the Six Paths' treasures."
"Yes!" Mabui prepared to leave and pass on the orders.
"Wait." The Raikage suddenly raised a hand, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Tell B to get moving too, while you're at it. He shouldn't spend all day in the village singing those useless raps. If we really can find those treasures... Kumogakure's strength will amount to more than simply being first among the Five Great Nations."
"Understood!" Mabui turned and left the office.
The Raikage looked back at the Heavenly Screen and snorted. "Uchiha brat, no matter how strong you are, you're still alone. But we in Kumogakure... have true 'power.'"
He turned to a hidden compartment in his office and took out a long-sealed scroll. Written prominently across it were the words—
"Kumogakure Inheritance Secret Record"
"It doesn't matter where those two traitors Kinkaku and Ginkaku died, but their legacy... must be inherited by Kumogakure!"
Sunagakure
Granny Chiyo shuffled into the meeting room of Sunagakure's upper leadership. Her eyes were as sharp as ever, but the wrinkles between her brows had deepened. Since going into seclusion, she had rarely concerned herself with village affairs, but on returning this time, she had found the atmosphere throughout Sunagakure strangely unsettling.
"You bunch of fools! You don't even know where the Kazekage went?"
She slammed her cane down, making the teacups on the table jump with a clatter. Several elders exchanged looks, and one of them forced himself to answer, "Lady Chiyo, the Kazekage was simply following custom by leading a team to Konoha for the Chunin Ninja Exams..."
"Custom?" Chiyo sneered. "Since when did the Chunin Ninja Exams require the Kazekage to lead the team himself? And take the One-Tail with him?!"
Dead silence filled the meeting room.
Chiyo narrowed her eyes and surveyed the meek, acquiescent leaders. "Where are the elite troops? Where are the Anbu? How come all that's left in the village are good-for-nothings?"
"Well... Lord Kazekage said it was to strengthen the border patrols..."
"Bullshit!" Chiyo was so furious that she laughed. "Do border patrols need that many people pulled away? Can't you even be bothered to use your heads and make up a decent lie?!"
She took a deep breath and suppressed her anger. Over the years, Sunagakure had fallen into decline. Although Kazekage Rasa used heavy-handed methods, his actions had grown increasingly mysterious. Now, he had not only gone to Konoha in person and taken Shukaku's Jinchūriki with him, but had also reassigned a large number of elite forces...
Something's wrong... very wrong.
Chiyo fell silent for a moment before finally snorting and turning toward the door. "Forget it. Asking you fools is a waste of breath."
"Lady Chiyo! Where are you going?" An elder hurriedly rose to his feet.
"To find someone who knows what's going on!" She waved a hand without looking back. "As for you... pray the Kazekage doesn't ruin the village!"
After leaving the meeting room, Chiyo did not go straight home. Instead, she headed for Sunagakure's old archives. The secret records of successive Kazekage were kept there, and she might find some clue to Rasa's recent actions.
"What on earth is that brat Rasa planning...?"
She looked through the recent mission records and found that many Anbu had been dispatched to the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rain. There were neither important resources nor strategic value there, so why were elite forces being sent there so frequently?
What made her even more uneasy was that the village's flow of funds had also shown irregularities—a large amount of funding had been allocated to an unknown project called the New Sand Plan, and the person in charge was none other than Kabuto Yakushi, a subordinate of Orochimaru, who had defected from Konoha long ago!
"This is bad..." Chiyo's fingers trembled slightly.
She had fought Konoha's Sannin in her youth and knew full well how dangerous Orochimaru was. And now, Rasa seemed to be secretly colluding with him!
"Could it be... he wants to use the Chunin Ninja Exams as an opportunity to attack Konoha?"
The thought sent a chill through her. Sunagakure could no longer withstand a major war. If it fell out with Konoha again, the consequences would be unthinkable!
She snapped the file shut and strode out.
"Ebizo... he should know something!"
Land of Rain
Rain poured down in torrents, the curtain of water like a natural barrier shrouding the entire nation in haze and solitude. Inside the hideout.
Nagato sat quietly in the machine, his frame gaunt. In the dim yellow candlelight, his slightly pale face looked even more austere, and his eyes, deep in their sockets, were like bottomless pools, flickering between light and shadow as the flames danced.
Konan stepped soundlessly into the oppressive space. She walked slowly forward, her steps light but carrying a hint of weariness. She gripped the intelligence scroll she had just obtained tightly in her hand.
She walked gently to Nagato's side and found a slightly brighter corner, tightly holding the intelligence scroll she had just gathered. She carefully unrolled it and recounted the latest developments in the outside world one by one, her voice soft but clear.
Nagato raised his lowered head slightly, a few strands of disheveled hair slipping past his cheeks. His gaze passed through this "curtain" and settled on Konan, his eyes focused and intent as he missed none of the syllables she uttered.
When he heard that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki Naruto and his companions had recently accepted a mission from Konoha and set out for the distant Land of Snow, a barely perceptible glint flashed in Nagato's eyes, fleeting yet unusually sharp.
The true purpose of Naruto and his companions' mission was to help Princess Koyuki regain the throne and promote an alliance between the Land of Snow and Konoha. It had seemed a grand journey of change, full of hope.
Yet ideals were splendid, while reality was brutally harsh, and later developments plunged the situation back into turmoil. Fierce clashes between various interests caused deep divisions within the Snow Ninja Village. In the end, it fell apart, and its overall strength plummeted.
In the Snow Ninja Village, various factions clashed fiercely over the restoration of the throne, the distribution of interests, and other issues. Its internal conflicts erupted like a lit powder keg, creating deep divisions that were impossible to bridge.
The different factions each held to their own arguments, refusing to give way. In the end, the entire Snow Ninja Village fell apart. Its once well-trained ninja scattered, some struggling to survive, others blinded by hatred, and the village's overall strength plummeted.
The corners of Nagato's mouth rose slightly in a mocking curve, and he spoke coldly, his voice sounding as though it were forced through his teeth. "Hmph, these so-called great ninja villages have always been the same, from ancient times to the present."
"The great nations scheme and fight among themselves, trampling on countless civilian lives as though they were ants and pushing once peaceful small nations into the abyss of destruction. It's utterly laughable and outrageous!"
Having said that, Nagato slowly closed his eyes, seemingly suppressing the turbulent emotions within him.