The sky over Wind Country was a dark yellow.
Yellow sand connected heaven and earth, the wind driving the grains like flowing waves, raising dunes before erosion flattened them again.
A massive setting sun hung at the end of that sea of sand, as though it had cast the entire world into a desert.
Within the only oasis stood the capital of Wind Country.
It was like a giant mourning the dead, half its body buried in yellow earth, with only an arm reaching above the water.
Sunagakure lay beside the oasis. Its enclosed, broad, circular buildings of earth and stone could resist the encroaching sandstorms while serving as walls guarding the capital of Wind Country.
At this moment, inside a round-table meeting room in the Sunagakure Kazekage Building.
A man with long dark-blue hair, dressed in a blue Kazekage robe, stood before the statues of the three Kazekage. His face bore a striking resemblance to the third statue.
"Everyone, I have recently obtained new intelligence."
Looking at Sunagakure's upper ranks before him, including Ebizō, the Third Kazekage's already cold expression turned solemn. "Unknown Ninja have appeared at Konoha's border and severely injured Tsunade, who was commanding the border defense."
"Tsunade has now returned to Konoha under Jiraiya-sensei's protection for treatment. Orochimaru is currently serving as acting commander."
At this point, the Third Kazekage paused, then said gravely, "Therefore, I have decided to seize this opportunity, end our previous probing, gather our forces, pass through the Land of Rain, and launch an all-out assault on the Land of Fire!"
No one showed surprise at his words. They merely fell into thought.
The Second Kazekage, Shamon, had been an explorer much like Tobirama Senju.
He had modeled Sunagakure after Konoha by establishing a Ninja Academy to train and promote civilian Ninja.