The Kazekage's Ambition

"What?!"

Gamabunta planted his feet and twisted his body, trying to break free of the golden sand shackles around his hind legs.

But even after putting all his strength into it, he found that the shackles were as immovable as if they had been cast from solid gold.

More golden sand was crawling up his legs, and when he looked to his left, he saw a surging wave of it rushing toward him.

"Jiraiya, I can't help you any further!"

Gamabunta helplessly puffed out a cloud of smoke, then suddenly opened his mouth.

"Water Release: Iron Shot!"

He spat out a huge ball of water that hurtled toward the Third Kazekage in the air.

With a casual gesture, the Kazekage summoned a pitch-black Iron Sand Wall to block its path.

Boom!

The enormous water ball struck with considerable force. Even the sturdy Iron Sand Wall was dented by a huge crater, and it was nearly pierced straight through.

After saying his farewells, Gamabunta immediately dispelled the Summoning Technique and returned to Mount Myōboku. After all, he had used up most of his Chakra in the jutsu clash just moments before.

"Sensei!"

"Summoning Technique!"

Two shouts rang out almost simultaneously.

Just as Jiraiya was about to fall from Gamabunta's head onto the golden sand below, a flash of green caught him.

"Sensei, are you all right? Can you handle that white-haired guy?" Souya and Sasori rode a Gold Cloud over to the Kazekage's side.

"You think I can't handle him? Still, the Sannin really do deserve their reputation..." the Kazekage said with feigned irritation. His breathing was steady, though, so he probably hadn't suffered much.

The green blur from earlier revealed itself to be a gigantic, emerald-green toad carrying two greatswords on its back.

"Gamahiro, sorry, Gamabunta just went back. I'll have to trouble you instead!" Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya stood atop Gamahiro's head. Minato greeted him warmly as usual.

Gamahiro merely gave a quiet grunt.

He was remarkably agile, and with a single leap he landed dozens of meters away.

The area was still covered in dense woodland, and when Gamahiro landed, he crushed several saplings beneath him.

"You couldn't take the enemy down either?"

"It looks like these enemies are no ordinary opponents!"

Jiraiya's expression was solemn. Judging by the immense wave of golden sand from earlier, the other two Sunagakure shinobi were clearly no pushovers either.

"Yeah, Sensei!"

"That red-haired boy's puppet is very strange. I don't know what it's made of. Its surface is covered in something like liquid metal—or perhaps... something alive."

Minato Namikaze furrowed his brow. Sasori's puppet had clearly left him puzzled.

"My Rasengan was swallowed up by that puppet. Otherwise, I could've at least taken down the one using Gold Sand."

"I see... A powerful puppet even you can't identify?" Jiraiya rubbed his chin, seeming to weigh his options.

"Looks like I'll have to enter Sage Mode!" Jiraiya decided after only a moment's thought.

"Sensei?!"

"Sensei, should we keep chasing them?" Souya asked the Kazekage.

"What is it?" The Kazekage knitted his thin brows. After years of knowing Souya, he knew that the talented, hardworking young man was always eager to complete his missions. He shouldn't have been thinking of backing down.

If the Kazekage had known that Souya worked so hard only to better protect his own life—and that the so-called Will of Wind of Sunagakure came a distant second—he would surely have felt conflicted.

After all, Souya had only just escaped death, and now he wasn't merely thinking of retreating—he wanted to retreat very badly.

"The Yellow Flash is too fast! Even if we manage to drive them back for now, we won't be able to kill them!"

"If we drag this out until Konoha's reinforcements arrive, the situation will be turned on its head." Souya narrowed his eyes as he watched Jiraiya and his student ahead.

He had already noticed Jiraiya pressing his palms together to form a seal. The markings beneath his eyes had also suddenly grown much longer.

Minato Namikaze was forming hand seals toward the sky, and the transparent barrier was spreading outward and slanting down, as if it were about to turn the area into a vast, enclosed arena.

It seemed their opponents had reached the same conclusion as the Kazekage: they intended to wipe out the threat here and now.

The Kazekage stared into Souya's eyes as if he meant to peer into his soul. But Souya met his gaze calmly, and the Kazekage couldn't read anything from him.

Then the Kazekage looked up at the transparent barrier overhead. As if suddenly remembering something, he said, "If they can use Sealing Techniques to restrict us, then we can use Sealing Techniques to restrict them too!"

Souya wanted to point out that Minato Namikaze, with Kushina Uzumaki at his side, had Sealing Technique skills that were practically unmatched in the Ninja World...

The Sealing Techniques he'd learned from Grand-Uncle Bunpuku were no small matter, but compared to the Uzumaki Clan's techniques, they were still woefully inadequate.

But seeing that the Kazekage was determined to press on, Souya knew there was no point in trying to talk him out of it.

After all, if they could kill these two influential Konoha figures here, Sunagakure could seize the momentum and tear a sizable chunk from the Land of Fire's enormously fertile territory—enough to satisfy its long-starved people!

"Senior Rasa, please take care of..."

"Sasori, you..."

After composing himself, Souya quickly laid out their tactics. The four of them were together, and while they might not be able to win, surely they could at least run...

"Sensei, let's attack now. That white-haired guy looks like he's preparing some terrifying jutsu!"

Souya, Sasori, and the Kazekage charged straight toward the giant emerald-green toad.

Rasa, however, quietly landed in a secluded spot, apparently preparing something.

At some point, the third scroll on Sasori's back had been opened. Two puppets stood beside him. One had been made from Suikazan Fuguki, Samehada, and several rare metals; the other was the lone Iwa puppet that had survived the earlier battle against the Ninja Swordsmen Trio.

As for the Human Puppet made from Raiga Kurosuki, silver lightning crackled across his body under Sasori's control as he hovered above the two of them.

After seeing Minato Namikaze use the Flying Thunder God, they naturally had to take precautions to protect themselves.

The Kazekage flapped his broad Iron Sand Wings. As they stirred up powerful gusts, a dense ring of Iron Sand gathered around him.

In the blink of an eye, the ring stretched and transformed into a row of sharp spears glinting with a cold, black light. They shot toward Jiraiya in unison.

Whoosh! Whoosh...

The sharp sound of spears slicing through the air rang out.

After all, with his hands pressed tightly together, Jiraiya looked like the perfect target.

Neither Minato Namikaze nor Jiraiya moved. The emerald-green toad beneath them, however, swiftly drew the two greatswords from its back.

Gripping the blades in crossed hands, it spun rapidly.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two greatswords whirled in a blur, like the blades of a giant windmill, easily slicing the spears to pieces.