The Land of Wind, Sunagakure.
Endless yellow sand swallowed everything from view.
Sunagakure was still licking its wounds from the war. After signing the surrender agreement, it hadn't been forced by Konoha to sign a slew of unequal treaties like the other three nations.
Instead, Konoha had offered Sunagakure considerable support, lest it fall into complete decline.
With Konoha's backing, Sunagakure had regained some life and vigor. At the very least, the wartime rationing system that had been in place for so long was gone.
Sunagakure had entered the free market alongside Konoha, and many of its villagers traded goods there and made a profit.
The economic base determined the superstructure. This had gone a long way toward easing the grim expressions of Sunagakure's leaders since their defeat.
But now, Sunagakure's leaders were gathered at the village gates. Two figures, one tall and one short, stood at the front, motionless. They had been waiting for some time, their expressions solemn, as if awaiting something important.
They were the newly appointed Fourth Kazekage Rasa and Elder Chiyo, whose actions had directly led to Sunagakure's defeat.
That was right. Although the defeat had damaged Chiyo's standing, she was still an influential elder of Sunagakure and a crucial fighter who wielded the top-tier Puppet Technique.
Chiyo had still not left Sunagakure's inner circle. She continued to work behind the scenes.
But unlike before, Chiyo now served as Nara Dan's spy within Sunagakure, directing many of the village's actions and pushing through the resolutions Dan wanted Sunagakure to adopt.
They waited a while longer. Despite the endless blowing sand, none of Sunagakure's leaders showed the slightest sign of dissatisfaction or fatigue.
The reason soon became clear.
A tall figure radiating a formidable presence crossed the endless sands and appeared at Sunagakure's gates in an