"Hm? Someone up ahead... someone I know, too." Before Akaseki found the group from Konoha, he spotted an "acquaintance" flying through the air.
"Friend or foe?" Noticing something off about Akaseki's expression, Miroku asked to make sure.
"If we fight, watch out for yourself," Akaseki warned succinctly.
At that, Miroku's face instinctively twitched before she caught herself-surely they weren't in a genjutsu again... not the face!
Only then did she calm down.
Akaseki remained on guard, but the other party showed no intention of attacking...
The newcomer was none other than... the Third Kazekage!
"I came to take a look, but it seems the renowned Konoha's Akaseki has already dealt with those puppets." The Third Kazekage looked at Akaseki, then at Miroku hiding behind him... apparently, he knew who she was.
"Did you hear about the mess the Daimyo of the Land of Wind made and come to help, Kazekage?" Akaseki neither confirmed nor denied the Third Kazekage's claim about "dealing with the puppets." He simply stressed that this was all the daimyo's fault. They weren't pinning the blame on Konoha.
Hearing that, the Third Kazekage seemed to realize Akaseki still didn't understand the situation, so he explained from the beginning. "Yes. A day ago, I received a request for help from the Wind Capital... I imagine Konoha received one as well."
Although Sunagakure had been driven into exile by its defeat, its ties with the Wind Capital wouldn't have been severed completely. In fact, Akaseki had previously suspected that the Wind Capital had arranged this mission to keep Konoha occupied and indirectly help Sunagakure in the negotiations.
Especially at a time like this, even Iwagakure and Kumogakure would probably receive word, let alone Konoha and Sunagakure, who were already in the area!
"After cross-checking information from several sources, we