Sunagakure and Konoha

The next morning, as the bird uttered its first chirp, Taiichi awoke from his sweet dream.

Looking around, Taiichi still couldn't find any trace of Yohei and the others, so he could only sigh. He was now eager to treat Yohei's Mangekyo as soon as possible, so that he could also calm his restless heart.

This is like a child who has just received a beloved toy; their restless heart is constantly urging them to quickly find a place to play with their new toy to their heart's content.

However, Taiichi was also a qualified ninja. It was basic common sense for a ninja not to pry into other people's missions. So, unless there were special circumstances, he would just wait quietly and continue his daily work—training himself and teaching others.

Time flows like water, unchanging according to human will; it moves forward relentlessly according to its own inherent laws.

The Ninja World is now like a turbulent sea, with battles of all sizes taking place every moment, just like the splashing waves, one wave after another.

However, a violent undersea earthquake has already occurred, but the resulting waves are still brewing in the deep sea. When those waves reach the coast, they will be enough to form a massive tsunami, which will sweep away everything on the shore, leaving no survivors!

That evening, after traveling day and night, Chiyo's delegation finally arrived at Sunagakure before Sun Barrier.

The first thing she did upon returning to the village was to find her younger brother, Ebizo, to learn about the circumstances surrounding Kazekage's disappearance.

"What exactly happened? How did the Kazekage disappear?"

Without any polite formalities or unnecessary words, this was the answer Chiyo most wanted to know.

However, reality disappointed her once again.

We still don't have a definitive answer.

Ebizo was also helpless. It had been four days since the Kazekage disappeared, and Sunagakure had not found any trace of Kazekage, neither alive nor dead.

"Sister—there's something—you need to be prepared!" Ebizo, hesitating about how to finish his sentence.

"What's wrong? Stop nagging and acting like a man." Chiyo had no time for his nonsense and snapped at him.

"Scene— Human Puppet has been discovered. The one fighting the Kazekage is Puppet Master who controls Human Puppet!"

It was like a thunderbolt striking Chiyo's ears; this caused her to lose her composure even more than upon hearing of the Kazekage's disappearance.

"What! Human Puppet! Impossible! How could this be—"

Chiyo's eyes suddenly lost their sparkle, and she stood there blankly, muttering to herself.

Looking at his sister, Ebizo felt a pang of sadness. In fact, when he first heard the on-site Scout report, he was also filled with disbelief.

After a long while, when Chiyo finally came to her senses, she uttered words devoid of any emotion. "Tell me about everything that happened here in detail."

"The scene was littered with Iron Sand and Puppet damaged by the Iron Sand filings; among them, 12 were Human Puppet alone."

It's certain that this Puppet Master was among those who fought the Kazekage.

No other corpses were left at the scene besides the Puppet; both the Kazekage and those who fought him had vanished without a trace.

After our people arrived, Scout traces of Earth Style: Hiding in Earth Technique used in traditional Chinese earth-based techniques) underground. These traces ultimately led towards the Land of Earth, but we cannot rule out the possibility that someone was deliberately creating a diversion.

Furthermore, near the Central Oasis on the battlefield, we discovered an underground hideout created using Earth Style is a technique used in Chinese magic to create a hiding place). Upon investigation, we can determine that someone was there during the battle.

Ebizo told Chiyo everything he knew without missing a single word. After he finished speaking, he waited quietly for Chiyo to think about it.

"What arrangements are there for the village?" As one of the most respected elders in Sunagakure, his love for the village was no less than that for his own grandson.

"Although it hasn't been officially confirmed yet, everyone knows that the Third Kazekage is likely doomed. Right now, they're all arguing endlessly about who should become the Fourth Kazekage, and there's no sign of it stopping."

"What a bunch of useless trash!" Chiyo's face was ashen. What kind of time is this? Konoha or Iwagakure might get the news and attack Sunagakure tomorrow, and they're still arguing about this. Shouldn't they be trying to calm people down?

"Go! Immediately issue the order to convene an elders' meeting and resolve the Kazekage matter today!"

Ebizo paused, glancing at the sky. "Isn't this too hasty?"

"Hurry up! This is a matter of life and death! Don't think it's now; even if it's midnight, you have to get everyone here for a meeting!"

Chiyo truly lives up to her Chiyo; she possesses remarkable courage and decisiveness. Only someone with sufficient prestige and ability could make such a decision.

Soon, within half an hour, all 12 elders of Sunagakure had gathered in the meeting room. However, this time, the head seat was empty; only Chiyo sat next to it, indicating that she was presiding over the meeting.

"Now that everyone is here, I'll get straight to the point. The Third Kazekage has been missing for four days, and I'm sure you all know the outcome. Given the current state of the Ninja World, a great war is imminent. We must immediately elect a new Kazekage to lead the entire village forward!"

Chiyo's words were quite blunt, which caused the other elders present to discuss among themselves.

"How can we give up on the Third Kazekage so easily?"

"Let's recommend Rasa. He has already mastered Magnet Release and is a very suitable candidate."

"I think Pakura is great. She is top-notch in both ability and personal reputation."

"Isn't it too hasty to select the Fourth Kazekage so quickly?"

The conference room was soon filled with various voices discussing the matter.

Chiyo, sitting in front, was looking increasingly grim. These guys were still fighting for power and profit, disregarding the safety of the entire village for the sake of some say.

With a loud thud, a hand slammed onto the table, silencing the entire conference room. Everyone's gaze turned to Elder Chiyo, whose face was ashen. Several of the younger elders shrank back, clearly indicating that Chiyo had long held considerable power.

"What kind of time is this to be arguing like this?"

Believe it or not, after today, information about unusual activity within Sunagakure will be on the desks of other ninja villages.

By the day after tomorrow, they will all know that the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure has gone missing.

"And in just one more day, the Land of Wind will be teeming with spies from other ninja villages."

The other elders fell silent. Some disagreed, thinking Chiyo was making a mountain out of a molehill; others agreed with Elder Chiyo but still had doubts about the selection of the Fourth Hokage.

"Refu, Goemon, Baki, you are all elders of the village. Shouldn't you be the first to speak up at this time?"

Seeing that these people were still hesitating, Chiyo stopped showing them any mercy and directly called out the names of the elders, forcing them to speak.

"Well, regardless, the body of the Third Kazekage hasn't been found yet, so choosing the Fourth Hokage in such a hurry is indeed inappropriate."

Refu then spoke up. As the cousin of the First Kazekage, he held a very high position in Sunagakure. But he continued, "However, the external situation is indeed too dangerous. The village urgently needs a leader. Why don't we elect an acting Kazekage to lead everyone for now, and wait until the matter of the Third Kazekage is settled, or until his prestige is sufficient, before formally succeeding as the Fourth Kazekage?"

Let's all look at each other. Okay, whether it's appropriate or not is up to you. What else can we do?

At this moment, Goemon and Baki also agreed that they could choose one of the Fourth Kazekage as a substitute. Immediately afterwards, Chiyo and Ebizo also agreed.

In the blink of an eye, five of the twelve elders agreed, and these were the five with the highest prestige. So what was there to discuss? The other elders also nodded in agreement.

The remaining task is to choose who will serve as the acting Fourth Kazekage.

There's really nothing to hesitate about. If Rasa hadn't learned Magnet Release: Magnet Release Gold Dust, the outcome of the Fourth Kazekage might have been uncertain. But what can you do when he's just lucky?

Magnet Release is no ordinary Kekkei Genkai; it is one of the few bloodline limits in the Ninja World that can be learned and passed down.

Moreover, Magnet Release has a major advantage: it can suppress Shukaku, the One-Tail Shukaku, to a certain extent. In this era where top-tier combat power is urgently needed, this ability is extremely valuable.

As expected, the final vote was the same: with the exception of a few elders, all of the 12 elders voted for Rasa.

From then on, Rasa became the acting Fourth Kazekage, and the Fourth Kazekage will lead Sunagakure into the future. Of course, that will happen after the results are announced tomorrow.

Chiyo has accomplished what she envisioned. Upon her return, she has initially stabilized the internal problems within Sunagakure and united its forces, enabling it to cope with the external crisis.

At the same time, around the same time that Chiyo rushed back to Sunagakure, Jiraiya's urgent military intelligence also reached Hiruzen Sarutobi in Konoha, far away.

Looking at the urgent report in his hand, Hiruzen Sarutobi's first reaction was not anything else, but rather to worry whether Jiraiya was dissatisfied Jiraiya the village's decision and was using this urgent report to question him, but then he realized that the timing didn't make sense.

With a heavy heart, Hiruzen Sarutobi opened the scroll, but the title that met his eyes stunned him on the spot—The Death of the Third Kazekage.

The Kazekage is dead? How could that be!

--

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't believe it. He pulled open the scroll and scanned all the text in the report at a glance.

When he saw that it was Taiichi who had personally witnessed and brought back the Kazekage's body, he didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

When they saw Taiichi kill Sasori of the Red Sand was fighting the Kazekage with a sneak attack and obtain the final spoils, they sighed again, marveling at how circumstances could create heroes, and how such a coincidence could happen to him.

He closed the report in his hand, then looked at the Sealing Scroll that had been sent along with it. It should contain the corpses of the Third Kazekage and Sasori of the Red Sands. This was truly a precious, yet troublesome, gift.

"Go and fetch those three Advisor for me!" The Third Kazekage said, his voice coming from the swirling smoke as he smoked.

"Yes!" A figure appeared from the shadows behind him, bowed, and disappeared from the spot.

Half an hour later, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura hurriedly arrived at the Hokage's Office. The fact that they were summoned so late meant there must have been some emergency; they hadn't stopped for a moment and had come straight from home.

Ten minutes later, Shimura Danzō also pushed open the door and entered. Compared to the previous two, he was much more composed. Upon entering, he saw that Koharu and En had already arrived, and he was the only one missing. He then quickened his pace and walked to his designated spot.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't keep them in suspense any longer. He slowly unfolded the scroll Jiraiya's report, facing the three of them directly onto the table.

"This is an urgent report from Jiraiya at the Southern Camp. Please take a look!"

All three looked puzzled; this scene was rather unusual. So they took a few steps forward and turned their gaze to the scroll, where the bold title was clearly visible: The Death of the Third Kazekage.

The office fell into a deathly silence. Both Danzo, whose eyes were always half-closed, suddenly opened them wide. Koharu Utatane Koharu gasped, while Mitokado Homura subconsciously adjusted her glasses, trying to see more clearly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi recounted the key information in a deep voice. "It was Taichi Matsushita. While on a reconnaissance mission, he unexpectedly witnessed the entire process in the heart of the Land of Wind: the Third Kazekage was ambushed and killed by their Rogue Ninja, Sasori of the Red Sands."

Taiichi even seized the opportunity, taking advantage of the fact that both sides were severely injured, and decisively killed Sasori himself, then brought their bodies back.

The shock of this earth-shattering news far surpassed that of the previous major victory at the front. The three Advisor never dreamed they would hear such news.

Utatane Koharu was the first to recover from her shock. Pointing at the intelligence report on the table, her voice was urgent. "The Kazekage —he's dead? And at the hands of Rogue Ninja from his own village! Once this is confirmed—"

"The sky over Sunagakure has fallen." Danzo's cold voice interrupted her, a hint of schadenfreude in his tone. "Chiyo just used a so-called 'alliance of offense and defense' to exchange for those prisoners, and now their shadow has fallen—ha, Sunagakure's internal affairs are bound to fall into chaos!"

He immediately realized this was a golden opportunity for Konoha, and asked urgently, "Where's the body? Weren't you supposed to bring it back?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi pointed to a scroll beside him, indicating that the corpses of the Kazekage and Sasori were sealed there.

Danzo's gaze immediately became incredibly ardent, a fervor he probably hadn't even shown when he looked at his wife.

"The Kazekage's corpse is an excellent bargaining chip. Not only can it further destabilize Sunagakure, but if planned properly, it can also force them to make concessions on the border and in future struggles! Hiruzen, we must make good use of this!"

Mitokado Homura frowned, considering the bigger picture. "Danzo is right. The internal strife in Sunagakure is our opportunity, but it won't last long. Our primary concern is the pack of wolves eyeing us from all sides!"

Iwagakure is continuously increasing its troops in the Land of Grass, and they're likely doing the same in the Land of Birds. As for Cloud Village, no one can predict what these madmen will do.

Once they confirm the Kazekage's death, will they spare the weakened Land of Wind?

He looked at Hiruzen, hesitated, but continued, "We just formed an alliance with Sunagakure. If they are indeed invaded by Iwagakure, what should we do? Should we stand by and watch, or should we take the initiative to join the war according to the alliance?"

Everyone present, except for Danzo, turned pale. What was originally a defensive alliance meant to relieve their own pressure had now become a fuse that could drag them into war. It was impossible for them not to be annoyed. Not to mention the more than one hundred prisoners who had been released for free.

It's like losing both your wife and your army.

At this point, this decision has become a thorn in their side, constantly reminding them how foolish they had been!

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, not wanting to discuss the matter any further. His gaze swept over the Sealing Scroll, pondering how to maximize its benefits.

But after much thought, given Konoha's current situation, there's really nothing they can do except for the advantage of knowing about this beforehand.

These two corpses are probably only of research value; Magnet Release and Sunagakure's Puppet technology are both invaluable secrets.

"The Kazekage's body cannot be exposed to us yet, at least not now. The Sunagakure probably doesn't even know if their Kazekage is alive or dead. If we reveal it first, and they assume we killed the Kazekage, then we'll have no way to defend ourselves."

Upon hearing this, the three of them agreed that it made sense. Under immense internal pressure, it was entirely possible that Sunagakure would use Konoha as a target to vent its own internal frustrations.

"That concludes today. Danzo, instruct the Root to intensify their Scout of Sunagakure's interior, and to ascertain their movements as soon as possible. Also, issue orders to the defense forces in the Cloud Village and Iwagakure directions, instructing them to pay close attention to the situation on the other side during this period, and not to give them any opportunity to exploit."

As for the question of Taiichi's reward, which Jiraiya mentioned at the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally wouldn't discuss it here. Besides, he had the right to give such a reward directly.