Sunagakure, Kazekage Building.
Granny Chiyo, who was handling affairs as acting Kazekage, and Ebizo read the battle report from Konoha. They exchanged a silent glance, both wearing expressions of deep exhaustion and bitterness.
"Konoha truly is full of talented people."
Ebizo sighed. "First the Sannin, and now an even more terrifying Uchiha Ling. And we..."
He glanced at Rasa and Pakura, who were still openly vying for the Kazekage's seat beside him, and left the rest unsaid.
A complicated look flashed through Granny Chiyo's cloudy eyes. "It seems we'll have to be even more 'sincere' in our 'cooperation' with Konoha. Uchiha Ling must be marked as a priority target."
Kirigakure, Mizukage's Office.
The Third Mizukage, a middle-aged man with a gloomy air and piercing eyes, was reading an intelligence scroll delivered through special channels.
The information about "Uchiha Ling" on the scroll was brief, but keywords like "sixteen years old," "routed Kitsuchi's forces," and "single-handedly killed several Iwagakure jōnin" were already enough to draw attention.
He fell silent for a moment, then handed the scroll to the young ninja beside him, Karatachi Yagura, a cold-faced young man with green eyes and cheek markings. Yagura was a promising junior in whom he had placed great hopes.
"Konoha... has produced another monster."
The Third Mizukage's voice was low. "The Uchiha Clan truly is a clan cursed by fate, yet also favored by it."
Yagura quickly finished reading the intelligence and calmly analyzed the situation. "Mizukage-sama, this may not be a bad thing for us.
"Iwagakure and the Cloud Village are tying up most of Konoha's forces on the western and northern fronts. Now that Iwagakure has suffered a setback in the northeast, they'll surely retaliate against Konoha even more fiercely.
"We Kirigakure can take this opportunity to seize greater gains in the