Sand Village Declares War on Rain Village

"If you fail in doing this, you will be beyond redemption."

The Nine-Tails had already merged good and evil, and with its heart and mind fully aligned with Naruto, he had become a perfect Jinchuriki.

At this moment, he was more curious to see if Naruto could successfully complete the first step.

"Failure?"

"That is something for the weak to consider. Every step I take brings me closer to the finish line!"

Naruto's conviction was unshakeable.

He departed from Uzumaki Village and headed straight toward the Land of Wind.

A single turn and a flash of movement covered an immense distance.

It was not the Body Flicker Technique of the Kurama Mode.

It was purely thanks to the Kunai that Naruto had previously given to Orochimaru.

It was inscribed with the Flying Thunder God Formula, intended solely to allow Naruto to reach the Sand Village faster once Orochimaru arrived.

Land of Wind.

Sand Village.

Orochimaru had arrived successfully.

He had replaced the Feudal Lord with practiced ease—or more accurately, he had transformed him into a new vessel.

What surprised him even more was that his hands, which had been sealed and taken away by the Death God, had also been successfully restored.

He had succeeded!

Naruto had effortlessly achieved a miracle that Orochimaru had struggled in agony to accomplish.

Now, in the guise of the Feudal Lord, Orochimaru entered the high-level meeting of the Sand Village.

"Lord Feudal Lord! Gaara suddenly announced at the Council of Advisors that we should allow Konoha to extract something called oil. Grandma Chiyo is currently waiting for your arrival."

A subordinate knelt respectfully on the ground and spoke.

Orochimaru did not answer.

He knew that Naruto's guard must have already delivered the message.

Having Gaara permit the oil extraction had already proven effective.

It had received support from Gaara's teachers and some of the Fourth Kazekage's loyalists.

Ever since the Konoha Crush Incident.

The Sand Village had suffered heavy losses after losing their Kazekage and had been forced to yield to a furious Konoha.

Now that the One-Tail Jinchuriki felt this way, the majority naturally supported it.

Therefore, the only variable remaining was the Feudal Lord of the Land of Wind!

"Gaara, you still need much experience and training. The upper echelons of the Sand Village are hollow, and as the Jinchuriki, you need to take responsibility, but this matter must be approved by the Feudal Lord."

Grandma Chiyo sat in the seat of honor.

In her understanding, the Feudal Lord had previously refused the oil extraction.

"I agree."

Orochimaru entered the conference room in the persona of the Feudal Lord.

"Konoha may extract the oil; this is our compensation for the Konoha Crush Incident."

"Furthermore."

"I have decided to support Gaara in becoming the Fifth Kazekage, to stabilize the situation as quickly as possible, just like Konoha!"

Orochimaru clapped his hands.

This caused Grandma Chiyo to knit her brows.

Strange.

How had the Feudal Lord suddenly changed into a different person today?

If both the Feudal Lord and Gaara supported Naruto's oil extraction, there was indeed no need to oppose it.

"Lord Feudal Lord, the compensation is acceptable. Oil is a resource proposed by Konoha, and we only need to cooperate with them."

"However, Gaara still lacks some seasoning. I also believe this child should succeed as Kazekage in the future, but it would be better if he could undergo more training; otherwise, it will be difficult to convince the masses."

Grandma Chiyo still intended to proceed with caution.

"There is no time to delay, for we have a major announcement to make!"

Orochimaru revealed a smile.

He looked back over his shoulder and clapped his hands.

"Because our old friend has arrived, and he has a few things to say!"

The conference room door opened.

Konoha Acting Hokage Naruto stepped into the high-level conference room of the Sand Village.

"Naruto!"

Gaara had not expected Naruto to arrive so quickly.

Kankuro and Temari turned their heads simultaneously to stare at Naruto.

Baki held a kunai and immediately stood in front of Gaara.

He had witnessed with his own eyes the formidable methods Naruto used when he took action in Konoha.

If they were to suffer an attack from Naruto while the Sand Village was so vulnerable, it would trigger a war of annihilation that would reduce the village to ashes.

"I also support Gaara becoming the Kazekage!"

Naruto walked into the Sand Village meeting.

Grandma Chiyo, who was already skeptical, jumped up in an instant.

"You are the new Acting Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki!"

"I am sorry, but you do not have the qualifications to barge in here; the Sand Village has its own judgment!"

Ten puppets appeared in the conference room simultaneously.

"Chikamatsu Ten Puppets!"

Grandma Chiyo felt that this had already reached the level of a war where the Sand Village was being invaded.

"Long time no see, Gaara."

Naruto looked at the now-conscious Gaara and reached out his hand, chakra flowing across his body.

His body was in Sage Mode Double, while his exterior was cloaked in the Kurama chakra mode.

The two were not fused, but rather presented in a combat state where they coexisted.

But regardless, it was completely different from Gaara's state.

"A perfect Jinchuriki!"

Shukaku exclaimed in shock; it had only been a short while, but the Nine-Tails had already completely joined forces with Naruto!

"The speed at which you have grown stronger is truly fast."

Ever since Gaara woke up, his form had changed, and he had developed a sense of trust through communication with Shukaku.

He was amazed to learn that Naruto had become a perfect Jinchuriki.

"Just average."

Naruto had no need to make a move.

The sand inside Gaara's gourd had already blocked all of Grandma Chiyo's puppets from reaching the two of them.

"I came here because I want you to do one thing."

Naruto had come to the Sand Village specifically for this matter.

"Is it about the oil? The Feudal Lord has already agreed."

Gaara also wanted to make drastic changes to the Sand Village just like Naruto.

He admired this young Hokage of Konoha even more.

"No."

Naruto took out a bounty poster from his hand.

The person on it was wearing a robe with a Blood Cloud Pattern.

"I need you to declare war on the Rain Village. A group of rogue ninjas is hiding there, and I need the power of all of them!"

As soon as Naruto's bounty poster appeared, Grandma Chiyo could no longer accept it and sternly refused.

"Absolutely not! The Rain Village was once the village of the demigod of the Ninja World, Hanzo the Salamander. After he died silently, every village investigated, but we could only confirm that he had been replaced by someone even stronger."

"Since then, a mysterious mercenary ninja organization has appeared in the Ninja World. Their members are mysterious, but without exception, they are all rogue ninjas from various villages."

"They carry out unspeakable deeds for the major Ninja Villages, such as assassinations and ninja wars."

"The Sand Village is already riddled with holes. If we rashly declare war on the Rain Village, and if this mysterious Akatsuki is related to them, the Sand Village will face a catastrophe!"

Grandma Chiyo only said half of what she meant.

The reason she knew about Akatsuki was that almost all the major Ninja Villages had hired Akatsuki to do their dirty work.

"What is your goal?"

Gaara ignored Grandma Chiyo's anxiety.

"To ambush a group of lucky ones here. No matter who they are, I need to seize their power!"

A Rasengan appeared in the palm of Naruto's hand.

Several more Rasengans appeared, rapidly rotating and surrounding it to form a Planetary Rasengan.

"I intend to form a Ninja World Alliance, and the first village Konoha shall invite is the Sand Village."

"The Rain Village is the most powerful among all the small ninja villages; in terms of true combat strength, I believe it is currently the strongest ninja village."

"I will put an end to this chaotic era of ninja villages, where wars constantly erupt and never cease!"

Naruto broke into the Sand Village alone.

He was actually there to ignite a war that would consume the entire ninja world!

Everyone in the conference room, save for Orochimaru and Gaara, was left dumbfounded.

"Have you lost your mind? This is tantamount to starting the Fourth Ninja World War!"

Grandma Chiyo's eyes turned bloodshot, and she prepared to risk everything to stop this.

"I agree!"

Orochimaru could not have been more in favor.

"I believe in you."

Gaara and Naruto locked eyes, exchanging a look of profound mutual recognition.

"Good."

With one hand, Naruto gently caught the ten chakra threads Grandma Chiyo used to control her puppets.

Ten minutes later.

Gaara was promoted to Fifth Kazekage.

The Sand Village declared war on the Rain Village.

Rain Village.

Deidara was fuming: "Let me go blow them up! I can't stand this anymore!"

"Sasori, I leave this matter to the two of you; don't mess it up."

Pain Deva Path did not want to act so soon either.

But time waited for no one; they had to strike decisively and make every ninja village understand the weight of the Rain Village!

"Understood."

Sasori hunched his back and turned away.

"Too slow, get on my Clay Bird!"

Deidara took off with Sasori in tow.

While rubbing his hands together in the sky, he declared:

"Just watch me blow the entire Sand Village to pieces!"