The wind blew gently through the air, carrying wisps of sand and dust.
Across a land blanketed in yellow sand, vegetation was sparse. Yet, unexpectedly, numerous buildings stood in the middle of this desert!
Under the blazing sunlight.
Three figures appeared at the desert's edge.
"Shh!" "Shh!" "Shh!"...
Their footsteps crunched over the sand with a gritty rasp.
"What are we doing here? This is the Land of Wind."
Tokino asked softly.
He looked toward the reddish-yellow land in the distance, then continued in a grave voice.
"Besides, the Sand Ninja have already joined the war. Coming here without warning could be dangerous if we're spotted."
At his words, a faint smile tugged at Sosuke's lips.
He too gazed at the fortress walls in the distance and replied gently,
"We came here to find something very interesting. But you're right; before that, we need to make some preparations."
Tokino turned to Sosuke, puzzled.
By then, Sosuke had looked away. He studied Tokino and Minato before continuing,
"Are you satisfied with who you are now? We can leave Minato aside for the moment. Let's talk about you, Tokino."
As he spoke, Sosuke's lips curled slightly. He looked at Tokino with amusement in his eyes and asked softly,
"Do you yearn for power, Tokino? Perhaps I'm being too blunt. After all, from what I remember, you've always wanted to defeat me, haven't you? That hasn't changed, has it?"
As he spoke, a glint flashed beneath Sosuke's glasses, though his smile never faded.
Hearing this, Minato stared at Tokino with ill intent, like a shark that had caught the scent of blood.
It seemed that if Sosuke gave the slightest signal, Minato would charge without hesitation and kill Tokino on the spot!
A bead of cold sweat appeared on Tokino's forehead.
His expression