Kazekage Missing

Early in Konoha Year 47, in the Land of Wind, Hidden Sand Village. The boundless desert burned beneath the blazing sun, heat waves twisting the air, yet a chill more terrifying than nature's scorching heat was quietly seeping into the core of this shinobi village famed for its resilience.

Inside the Kazekage Office, the Third Kazekage, a powerhouse who stood at the peak of the shinobi world through his incomparably powerful "Magnet Release: Iron Sand," was studying secret reports from the border with rapt attention. The shadow of scarce resources had always hung over the Hidden Sand, and the frequent unusual movements of the neighboring Hidden Stone made him even more wary. His face was firm, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, but between his brows lingered a trace of worry that would not easily fade.

"The speed at which the Hidden Stone is gathering troops along the Land of Rain border is abnormal. Tsuchikage Onoki's ambition cannot be underestimated," he said in a low voice to the elders beside him, his voice carrying the rough texture of grinding sand. "We must prepare for the worst, but we absolutely cannot be the first to provoke a war." His decision remained cautious and full of concern, for he knew well that the Hidden Sand's national strength could not withstand an all-or-nothing gamble.

However, he had never imagined that the deadliest threat did not come from a powerful enemy outside, but from within—from a genius devoured by hatred and a twisted view of art.

Sasori of the Red Sand, a puppet-technique prodigy seen only once in a century in the Hidden Sand Village, and Granny Chiyo's grandson. This once-brilliant young man had now sunk completely into the "eternal art" of his own creation. In his eyes, all things in the world were fleeting, inferior goods, and only the "human puppets" remade by his hands could obtain true eternal beauty.

Deeper still, an icy hatred burned in his heart. Konoha's White Fang's suicide had taken away his chance to kill his enemy with his own hands. "What a boring ending..." Sasori had once murmured to his empty workshop. "Even the drama of revenge was stripped away." This resentment, with nowhere to vent, was ultimately transferred onto the Hidden Sand higher-ups who had made the decisions back then.

"If not for that incompetent Kazekage... if not for his mistaken command..." Sasori stroked the cold cheeks of the Father and Mother puppets, his voice gentle yet filled with malice. "To send such precious 'materials' to die for nothing is itself a blasphemy against art."

On a night when the moonlight was veiled by yellow dust, Sasori meticulously planned his "artistic creation." He transformed into an ANBU member delivering urgent intelligence, and with his intimate understanding of the Hidden Sand's defense system, he passed elegantly through layer after layer of security. When the guards saw this "familiar" colleague, they felt not the slightest suspicion.

Inside the office, the Third Kazekage was preparing to end the day's work. When Sasori respectfully presented the scroll, the Kazekage reached out to take it—and in that instant, the poisoned needle hidden in Sasori's sleeve stabbed into the Kazekage's wrist with art-like precision.

"You...!" The Third Kazekage's pupils constricted violently. In an instant, he felt his whole body stiffen, and even his Magnet Release: Iron Sand could not gather smoothly. In disbelief, he watched the "ANBU" before him reveal his true face—that delicate yet icy young face.

"Why...?" the Kazekage forced out with difficulty.

The corners of Sasori's mouth curved into a distorted arc, his voice melodious as if reciting poetry. "For eternal art... dear Lord Kazekage. Don't you think turning the Hidden Sand's strongest combat power into an eternal work of art is the most perfect destination imaginable?"

He slowly stepped back and spread his arms like an actor on a stage. "As for those old debts... you may consider them an extra gift for this art exhibition. After all, letting excellent materials go to waste is the greatest disrespect to art."

Before his words had even faded, the scroll behind Sasori unfurled, and the two human puppets, Father and Mother, appeared elegantly, lunging with poisoned weapons at the Third Kazekage, whose movements were restricted. A brief and cruel artistic performance unfolded inside the office. In the end, the pinnacle of the Hidden Sand Village became the most precious exhibit in Sasori of the Red Sand's collection.

News of the Kazekage's bizarre disappearance spread through the Hidden Sand's upper ranks like a plague, triggering an unprecedented earthquake. At the emergency elders' meeting, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost suffocating.

Amid the arguing, Granny Chiyo and Ebizo forced down the grief and ominous premonition in their hearts. Having seen no trace of Sasori, Chiyo was almost certain this matter had something to do with him, yet she struggled to maintain order. Ebizo analyzed calmly, "The most urgent matter is to immediately select a temporary commander and stabilize the situation. The Hidden Stone is watching like a tiger eyeing its prey, and the other villages may also try to profit from our misfortune!"

Everyone's gaze turned to the outstanding member of the younger generation, the elite jonin who had mastered "Magnet Release: Gold Dust"—Rasa. He was calm, cold, and powerful, making him the most suitable temporary leader at this moment. Another expert, Pakura, had already been dispatched to the border region, both to strengthen patrols and to take part in the secret operation to search for the Kazekage's whereabouts.

Granny Chiyo decisively proposed that Rasa temporarily take command, and received the support of the majority. Rasa accepted the appointment in a time of crisis and shouldered the heavy responsibility of stabilizing the village. He moved swiftly, reassuring the people and reorganizing the defenses on one hand, while continuing to send squads to search for the Kazekage on the other, though hope was slim.

However, the chaos and weakness of the Hidden Sand Village did not escape the eyes and ears of the Land of Lightning's Hidden Cloud Village, which had always longed to expand. The Third Raikage, A, this fiery-tempered powerhouse who revered martial force, believed this was a heaven-sent opportunity. He did not choose a frontal attack against the still-powerful Hidden Stone or Konoha, but instead turned his eyes toward the Hidden Sand, which was caught in both internal and external troubles.

Land of Lightning, Hidden Cloud Village, Raikage Office.

The furnishings inside the office were rugged and practical, and a huge Raikage hat hung on the wall. The Third Raikage, A, a man with a body as burly as a mountain and a temperament like fire, stood before a massive map of the shinobi world with his arms crossed. His sharp gaze was like lightning, locked tightly onto the map of the Land of Wind. Beside him stood several core figures of the Hidden Cloud Village. Dodai was an experienced, steady middle-aged adviser, known for his wisdom and Lava Release kekkei genkai, and he was an important strategist for the Raikage.

Blue B, the current jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails—Killer B had not yet become a jinchuriki at this time—had a relatively gentle personality but great strength, and could skillfully control the Eight-Tails' power. He was one of the village's strategic pillars.

Several senior elders and unit captains were separately responsible for intelligence, logistics, and frontline combat.

"Everyone's here." The Third Raikage A's voice was like thunder, echoing through the office. He turned around, his gaze sweeping across the crowd. "You all know the news from the Hidden Sand Village. The Third Kazekage has disappeared, his life or death unknown, and the Hidden Sand is in chaos!"

Dodai adjusted his small sunglasses and spoke cautiously. "Lord Raikage, the news has been confirmed. The Hidden Sand has indeed sent out a large number of people to search for the Kazekage, and its border defense forces have weakened somewhat. However, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. The Hidden Sand's foundation cannot be underestimated, especially their puppet techniques and poisons..."

"Hmph! Foundation?" A interrupted him, slamming his fist down hard on the Land of Wind's position on the map with a loud bang. "A village that has lost its Kage is like a tiger without teeth! Now is the best time for us, the Hidden Cloud, to expand our territory and show the entire shinobi world our muscle!"

He looked around at everyone, the flames of battle lust burning in his eyes. "What future is there in being trapped in the mountains of the Land of Lightning forever? Look at the fertile lands of the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth! Now that the Hidden Sand has shown a weakness, if we don't seize it, are we supposed to wait for the Hidden Stone or Konoha to make the first move?"

A captain in charge of intelligence added, "According to our reconnaissance, the Hidden Stone is indeed gathering forces along the western border, but they seem to still be watching. As for Konoha, they also have quite a few internal affairs to deal with."

Blue B muttered, "Lord Raikage, you mean... we take the initiative and attack the Hidden Sand?"

"That's right!" A said firmly. "Our target is the northeastern border of the Land of Wind! It is relatively far from the core region of the Hidden Sand Village, and its defenses were already weak to begin with. Now they are even more empty! We will strike across like lightning, tear open a gap before they can react, and seize land and resources!"

Dodai raised his concerns once more. "Lord Raikage, please consider this carefully. Once we act, it will very likely trigger a chain reaction. The Hidden Stone will never sit by and watch us grow stronger. They may take the chance to attack the Hidden Sand's west, or even clash with us. Konoha's attitude is also hard to predict. This could drag the entire shinobi world into a great war."

"Dodai, you worry too much!" A's voice rose several degrees, carrying an unquestionable dominance. "A shinobi world war? Hmph, it will come sooner or later! Rather than waiting passively, it's better to seize the initiative ourselves! Our Hidden Cloud's Lightning Release is meant to crush everything with absolute power and speed! If you fear war, you will never become strong!"

He looked toward Blue B and the captains. "Blue B, your power is our guarantee at the critical moment. Everyone, soldiers are trained for a thousand days to be used in a single moment! The Hidden Cloud's shinobi have long yearned to prove their worth with the enemy's blood and defeats! Tell me, do you have the confidence to use the swords in our hands to cleave open a broader future for the Hidden Cloud?!"

"Yes!" Infected by the Raikage's momentum, the unit captains roared in unison, their fighting spirit high. Blue B also nodded, showing that he would obey the order.

Seeing that the Raikage's mind was made up, and that most people supported him, Dodai no longer objected. Instead, he began thinking about the specific strategy. "In that case, the composition of the raid force, the route of attack, and how to respond to possible interference all require detailed planning..."

"I'll leave those details to you, Dodai." A patted Dodai on the shoulder, his tone easing slightly but still full of decisiveness. "But be quick! Speed is the essence of war! Within three days, I want to see our vanguard force pierce into the heart of the Land of Wind like a sharp blade!"

"Yes! Lord Raikage!" everyone accepted the order.

This high-level meeting established the strategic tone of the Hidden Cloud Village taking advantage of weakness to strike. The Third Raikage A's decisive—or rather, aggressive—personality, along with the Hidden Cloud Village's overall atmosphere of revering martial force, made them another major force pushing toward the ignition of the Third Shinobi World War's fuse. As orders were issued, the Hidden Cloud war machine began to run at high speed. Elite Lightning Release shinobi sharpened their blades, preparing to bare their fangs at the Hidden Sand amid the chaos.