Standing atop a high sand dune, watching the blood-red sunset being kneaded into bizarre distortions against the horizon by the scorching sand, he saw the outline of the village at his feet cast in long, stretched-out shadows, accompanied by a few tufts of tumbleweed rolling past in the wind. Everything appeared inexplicably desolate and magnificent.
"Sigh!" Keiko let out a long breath.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" A question came from behind him.
Without looking back, Keiko quickly dropped into a half-kneel.
"Yes, Lord Kazekage, it is breathtaking."
That was right. Keiko was precisely the protagonist of this book, a post-80s community grid worker who should have been fighting on the front lines of pandemic prevention. He usually had no hobbies other than reading manga. On this particular day, after working through the night due to the residential area's epidemic prevention efforts, he found himself unable to sleep upon returning to his dormitory. So, he opened his laptop to revisit Naruto, growing sleepier the more he watched. When he woke up, he had somehow arrived in the world of Naruto—or more accurately, the world of the Kazekage.
With its sky full of yellow sand and barren land, this was unmistakably Sunagakure. And he was merely a war orphan of the First Shinobi World War.
Fortunately, the heavens had mercy. Gradually, Keiko discovered that he was none other than the Third Kazekage, hailed as the "strongest Kazekage in history." He was also the unluckiest one, appearing right from the start as a human puppet in the hands of Sasori of the Red Sands. As a time-traveler, he naturally could not accept such a tragic destiny.
Possessing the Magnet Release kekkei genkai and the Iron Sand Technique, relying on his profound understanding of the manga and his own unremitting efforts, he began to stand out at the Ninja Academy from a young age. After graduation, he led his squad to complete countless missions of all sizes, promoted to Jonin at the tender age of sixteen, and earned the favor of Shamon, the Second Kazekage, who promoted him to bodyguard.
Over the years, fighting in all directions across the continent, he not only carved out the moniker of the "Blue Sandstorm" in the ninja world (as the Third had blue hair), but was also firmly regarded by the Second Kazekage and several village elders as the heir to the title of Kazekage.
"Do you still think we shouldn't go to the Land of Rain?" the Second Kazekage asked.
"Yes, Lord Kazekage."
"Why? Could it be because of that poison-wielding brat called Hanzo of the Salamander?"
"Ibuse alone is something Chiyo can handle. My concern is that once the battle bogs down, other major nations will inevitably intervene. Neither Konoha nor the Hidden Stone Village will allow a powerful..."
"Enough!" Shamon interrupted sternly in tone.
"Do you think I don't know the risks of this war? Take a good look." He pointed again at the village below their feet.
"Water shortage! Poverty! Hunger! This is the bitter life we lead. Are we supposed to let our children continue living this bitter life? We don't fight? Where is our survival space? We don't fight? What do we use to develop the village! You are short-sighted! You truly disappoint me." Second Kazekage Shamon was emotionally agitated, the dragon tattoo on his face appearing even more ferocious.
Keiko kept his head lowered, half-kneeling on the ground, and said no more.
"Since you are unwilling to fight this war, then you won't go. Get lost to the Abyss and go watch over that little monk Bunpuku."
By the time Keiko raised his head again, the Second Kazekage had vanished without a trace.
The very next day, the Second Kazekage personally led Elder Chiyo and a group of elite Jonin on an expedition to the Land of Rain. Elder Ebizo stayed behind to manage village affairs, while Keiko, an elite Jonin viewed as the successor, was demoted to guard the prison known as the Abyss and watch over the One-Tail Shukaku's Jinchūriki, Bunpuku.
Having thoroughly read Naruto and long been active on various Naruto forums, Keiko naturally knew that the impending war was none other than the Second Shinobi World War. Taking place about twenty years after the First Shinobi World War, the economic gap between nations had widened, causing the militant factions of various countries to rear their heads under the pretext of expanding fair privileges.
It was a war that pushed for the expansion of territory through military force, and the opening salvo of the Second Shinobi World War was Sunagakure's war of aggression against Amegakure. Afterwards, the Five Great Nations centered their campaigns around the Land of Rain, taking turns performing in a chaotic mess. In the end, Konoha, with its deep foundations and fertile lands, claimed ultimate victory.
Sunagakure suffered the loss of a large batch of elite shinobi in this war, subsequently experiencing the successive accidental deaths of the Third and Fourth Kazekage. From then on, it was reduced to a second-rate role on the stage of the Five Great Nations. Despite briefly allying with Orochimaru to launch the Konoha Crush Plan during this period, they gained virtually nothing aside from killing an elderly Hiruzen Sarutobi.
By the era of Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage, they had completely become Konoha's lackey. Therefore, the conclusion that Sunagakure's decline stemmed from this war initiated by the Second Kazekage was indisputable.
Although Keiko was now revered as Sunagakure's "crown prince," he naturally wanted to cool things down and brake for a Sunagakure that was about to spin out of control. However, he was not yet the boss, and his repeated admonitions during strategy meetings had instead provoked the Second Kazekage, who was already biased toward the militant faction, resulting in a direct demotion to guard the Jinchūriki. For now, he could only take things one step at a time.
The Abyss was actually a prison built by modifying a semi-enclosed deep valley. The space was vast, yet it held only a single prisoner. Deep, gloomy, and silent as Avīci Hell, it was suffocating.
"Sigh, boss, you too. Why did you have to cross swords with Lord Kazekage over nothing? Look at this now. Pakura and I not only miss out on the battlefield, but we also have to come guard this dump with you," Rasa said irritably.
"Quiet down. When has the boss ever made a wrong judgment? Just follow his lead." Pakura manipulated her Scorch Release fireball to serve as a lamp illuminating the path ahead.
As an elite Jonin, Keiko naturally had his own ninja squad. Before Tsunade put forward the theory that equipping a combat squad with a medical ninja could greatly increase survival rates, a combat unit typically consisted of three people. Having entered Sunagakure's upper echelons early on, Keiko had simply reached out and assigned the future Fourth Kazekage—the long-faced Rasa—and the future elite Jonin Pakura, who possessed grievances greater than Dou E's yet wielded formidable combat strength, into his own squad.
This was practically Sunagakure's strongest combat squad. Yet, whether intentional or accidental on the part of the Second Kazekage, Keiko's direct remonstrance resulted in the entire squad being banished to the Abyss.
Rasa possessed none of the silence, taciturnity, and steady poise of the future Fourth Kazekage. Along the way, he muttered endlessly like a wronged, nagging young wife, complaining nonstop. Pakura, on the other hand, was Keiko's loyal little fan, acting as though whatever her captain and big brother said was right!
The Abyss was deep and winding. After walking for who knew how long, he finally sensed a faint gleam of light up ahead, where a slender shadow was stretched out even longer.
"Master Bunpuku, it's time to eat." Keiko respectfully passed the food box into the cell.
A middle-aged monk opened his eyes slightly, recognized the newcomer, and smiled faintly.
"Sorry to trouble you, benefactor Keiko." Bunpuku pressed his palms together and bowed to Keiko.
As the village's strategic weapon and the successor Keiko, the two of them naturally knew each other. Not only did they know each other, but they were quite close. Keiko, who knew the secrets of the Tailed Beasts inside and out, frequently came to chat with Bunpuku because he knew this monk was no simple figure. He could practically be called the first Perfect Jinchūriki after the Sage of Six Paths. His clear state of mind caused even the cantankerous and tyrannical Shukaku to praise his character as being very similar to the Sage of Six Paths.
Pity that the village regarded Tailed Beasts like floods and wild beasts, daring only to imprison him in the Abyss without conducting in-depth research or utilization.
"This old monk says sorry to trouble you, benefactor, not because you spared your feet to bring me food, but out of respect for your bold remonstrance to the Second regarding the troop deployment to the Land of Rain." Bunpuku opened the food box before him and began to eat slowly.
"It's a pity Lord Kazekage wouldn't listen to my advice and still insisted on dispatching troops. Right now, the vanguard of the army has probably reached the border of the Land of Rain. Sigh, a massive battle is inevitable." Keiko could not help but sigh. Though the two of them had different motives—one for the country, one for all living beings—their paths led to the same destination: both wished to avert this war.
"Benefactor has already done his best. With a clear conscience, there is no need for unease. It is a pity the world is about to be plunged into misery once again. Later on, this old monk will chant scriptures to deliver the souls of the departed."
"Yeah." Keiko acknowledged with a hum, and by the light of the lamp, he looked at Bunpuku's face, seeing only a thin, elongated face topped with two massive dark circles under the eyes.
"Master, how long has it been since you slept?"
"Well, come to think of it, it has already been fifty-five days."
"Ah, what a sin, what a sin. How about I take Master out for a nap right now?"
Bunpuku instantly smiled so hard his eyes crinkled. He pressed his palms together and said,
"In that case, I will have to trouble benefactor."
Before you continue