Yongye stood to one side, his hands still in his pockets. The smile on his face had not faded. If anything, it had deepened.
He laughed inwardly. Thank you, CC Kick V. Thank you, Clear Sword Heart!
Tsunade frowned and considered the matter for a long while before speaking. "Would a Kazekage really act so recklessly? Even if he wanted to abduct someone, he wouldn't do it himself, would he? And with his most recognizable Ninjutsu? That's far too obvious."
Inoichi Yamanaka tilted his head slightly, thinking fast as he chose his words.
Ibiki spoke first. "Sasori is a rogue ninja from Sunagakure, and he still has the Third Kazekage's puppet. Perhaps Sunagakure wanted to seize this chance to take the puppet back too. The Fourth Kazekage may have gone himself to make certain it worked."
Inoichi Yamanaka had found his words by then and added:
"There's another possibility—the Daimyo of the Land of Wind is interested in the Immortality Technique too. Word about Hidan has spread. The leaders of every nation are looking for information and trying to get their hands on the Immortal Trio."
It served their interests for the culprit to be Sunagakure, so they did their best to convince Tsunade.
Tsunade did not answer immediately.
Her gaze swept over the sand again and again as she weighed the possibilities. To her, the idea that the culprit was the Fourth Kazekage made little sense.
Yongye stepped past her and took the foremost position at the edge of the Sand Dunes.
He raised his hand high like a certain famous painter, then brought it down toward the golden sand with murderous force.
"Do you know how much a loaf of bread costs these days?"
"The evidence is right in front of us. Let's go to war with Sunagakure!"