After receiving the Kazekage's letter, the Konoha Squad did not head back immediately, instead staying in Sunagakure for a while.
Having lost so many elite ANBU members, Sunagakure needed replacements just to barely maintain order in the village. They also had to guard against another Akatsuki attack. As things stood, Sunagakure could not withstand another one.
Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, came in person to see them off at the canyon leading out of the village, a clear sign of how much importance Sunagakure placed on them.
"Please be sure to relay the news to the Hokage!" the Fourth Kazekage repeatedly stressed, his manner much more humble than before.
After sacrificing so many elite ninja and losing Shukaku, the One-Tail, Sunagakure could no longer securely hold its place among the Five Great Nations.
Were it not for its elite puppet corps, its military strength would likely have already fallen below that of Amegakure and Takigakure.
Hanzo of the Salamander, who had earned the title of Demigod of the Ninja World during the previous Ninja War, led an Amegakure whose strength already approached Sunagakure's. All it lacked was a tailed beast.
Takigakure, meanwhile, possessed a devastating weapon in the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki. Though its ninja were few, every one of them had immense chakra reserves.
Zou Hyuga nodded to the Fourth Kazekage, then led his squad away into the desert.
The Fourth Kazekage lingered for a long time, gazing in the direction Zou Hyuga and the others had gone with a quiet sigh. This time, he had witnessed not only the Akatsuki's strength, but also that of Konoha's younger generation.
If Konoha sent even this single squad to attack Sunagakure, he could not be confident of dealing with them.
By comparison, their Sand Ninja had practically no promising successors.
The only ones who