At that very moment.
In a barren part of the Shinobi World, Sunagakure.
The enormous Ninja Village sat quietly amid the wasteland, rather like a patch of green in the desert.
At the very center of Sunagakure, Rasa, the current Fourth Kazekage, was quietly discussing matters of great importance with the village's senior officials.
"Chiyo, you're saying that when Uchiha Minato went to Konoha this time, he not only helped Konoha repel powerful enemies, but also successfully took that fellow Hiruzen out of the picture?!"
"And now, Konoha is about to come truly under Minato Namikaze's control?!"
Suddenly, a calm voice rang out. Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, spoke slowly, asking a nearby senior official of the Intelligence Department for the specific details of the recent major events in Konoha.
"Yes, Lord Kazekage, but to be precise..."
"In fact, the one truly controlling Konoha right now is not the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. And Minato Namikaze has long intended to yield the Hokage position to Uchiha Minato."
"So, to be precise, the person controlling Konoha from behind the scenes is very likely Uchiha Minato. Even if he isn't in control now, he certainly will be in the future!"
A senior official of the Intelligence Department, a Sunagakure Ninja who worked in intelligence, hesitated before slowly speaking.
As soon as he finished, the Sunagakure officials, who had thought Uchiha Minato had merely lent a hand on the sidelines, could not help exchanging startled glances, seeing the shock in one another's eyes.
Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, in particular, frowned slightly. "Isn't this Uchiha Minato the Third Rain Shadow of Amegakure?! How... has he become Konoha's actual ruler too?!"
The senior official of the Intelligence Department was just about to hand all the documents he had prepared to Rasa and the officials present when