The Sunagakure in the Land of Wind. The scorching Greater Yang bakes the earth. As far as the eye can see, there is nothing but endless yellow sand, not a trace of green to be seen. The air here is dry and polluted. Every breath feels like swallowing a handful of scalding sand.
Poverty is an indelible mark etched into the very bones of Sunagakure. The Daimyo of the Land of Wind is incredibly stingy. The annual funding allocated to the village is pitifully small, barely enough to maintain its basic operations. To survive, the ninjas are forced to take on low-paying yet extremely dangerous missions. Many of the village's children are malnourished and emaciated.
Everything here forms a stark and brutal contrast with the Uchiha Sacred Land, shrouded in the World Tree and resembling a paradise on earth.
In the Kazekage's Office, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, listened quietly to his advisor's report. His expression was as cold and unyielding as a desert rock. But his golden eyes, hidden in the shadow of the Kazekage's Kazekage, gleamed with a chilling light.
"A forest that can continuously produce spiritual herbs?" Rasa's voice was hoarse and deep, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing against each other. "Is the information reliable?"
"Absolutely reliable, Lord Kazekage!" The advisor, Baki, was Rasa's most trusted confidant. "We not only confirmed this through channels in Iwagakure, but also learned through other means that the Uchiha Clan is currently expanding their trading company at an alarming rate, and has even started subsidizing clan members for childbirth! A reward of one million ryo for each child born! Even the incredibly wealthy daimyo of the Land of Fire couldn't afford such a sum! Their wealth has reached a level we can't even imagine!"
The air in the office froze instantly. The Sunagakure high-ranking officials present all breathed heavily. One million ryo! For them, who even meticulously calculated how to pay their ninjas' salaries, this figure was nothing short of a myth!
"Using money to buy people's hearts, using wealth to build barriers..." Rasa slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the village struggling to survive in the sandstorm below. "That man named Uchiha Gen'yō, what he wants to do is not just to revive a clan. He is using a method we have never seen before to overturn the old order of the entire Shinobi World. If we don't take action soon, once he has completely gained a foothold, I'm afraid the entire Land of Wind will be crushed by his money!"
"At that time, our ninjas and our people will probably all willingly defect to his side for a full meal and a bottle of medicine that can change their constitution!"
Rasa's words struck like a heavy hammer into the hearts of every high-ranking member of Sunagakure. They all knew that the Lord Kazekage was not exaggerating, but speaking of a bloody reality that was about to unfold!
"But, Lord Kazekage..." an elder hesitated before speaking, "We've all seen the fate of Kumogakure. The Fourth Raikage led three thousand elite troops, only to be completely annihilated before even reaching the enemy's gates. That Uchiha Gen'yō is said to possess godlike power. If we rashly intervene, wouldn't that be..."
"Gods?" Rasa whirled around, a terrifying glint in his golden eyes! "There have never been any gods in this world! So-called 'gods' are merely those who wield greater power! The Raikage's failure lay in his foolishness and arrogance! He thought he could solve everything with brute force; he chose the wrong way to fight from the very beginning!"
Rasa's gaze swept over everyone present, his voice becoming cold yet full of confidence.
"If Uchiha Gen'yō could create forests, can't I, Rasa, turn his forests back into deserts? He has his Susanoo, and I have my Magnet Release: Gold Dust! I admit he's strong, but he's ultimately just one person! And behind him lies his newly established, incredibly fragile foundation! We don't need to defeat him; we just need to destroy what he cherishes most! Destroy his cities! Destroy his forests! Destroy the source of wealth he uses to win people's hearts! As long as we're quick and thorough enough, before he can even react, reduce everything to nothing! What's left of a 'god' who has lost his foundation?"
In Rasa's eyes burned a flame called "greed" and "madness"! He had been driven to the edge of a cliff by the village's predicament, and he had no way out! For the future of Sunagakure, and for his own ambition, he had to gamble everything!
"What does Lord Kazekage mean...?" Baki's eyes also turned fervent.
"That's right." Rasa's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Isn't the Uchiha rich? Then let's 'borrow' some! Pass on my orders!"
Rasa's voice boomed through the office!
"Summon all Jonin Magnet Release Wind Release! Summon the elite of the puppet army! And bring that thing from the sealing scroll too! I want to see if his wood grows faster, or my sand buries him faster! Baki!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"This time, I'll lead the team myself!" Rasa slammed his Kazekage hat down on the table with a loud thud. "We don't want prisoners, we don't want spoils! We have only one goal! That is to completely Uchiha Sacred Land, that oasis that shouldn't exist in this world, off the map! I want that so-called 'god' to taste what it's like to have nothing!"
The wind began to howl across the desert. A plunder far more frenzied and reckless than the sneak attack on Kumogakure was about to begin!
"By the way, Lord Kazekage," Baki added, as if remembering something, "According to intelligence, Konoha's Root seems to be secretly monitoring the Uchiha's movements as well. Should we inform them beforehand about this operation?"
" Konoha? Danzo?" Rasa scoffed disdainfully. "A bunch of rats who only know how to scheme against others from the shadows. Ignore them, and certainly don't need to be wary of them. This time, it's a one-man show by Sunagakure!"