Just as Shikaku Nara had guessed, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were genuinely excited when they received the mission notification.
All that fighting between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō over decades was for naught. One died at the hands of his own disciple, his reputation ruined in his later years, while the other, due to a clumsy attack, was retaliated against and felled by his enemy. Now that both of them are gone, isn't the vast village of Konoha under their control? Tsunade, after all, just a young girl; how much does she really know about the affairs of Konoha?
Only they will be the ultimate victors!
Upon learning that they could finally return to Sunagakure, Temari and Kankuro disregarded whether it was a trap and rushed to the designated meeting point, only to see the man they never wanted to see in their lives.
Naoki Senju!
If Temari's greatest hatred is for Orochimaru, because he killed her father, the Fourth Kazekage, and led Sunagakure into an irreversible abyss, then her second greatest hatred is for Naoki Senju.
He killed her younger brother, Gaara, stifled the most promising ninja of Sunagakure, and stole the Tailed Beast that belonged to Sunagakure!
But at this moment, Temari and Kankuro had to force a smile to hide their anger, and even had to take the initiative to greet Naoki Senju!
"Hello, Lord Senju."
The stiff bytes seemed to be squeezed out one word at a time. Naoki Senju wasn't angry at their fearful expressions; after all, who wouldn't like a stubborn beauty who, despite trembling with fear, still tried to hold her head high?
Mei Terumi, who seems to be serving Tsunade recently, also seems to have this kind of personality.
Naoki Senju drew closer to Kankuro, who was watching with alarm, then lifted Temari and asked with amusement:
"Looking at me like that, aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"
The seemingly calm tone triggered a sense of impending death for Temari and Kankuro. Kankuro, suppressing his fear, reached for the puppet scroll on his back. The Crow and Black Ant created an opportunity, allowing the Ibuse to hide underground. Taking advantage of Naoki Senju's carelessness, there might still be a chance...
" Kankuro! He won't kill me, step back."
Temari knew her younger brother's personality well; if she didn't take care of him, given his tendency to always want to fight, he would have died countless times over.
"But..."
"No buts, I order you to step back!"
In the end, Temari sister, overwhelmed Kankuro with her presence Kankuro, abandoning his plan, retreated dejectedly, but as he retreated, Kankuro bumped into someone.
He hadn't even noticed who was behind him! Kankuro turned around with the fastest speed he'd ever been, simultaneously reaching for the scroll behind him that contained the puppets.
But the spot I'm most familiar with is completely empty this time!
" Naoki Senju, are you going to Sunagakure again this time?"
Utatane Koharu pressed Kankuro's head down with one hand, immobilizing him, while holding the puppet scroll that Kankuro treasured in the other. Instantly suppressing a novice puppeteer was not a problem for Utatane Koharu, even though she was older, she was still a disciple of the Second Hokage.
But Naoki Senju forced her to be extremely cautious.
In appearance, Naoki Senju bears an 80% resemblance to his former master, but his strength surpasses that of his master, likely reaching a level comparable to the First Hokage.
But the most troublesome thing is Naoki Senju's personality and way of doing things. He almost perfectly inherited his master's decisiveness and ruthlessness. If Naoki Senju had succeeded as the Fifth Hokage, they would have resigned on the pretext of illness and retired home long ago.
Unexpectedly, Naoki Senju, who was thought to be uninterested in politics, became involved in this mission. Whatever his purpose, he was an uncontrollable factor for Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.
"Ah~~"
Naoki Senju yawned boredly. If he had a way to shift the blame, he would have killed those two old bastards right now. Thinking about it, Danzo the Pot Kage Danzo was dying a bit too soon. At least he should have taken the blame first before he died.
"Look at you all, so old and yet you lay a hand on a child, aren't you ashamed?"
To Temari's delighted surprise, Naoki Senju waved his hand gently, and Kankuro, whose life and death had been in the hands of others, returned to her side.
"This is... Earth Release?"
Utatane Koharu was stunned, completely unaware of how Naoki Senju had saved Kankuro, and even the puppet scrolls had been taken away along with him.
"It's Wind Release," explained Mitokado Homura, who had been observing from the sidelines. "Using Wind Release with varying flow rates to create a pressure difference, the powerful suction instantly rescued the Sunagakure brat. In terms of Wind Release proficiency, even Danzo is no match for him."
Danzo's Chakra nature was only wind. Even after he developed fire, earth, and water chakra, he still focused on training Wind Release Ninjutsu Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Therefore, Danzo's mastery of Wind Release Ninjutsu was second to none in the entire Konoha. But at this moment, they witnessed Danzo's decades of research being turned into reality by a young man.
"Alright, we're all comrades from Konoha. There's no need to let a rift Genin over a mere Sunagakure. Let's go."
Mitokado Homura was clearly a level above Utatane Koharu. With just a few words, she brushed aside Utatane Koharu's recklessness and set a united front against external threats. Even Naoki Senju's act of saving Kankuro was not enough to win their favor.
However, Mitokado Homura clearly underestimated these two teenagers; more accurately, he underestimated Temari's intelligence and magnanimity.
After offering a few words of comfort to the frightened Kankuro, Temari deeply, his voice choked with emotion, and said:
"Thank you Lord Naoki Senju Sunagakure, I, as the daughter of the Fourth Kazekage, express my gratitude to the Fifth Hokage."
Mitokado Homura's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot. He never expected that this little girl could use her identity as the daughter of the Fourth Kazekage to cause trouble. If she really represented Sunagakure, then their trip would have been in vain, and they wouldn't have gained a single political achievement.
Naoki Senju hadn't expected Temari to see this, signifying an alliance between Sunagakure and the Fifth Hokage. Even for Sister Tsunade's sake, he now had to protect the siblings.
When Temari looked up again, her tear-streaked face was now incredibly resolute. She knew that her younger brother had just been on the verge of death, and if Naoki Senju hadn't intervened, the three siblings would already be reunited in the afterlife.
In Konoha, their identities are meaningless; too many people want them dead and don't care about their status at all.
In that case, they can only use the identity of the Fourth Kazekage to create a last bit of value, turning a useless identity into a life-saving charm. As long as they can return to Sunagakure safely and obtain the few cards they have, Temari will have the confidence to gain favorable conditions!