Although Naoki Senju's aura was still terrifying, Temari at least realized that he wasn't targeting her, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"There are many, but the only ones who truly hold power in Sunagakure are the financial advisor Ebizo and the elders of the council. The others are only subservient because of the power of the council."
Temari carefully considered her words. Although she wanted to kill all the Sunagakure Ninja who had shown hostility towards her and her brother, these people would also become her bargaining chips. A Sunagakure that was just an empty shell was of no value.
" Ebizo... you's Chiyo's younger brother, right?"
Naoki Senju recalled the old woman with the dark face at the gate of Sunagakure; her eyes seemed to look at him as if he owed her money.
"Yes, Ebizo and Chiyo are indeed siblings, but Chiyo only has high prestige in Sunagakure; her power is not particularly great."
Temari to sow discord between Chiyo Ebizo. While Chiyo did indeed lack factional influence, Chiyo excessive prestige was not good news for Temari.
She wants to succeed her father as the Fifth Kazekage, and the only things she can rely on are the support of Konoha and the prestige left by the Fourth Kazekage. However, Chiyo's prestige is no less than that of the Fourth Kazekage. If Chiyo leads the opposition, Temari will have no choice but to be ousted from the position.
Chiyo and Ebizo are essentially Konoha's advisory duo, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, and are even more threatening than them. However, Chiyo has no ambition, Ebizo has always been suppressed by Chiyo.
Therefore, if Chiyo wants to secure her position Kazekage, Chiyo must be eliminated! This has nothing to do with any personal grudges; it's an inevitable struggle for power.
Naoki Senju's mention of Chiyo wasn't just a casual remark; it was because he was reminded of Sasori of the Red Sands, whom he had killed. It seems Sasori was Chiyo's grandson, wasn't he?
"This is getting interesting... Don't worry, I'll take care of all the troubles in Sunagakure. Don't let me down."
Once Naoki Senju's perverse sense of humor is triggered, it's hard to stop him. His habit of verbally provoking his opponents during battles is also a manifestation of this perverse sense of humor.
"Yes! Temari will certainly not let you down, sir." Temari lowered her head to hide her slight pride. Being able to completely control Sunagakure meant that she and her brother could take another step forward while ensuring their safety!
"An oath that is neither entirely true nor entirely false carries no weight. Tonight, you will have a chance to convince me and allow me to entrust Sunagakure to you with peace of mind."
Naoki Senju lifted Temari with interest. Although her skin was not as fair and delicate as Konan's, and her figure was still immature, Temari's quick wit and capable demeanor gave her a unique charm.
After spending days in the desert watching the sand, accompanied only by a glamorous beauty he could only look at but not touch, he had long since reached his limit. This would also allow Temari to increase her sunk costs, thus depriving her of the motivation and reason to betray him.
To conquer a proud and strong woman, you must start with her weakest point: her body. Work your way in from the outside in, and from the inside out, making her give more and more until she completely loses the motivation and purpose to betray you.
That's what Naoki Senju did, and Temari clearly didn't expect to encounter such 'unspoken rules'... This can't even be called 'unspoken rules' anymore; it's blatant harassment of a subordinate.
However, Temari, as the person involved, did not show much resistance. Relying on the strong was the way Sunagakure survived. Otherwise, why would the Land of Wind support a group of ninjas who did not pay taxes, did not produce anything, and liked to engage in shady businesses?
Unlike the other four great nations, very few merchants would have the leisure to venture deep into the desert to find Sunagakure and hire its Sunagakure, unless absolutely necessary.
For example, if there is no way to detour and one has to cross the desert of the Land of Wind, or if one offends Iwagakure and Konoha at the same time, one can only hire ninjas from Sunagakure.
But how could such scattered employment orders support an entire ninja village? Thus, shady businesses and swindling military funds became the way for Sunagakure to survive.
In such a nearly collapsed order, attaching oneself to the strong and obeying the strong became the default rule.
Naoki Senju was undoubtedly the strongest Shinobi World, but Temari never expected that day to come so soon.
Temari and fidgeted with the hem of her clothes. Her body temperature rose abnormally, and her cheeks were flushed, as if she would faint at any moment.
"If Lord Naoki wants it..."
"Okay, it's decided then. I'll go to Sunagakure first. Temari, remember to take care of that woman there who's basically unable to take care of herself."
Konan, who was lying in bed recovering from her injuries, was indeed almost completely unable to take care of herself...
Temari smiled and nodded, her earlier tension having lessened considerably. However, the thought of her special mission that evening still made Temari blush.
After entrusting Konan to Temari, Naoki Senju used his Transformation Technique to change his appearance and, just as mentioned earlier, began to wander around Sunagakure.
However, it's not just aimless wandering. Sometimes, the true situation of a ninja village is not only reflected in the upper echelons where power is concentrated, but also in the lower echelons.
Economy, power distribution, culture, pillar industries, basic industries...
After a full day of observation, Naoki Senju even infiltrated the most secret Sunagakure Anbu using his Transformation Technique. It wasn't that the Sunagakure Anbu were all incompetent, but rather that Naoki Senju's Transformation Technique was something these ordinary ninjas simply couldn't see through.
After obtaining a wealth of authentic information, Naoki Senju finally broke free from Konoha's intelligence and Temari's descriptions, and truly came to know Sunagakure.
In short: Sunagakure is beyond saving, just destroy it already.
Unless oil can be found underground in Sunagakure, the Sunagakure is a money-devouring beast that only takes in money and never gives it back. The Land of Wind is almost bankrupting itself by supporting Sunagakure, which is why it tacitly allows Sunagakure to engage in those shady trades in order to alleviate the financial pressure on the Land of Wind.
"So, Sunagakure is just a useless underling who can't fight and can't make money?"
Naoki Senju sighed. Although he wasn't very satisfied with the harvest, he was glad that Sunagakure, besides its economic value, also occupied an important geographical position during the war.
For example, taking advantage of the Land of Wind to launch a surprise attack on Iwagakure...
That night, Temari knocked on Naoki Senju's door as scheduled. Perhaps due to the poor soundproofing of the buildings in Sunagakure, Konan's attitude towards Naoki Senju was much colder the next day, and her eyes were filled with the meaning of "you scum."
Ignoring Konan's mocking gaze, Naoki Senju asked:
"How are your injuries? How is your recovery going?"
"I've fully recovered. I hope you'll keep your promise," Konan replied coldly.
Naoki Senju nodded in satisfaction. From this day forward, Shinobi World will no longer exist in the Sunagakure; instead, it will become a branch village of Konoha in the Land of Wind!