Realizing they'd been played, the Iwagakure shinobi erupted in fury, hurling shuriken, kunai, and explosive tags with reckless abandon.
They suspected the Third Kazekage's disciple was mentally compromised, unable to refine his chakra properly, causing his erratic, stuttering movements—like a glitching game character.
Why not seize this chance to eliminate him and crush Sunagakure's morale? Especially since Rasa held a potion that rapidly restored chakra. No matter how you looked at it, he needed to be taken down or captured!
"Charge! Everyone, charge!" the Iwagakure commander roared, directing his subordinates with frenzied intensity, likely humiliated from being toyed with by Rasa for so long.
Tasked by the Third Tsuchikage to probe the Land of Wind's weaknesses, he'd struck gold by encountering the mysteriously vanished Third Kazekage's disciple—rumored to be unhinged. If not now, when would they strike?
But… who could've predicted that so many Iwagakure shinobi would be outwitted by a supposed lunatic?
He could already sense the mockery awaiting him back in the village—a joke that would linger for years.
He had to eliminate Sunagakure's young prodigy!
The Iwagakure shinobi saw their advantage. Rasa was just a twenty-something upstart, while they had ten Jōnin and fifteen Chūnin. No question—take him down!
As for Rasa…
Glancing at his latest gacha pull, he sighed in relief but also felt helpless. [I need the perfect moment to use this.]
---
Late in the 41st year of Konoha's founding, the year was drawing to a close, ushering in a new one.
The Third Kazekage's inexplicable disappearance—without warning or trace—plunged Sunagakure into a state of vulnerability and tension.
While the village dispatched most of its shinobi to search for him, other villages learned of the Kazekage's absence and the Land of Wind's Daimyo consistently slashing funding, weakening Sunagakure and reducing its ninja ranks.
It was a juicy target—a prize among the five great villages. Why not take a bite?
When news spread that Kumogakure had preemptively mobilized an army led by the Third Raikage to raid the Land of Wind's border, the other villages reacted swiftly, preparing for war. Kumogakure's rapid advance, with no prior warning, suggested they'd long been planning this conflict. Who'd believe otherwise?
The Kages of the great villages knew Kumogakure's ambitions were vast.
Meanwhile…
To halt Kumogakure's advance, Ebizō and Chiyo led nearly all of Sunagakure's fighting force to the border, moving as fast as possible.
Though spies in the Land of Lightning had detected suspicious activity, no one expected Kumogakure to move so quickly!
They couldn't afford a single misstep. One wrong move, and Sunagakure—one of the five great villages—could fall.
To protect their village, comrades, families, and friends, the Sand shinobi were prepared to sacrifice everything.
Their only regret…
In this dire moment, there was still no word of the Kazekage. As long as he was alive and appeared before them, even if the Daimyo provided no war funds, rewards, or support for the village, they believed their Kage's presence would ensure Sunagakure's survival.
That was the role of a Kage.
Every ninja trusted, respected, and revered him—the village's pillar and spiritual leader.
"What happened to the Kazekage? How could he vanish without a trace?" Ebizō, covered in sand, frowned with worry as he hurried along, speaking to his equally serious sister. "Could Konoha's Hokage and the Sannin have acted together?"
"Even the Sage of the Six Paths and his three students couldn't make the Third vanish silently," Chiyo sighed, shaking her head.
"Unless… he was trapped in a barrier set by Konoha. We've sent so many shinobi to search, yet there's no news. He's likely…
gone. Of course, Kumogakure's a suspect too. Their rapid invasion suggests they planned this war long ago, possibly targeting the Kazekage to weaken us. But what's the point of saying this now?"
"Sister, you know what I mean," Ebizō said quietly, his cloudy eyes tinged with worry. "Sasori… he disappeared at the same time as the Kazekage."
The Kazekage's absence overshadowed Sasori's—his grandnephew and Chiyo's grandson—making it seem less urgent.
"We've asked others to search for him, but… still nothing."
Chiyo fell silent, her eyes reflecting worry. Sasori was her only grandson, her son's only child—a prodigy with the potential to become Sunagakure's pillar. If their fears were true…
[My precious grandson!]
Her eyes welled up. As a grandmother, she didn't want to admit her grandson might be gone, but the situation forced her to entertain dark thoughts.
[Sasori… he must have sacrificed himself to protect the Kazekage. That child… he loved Sunagakure as much as his father did!]
"Sister…" Ebizō hesitated, seeing Chiyo's reddened eyes.
"It's nothing. Just the sand of the Land of Wind—it's too much," Chiyo said with a self-deprecating smile, shaking her head. "No matter how long I live here, I'll never get used to it."
Why did Sunagakure have to endure such a harsh environment? Why did Konoha get lush, fertile land?
[The God of Shinobi… is long dead!]
"Let's not dwell on it," Chiyo began, but her face suddenly shifted. "Enemy attack!"
(End of Chapter)