The Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki, clapped his hands and said with amusement, "Well, well, so you're actually using that trick to counter sand!"
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, stood up and replied coldly, "This is the same technique I used back when Shukaku went berserk."
The Second Mizukage narrowed his eyes as he looked upward. Suspended in the air was a massive wave of sand, and atop it stood Gaara.
"Huh?! That's not Shukaku… It's Gaara?!"
Gaara called out, "Father, long time no see."
The Fourth Kazekage snorted. "Gaara… I didn't expect you to grow up so much."
Gaara sneered. "And that's not the only thing I've grown into."
With that, he swiftly changed hand seals. Four massive arms of sand burst out from beneath the gold dust and shot toward the Fourth Kazekage, the Third Raikage, and Gengetsu.
Only Mu, the Second Tsuchikage, avoided the attack thanks to his advanced sensory perception. As he landed, he immediately sensed a massive build-up of chakra above.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
He smirked. "So you're still alive, Ōnoki."
As he spoke, Mu made the exact same hand signs and shouted:
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
With a loud crackling noise, the two Dust Release techniques collided midair, forming a blinding sphere of light that exploded, blasting a deep crater into the battlefield below.
Ōnoki narrowed his eyes and grunted, "As expected of my teacher. Your Dust Release is still stronger than mine."
Gaara tried to trap the reanimated Kage again, but Rasa pressed one palm onto the sand arms, causing three of them to collapse and scatter.
Gengetsu tilted his head toward Mu and asked curiously, "Hey, that old fart floating above—he your student? Since when did he learn Dust Release?"
Mu walked over and replied, "Yes. That's my apprentice, Ōnoki."
He then looked up at the airborne Ōnoki and called out, "Hey, Ōnoki! How's the village doing these days?"
Ōnoki smiled and responded, "Thanks to the will of our predecessors, things are going smoothly. I currently serve as the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure."
Mu nodded in surprise. "Huh, not bad! Though… you've lived a pretty long life, haven't you? Other villages are already on their Fifth Kage, and we're still on our third. Guess that means our village is more stable!"
Ōnoki gritted his teeth in frustration but didn't respond.
If someone else had said that, it would've been a direct insult—implying that Ōnoki was too old, clinging to power, and that Iwagakure had no worthy successor. But Mu was his teacher. Ōnoki couldn't get angry even if he wanted to.
Mu shouted up again, "Hey, Ōnoki! In this situation, are the shinobi working together? If you win this war, make sure you tell our village's ninja to grab the spoils quickly! If you hesitate, the other villages will catch on, and you'll miss out!"
Gengetsu cursed. "You damn Second Tsuchikage, always so shameless!"
The Third Raikage nodded in agreement. "He's right, though!"
Mu snorted coldly. "That's the shinobi world for you. Strike first and gain the advantage—hesitate and you lose everything. If you don't seize the opportunity, how can you maximize your village's interest? Ōnoki, did you hear that?!"
Ōnoki floated a bit lower and shouted, "Sorry, Master Mu. But we won't be doing things that way this time!"
Mu blinked. "Nani?"
Ōnoki said firmly, "Right now, the entire Allied Shinobi Forces stand united. We started this war not for land or resources, but to obtain a lasting peace that has eluded us for generations. We must fight together to eliminate hatred and stop the cycle of vengeance in this world.
I was once inspired by the dream of Lord Hashirama, the First Hokage. But over time, I lost myself in the politics of war, in the pressures of being Tsuchikage. I prioritized protecting the village above all else—and in doing so, I lost my way."
As Ōnoki spoke, Gaara turned his head to look at the old man.
"But now… we have unprecedented unity among the shinobi. And after living this long, I want to see a different world. So I'm sorry, Master Mu—this time, I'm not listening to you. We're not fighting over spoils. This time, we're fighting for the future of all shinobi."
Mu placed a hand over his forehead and sighed, "Is that so…"
Gaara smiled faintly. Naruto, your ideal world… it's finally within reach.
Just then, the Fourth Kazekage interrupted, anger rising in his voice after hearing Mu's earlier remarks.
"Gaara! Let me ask you—where is Shukaku?!"
When Gaara heard that question, he replied impatiently, "Tch… I got rid of that thing a long time ago. I'm no longer the Jinchūriki you turned me into."
At the mention of this, Gaara's entire demeanor shifted. Even Ōnoki could sense a chill in his chakra. The man standing before them—the Fourth Kazekage—had hurt Gaara deeply.
The Fourth Kazekage was stunned. "What do you mean… not a Jinchūriki?"
Gaara crossed his arms over his chest, his tone cold and expression blank. "The person who controls you now ripped Shukaku out of me, nearly killing me in the process.
But… I survived. I was saved by a friend—Naruto Uzumaki. And Lady Chiyo of the Sand gave her life to bring me back."
The Fourth Kazekage's eyes widened in shock.
Gaara… has friends?
Lady Chiyo… gave her life for Gaara?!
What is happening in this world?!
Gengetsu clicked his tongue and sighed, "How pitiful. You only just made a friend? At your age, shouldn't you have several already?"
As he examined Gaara more closely, Gengetsu noticed the boy's distinct lack of eyebrows—just like himself—and immediately felt a kindred connection.
Gaara turned back to his father and said calmly, "Father… you tried to kill me six times. Every time, my fear and hatred for you grew stronger. But now, I'm no longer bound by that. I understand why you did what you did.
I am the Kazekage now. And the duty of the Kazekage is to protect the village from threats."
The Fourth Kazekage was dumbfounded. "What did you say? You… became Kazekage?! You?!"
Ōnoki snorted and said proudly, "That's right. Gaara is not only the youngest Kage in history—he's also a company commander in the Allied Shinobi Forces.
Despite his age, both the soldiers and the other Kage respect him."
After saying this, Ōnoki smirked inwardly. There, kid—I gave you some face in front of your father. Don't say this old man never did anything for you.
The Fourth Kazekage was speechless. "How… how is this possible…?"
He simply couldn't believe it.
The boy he had once viewed as a failed weapon, a living threat to Sunagakure, had now become the village's Kazekage—and a key figure in the Allied Shinobi Forces.
And standing before him now… was not the monster he had created, but a man who surpassed him.
As a father, the realization hit him like a punch to the gut.
He felt ashamed. Deeply ashamed.
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