---
"What's wrong with the drop?"
Seeing Ye Dou's hesitant expression, the mongoose turned his head and asked.
"Nothing. The detonation tag is fine. It's time to head back," Ye Dou replied, shaking off the lingering thoughts in his mind.
He left the Ninja Academy grounds quietly.
---
Back in the forest, Ye Dou picked up the sounds of conversation—faint, but unmistakable—coming from Team Guy. As he approached, he spotted Might Guy, Neji Hyuga, Tenten, and Rock Lee.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, eyes landing on Rock Lee.
Although Lee's injuries weren't life-threatening, they were severe. Tsunade would later say he was lucky to even survive, let alone return to duty. At this point, he definitely shouldn't be out and about.
"Of course it's to celebrate our victory!" Lee said with fiery determination. "You and Neji passed the preliminaries—how could I miss such a moment?"
Lee's eyes blazed with spirit. He had seemingly forgotten that his own condition might prevent him from ever fighting again.
"Yes! Whether it's sorrow or joy, we must face it together! That is youth, Ye Dou!" Might Guy exclaimed, his usual passion returning in full force.
"You're late," Tenten said with a teasing grin, nudging Ye Dou. "Let me guess—you got held up by your little girlfriend?"
Neji, standing off to the side with arms crossed, let out a cold snort. Whether it was because of Hanabi or something else, no one could say.
"Nothing like that," Ye Dou replied calmly. "Just took a walk."
"Enough talk—Tenten, bring it out!" Lee shouted, grinning. "Tonight, we feast. No holding back!"
"Guy-sensei!" Tenten chimed in with mock concern. "We're not old enough to drink!"
"...Right," Guy muttered, pausing awkwardly.
---
[Konoha – Undercurrents]
"Still no word from Hayate?"
In the Hokage's office, the night air hung heavy. Hiruzen Sarutobi looked down at the ANBU before him, his face serious.
"I'm very sorry, Hokage-sama," the masked ninja replied. "We've found no trace of Moonlight Hayate. I'm afraid..."
He didn't finish, but the implication was clear.
Konoha was entering troubled times. Orochimaru's sudden return during the Chūnin Exams had set off countless red flags. If Hayate, a Special Jōnin, had gone missing now, it likely meant one thing—he had learned something he shouldn't have and been silenced.
"Double the patrols," Hiruzen ordered. "If there's any movement, signal immediately."
"Yes!" the ANBU answered, vanishing in a flicker.
"Orochimaru... what exactly are you planning?" Hiruzen murmured as he turned to gaze out the window, deep in thought.
---
[Sunagakure's True Intentions]
In the lodgings provided to the Suna delegation, Baki gathered Gaara, Kankurō, and Temari.
"I'll explain our mission now," he said gravely.
"What did you say?!" Temari's voice rose in disbelief.
They had come to Konoha for the Chūnin Exams—or so they thought. But their true objective was far more sinister: to use the exam as cover to destroy Konoha.
"But we're allied with Konoha. We signed a treaty!" she protested.
"The issue lies in the terms of that treaty," Baki explained, his face grim.
During the Third Great Ninja War, Sunagakure had been among the biggest losers. To prevent further losses, they were forced to sue for peace. But unlike minor villages, Suna was still one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations—they had bargaining power.
If pushed too far, even a losing village like Suna could drag Konoha into a Pyrrhic victory. And Konoha couldn't afford to look weak or vulnerable to other nations. That's why a deal had been struck—one that gave Konoha the advantage, but not without cost.
Yet, behind the scenes, that cost ran deeper.
Wars require money—vast amounts of it. While shinobi battles don't reach the massive scales of conventional warfare, the logistics are similar. By the time of the Fourth Great Ninja War, the Allied Shinobi Forces had roughly 89,000 members. That's thousands of ninja needing weapons, supplies, and support.
No village can fund a war alone. They rely on their country's daimyō for military investment.
When Suna lost the war, the Wind Daimyō began favoring Konoha—shifting resources and military support to the Leaf. As a result, Suna's military funding was slashed.
"It's simple," Baki said coldly. "The daimyo took what was ours and gave it to Konoha. We're being bled dry while they prosper."
This, then, was the true reason behind Suna's betrayal—resentment, desperation, and survival.
---
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