Sunagakure, the Kazekage's office.
The Third Kazekage, Ryūnosuke, sat with a face as dark as storm clouds, glaring at the disheveled Chiyo and Ebizō. His voice was so cold it seemed shards of ice might fall from it. He truly wanted to grab them both by the collars and demand: what kind of useless trash are you?
But, considering their status, he had no choice but to suppress his fury and redirect the blame toward the subordinates kneeling below:
"Both sides had four thousand shinobi. Yet we, Sunagakure, were driven out of the Land of Rain all the way back to the Land of Wind by Konoha? And along the way, half our forces were slaughtered? What the hell were those worthless fools doing!?"
Ebizō, after a night of fleeing for his life, looked as if he had aged more than ten years. Still, after the desperate retreat, he had at least managed to pull himself somewhat together. He gave a rough account of the previous night's disaster, then ended with a long, heavy sigh:
"That Gekko Hoshiyomi not only possesses terrifying strength, but his strategy is unparalleled. He incited Sunagakure's dissidents to rebel during the night, coordinating with him from within to attack our camp. With such a combination strike, it was inevitable we would have no chance to fight back.
Truthfully, it is my own failing. After so many years of doing intelligence work, to allow a Konoha shinobi to infiltrate our camp… I have shamed Retō-sama's teachings."
At his words, Chiyo, already heavy with grief from their crushing defeat, was further overcome with sorrow when her brother mentioned her late husband. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Seeing this scene, Ryūnosuke's lips twitched slightly, and inwardly he cursed these two old foxes.
Well played… what a clever retreating tactic.
With their exalted status, they had chosen to take the initiative, admitting fault while invoking the name of the First Kazekage. After such a display, he had no grounds to chastise them further.
Though inwardly disgusted, Ryūnosuke could not vent his anger. He could only offer them soft words of comfort:
"What's done is done. Elder Chiyo, Elder Ebizō, please rest well. Whatever happens, your health is of utmost importance. If anything were to happen to either of you, that would be an even greater loss for the village."
But after soothing the elders, his voice abruptly sharpened again, carrying a blade's edge:
"As for the Konoha shinobi… from here on, leave that to me. Since they dare to blockade the Land of Wind, they had best be prepared to be annihilated."
As he spoke, Ryūnosuke unleashed his full aura. His chakra flared outward, stronger even than Chiyo's, and the very sands outside the building seemed to stir in response.
Both Ebizō and Chiyo were shaken to their cores by the oppressive force. Whatever else could be said, the title of Strongest Kazekage in History was no empty boast.
Though already exhausted after a night of flight, Ebizō still forced himself to speak up in caution:
"Lord Kazekage, if I may… I suggest that once we've struck a decisive blow against this force and broken Konoha's blockade, we immediately use the momentum to request a ceasefire. That might be our best chance to escape this quagmire of war."
At those words, Ryūnosuke's overflowing aura faltered slightly. He wanted badly to erupt in anger, but his rational mind told him Ebizō was not wrong. If they could inflict serious damage on this Konoha army, that would indeed be the perfect moment to negotiate.
After holding back for a long while, he finally gave a stiff reply:
"I understand. The two of you should go and rest."
Once Chiyo and Ebizō had departed, Ryuunosuke slammed his hand angrily onto the desk and barked his order:
"Send word: mobilize four thousand of the village's elite. We march to the Land of Wind's border. I will make Konoha pay the price they deserve."
——
At the border of the Land of Wind, within Konoha's camp.
After a full day of rest, the troops had recovered their strength. The atmosphere was jubilant—spirits high, laughter and excitement everywhere.
But within the command tent, the expressions of the Konoha officers were anything but relaxed.
"It's about time. That Third Kazekage bastard shouldn't be able to hold himself back much longer…"
Orochimaru took a sip of tea, his expression grave as he spoke.
This wasn't any kind of secret—just a matter of simple reasoning. Sunagakure had suffered devastating losses this time, and on top of that, their gateway to the Land of Rain had been completely blocked. The Third Kazekage wasn't some coward who'd hide in his shell—if enemies had already reached his doorstep and he still didn't show himself, that would be absurd.
But while it was easy to say this, the thought of actually facing the Third Kazekage left them all unsettled.
The other three in the tent fell silent. After a long hesitation, Shinku finally voiced the worry in his heart:
"Do we really have a way to deal with the Third Kazekage? I've heard his Magnet Release is incredibly strong. More importantly… that ability counters Hoshiyomi too well."
At those words, the three of them all turned their eyes toward Hoshiyomi.
That was exactly what they feared most. The Third Kazekage was hailed as the strongest Kazekage in history, largely because he had created an entirely new kekkei genkai: Magnet Release.
By refining his chakra into magnetic force, he could control anything made of iron—turning all metal weapons into tools at his command.
His greatest specialty was extracting the fine iron sand hidden within the endless yellow sands of the Land of Wind and wielding it as a weapon. The iron sand could shift freely into any shape for attack or defense, and what was worse, once those fine particles invaded a human body—or even a puppet—they could completely paralyze it.
Against such an opponent, how could a sword specialist like Hoshiyomi even fight? If the Kazekage could rob him of his blade, how could he possibly stand against a storm of iron sand without a weapon in hand?
Among the four, Hoshiyomi was unquestionably their strongest, their main fighter, their spiritual pillar. The thought of him being countered so completely left them deeply unsettled about what was to come.
But under their worried gazes, Hoshiyomi only smiled faintly, calm and confident as he said:
"Don't worry. The Third Kazekage won't be able to do a thing to me."
While the others feared the Kazekage, Hoshiyomi didn't. As someone who had gone through nine years of compulsory education before being transported to this world, he might not have mastered physics, but he did know one simple principle: electricity generates magnetism, and magnetism generates electricity.
Electricity and magnetism influence each other. That much was enough. Since he had perfect mastery over Lightning Release, Hoshiyomi had no need to fear his weapon being snatched away. As long as he wrapped enough current around his Mikazuki Munechika, the Kazekage's Magnet Release would become a joke.
In fact, Hoshiyomi was already looking forward to seeing sparks fly between his electric blade and the Kazekage's iron sand.
What's more, he had yet to reveal his newly acquired technique, the Soul-Devouring Demon-Sealing Slash. He believed that in the coming battle, this move would also shine brilliantly.
Magnetism? So what? I'll just pull you straight toward me—let's see how you deal with that.
With that thought, Hoshiyomi's fighting spirit surged. He turned to Orochimaru and the others:
"When the time comes, you all just focus on handling the other Suna shinobi. As for the Third Kazekage? Leave him to me."