"Sensei, if our village had someone with such a precious constitution, would you use her as bait?"
"Do you really think someone could poison her blood just to kill us all?"
Sōmi spoke without hesitation.
"Uh..."
"Well, that may be true, but this involves the issue of raising that baby girl. If there really is no problem with them, we must nurture this mother and daughter pair with all our efforts, making them pillars of Sunagakure!"
"It would be best if we could fully integrate the Uzumaki clan into Sunagakure through them!"
The Kazekage's face revealed a look of aspiration. After all, the Uzumaki clan's bloodline was one of the most exceptional in the ninja world!
"Let's just have Sasori conduct an examination to confirm everything!"
"But..."
Sōmi's tone suddenly shifted, and a sly, mischievous smile appeared on his face.
"Sensei, if we want the Uzumaki clan to bear fruit in Sunagakure, you might have to step in personally!"
"What do you mean?"
The Kazekage froze, momentarily failing to grasp Sōmi's implication.
"She's a young widow in her prime!"
"Sensei, you're not bad-looking yourself. If you put in some extra effort during this special time, wouldn't that be..."
"Think about it: a lonely mother and daughter coming to Sunagakure. As the leader of the village, it's perfectly reasonable for you to offer them some comfort!"
"And if we could directly make the Uzumaki clan part of our family, and then push a bit harder—have seven or eight kids together... wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Sōmi spoke with a righteous expression, leaving the Kazekage momentarily stunned.
"You little brat, Sōmi!"
"You've got some nerve! Now you're even daring to joke about me!"
"Do you think I can't handle you just because you've grown wings?!"
The Kazekage, both embarrassed and angry, slammed his palm on the desk, pretending to rise and teach Sōmi a lesson.
Knock, knock, knock...
The timely knock at the door saved Sōmi from his predicament.
"Come in!"
The Kazekage shot Sōmi a sharp glare, clearly still irritated.
Sōmi, however, remained grinning as he plopped down on the sofa.
"Oh! It's Sasori and Elder Chiyo?"
"Everything went smoothly, I hope?"
The Kazekage quickly composed himself, greeting the two with a smile.
"No issues!"
"The members of that group have all been detained," Elder Chiyo reported as she walked to the desk. Meanwhile, Sasori was beckoned by Sōmi to join him on the sofa.
"The power of that clan is indeed quite unique. It will likely be very difficult to control. If we try to apply their abilities to Sunagakure's ninja, I fear many accidents could occur..."
Elder Chiyo's eyes were filled with concern.
"Don't worry!"
"Elder, rest assured. This is just an experiment and a bargaining chip proposed by Sōmi. We won't recklessly let our village's ninja attempt anything until we've ensured it's safe."
The Kazekage spoke with confidence. He had already discussed this matter thoroughly with Sōmi beforehand.
Elder Chiyo turned to look at Sōmi, who was casually draping his arm around Sasori's shoulders. A deep sense of relief welled up in her heart.
Ever since her son and daughter-in-law had passed away, Sasori had gradually closed himself off. The cheerful smile of his childhood had long disappeared.
Thankfully, he still had a genuine friend like Sōmi by his side.
Recently, Elder Chiyo had noticed that Sasori's emotional fluctuations were becoming more apparent. He would even smile at her occasionally—a smile that came from the heart.
For her one and only precious grandson, Elder Chiyo was willing to give up her life if it meant seeing him smile.
Her thoughts briefly turned to the Forbidden Technique she had been perfecting...
"By the way," the Kazekage interjected.
"Elder Chiyo, you mentioned earlier that you wanted to take over the puppet class's instruction, correct?"
"Yes!"
"I may be old, but I don't have much else to do. Training more talent for Sunagakure is a good way to make use of my remaining energy!"
"Sasori's puppet techniques have already surpassed mine in terms of creativity and design. Having him teach those kids would only be a waste of his talent."
"Besides, I doubt they'd even understand his advanced ideas."
"Eagles shouldn't be confined to cages; they should soar freely in the sky!"
"I believe in Sasori. He will surpass Monzaemon and become the greatest puppet master in Sunagakure's history!"
Elder Chiyo spoke with a firm and electrifying gaze as she looked at Sasori.
"But Elder, you're also planning to teach the medical class..."
"The workload for the medical class is already heavy. I'm worried your body won't be able to handle it..."
The Kazekage hesitated before voicing his concern. He understood the situation all too well.
But Sunagakure's talent pool was far too thin. If they continued with the old master-apprentice or clan-based training systems, their talent output would never match that of Konohagakure.
Thus, they had adopted a large-scale classroom teaching model, where promising ninja were grouped together for centralized training. Once they had a solid foundation, they were given instructional scrolls to study on their own.
At the very least, this approach ensured that talented individuals from civilian backgrounds had a chance to rise.
"It's fine!"
"Pakura has been doing well with her medical ninjutsu. I'll have her assist me as a teaching assistant."
"Besides, I only plan to teach a few more classes before calling it a day!"
Elder Chiyo appeared relaxed, showing no aversion to the idea of passing on her knowledge and skills.
Perhaps it was the youthful energy radiating from the students that influenced her...
"Pakura?"
"I've heard she's been spending a lot of time with Sōmi. Is there something going on between them?"
The Third Kazekage suddenly lowered his voice, gossiping with Elder Chiyo.
"Hmm?"
"I wouldn't know..."
"But, Lord Kazekage, instead of worrying about others' love lives, perhaps you should focus on your own. You're not getting any younger!"
"You keep encouraging the village to have more children, but you're not exactly leading by example. Is that appropriate?"
Elder Chiyo gave the Kazekage a rare look of reproach, speaking in a tone befitting a senior.
"Uh..."
"Ahem!"
The Kazekage's face showed a hint of embarrassment. Since taking office, he had devoted himself entirely to Sunagakure, constantly thinking about development and strength.
He had never given much thought to his own personal life.
As he pretended to busy himself with paperwork, Sōmi's earlier words suddenly echoed in his mind.
For a brief moment, the Kazekage found himself seriously considering paying a visit to the mother and daughter.
Perhaps Sōmi had unintentionally awakened the "ambitions of a ruler" within the Third Kazekage.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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