As the full-scale war between the Lands of Lightning and Fire erupted, tensions between the Lands of Wind and Water also intensified.
Once impoverished and barren, the Land of Wind had, after years of painstaking development and plundering much of the Land of Earth's resources and reserves, become prosperous enough to arouse the envy of neighboring nations.
Coupled with the longstanding grudges between the Lands of Wind and Water, the pro-war faction within the Land of Water had gradually gained the upper hand.
Land of Wind, Rōran Lake.
What was once a desolate wasteland of yellow sand had been transformed into a vast, expansive natural lake due to the unexpected connection of underground waterways caused by the Ryūmyaku's eruption.
In the early morning, a layer of mist blanketed the lake's surface, spreading its ethereal presence across the water's edge and the reeds along the shore.
The reeds swayed freely with the ripples, while a few scattered clouds reflected on the water's surface, drifting lazily across the sky. The interplay of clouds and sunlight bathed the lake in a golden radiance.
By the lake stood a solitary wooden cabin on a lush green field. Though simple in design, the cabin was meticulously cleaned, a clear sign of long-term habitation.
The azure lake, smooth as a mirror, reflected the sun's brilliance. Yet, the young woman seated on a reclining chair seemed unaffected by the light.
She sat quietly under a parasol, holding a fishing rod in her hand, her gaze fixed on the lake's surface.
Suddenly, a figure wearing a demon-faced mask appeared to her right, kneeling on one knee as he respectfully spoke.
"Lady Chiyo!"
"Lord Kazekage has issued an order."
"The elite forces of Kirigakure are about to reach the coastal front of Ryukawa District. The village requires your immediate assistance."
The young woman with light purple hair slowly rose to her feet.
As she turned, her willow-like eyebrows framed almond-shaped eyes, her gaze sharp and captivating. Her delicate nose and smooth skin exuded an elegant charm, though her thin lips hinted at a life of misfortune.
On her forehead was a faint green rhombus-shaped mark—the Yin Seal—restoring her appearance to its youthful peak. This was none other than Granny Chiyo, rejuvenated through her mastery of the Yin Seal.
"I understand," Chiyo said in a deep, steady voice, her tone carrying an aged weight that belied her youthful appearance.
After the masked Anbu disappeared, Chiyo turned back toward the tranquil lake and murmured softly to herself.
"Scorpion..."
"Grandma will protect the village, I promise!"
"Stay here and wait for me. It won't be long before Grandma comes back to keep you company..."
Since Sasori's disappearance, Granny Chiyo had built a wooden cabin by this lake. For four years, she had lived here, perhaps sharing the Kazekage's unwavering belief that Sōmi and Sasori would one day return.
After packing her puppet scrolls, Chiyo glanced back at the lake one last time but saw no movement.
It wasn't until after Chiyo had left that bubbles suddenly began to rise from the center of the lake.
If someone were to dive to the bottom, they would discover that these bubbles were emanating from a toad statue covered in green moss.
The base of the statue seemed to tremble slightly.
Crack...
A faint fissure appeared at the base, as if severing the statue's connection to the earth.
However, strands of white light emerged from within the statue, sliding downward and seeping into the cracks, gradually sealing them.
Buzz...
The fissure, as if resisting these changes, trembled more violently, scaring away the fish around the statue.
Yet, the continuous flow of white light eventually filled the crack completely.
With the fissure gone, the underwater world returned to its usual tranquility.
Kirigakure's objectives in this campaign were clear. Taking advantage of their overseas territory and the presumed death of Sunagakure's "air force"—Sōmi—they launched elite forces to raid the coastal borders of Ryukawa District without restraint.
The Land of Wind, which had thrived for years in the Kawano and Torino regions through prosperous overseas trade and plundering the Land of Earth's reserves, was now undeniably the wealthiest nation in the shinobi world.
Sunagakure had used this wealth to train an enormous number of shinobi.
However, when faced with Kirigakure's elite forces, Sunagakure quickly realized that their tens of thousands of troops were of little use.
Led by Kisame Hoshigaki, Kirigakure's raiding force consisted of only a few hundred shinobi, yet every one of them was at least Chūnin-level or higher.
Their small numbers and sea-based attacks made them impossible to surround or annihilate.
As for launching a naval assault against Kisame...
Such a strategy might only be suggested by someone like Danzo, sending the Uchiha Clan to execute it.
After the war officially began, the Third Kazekage found Kisame and his forces clinging to the coastal borders of Ryukawa District like a persistent plague.
They would launch surprise attacks before retreating to the sea. Any pursuit by Sunagakure shinobi was met with the devastating power of tsunamis.
This back-and-forth led to a steady decrease in Sunagakure's forces, while Kirigakure's casualties remained in the double digits.
The Third Kazekage even considered employing the strategy Iwagakure had used against the Third Raikage: overwhelming them with sheer numbers.
If they could capture Kisame alive, not only would they cripple one of Kirigakure's arms, but they could also reseal the Three-Tails into a new Jinchūriki.
However, Kirigakure's command was no longer as reckless as before.
Kisame seemed to have mastered the art of guerilla warfare, retreating to the sea after each ambush, leaving Sunagakure's main forces unable to intercept him.
Kazekage's Office.
Bang!
A fist slammed heavily onto the desk.
"Those Kirigakure scoundrels!"
"They're pushing us too far!"
The Kazekage glared at the latest frontline report, the glaring casualty numbers stinging like slaps to his face.
"Lord Kazekage..."
"This is a ceasefire proposal from Kirigakure's envoy."
Yūra cautiously placed the document on the Kazekage's desk, evidently anticipating his reaction.
Bang!!
Another fist struck the desk, causing the document to leap as if startled.
"Two billion ryō in reparations?"
"Ceding Ryukawa District's coastline to the Land of Water and allowing their troops to station there, barring our citizens from entry?"
"Handing over war criminals to Kirigakure for them to deal with as they see fit?"
"Hahaha!"
The Kazekage let out a furious laugh, tearing the document into a flurry of shreds.
"Lord Kazekage..."
"But... if we don't accept Kirigakure's demands, how will we counter their two Jinchūriki?"
Rasa asked with deep concern.
"Even if every shinobi in Sunagakure dies on the battlefield!"
"We cannot accept such a humiliating treaty!"
"Do you think Kirigakure will stop their aggression if we agree to this?"
"No!"
"Their greed knows no bounds!"
"They want to turn the entire Land of Wind into their livestock, carving us up whenever they're thirsty or hungry!"
The Kazekage's voice grew increasingly severe, his dissatisfaction with Rasa evident.
He hadn't expected that after all this time, Rasa still lacked the qualities of a true Kage.
After being reprimanded, Rasa's face turned ashen. He stood silently to the side, clearly harboring resentment toward the Kazekage's harsh scolding.
No matter what, he had contributed greatly to Sunagakure...
The Third Kazekage slumped into his wide, creaking chair, his thoughts heavy.
At this moment, he deeply missed his exceptional, decisive disciple.
Sōmi...
If you truly cannot return...
Then I...
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