"Of course, I got it from Ruriyo."
Yoru answered without hesitation.
"Cough, cough—!" Karuo, in his final moments, forced out another question. "Did you deliberately let Chagakure Ryūsuke and Kaitō Uba escape to call for reinforcements... or have they already defected?"
"Ryūsuke was always a Konoha spy. As for Uba, I let him go on purpose. If only Ryūsuke showed up, someone as cautious as you would never have believed it."
"...I see." A strange smile twisted Karuo's lips.
"Shit—!" Yoru's expression darkened as he lunged to stop him—but he was too late.
Though Karuo was already dead and hadn't formed any seals, the shifting sands beneath him suddenly lit up with fuinjutsu script.
With a soft pop, a portion of the sand vanished—carrying his final message away.
"Heh." Yoru's frown melted into a smirk.
Of course, he'd known. His Sonic Radar Technique had detected Karuo's subtle movements long before. The dying man's attempt to summon a messenger had played right into his hands.
"This... leaves a lot of room for manipulation."
Rubbing his chin, Yoru's mind raced.
According to Yamashiro Midori's intel, this Karuo was the father of Karusu—wife of one of the Kazekage candidates, Rasa. Meanwhile, Ruriyo was married to the other candidate, Satetsu Arashi.
If word got out that Karuo and the Suna battalion's annihilation were linked to Ruriyo... the already tense rivalry between Rasa and Satetsu Arashi would explode.
Sunagakure might look united, but its internal strife was no less vicious than Konoha's. The Fourth Kazekage selection was a battlefield of shadows—only held in check by the Third's iron grip.
Satetsu Arashi had the backing of Suna's elder council, the puppet brigade, and the legendary Chiyo and Ebizō. On paper, he was the stronger candidate.
Among the Five Great Villages, only Kumogakure had truly unified—after the Gold and Silver Brothers' rampage. The other four were cauldrons of simmering strife.
This was the flaw of Hashirama and Madara's vision. Peace built without bloodshed was fragile. The other villages had hastily copied Konoha's model, stitching together clans with conflicting interests. Only Kumo, isolated and martial, had purged its dissenters—leaving no room for traitors.
Sometimes, political sabotage cuts deeper than any blade.
Yoru didn't need to lift a finger. Just linking Karuo's death to Ruriyo would be enough. The grieving families—unable to touch the "White Blood Demon"—would turn their fury on her. And Rasa, ever the opportunist, would weaponize their rage against his rival.
Power struggles only end two ways: annihilation or compromise.
Given Satetsu Arashi's fanaticism and Rasa's ambition... compromise seemed unlikely.
Tucking the scheme away for later, Yoru sealed Karuo's corpse into a scroll. An elite jōnin's body—especially one with Sand Release secrets—was priceless research material.
The battle raged on. Under the combined assault of Hakumon Tōzan, Uchiha Shun, and Tatami Raidō, two Suna jōnin had already fallen. The last stood on the brink.
"Wait." Yoru raised a hand as the Suna nin bit down—not fast enough. "No need to die yet. If you defeat these three, I'll let you go."
Even ants cling to life. The man hesitated, though his guard stayed up.
This was the perfect chance to test Shishikudō, Kosugi, and Inuzuka Rō. Especially Rō—his progress had been staggering, mastering Fang Over Fang and Beast Human Clone techniques.
"Fang Over Fang!"
Rō and his hound, Akitarō, launched their signature spiral assault, forcing the Suna nin into evasive maneuvers.
"Ten Thousand Blades!"
Shishikudō unsealed a storm of kunai and shuriken, saturating the air. The jōnin danced through the steel rain—until the real trap triggered.
"Heavenly Net."
A flicker of hand seals, and wires snapped taut between the embedded blades, forming a shrinking cage. With a yank, Shishikudō sent smaller projectiles ricocheting inside like lethal pinballs.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Beast Pursuit!"
Kosugi's C-rank jutsu struck—only for the Suna nin to counter.
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
A spinning vortex swallowed the blades, merging with the lightning to form a whirling storm of electrified steel.
"Scatter!"
The explosion sent shrapnel flying. Shishikudō barely raised an earthen wall in time. The others dodged or blocked—but the jōnin was already moving.
No fool, he knew Konoha wouldn't honor any deal. A Body Flicker carried him toward the perimeter—
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
Yoru's jutsu cratered the ground ahead, cutting off escape.