In the days that followed—a period by no means short—the Third Kazekage seemed to vanish from existence entirely, hidden deliberately and silently by people like Chiyo.
At first, things remained relatively calm; everyone simply assumed he had gone away on an important mission. But as time pressed forward, second by second, a subtle but growing unease began to creep into people's hearts.
After all, as the leader of a village, there was no way he could remain completely silent for such a prolonged period. Even if his duties were overwhelming, he should have at least tried every means possible to send back a single brief message—just enough to reassure everyone.
Therefore, within Sunagakure, which had suddenly lost its leader, it was like a stone dropped into a still pond, sending ripples through the calm surface. The original order and structure appeared to instantly lose their core support, with unrest and agitation seeping into every corner.
And as time passed, the situation only grew worse, spreading chaos like ripples in a pond. Eventually, the Sand Village fell into complete turmoil.
The Sand Village's ANBU, driven by the strict orders of several elders who remained unaware of what had truly happened, hunted like hounds across the vast land with increasing urgency. Their expressions revealed both desperation and determination—as though they intended to unearth every last trace of the Third Kazekage from the farthest corners of the world.
They first focused their search within the Land of Wind, scrutinizing every possible location where the Third Kazekage might have been seen, hoping to find even the faintest clue.
However, after repeated failures, they expanded their search area continuously, gradually spreading their presence to the smaller nations along the borders. These usually peaceful border regions became noisy and restless due to their arrival, triggering a chain of unforeseen events.
Of course, under the tight secrecy maintained by the Sand ninja, even Konoha's spies—who normally relied on sharp insight and superior information-gathering techniques—were temporarily unable to uncover such a highly sensitive secret as the Kazekage's disappearance.
But how could the covert actions of Wind Country's ANBU and numerous powerful Jonin—constantly moving and acting abnormally—be anything other than glaring signal lights flashing through the darkness? These subtle changes were like hidden currents beneath the water's surface—hard to detect yet quietly shaping the entire situation.
When Konoha's F4 [Konoha's Inner Council], the group of ninja bearing critical missions, finally picked up these troubling signals, they immediately recognized the severity of the matter. Without hesitation or delay, they hastily convened an urgent secret meeting that very night.
"The recent activities in the Land of Wind are highly suspicious," said Danzo Shimura, his brows tightly furrowed, a flicker of frustration flashing in his eyes. "Despite trying every method at our disposal, we still cannot determine the true cause. I am deeply concerned." He hated feeling out of control.
However, judging from the current situation, there's a high chance that the enemy may use this opportunity to provoke a terrible war. We must prepare ourselves thoroughly." Although he couldn't accurately determine the exact moves of the Sand-nin, his words were still driven by self-interest.
Then he slightly lifted his head and quietly observed the reactions of Hiruzen Sarutobi and other senior officials, hoping to gain insights into their thoughts from their expressions.
At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat silently, holding his pipe with one hand, puffing on it slowly, eyes narrowed slightly, revealing an almost imperceptible complexity in his gaze. The figure of Sakumo Hatake surfaced in his mind again, and an indistinct sense of regret tugged at his heartstrings as if invisible threads were pulling him inward.
Sakumo's steadfast and resolute figure continuously appeared in his mind. If Sakumo Hatake were still in the village now, simply dispatching him to the border region could easily resolve those troublesome issues thanks to his exceptional combat capabilities and sharp insight.
Yet, reality did not allow him the slightest distraction; he had to focus completely on this crucial meeting right now.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, as if attempting to expel all his inner turmoil and reluctance together, then spoke slowly: "Judging from the current situation, although such a possibility exists, I personally believe it's quite unlikely.
The enemy does not seem to have displayed any strength suggesting they are ready to challenge us actively, so it's improbable they would rashly initiate a war. Additionally, to avoid further deterioration of the situation and unnecessary conflicts, we absolutely must not provoke them recklessly. All we need to do is increase vigilance among frontline troops and ensure constant readiness for threats.
Furthermore, I've decided to swiftly deploy elite reconnaissance units from both Anbu and your Root division to gather intelligence deeply within enemy territory. However, remember clearly—do not cross the border line by even half a step, lest greater trouble arises.
Also, our spies must spare no effort to investigate and uncover the true causes behind this incident at all costs. Only then can we make the wisest decisions and properly deal with the current predicament."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's words momentarily left Danzo Shimura stunned. He had thought Sarutobi was going to send out great generals to suppress the borders, just like during the Second Ninja War—he was even planning to offer himself for the mission. Yet now, the Sarutobi before him seemed completely different from the one during wartime. At this moment, Danzo Shimura suddenly felt as though he barely recognized Hiruzen Sarutobi anymore.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi was observing Danzo Shimura as well. A faint gleam flickered across his eyes. As he watched Danzo Shimura's slightly eager expression, a slight sigh involuntarily rose in his heart. He thought to himself that although Danzo usually appeared steady and calm, when anything related to enhancing his own prestige emerged, he instantly became impatient and eager.
Recalling the days when they once stood shoulder to shoulder and protected Konoha together, only to now reveal such a profit-driven face before him, Sarutobi couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia about the change.
He knew that Danzo Shimura had always longed for power and influence. He wanted to become Hokage, and this border incident was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for him to showcase his abilities and pursue a higher position.
"Danzo, you must not act in haste," Hiruzen Sarutobi said softly. "It's still uncertain whether the Land of Wind will actually invade. We must proceed cautiously and avoid reckless actions."
Disappointment flickered in Danzo's eyes. But he quickly masked it, feigning unwavering devotion to Konoha as he replied, "Hiruzen, we absolutely cannot sit around and wait to be destroyed! If the Land of Wind really launches an attack, the consequences would be unimaginable. Let me go to the front lines; I guarantee I'll deal with them."
Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent for a moment. Then, still lost in thought, he slowly stood, walked to the window, and gazed at the familiar scenery outside.
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