Where the desert meets the rocky wasteland.
A rotund figure stood with one foot planted on a boulder. He had long, fiery orange hair and a massive, bandaged sword strapped to his back.
It was Fuguki Suikazan, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Fuguki glanced indifferently in the direction of the battlefield.
"The Hidden Sand really made an unwise choice this time."
"If they had just agreed to those few conditions, we would have withdrawn. It was just some resources and Pakura. Compared to a ceasefire, that's a small price to pay."
"Now, they've backed themselves into a corner."
"The Sand is no match for the Mist."
"Especially with the Konoha forces stationed on the border, watching like tigers."
"It won't be long before the entire Hidden Sand Village is carved up."
"To provoke the Mist over a bit of pride... is it worth burying the entire village?"
"As a Kazekage, Rasa is unfit."
In the eyes of almost every Mist ninja, the Sand had made the worst possible decision.
They had already sentenced the Sand to death in their minds.
It was only a matter of time.
Some Mist ninja were already fantasizing about the spoils of war after dividing up the Sand.
"We should capture that Rasa. Make him refine gold dust for us every day."
"The Sand's puppet techniques are worth something. We have to grab those."
"And their kunoichi have a certain... exotic flavor."
"Pakura and Rasa must die!"
...
Fuguki looked in another direction.
Toward the Konoha encampment.
"It's about time those Konoha ninja made their move, right?"
"We've already committed to the attack. Konoha just needs to support us from the flank, and they can join in the partition of the Sand. Free benefits."
"Knowing Konoha's nature, they would never pass up such a good deal."
And indeed, Fuguki's prediction was initially correct.
When the Mist army launched another fierce assault on the Sand, the Konoha ninja knew talks had broken down. The Mist was going all in.
Given the Sand's condition, they would struggle to hold the line.
The Hidden Sand was simply too weak.
A middle-aged man with a tantō on his back, dressed in standard Konoha combat gear, wore a resolute expression.
Shinku Yuhi stood up and looked around at his troops.
"Everyone. The Mist army has made its move. The collapse of the Hidden Sand is imminent. We cannot miss this opportunity. This is exactly why Lord Hokage and Lord Danzo stationed us here."
"Relay my orders."
"First Battalion, head to the main battlefield. Coordinate with the Mist army to attack the Sand."
"Second Battalion, infiltrate the vicinity of the Sand Village. The moment the Sand collapses, Konoha ninja must enter the village before the Mist."
"Puppet techniques, ninjutsu scrolls, gold..."
"We want it all."
Greed flashed in the eyes of the gathered ninja.
No matter how weak the Sand was, it was still one of the Five Great Ninja Villages. How much wealth was stored within its walls?
Shinku Yuhi continued.
"The wars of recent years have cost Konoha dearly."
"But if we can carve up the Sand and seize the majority of its wealth, Konoha can recover quickly and reclaim its position as the undisputed number one village."
"Restoring Konoha's glory depends on us."
"It happens today."
The troops were buzzing with excitement, their emotions fully stoked by Shinku's speech.
Attacking the Sand was low risk, high reward.
And during the looting process, pocketing a few things for themselves was standard practice.
One successful raid could set them up for life.
But just then.
Suddenly.
A message scroll was delivered to Shinku Yuhi's hands.
Shinku opened it, read the contents, and his face changed dramatically.
"Senior Shinku, what happened?"
Sensing the shift in Shinku's expression, everyone fell silent.
The atmosphere turned cold instantly.
Shinku looked up at his men, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.
"Halt all operations!"
The troops were stunned.
"Halt? Why?"
"Lord Shinku, aren't we going to attack the Sand and split it with the Mist?"
"Why stop now?"
Shinku spoke in a heavy voice.
"This is a direct order from Lord Hokage. We are to stand by. There may be trouble within the village. We must be ready to return to Konoha to provide support at a moment's notice."
"If we engage the Sand now, we won't be able to return in time."
Seeing that many were still eager to attack the Sand, Shinku's tone hardened.
"Anyone who disobeys this order will be executed without mercy!"
Carving up the Sand was great, but if Konoha fell into chaos, all the resources in the world wouldn't matter.
Without a village, what is a ninja?
Under Shinku's forceful command, the troops suppressed their greed.
"Yes, Lord Shinku."
Shortly after, a Mist intelligence ninja sprinted toward Fuguki Suikazan.
"Lord Fuguki! The Konoha ninja still haven't moved!"
Fuguki frowned deeply.
"What is Konoha playing at?"
The meat was right at their lips. All they had to do was open their mouths.
Why wouldn't Konoha move?
Did they suddenly grow a conscience about partitioning a village? Don't make me laugh. There is no morality between ninja villages, only interests.
Konoha had done plenty of dirty work before.
Except maybe during the First Hokage's time.
Or... did Konoha want the Mist to suffer heavier losses first?
Were they waiting to swoop in and pick off the survivors?
What did they take the Mist for?
"Lord Fuguki, could it have something to do with that rumor?"
"What rumor?"
"A rumor appeared recently regarding Konoha and the Uchiha. It says there's a secret behind Kagami Uchiha's death—that he was intentionally sold out by Tobirama Senju."
Fuguki scoffed.
"Kagami Uchiha died ages ago. You think Konoha would have internal problems just because of some baseless rumor? That's child's play."
The intelligence ninja hesitated.
"But... it involves the Uchiha."
Fuguki fell silent for a moment.
"True. The Uchiha are a weird bunch. Nothing they do would surprise me."
The intelligence ninja asked, "Then, Lord Fuguki, what should we do now?"
Fuguki's eyes narrowed.
"Whether Konoha really has problems or they're just trying to watch us bleed so they can take advantage..."
"Our strategy against the Sand remains unchanged."
"Take a squad and monitor the Konoha forces. Do not give them any chance to take advantage of us or pick up scraps."