Then, he shouted loudly, "Kankuro, go and get Yura to see me."
After speaking, he looked at Aoki Yoru: "I'll have to trouble Chief Aoki for help. Sunagakure might not be able to detect the enemy's methods, so I'll need your assistance when the time comes."
"Of course, it's my duty. After all, Konoha and Sunagakure are allies."
Aoki Yoru agreed without a second thought; he was also very interested in the 'Memory-Concealing Sand Manipulation Technique'.
This kind of technique was just like Shisui's Kotoamatsukami, able to control enemies unknowingly. Such things were rare in the Ninja World; even Danzo could only use the 'Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal' to control Root.
If he had this technique, Aoki Yoru believed Danzo would use it on every Ninja in Konoha to make them support his bid for Hokage, and then he would constantly mock the Third Hokage.
He would probably say every day, "Hiruzen, I am the Hokage."
Before long, Yura, who had just taken Asuma and the others to their lodgings, was brought over by Kankuro.
"Lord Kazekage, you wished to see me?"
Gaara said expressionlessly, "Yura, don't move."
The sand in the gourd on Gaara's back suddenly surged out, coiling around Yura's limbs like a living thing and instantly binding him tightly.
Yura's pupils constricted. He was about to react—as an Elite Jonin, it would have been easy to dodge—but remembering Gaara's words, he forced himself to stay still.
Seeing Yura's reaction, Gaara nodded in satisfaction; at least for now, he was loyal.
"Yura, there's a strange Chakra inside you. It might belong to the enemy. I need to check it."
As Gaara spoke, he walked up to him, placed his palm on his head, and closed his eyes to concentrate on sensing his condition.
Upon hearing Gaara's words, Yura was stunned, but he didn't resist, opening his mind to let Gaara investigate.
After a long while, Gaara opened his eyes with a look of disappointment; he hadn't found anything wrong.
"I didn't find anything. Wait a moment, I'll call Advisor Chiyo over to take a look."
If anyone in Sunagakure had the ability, it would be the reclusive Granny Chiyo.
It wasn't that he didn't want Aoki Yoru to investigate, but Yura's status was simply too high, and his mind was filled with vital intelligence. Even allies couldn't be fully trusted.
However, if even Elder Chiyo couldn't find anything, he would have to let Aoki Yoru try.
Aoki Yoru looked disappointed upon hearing this; he had wanted to witness this mysterious technique.
But it made sense; no hidden Village would allow their high-ranking officials to be probed by outsiders so easily.
Bang—
The door to the Kazekage's office was shoved open roughly, and Granny Chiyo ran in, panting for breath.
Gaara looked at her in surprise; she had arrived so soon after the message was sent.
Since Granny Chiyo retired, she had ignored the Village's affairs, even turning Gaara away when he went to visit her.
Sending her a message this time was a last resort, and he had been prepared for a refusal.
Gaara didn't know that as soon as Chiyo saw the message, she immediately thought of her grandson—Sasori of the Red Sand.
Years ago, Sasori had proudly told her about a supreme human-controlling Ninjutsu he had developed and even explained the principles to her, but she hadn't paid much attention at the time.
Thus, upon learning something related to her grandson, she rushed over without a moment's delay.
Chiyo walked straight to Yura and placed her rough, withered hand on his head. Before long, she found that wisp of Chakra.
Sensing the familiar Chakra belonging to Sasori, Granny Chiyo's wrinkled face first showed a complex expression, her eyes swirling with nostalgia and melancholy.
Her fingertips paused slightly, as if she were remembering that grandson of hers who was obsessed with puppetry and had such cold eyes.
After a moment, she suppressed her emotions, and her thin fingers suddenly tightened, yanking the wisp of Chakra hidden in Yura's mind out by its Roots.
"Ugh, ah—!"
Yura's whole body trembled violently. His face turned paper-white in an instant, and he slumped to the ground as if his strength had been drained. Cold sweat poured from his forehead, and the stiffness in his eyes faded, replaced by clarity.
Chiyo carefully sealed the wisp of Chakra onto her right arm and walked out with a melancholy expression, her figure looking even more hunched and frail.
At this moment, having recovered from the pain, Yura wore an expression of lingering fear.
Gaara released the restraints on him and asked with concern, "Who was controlling you?"
Yura said with lingering dread, "It was Sasori of the Red Sand. That guy caught me when he defected and planted this technique in my mind."
Gaara's gaze sharpened at the news. He hadn't expected this. He knew of Sasori of the Red Sand; he was a genius of Sunagakure, Granny Chiyo's grandson, and the Third Kazekage's disciple.
To think he had left such a hidden trump card in the Village... how old could he have been back then?
Then, Gaara looked at Aoki Yoru, who was watching the scene with great interest: "I've troubled you, Chief Aoki. Please go and rest now."
Aoki Yoru nodded and was led to his accommodations by Yura.
At night, Sunagakure shed the heat of the day. The night breeze swept fine grains of sand across the yellowish-brown eaves, and distant sand dunes shimmered with a hazy silver glow under the moonlight, so quiet that only the soft sound of the wind remained.
Just like Konoha, Sunagakure was completely silent at night, with no nightlife to speak of.
With the violent wind and sand, even couples had no interest in outdoor dates.
At this moment, Aoki Yoru was standing by the window, looking out at the swirling yellow sand.
Although he didn't release his spiritual power—after all, being detected by Sunagakure would be seen as a provocation.
However, relying solely on his keen sight and hearing, he could sense a murderous aura in the surroundings, as if the entire Village had tensed up.
Meanwhile, Gaara sat in his chair, hands clasped with his chin resting on them, staring blankly, lost in thought.
Crash—
The window shattered instantly, and sharp glass shards surged in along with the sandy wind.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—
Over a dozen Kunai were instantly fired inside, each with an explosive tag attached, sizzling as they flew.
There was no look of horror on Gaara's face. The sand from his back quickly expanded, forming a giant palm that firmly grasped the Kunai.
Thud, thud—
Several muffled pops came from within the sand, sounding like flatulence.
Suddenly, a large cloud of yellow sand mist drifted in through the window. Though it moved slowly, Gaara's face changed instantly.
He knew the sand mist was mixed with a colorless, odorless Neurotoxin. This was a signature technique of Sunagakure, which had achieved countless feats on the battlefield.
Of course, what horrified him was that if this gas exploded within Sunagakure, the toxic fumes would be carried by the gale throughout the entire Village.
Everyone would be affected, and the weaker elderly and children would die instantly.
The enemy had calculated that as the Kazekage, he wouldn't dare dodge and would have to let the gas explode inside the room, facing it head-on.
Gaara instantly used his sand to seal the entire office, not letting a single trace of the gas escape.
Boom—
With a muffled boom, the toxin exploded within the sealed space.
"Hahaha, that monster should be dead by now. A monster becoming the Kazekage? What a joke."
"Yeah! We're just getting rid of a major threat for Sunagakure."