"Sir, there's been a mass killing at the daimyō's palace in the Land of Rivers. Many officials were assassinated," A voice reported.
"What?!"
Sakumo Hatake, who was discussing strategies with Nara Shikashige to stall the Hidden Sand forces, was stunned. Nara Shikashige also paused, lowering the pen in his hand.
"Was this the work of rogue ninja? That doesn't make sense," Sakumo muttered. The Land of Rivers was home to many rogue ninjas, but none of them would dare assassinate officials.
They knew that such actions would make them outcasts, leaving them nowhere to hide. That was a line that couldn't be crossed.
"Based on our investigation, it doesn't seem like the work of rogue ninjas. The attackers were highly organized and had a clear target..." The intelligence officer paused, his tone suddenly uneasy.
Sakumo's eyes widened as he jumped to his feet. "Has the Hidden Sand gone mad?!"
If this wasn't the work of rogue ninjas, then there was only one other possibility: it had to be the Hidden Sand. But had the Third Kazekage lost his mind?
What was the point of killing these officials?
It was a thankless job that could only backfire. If they weren't careful, the Hidden Sand could find itself despised by every daimyō and official in the land.
"I don't think they're insane. I think they did it on purpose," Nara Shikashige said thoughtfully.
At first, he found it hard to believe the Hidden Sand would do something like this, but considering the situation they were in, it made sense.
"They've gone too far! Doesn't the Third Kazekage realize this will make the Hidden Sand a pariah?" Sakumo exclaimed, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Shikashige, I'll leave the camp in your hands. I need to personally investigate this," Sakumo said urgently.
"Go ahead. I'll handle things here," Nara Shikashige nodded. This was the kind of situation that required immediate investigation, or else Konoha might end up taking the blame for it.
If the Hidden Sand was desperate enough to kill officials, there was no doubt they'd try to pin the blame on Konoha.
"I'll inform Tsunade and Jiraiya about this," Shikashige added.
"Thanks, I'll leave that to you," Sakumo replied before securing his White Fang short sword and heading out with his Anbu squad.
"This is giving me a headache," Shikashige muttered, rubbing his temples. "Send word to Tsunade and Jiraiya. Tell them I have something important to discuss."
"Yes, sir!"