"It seems the ninja world has quieted down lately."
"Is the war finally over?"
Inside the Kazekage Building of Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, a meeting was underway.
Lately, life hadn't been easy for the Sand ninja either.
They had always worried about being dragged into the Great Ninja War, but fortunately, the situation had calmed down for now.
Everything seemed to have returned to normal.
"Akatsuki hasn't made a move since seizing control of the Land of Water."
"First Konoha withdrew from the Land of Earth, then Kumogakure pulled out as well."
"Now you could say the crisis is resolved. Ōnoki's been busy handling post-war matters recently."
"If nothing unexpected happens, this war should be considered finished."
"Who'd have thought the biggest winner would just be Akatsuki."
"They came out of Amegakure and instantly replaced Kirigakure as one of the Five Great Villages."
"Given just a bit more time, they might even go head-to-head with Konoha."
A high-ranking Sand ninja spoke at length, sharing his views on the war.
But you could only say he was overly optimistic—he saw only what lay on the surface.
"You're absolutely right."
"We all underestimated Akatsuki before. Never expected them to possess such strength."
Then someone else joined in, their voice filled with both fear and resentment toward the Akatsuki ninjas.
In truth, none of them had ever truly respected the Akatsuki before.
The deep roots of the Five Great Nations far surpassed that of Rain Country.
Even though Sunagakure had suffered heavy damage before, they still followed the saying: "A lean camel is bigger than a horse." They had their pride.
But now, no one dared underestimate Akatsuki anymore.
In reality, Akatsuki's power already exceeded that of Sunagakure.
That last shred of pride had been utterly crushed by reality.
"You all really think so?"
"Has the storm truly passed?"
Rasa finally spoke, his furrowed brow betraying his differing thoughts.
"Kazekage, are you suggesting turmoil will rise again?"
If Rasa had simply been an ordinary ninja, no one would have paid much attention to his words. But he was the Fourth Kazekage—
the man who led Sunagakure through hardship, now holding real authority.
"Do you remember where the Konoha ninja exited the Land of Earth from?"
Rather than answering directly, Rasa posed a question instead.
"Through Rain Country, right? What's the issue with that?"
"Konoha is powerful, and Akatsuki gained a lot already. It's understandable they wouldn't want conflict."
The Sand leader still didn't see anything wrong—after all, both sides were there to assist in the Land of Earth—they weren't exactly sworn enemies.
"Just letting a massive Konoha army pass straight through their own country's heartland—that can really be explained away by saying 'they're afraid of provoking a strong force'?"
Rasa's quiet words landed like a thunderclap in the conference hall.
It wasn't that nobody had thought of this angle before—it was more likely they simply couldn't believe such a bold possibility.
Ōnoki had noticed as well, but was powerless—events had long since moved beyond his control.
"Are you saying Akatsuki has some kind of connection with Konoha?"
When an unwelcome truth comes to light, what follows is endless fear and anxiety.
"This is not something easy to say."
"But things are not over yet. Not by any means. This is no time to relax."
"Issue the order—no one is to let their guard down."
"If there's any news, report it immediately."
Rasa's frown deepened as he surveyed his subordinates, growing ever more wearied by their incompetence.
"Yes, Kazekage-sama."
They all replied in unison. The conference hall fell into silence.
If things were truly as Rasa feared, then even greater changes were still to come within the Ninja World.
And when that time arrived, would the Land of Wind still be able to remain neutral?
With such doubts lingering, many left the conference hall in a daze.
The current calm before them was clearly nothing more than a brief lull before the storm—nothing more.
It wasn't only Rasa who lost sleep over these worries; Ōnoki was even worse off, lying awake every night.
The Konoha ninja arrived swiftly and departed without delay.
They had originally assumed that inviting gods would be easy but ridding themselves of them difficult—but that hadn't been the case at all. Still, Ōnoki found himself unable to feel relieved in the slightest.
During this time, letters demanding the Land of Earth uphold its promises had piled up on Ōnoki's and the Daimyō's desks like snowfall.
Looking at the politely worded yet cold and uncompromising language, how could Ōnoki possibly find peace of mind or rest?
Konoha had already issued their final ultimatum, giving the Land of Earth only three days.
"If we do not receive what was promised within three days, do not fault us for holding nothing back."
"This isn't just about collecting debts—it's about taking lives."
Ōnoki slammed the letter he'd already read countless times onto the table. His fury surged upward.
"Father, please take a rest for now."
"You won't be able to handle this if you keep going like this."
Kitsuchi stood beside him, filled with concern.
"He wasn't just worried about his father—he feared the collapse of this pillar, Ōnoki himself."
"What did the Daimyō say?"
Ōnoki completely ignored his son's words, his voice stiff and expression dark.
"The Daimyō says the timeframe is too tight—he can't gather the resources right away."
Kitsuchi carefully watched his father's face as his voice dropped lower toward the end.
"Fool!"
"At a time like this, still making excuses?"
Ōnoki angrily slammed the table again. He wanted to storm over to the Daimyō, seize him by the collar, and demand answers.
Does he really think Konoha won't attack?
"Father, most of what you agreed to during the request for aid was your own decision."
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"The Daimyō definitely feels some dissatisfaction."
"Now that the immediate danger has passed, his behavior is understandable..."
Although Kitsuchi didn't finish his sentence, his tone subtly excused the Daimyō.
"So now it's my mistake instead?"
"If I hadn't offered great rewards, would Konoha have come at all?"
"And if Konoha hadn't come, where would our Land of Earth be today?"
Ōnoki's voice grew louder, his pent-up anger teetering on the brink of eruption.
"No, that's not what I meant."
"I'll go see the Daimyō immediately—I will persuade him."
Kitsuchi said, making his way toward the door. He didn't believe for a moment that Konoha would suddenly launch an attack.
From his experience dealing with Konoha ninja, he was certain Konoha wasn't a village filled with cold-hearted people.
Even if they had asked for three days, arriving a day or two late likely wouldn't be a major issue.
If he could appeal to their emotions and reason with them, the Daimyō surely wasn't someone lacking in foresight.
Whatever had been promised to Konoha would be fully honored.
Only then could the Land of Earth finally have a chance to recover and rebuild.
You go then.
If not for the inconvenience, Ōnoki would have gone himself without hesitation.
Unfortunately, since the war, matters in Iwagakure couldn't run smoothly without him.
"Father, wait for my good news."
Kitsuchi respectfully bowed as he took his leave, still wearing a confident smile.
Let's hope the Daimyō acts swiftly.
After careful consideration, Ōnoki still decided to personally draft an apology letter to Konoha, in hopes of gaining a few more days.
After handing the completed letter to his subordinate, Ōnoki slumped into a chair.
He kept replaying the changes sweeping through the Ninja World in his mind, and the more he thought, the worse his headache became.
Akatsuki ninja, Cloud ninja, Konoha—those powerful factions kept circling in his thoughts.
Eventually, only the single word "Konoha" remained, fixed at the center of his mind like a crushing weight, nearly suffocating him.
...
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