The chaos in Sunagakure was quickly quelled. The poison mist left behind by Sasori was also swiftly cleared away, with minimal casualties reported.
Within the crowd, an elderly woman stood silently. She held a fishing rod in her hand and wore a light straw hat on her head.
Dressed in a simple, plain-colored robe, Chiyo listened with a stern expression as an Anbu reported the situation to her.
She had been peacefully fishing with her younger brother, long removed from village affairs.
But the sudden toll of the emergency bell forced her to rush out and face the chaotic scene.
"Obā-san Chiyo!" The Anbu lowered his head respectfully in greeting.
Since Rasa became Kazekage, Chiyo and Ebizō had withdrawn from their central leadership roles. Unless some major matter required their consultation, they usually spent their days leisurely at their residence in the village's mountains.
Ebizō also stood beside Chiyo. Though her younger brother, he looked even older than she did, yet still full of energy.
"There were two enemies—one skilled in [Lightning Release], the other a Puppet Master! With traitor Yura's assistance, they infiltrated the village and kidnapped the Jinchuriki!"
"Kazekage-sama has already pursued them, but the tunnel was destroyed, so we currently cannot send reinforcements!"
The Anbu reported all the known intelligence to these two former leaders.
"Yura? A Puppet Master?" Chiyo stared at the Anbu before her, narrowing her eyes. Despite her plump face looking unusually ruddy, her expression remained serious.
"Did Kazekage-sama go alone?"
Ebizō frowned, his silver eyebrows knitting tightly together.
He found it hard to believe Rasa would act this rashly—why would he chase them alone? If the enemy dared enter the village, they must have confidence in their own strength.
"Yes, completely alone," the masked Anbu nodded, sweat forming beneath his mask. The overwhelming pressure from the two elders made him distinctly uneasy.
"First, tally up the casualties and get the injured to the hospital!"
Chiyo signaled the Anbu to go, her eyes narrowing toward the village exit with quiet determination.
"Sister, what should we do now?" Ebizō looked at Chiyo, lips moving slightly as he asked.
"Quickly gather a team of elite ninja and go around the destroyed tunnel to support Rasa!"
"Hmm, I heard the enemy's poison is quite potent—do you want to check on those poisoned ninja?"
Ebizō stuffed his right hand into his pocket, glancing toward Kazekage's residence.
"Yes, I'll go see them. You handle the other matters first."
Chiyo nodded without saying more.
"Let me through! I need to speak with Obā-san Chiyo!"
Outside, two medical ninjas blocked Temari's path, their expressions showing hesitation.
They had arrived at the scene early and performed emergency treatment, reviving her promptly.
Her injuries weren't severe, though she required rest and recovery. However, immediately after awakening, she began asking about Gaara.
When told that Gaara had been taken and that Rasa had gone chasing after them, her anxious expression didn't fade.
So Temari came over to speak with Chiyo, hoping the elder would quickly gather people and send them out to aid Rasa and rescue Gaara.
Chiyo recognized Temari and waved off the two ninja flanking her, signaling them not to stop her.
"Obā-san…" Temari approached, her face filled with worry and her eyes red and swollen.
"Don't worry about your father and brother," Chiyo said softly, gently stroking Temari's left cheek. "We'll send help soon. Go rest properly, understand?"
She had a soft spot for Rasa's eldest daughter. In many ways, Temari reminded Chiyo of herself during her younger years—strong-willed and diligent.
"Okay!" Temari blinked her large eyes and nodded firmly.
"Go check on Kankuro first—he's more seriously injured than you are!"
Chiyo reminded her once more.
"Yes, then I'll go ahead first, Obā-san!" Temari replied. Before coming here, she had already visited Kankuro and found him still unconscious.
...
In the moving squad, Shisui suddenly sensed something and abruptly stopped in his tracks.
"What's wrong, Captain?" Sakan asked, puzzled, as the other two also looked confused.
Shisui didn't respond immediately. He just stared into the desert ahead, his gaze sharpening.
"This sensation—it can't be mistaken! The power of the [Sharingan]!"
Covering his right eye, Shisui fell silent, focusing intently on sensing the chakra.
As he rubbed warmly over his eyelid, Shisui could feel a powerful energy within.
And deep within the desert, a similar power pulsed—one that resonated with the chakra sealed in his eye.
"Who could it be? Could there still be a ninja from [Uchiha] wandering around at this time?"
Bending low, Shisui kept sensing that ripple emitted from the same source of power.
"There's something ahead. Speed up!" Regardless of who or what was waiting for them, Shisui was ready to check it out.
Minato Namikaze had given him intel earlier but hadn't mentioned that the enemy skilled in [Lightning Release] also possessed a [Sharingan], so it hadn't crossed his mind.
"Understood!" The three exchanged glances and nodded.
Straightening up, Shisui narrowed his gaze ahead, brimming with anticipation. Who exactly awaited him?
That ripple felt even stronger than he had expected. Whoever possessed this [Sharingan] must surely be no less powerful than himself.
Plus, his instincts were telling him something exciting lay ahead.
Gripping the sword on his back with his right hand, adjusting it slightly, Shisui dashed forward once more.
...
Takigakure Village.
Due to its remote location behind a powerful waterfall, the village remained hidden and hard to reach for outsiders.
Thus, Takigakure has long remained secluded even within the Shinobi World.
Yet no one dared underestimate it—it was the only one among the non-Great Villages to possess a Tailed Beast.
Today, however, the atmosphere in Takigakure was extremely grim—almost suffocating.
Hidan lay on the ground, his body beneath a cursed symbol drawn in blood.
Numerous wounds covered him, leaving him looking utterly battered.
Yet despite all this, Hidan's expression remained arrogant and unrestrained.
They lay among many other corpses, all bearing grotesque wounds, as if someone had vented their rage by hacking wildly at them.
Hidan's eyes widened as he stared at the sky. His silver hair was now disheveled, falling messily over his forehead. His hairstyle was no longer intact—half of it appeared charred and blackened, as though scorched by flames.
Not far from him, on a standing wall, a very young girl was impaled through the chest by a long sword, pinned to the surface. Her breath was faint, yet some force kept her clinging stubbornly to life.
This was Takigakure Village—the place where the Immortal Duo had chosen to capture Seven-Tails.
Now, it had become hell. Building after building lay in ruins, and most of the village's ninja forces had already been decimated by their formidable enemies.
Kakuzu's emerald-green eyes first fell upon that girl, then shifted again toward a young man struggling to lean against a broken wall nearby.
He was the current Village Headman—or Kage—of this place, though in reality, he lacked true Kage-level strength.
In the earlier battle, he had taken something called [Hero Water], temporarily boosting both his chakra quantity and intensity. Yet even so, he remained no match for Kakuzu and Hidan.
"Be thankful you have no bounty on your head, you piece of trash! Otherwise, I would've dragged you out and sold you for cash!"
A mocking smile surfaced on Kakuzu's face.
The Village Headman narrowed his eyes, his face smeared with dried blood, making his expression stiff and unreadable.
This green-eyed man was extremely familiar with Takigakure Village, and the ninjutsu he used looked almost identical to a Secret Art described in scrolls left behind by his predecessor.
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