Land of Wind — Hidden Sand Village
Inside the Kazekage's office, the atmosphere was thick enough to cut with a kunai.
The long conference table was packed with Sand Village executives, all staring at the scroll in the center. It bore the official seal of the Wind Daimyō—a letter of accountability.
Seated at the head of the table on the left was an elderly woman with half-white hair and a face marked by age—but her piercing eyes made even the most hardened shinobi look away.
Chiyo. A war hero. A poison master. And right now, absolutely not in the mood.
"Hah! A top-tier shinobi village of one of the Five Great Nations," Chiyo said with a cold laugh. "Our Kazekage vanishes without a trace, and a 10,000-strong Cloud Shinobi force invades our land—and we only find out because the Daimyō demands an explanation? What a joke."
Her tone could've frozen the desert.
The room fell silent, like prey under a predator's gaze.
After the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, the village had thrown all its resources into finding him. But instead of answers, they'd attracted a full-scale invasion from the Hidden Cloud.
Now, they stood at the edge of ruin. One wrong move, and the entire village could fall.
At that moment, the only person who dared speak was the old man opposite Chiyo—her younger brother, Ebizō.
"Sister, calm yourself," he said gently. "The village cannot be without a Kazekage for even a day. More important than blame is choosing a new leader."
Chiyo exhaled slowly. Her anger hadn't vanished, but she knew Ebizō was right.
The Third Kazekage was likely lost for good. They couldn't waste more time chasing shadows. The village needed stability.
"Yes," she said at last. "That is why I called this meeting."
She glanced around the table, and then let her eyes settle on a young man sitting quietly among the elite.
"Right now, the only one in the village qualified to become the Fourth Kazekage... is Rasa."
All eyes turned to him.
Lanky, composed, eyes like dunes holding back a storm—Rasa stood calmly as the weight of the village shifted onto his shoulders.
He'd suspected this moment was coming ever since the invasion began.
He had the Magnet Release bloodline, like the Third Kazekage before him. He could control gold dust with precision—and had long been recognized as a genius among his peers.
But beyond jutsu, he'd earned the people's respect in quieter ways. He'd panned gold in the desert, exchanged it for supplies, and shared it with the poor—earning admiration across the village. Even the late Kazekage had once praised him for thinking like a true leader.
Now, the village elders nodded one by one.
"After this meeting," Chiyo said, "we'll jointly recommend Rasa to the Daimyō as the Fourth Kazekage."
A collective breath seemed to lift from the room. But Chiyo wasn't done.
"Next, we deal with the Cloud Shinobi invasion. Rasa—you'll lead the defense. Let's hear your strategy."
Because in war, the Kage doesn't hide behind a desk—they lead from the front.
Rasa stood and bowed slightly.
"I thank you for your trust," he began, voice steady. "You are all my seniors. If I misspeak, please correct me."
He paused, looking around the room.
"In pure strength, we are not a match for the Hidden Cloud."
The room immediately buzzed with whispers. A few scowled.
Saying your side was weaker? Bold strategy.
"But—" Rasa continued, silencing them, "I believe we will win this war."
That got their attention.
"Why?" the head of the Intelligence Division asked.
"Because behind us are our families, friends, loved ones—and everything we swore to protect."
"There's no retreat. Even if we must sacrifice everything, we fight to the end!"
The room fell quiet again—but this time, it was a heavy silence of shared resolve.
"...Well said!"
One hot-tempered elder slammed his fist on the table in agreement.
Chiyo nodded, satisfied. In war, morale was as sharp as any blade—and Rasa had just sharpened the village's resolve.
The old veterans would handle tactics. But the spirit? That was Rasa's job now.
Orders began flying. Sand Shinobi scrambled. The village shifted into Level One combat readiness.
Elsewhere—Edge of the Wind Country
After days of trudging across sand and sweat, Team Minato finally reached the borders of Hidden Sand.
Suddenly, three Sand Shinobi dropped from the canyon cliffs, kunai drawn.
"Identify yourselves!"
Minato calmly stepped forward. "We're Konoha's messengers. Sent under orders from the Hokage to propose an alliance and assist you in the current crisis."
The lead sentry blinked. "An alliance? From Konoha?"
That was... unexpected.
They'd been enemies in the last war. Why offer help now?
"May I have your name, shinobi?"
"Minato Namikaze."
The man's eyes widened.
The Yellow Flash of the Leaf?!
He stiffened immediately. "Please wait here. I'll report to the village right away."
He barked orders to the other two, then vanished in a blur.
Five minutes later…
Gulp gulp gulp~
"Aaaaaahhh~!"
Obito downed the last of his water and flopped into the sand dramatically. "We made it… I'm alive… kind of."
Kakashi sighed. "Well, if dehydration was the mission, congrats. S-rank performance."
Obito ignored him and hugged the empty bottle.
Minato smiled faintly. Rin chuckled.
Seeing their weary faces, one of the Sand Shinobi offered them fresh canteens.
"Please, drink. It's clean. From our own wells."
"Thanks," Rin replied. She glanced at Minato, who gave a small nod.
Before taking a sip, Rin dropped a small blue pill into the water. It dissolved. No color change.
Safe.
She smiled and handed water around.
The Sand Shinobi, impressed, asked, "You're a medical ninja?"
"Yes, a little," Rin said modestly.
"Amazing," he said, a bit awestruck.
Medical ninjas were rare in the Sand. Scarcity of resources, brutal training conditions… they relied more on poison than healing.
In fact, they'd become infamous for curing illnesses by poisoning them—then curing the poison.
Science? Eh.
Results? Questionable.
But hey, at least their poison resistance was off the charts.
Not long after, the sentry captain returned, breathless.
"The Fourth Kazekage has approved it. You're to come with us. Please—this way!"
Minato gave a small nod.
"Let's go."
To be continued...