When flying, there would always be a faint whooshing sound. That made it difficult for the steel needles hidden in his mouth to strike by surprise. His attack methods were limited, but his ability to defend himself was still commendable.
There was still much room for improvement.
Sasori dismissed his puppet, returned to his true body, and withdrew to his base. There, he continued his research, occasionally searching for traces of Umbrella and the others during his spare time…
Meanwhile, in the Land of Wind, Naruto had already bid farewell to Gaara. After giving the Kazekage some parting words, he set out on the journey back to Konoha.
In the days that followed, Gaara received Rasa's summons. Only then did he learn of the Hidden Leaf Crush Plan.
Inside the Sunagakure council chamber, Rasa swept his gaze across those present. His expression was grave.
"Kazekage-sama! Cooperating with Orochimaru is no different than playing with fire! After all, he was once a shinobi of Konoha. If this is a trap, we could fall into eternal ruin!"
The speaker was a middle-aged Sunagakure shinobi, calm and steady in demeanor.
His words sparked hushed discussions around the chamber. He was right—Orochimaru had been a Leaf shinobi, and not just any shinobi: he was once the personal disciple of the Third Hokage.
Even as a missing-nin, he could not be taken lightly.
There were six or seven people gathered in the chamber. Chiyo and Ebizō, however, were absent. Both elders had retired and no longer took part in Sunagakure's affairs.
"I am not joking about this," Rasa said firmly. "Orochimaru is dangerous, but I believe his intentions are real. This is an opportunity we cannot ignore. If we can strike Konoha down, Sunagakure will no longer sit at the bottom of the Five Great Nations!"
"Once, we were only stronger than Kirigakure. But in recent years, the Mist has risen rapidly with the backing of the Seven Colors Trading Company. If we remain stagnant, Sunagakure's future will be hopeless."
Rasa's voice deepened. "I can confirm Orochimaru is not working with Konoha. He has mastered the Impure World Reincarnation. That means he desecrated the graves of the First and Second Hokage themselves. Konoha would never tolerate that."
Orochimaru had been a rogue for years. His motives were his own. Rasa understood that Orochimaru sought to use Sunagakure's strength; even with Edo Tensei, he could not topple Konoha alone.
It was a partnership of convenience.
Rasa's will was law, and the matter was decided. Sunagakure's situation was desperate. Even its economy was so weak that the Kazekage himself was forced to pan for gold to support the village.
The village had been weak for far too long. It was time for Sunagakure to bare its fangs at the shinobi world.
News spread swiftly among Sunagakure's upper ranks. The general populace would remain unaware, but even Chiyo and Ebizō soon learned of it.
"Rasa is reckless," Chiyo said coldly. "Since when has Orochimaru been someone easy to deal with? This is playing with fire."
Ebizō exhaled slowly, setting down the report in his hands. "We've retired. Let the Kazekage decide. Besides, perhaps Sunagakure does need to change. Our village hasn't produced many remarkable shinobi lately. Konoha, on the other hand… it truly is a cradle of geniuses."
Konoha had seen fewer new talents in recent years, but it was still unmatched. Almost every generation, gifted shinobi emerged from its ranks.
"The foundation left by the First and Second Hokage was formidable indeed," Ebizō said with a hint of awe. "I can only hope Hiruzen Sarutobi remains Hokage for much longer."
Back in the Second Hokage's era, Konoha had defeated the combined might of four villages and still stood victorious. But in the current era under the Third Hokage, the Senju clan had faded, the Uchiha clan had been annihilated, the Sannin were scattered, the Fourth Hokage was dead, and Konoha's White Fang had committed suicide.
The prodigy Uchiha Shisui had died, said to have awakened the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan—the same eyes as Uchiha Madara. Uchiha Itachi, who also possessed the Mangekyō, had personally destroyed the entire Uchiha clan.
Konoha truly was a forge of prodigies, producing geniuses without end.
And even with its decline, its foundation remained formidable: numerous clans, including the powerful Hyūga. In overall military strength, it could still contend in the middle tier of the Five Great Villages.
By comparison, Sunagakure had fallen to the bottom.
Even Kirigakure—the "Bloody Mist"—was now thriving under the leadership of the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumī.
Though retired, Ebizō had once led Sunagakure's intelligence network. He still kept a close eye on the shinobi world, his spies spread across the other great nations.
The shinobi world had grown increasingly restless in recent years, and Ebizō had noticed it. That was why he did not harshly criticize Rasa's actions.
The spread of Umbrella, while attracting the attention of a few keen-eyed observers, had yet to alarm the major villages. To most shinobi, they still appeared to be nothing more than ordinary civilians.
But before Umbrella revealed its true strength, they were much like the Akatsuki—operating in the shadows. Who could have imagined that the Akatsuki would one day harbor members with the power of the Five Kage?
Umbrella, too, held hidden potential.
All it needed was time to grow.
What comforted Ebizō was that Sunagakure also had a worthy successor—and that was Gaara.
The current Gaara made Ebizō deeply satisfied. His personality had transformed, his prestige in the Land of Wind had risen, and the hatred that once consumed him had nearly vanished. Even Shukaku, the One-Tail, seemed to have been subdued by Gaara's will.
Gifted with the Magnet Release kekkei genkai, Gaara had already reached a level comparable to the Five Kage at only twelve years old. With Shukaku's power backing him, Sunagakure truly seemed blessed by fate.
Through his own ingenuity, Gaara had even guided the Magnet Release in a new direction. Not only could he use it for flight, but he had also learned to generate electricity from magnetic force, crafting devastating Lightning Release techniques.
Such talent was nearly unmatched across the shinobi world.
Even Kakashi Hatake—once hailed as Konoha's genius—had only been a twelve-year-old jōnin, while Gaara stood as a twelve-year-old Kage-level force. Terrifying indeed, though Shukaku's presence played no small role.
Still, even without Shukaku, Gaara's ability would have placed him firmly among the elite jōnin. How could Ebizō not feel elated?
Gaara was Sunagakure's future.
What Ebizō could not know was that Gaara's transformation had been made possible by Naruto's existence.
In the end, the hopes Ebizō placed upon Gaara would become stepping stones—for Naruto, and for the future of the shinobi world itself.
...
TN:
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