Just as Baki's body was about to collapse and drift into the afterlife, Kenya appeared silently behind him.
A firm hand clamped onto his shoulder, twisting his wrist and forcing him to turn. Under the crushing weight of those terrifying eyes, the power in Baki's pupils flickered and quickly faded—his will shackled by the Sharingan.
"Don't die just yet," Kenya murmured coldly. "Before you go, there's one last thing I need from you."
Baki's trembling hands began forming seals against his will. He bit into his finger, pressed it to the ground, and spat out the words:
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Bang!
White smoke burst forth, and when it cleared, a Sunagakure ninja stood there, forcibly summoned.
"Perfect."
Kenya's lips curled into a quiet, satisfied smile.
Thud.
With the last of his strength gone, Baki collapsed heavily to the ground. This time, he would never rise again.
[Current template character: Aizen Sōsuke, unlock rate: 15.33%]
Hours later, the burning sun dipped low, giving way to the chill of night. In the Land of Wind, dusk was like a coin flip—scorching desert heat by day, bitter winter cold by night.
At the watchtower, a Sand shinobi pulled his cloak tighter against the harsh wind. Suddenly, the piercing cry of a hawk echoed through the sky.
Startled, he turned, eyes widening. "This… this is Lord Baki's falcon!"
The bird swooped down, landing on his arm. Quickly, he removed the scroll tube from its leg and unrolled the letter. One glance at its contents made his knees buckle.
"This is bad! I must report to Lord Kazekage immediately!"
Without delay, he sprinted toward the Kazekage's office at the heart of the village.
Inside, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, stood before a tall window, his stern gaze fixed on the rooftops of the village below—particularly the house where his family lived.
On its roof stood a small, solitary figure: a red-haired boy, no more than eight years old, silent and unmoving.
His youngest son.
Gaara.
Jinchūriki of the One-Tail, Shukaku.
Though bound by blood, Rasa never truly regarded Gaara as his child. To him, the boy was nothing more than Sunagakure's ultimate weapon—a tool that must remain firmly under his control.
Knock, knock, knock!
Urgent rapping shook the doors of his office.
"Enter," Rasa commanded, his eyes never leaving the window.
The watchtower shinobi burst in, pale and trembling, clutching the scroll. He bowed deeply, stammering, "L-Lord Kazekage! Terrible news! Lord Baki has sent word—he was ambushed by Konoha's S-class rogue, Uchiha Itachi!"
The man's voice quivered. "His team has been slaughtered… and Lord Baki himself was gravely wounded. He writes that he may not survive. He begs you to hurry—he has vital information only you can hear!"
Rasa's cold mask cracked. Snatching the letter, he narrowed his eyes at the handwriting. It was unmistakably Baki's. His most trusted confidant… gone?
Snap!
The parchment crumpled in his fist, golden chakra seething in his rage.
"Uchiha Itachi…" His voice dripped venom. "To think you would dare."
His fury deepened as his thoughts turned to Konoha. The Leaf, weakened and faltering, couldn't even contain its own traitors. Hiruzen Sarutobi remained their last true Kage-level force, and the Uchiha clan had already been wiped out.
The village was vulnerable. Ripe for the taking.
For some time now, Rasa had wrestled with a dangerous proposition—the Konoha Collapse Plan whispered to him by Orochimaru. Through Yakushi Kabuto, the Snake Sannin had offered detailed knowledge of Konoha's defenses, along with a strategy to exploit them during the Chūnin Exams, when the village would be overflowing with foreign shinobi and guests.
Chaos within, assault from without, and Konoha would crumble in a single strike.
The temptation had been strong. It was why he withheld his daughter, Temari, from participating in the exams—saving her for what was to come. And yet, Rasa hesitated. To ally with Orochimaru was to gamble with disaster. A serpent's bite always came at a price.
But now, with Baki's death looming over him, hesitation hardened into resolve.
This was the final straw.
Rasa clenched his fist. "Very well… I will cooperate with Orochimaru. Konoha will fall."
He strode from his office, golden sand swirling at his feet, carrying him swiftly skyward. His elite guard scrambled to follow.
"Lord Kazekage, shouldn't we assemble a full escort?" one of the masked Anbu asked urgently.
"No," Rasa snapped. "Baki is on the brink of death. If I delay even a moment, the information he carries may be lost forever."
With that, he surged forward, golden sand propelling him through the night toward the coordinates written in the letter.