"I cannot stay. I am heading immediately to the front lines. Only Lord Bunpuku is holding the fort there now, and I must go assist him."
Sunasuke shook his head, politely declining Shiro's invitation to enter.
"You were correct in your assessment after all; the disparity in power between us and Konoha remains too vast. This holds true even in a chaotic three-way deadlock."
Sunasuke had initially believed that while he lacked the overwhelming raw power Shiro possessed, he could easily manage the battlefield dynamics in the Land of Rain. He had been sorely mistaken. The appearance of Hanzo of the Salamander, combined with the perpetual rain and difficult terrain, had nearly made him doubt his own competence as a shinobi. If Konoha had not intervened to draw some of the fire, the Suna front might have collapsed entirely.
Shiro, possessing knowledge of the future timeline, felt little surprise at Sunasuke's grim report.
Although the full-scale war with Konoha had not officially erupted yet, the conflict in the Land of Rain was already a meat grinder. The nations of Wind, Earth, Fire, and Rain were locked in a relentless struggle within that small country. Allegiances shifted daily; today you fight one faction, tomorrow they fight another, and the day after, it becomes a chaotic free-for-all. Who could endure such madness?
In Shiro's opinion, this was the worst possible time to join the fray. This era marked Konoha's golden age; inserting Sunagakure into the mix now would only invite disaster.
The most prudent course of action would be to develop quietly amidst the chaos, taking a page from the Land of Lightning's book of accumulation.
"Once I formally ascend as the Third Kazekage, I intend to terminate our involvement in this war immediately. You should return to the front lines for now; simply focus on defense alongside Lord Bunpuku. Begin a gradual withdrawal of our forces, prioritizing the safety of the younger generation—specifically Chiyo's son. Leaving a child behind at home to take your wife to a battlefield is foolishness."
"Understood."
"Furthermore, while you are out there, heed Lord Bunpuku's counsel. He possesses a wealth of experience and a farsighted perspective that will be invaluable to you."
Before Sunasuke departed, Shiro made sure to impart these final instructions.
Reflecting on his decade in Sunagakure, Shiro felt his single greatest contribution was altering Lord Bunpuku's tragic destiny.
He had freed the man from the fate of being a prisoner within his own village. Of course, the primary catalyst for this change was the fact that the One-Tail, Shukaku, was absolutely terrified of Shiro. Shiro's unique fusion ability required vast amounts of energy, and the source with the most chakra in Sunagakure was the Tailed Beast. Consequently, Shiro had frequently set his sights on Shukaku. In the past, the beast would rampage whenever Bunpuku slept, but after Shiro's arrival, every attempt to emerge resulted in it being drained of chakra. Eventually, Shukaku, left with no other option for self-preservation, actively cooperated with Bunpuku. Through this forced interaction, Bunpuku had become a perfect Jinchuriki.
***
Time passed rapidly, and the day finally arrived for Shiro to be inaugurated as the Third Kazekage.
Standing atop the Kazekage building, Shiro, flanked by Chiyo and the other village elders, commenced the ceremony.
"Greetings, citizens. My name is Shiro. I am now the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure. I promise to lead everyone toward a life of prosperity."
Looking down at the gathered crowd, Shiro spoke with absolute confidence.
Meanwhile, Chiyo and the elders standing behind him wore expressions of visible exasperation.
What kind of Kage speaks so plainly during their inauguration? Shouldn't he be rallying the troops with talk of glory, crushing Iwagakure, and defeating Konoha?
"Indeed, perhaps we should have chosen Sunasuke. At least he acts like a traditional shinobi," Chiyo muttered, her eyes void of their usual spark.
Later, inside the high council conference room, Shiro sat at the head of the table. The elders and elite Jonin of the village were seated along the sides.
Shiro was reviewing an intelligence scroll, but as he read, his expression grew increasingly dark. Finally, his rage peaked. A massive surge of chakra erupted from his body, creating a tangible wave of pressure that drained the color from the faces of everyone present. Some of the lower-ranked Jonin nearly collapsed to the floor under the weight of his power.
"Calm yourself, Lord Third! Please, you must control your temper!"
Chiyo and Ebizo pleaded, breaking out in a cold sweat as they stared at the terrifying, visible chakra radiating from Shiro.
"My apologies. I lost my composure for a moment."
Shiro forced a tight smile and slid the scroll across the table to Chiyo and Ebizo.
Chiyo quickly snatched up the scroll to read it, knowing that any information capable of angering Shiro to this extent must be critical.
Although she had anticipated bad news, finishing the scroll left her seething with fury as well.
The contents were simple yet infuriating: The Wind Daimyo was extremely dissatisfied with Lord Shamon's defeat. Consequently, he had decided to drastically reduce Sunagakure's funding and material support. Furthermore, while the nobles openly mocked Sunagakure's "incompetence," they were secretly selling the supplies meant for the village to Konoha and Iwagakure to line their own pockets.
Once the intelligence was shared, the room erupted in righteous indignation.
"Lord Third, how should we respond to this betrayal?" Chiyo's voice cut through the noise, and all eyes turned to Shiro.
"Respond? We do nothing for him. Our shinobi are bleeding on the front lines while they feast in the rear. Send orders to Bunpuku and Sunasuke immediately: cease all offensive operations and establish a defensive perimeter at our border."
Shiro had already planned to exit the war to avoid the quagmire. Now that the Daimyo had forced his hand, Shiro had a legitimate political excuse to stop fighting.
Even if other ninja villages eventually invaded the Land of Wind, Shiro found he didn't care. As long as Sunagakure itself remained secure, the Daimyo could lose as much territory as he liked.
"Lord Kazekage, if we do that, what about the Daimyo's reaction..." an elder asked with a grim expression.
"Hmph. Our ninjas are dying to protect his lands, yet the Daimyo cuts our supplies and sells them to our enemies. Perhaps you, Elder, would like to go fight on the front lines for a few days in their place?"
Shiro's retort rendered the elder speechless. It was a ludicrous suggestion; he was an administrator who held his seat due to seniority, not a warrior like Chiyo or Ebizo who had earned their positions through blood and merit.
Seeing that no further objections were raised, Shiro finalized the decision.
Next, he moved to implement his internal reform. Shiro had the plans he had drafted over the past two days copied and distributed to everyone at the table.
Soon, everyone held a thick stack of documents, prominently titled 'Sunagakure's First Five-Year Development Plan'. The room filled with the rustling sound of turning pages.
"Lord Third, these plans are excellent in theory. The expansion of the Ninja Academy, the increase in medical ninja training, and the construction of new hospitals... but the cost is astronomical. The village simply cannot afford this."
Chiyo finished reading the proposal, feeling a mix of hope and despair. She knew that if this plan were realized, Sunagakure would be transformed within five years, but the lack of funds made it seem like a fantasy.
"I will be responsible for securing the funds; do not concern yourself with the cost. You need only focus on the implementation and construction."
Shiro was well aware of the village's financial state. That stingy Daimyo only allocated 100 million ryo a year, often delaying payments for months. In contrast, Konoha began their fiscal year with at least 500 million ryo, receiving additional injections during wartime.
Therefore, Shiro planned to use the placer gold he had collected using his Magnet Release over the years to underwrite the expenses. It wasn't an infinite amount—roughly 700 million ryo—but he would replenish the coffers once the village began to generate a surplus.