Although the system had a habit of playing dead one moment and suddenly coming back to life the next, Teizawa understood one thing clearly.
Making Sunagakure great again was the ultimate mission.
Even if Sunagakure had never actually been great before.
The village had always been forced to swallow its grievances. It had always been looked down upon.
But that was all in the past.
From this day forward, Sunagakure would never suffer such humiliation again.
Even if the village itself wanted to stop, Teizawa would not allow its wheels to cease turning.
Sunagakure was a war machine.
It would follow him in conquering the shinobi world and unifying every nation beneath a single banner.
Remaining in Sunagakure and peacefully awaiting retirement had never suited his principles.
"Meeting adjourned."
Teizawa's voice returned to its usual calm.
Everyone rose and filed out of the office.
Some remained silent, others whispered among themselves, and a few cast complicated glances at Teizawa as they left.
Chiyo was the last to go.
She stopped at the doorway without turning around.
"Teizawa..." Her voice was soft. "You've grown stronger. Far stronger than I ever imagined."
Teizawa paused before smiling.
"Chiyo-sama, you aren't merely being conservative. You care about the village, and you care about all these young people."
Chiyo said nothing.
Leaning on her cane, she walked out of the office.
Her footsteps gradually faded into the distance, along with the gentle tapping of her cane against the floor.
Teizawa was left alone in the office.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as countless thoughts churned through his mind.
The Five Kage Summit was only half a month away.
He needed to make every possible preparation before then.
Sunagakure had to seize control of the Land of Rain before the other villages could.
Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Konoha were all eyeing that valuable territory.
He could not afford to fall behind.
"Someone come in."
Teizawa opened his eyes.
An Anbu operative appeared before him in a blur.
"Send orders to the forces stationed along the Land of Rain's border. Tell them to accelerate their progress."
"Until the Daimyō's estate is completely under our control, no outsiders are to be allowed near it."
"Then assemble the shinobi army. Have them ready to deploy to the Land of Rain at any moment."
"Yes, Kazekage-sama."
The Anbu operative accepted his orders and vanished.
Teizawa rose and walked over to the window.
He gazed out at the village bathed in sunlight.
People traveled back and forth along the newly constructed streets. Children chased one another while adults sat beneath the trees and chatted.
It was peaceful and harmonious.
This was the Sunagakure he had built with his own hands.
But peace and harmony required strength to protect them.
He needed to keep moving forward, keep growing stronger, and sweep aside every threat in his path.
"Kazekage-sama..."
Temari's voice came from outside the office.
"Come in."
Temari pushed open the door, carrying a cup of hot tea.
She walked over and offered it to him.
"You yelled at so many people. You must be thirsty."
Teizawa accepted the cup, took a sip, and smiled.
"You really do understand me."
Temari looked at him, his reflection visible in her green eyes.
"Do you truly intend to unify the shinobi world?"
Teizawa was silent for a moment.
"It isn't that I want to unify the shinobi world. This world needs to be unified."
"Centuries of warfare have claimed countless lives and twisted the very purpose of shinobi beyond recognition."
"If the system itself isn't changed at its foundation, the wars will never end."
He paused.
"Hashirama's system of one country and one village merely carried the chaos of the Warring States Period into the era of hidden villages."
"What I intend to do is eliminate the problem at its roots."
Temari said nothing.
She simply reached out and gently took his hand.
Her hand was warm.
Teizawa intertwined his fingers with hers.
Sunlight streamed through the window, enveloping them and casting a warm shadow across the floor.
In the distance, Sunagakure's streets were bustling with people.
How much longer could these peaceful days last?
No one knew.
But Teizawa knew that no matter how many hardships or dangers awaited him, he would continue walking forward.
Even if he did it only for himself.
He gazed at the thriving streets outside while feeling the warmth of Temari beside him.
Then he slipped an arm around her waist and drew her toward the window.
"What is it?" Temari asked in confusion.
"Look." Teizawa gestured toward the village outside. "Do you want to?"
Temari gazed at the prosperous streets.
She remembered the poverty-stricken Sunagakure that had existed during the Fourth Kazekage's reign, and a smile appeared on her lips.
"You gave us all of this, Teizawa. You're Sunagakure's hero."
Then she looked up at him.
"And you're my hero."
"Heh..." Teizawa chuckled. "I'm not interested in discussing who belongs to whom right now."
"Then what do you want to..."
Temari's words trailed off as her face suddenly turned bright red.
Teizawa leaned close and whispered beside her ear.
"I'm going to conquer Sunagakure, the shinobi world, and eventually the entire world..."
His smile widened.
"But right now, I want you."
Temari clicked her tongue at him, but she did not pull away.
The office door quietly closed, leaving the bustling village beyond the window to bear silent witness to the rest.
That night, Teizawa did not return home.
Instead, he visited the room where Yugito was being held.
Her chakra had been sealed, and half of the Two-Tails' power had been taken from her.
She was as weak as a sick cat.
Yet her golden eyes remained sharp, like a pair of unsheathed blades.
"What are you doing here?"
Yugito's voice was cold as ice.
"I came to see you." Teizawa sat across from her. "Are you settling in comfortably?"
"You locked me in here, and you still have the nerve to ask whether I'm comfortable?"
Yugito gritted her teeth, each word seemingly forced through the gaps between them.
Teizawa smiled.
"You can't leave Sunagakure for the time being. That's for your own good, as well as Kumogakure's."
"You know what would happen if people learned that the Two-Tails' jinchūriki was in my hands."
Yugito fell silent.
Of course she knew what would happen.
War.
Kumogakure would spare no effort to reclaim her.
Sunagakure would spare no effort to keep her.
The two villages would tear each other apart, and countless people would die.
She did not want to see that day come.
"What do you want from me?"
Yugito's voice was dry and hoarse.
Teizawa looked at her.
"I want you to remain quietly in Sunagakure. As for what happens after that..."
He paused.
"That depends on how cooperative you are and what kind of mood I'm in."
Yugito said nothing.
She merely lowered her head and stared at her pale hands.
Teizawa rose and approached her.
"You should already understand what I expect."
"Scum!"
As he drew closer, Yugito instinctively retreated.
Her heart pounded violently.
She had no fear of battle.
At worst, she would die.
She had prepared herself for that possibility on the day she became a shinobi.
But this man knew exactly how to humiliate and torment his enemies.
The memories of what he had already put her through brought heat to her face and made her stomach twist.
She could not defeat him.
Even resisting him only seemed to make matters worse.
"Don't be afraid," Teizawa said. "Cooperate, and this won't be nearly as difficult."
Yugito glared furiously at him, revealing her sharp canine teeth.
Teizawa's expression only became more amused.
The door closed behind him.
What followed remained hidden within that silent room, another cruel reminder that Yugito's freedom now rested entirely in her captor's hands.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]