"So this is the thrill of pulling strings from the shadows, using schemes to sow chaos…" Chiba mused inwardly. "No wonder so many schemers are addicted to it. This feeling really is something."
He was beginning to suspect he was growing increasingly cold-blooded. So many lives, all set in motion because of him, yet his heart remained utterly still. Simply because it was advantageous.
"Wait, that's not right," Chiba suddenly corrected himself. "How is this my fault? Every bit of blame lands squarely on Shimura Danzō's head. I'm just being forced into this by him!"
Pfft.
Under Chiba's guidance, Yamanaka Yafū met a heroic end at Shigure's hands. With his dying breath, the man glared furiously at Chiba.
Chiba responded with a smile, mouthing a single phrase: This is the fate I wove for you. How is it?
He then resumed his normal form and spat out a Great Fireball Jutsu. It looked like an attack on others, but its true purpose was to cremate Yamanaka Yafū's fallen body.
With the only loose end tied up, Chiba surveyed the battlefield.
The Third Kazekage's faction had seized the initiative, but they were only just holding their own against Chiyo's forces. More crucially, the Third Kazekage himself—their strongest combatant—couldn't manage to defeat Chiyo!
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Giant Needles!"
The Kazekage was growing impatient. He unleashed killer move after killer move, relentlessly commanding waves of iron sand to assault Chiyo.
"Puppetry Technique: Three Treasures Suction!"
Facing the dense hail of iron sand spears, Chiyo flicked her chakra threads. The three puppets—Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—converged, forming a triangular array.
A terrifying suction force instantly erupted from the formation. The incoming spears shattered piece by piece, dissolving into black iron sand that was sucked helplessly into the vortex.
"Swallowing that much? Damn, Granny Sand is really trying to suck the Kazekage-boy dry," Chiba thought, shaking his head slightly.
It was clear as day to an observer. The Kazekage was frantic, while Chiyo remained steady and methodical. The outcome of this fight was already decided.
Good. Then I don't need to help the Kazekage's side anymore. I'll just lay low until the end and defect. A little performance of 'cute kid' in front of Uncle and Auntie, and they probably won't do anything too harsh to a child.
Chiba's plan was set. As long as he switched sides fast enough, he could only win, never lose.
"Holy shit! Brother Rasa!!"
Chiba turned his head and saw the stubborn Rasa preparing to charge the Shigure couple. He instantly transformed into a flurry of paper, flying over to intercept the wave of gold dust Rasa was controlling.
"Chiba, what are you doing? Move!" Rasa growled.
"Brother Rasa, the battle's decided. There's no need for pointless sacrifice anymore."
Chiba didn't budge. Instead, he wrapped Rasa within his paper body, whispering urgently, "A true hero waits for the right moment. Preserve your useful self. Build merit, establish your legacy, benefit the shinobi world. That's what you should be doing."
Rasa remained unmoved by the verbal persuasion. "Chiba, get out of the way now. Don't make me move against you!"
"I won't move, Brother Rasa!" Chiba insisted. The Value Brother wasn't a bad guy. He didn't want to watch him throw his life away.
Whoosh—
A chaotic tangle of golden dust and paper erupted beside the main fight. The Kazekage, distracted by the sudden commotion, faltered for a split second in his assault.
"Sealing Technique: Lion Closing Roar!"
Chiyo seized the opening with pinpoint precision. A white-robed puppet opened its maw and released a sealing formula that roared forth like a lion's fury towards the Third Kazekage.
"What?!"
The Kazekage recoiled in shock, darting backwards—only to find two more white-robed, ferocious puppets already waiting for him.
"Manipulation: One Heart, One Body!"
Chiyo's chakra threads became a blur. The two puppets pressed their palms together, drawing out five ultra-fine wires that shot towards the Kazekage from behind, aiming to slice him to ribbons.
Sskrrrt—!
The Kazekage reacted swiftly, using his iron sand to block the wires while another platform of sand lifted him upward. Yet, despite his speed, one wire still grazed his side, drawing a line of blood.
"Damn it!"
His face darkened. These wires were completely non-magnetic—clearly prepared specifically for him. It seemed Chiyo had been planning for this confrontation for a long time.
"My joints may be old, but this technique hasn't lost its bite," Chiyo said offhandedly, adjusting her chakra threads. "You let your guard down, Kazekage."
"…You poisoned the wires?!" The Kazekage sensed the abnormality immediately, his expression shifting to horror.
The flow of chakra within him grew sluggish and clogged. The surrounding iron sand, bereft of chakra support, clattered uselessly to the ground.
"Yes. Because my dear grandson always wanted to turn you into a puppet." Chiyo retracted her puppets, her gaze lowering. "Since the opportunity presented itself, this grandmother naturally wanted to fulfill the child's wish."
Thinking one step ahead, planning three steps ahead—this was the strength of a veteran powerhouse like Chiyo. Even if their raw power was close, victory would always be hers.
While the Kazekage was still figuring out how to capture her, she had already been contemplating how best to preserve the "material's" integrity.
"You… you…! The Sand will fall because of you, Chiyo! Chiba!"
As the potent venom took hold, the Third Kazekage collapsed in fury. He mumbled incoherently, his words indistinct, only the repetition of certain names audible.
To think that I, the strongest Kazekage, would fall to poison… How humiliating! And that Chiba… ruining my plans… Just you wait… we'll meet in hell…
"Well, damn."
It all happened in a flash. From Chiba wrapping up Rasa to the Kazekage hitting the ground, mere moments had passed.
Realizing he'd indirectly caused the Kazekage's death, Chiba felt… pretty damn satisfied, actually!
"Serves you right, you asshole, for putting on airs in front of me earlier!" he crowed internally. "The 'strongest Kazekage'? Couldn't even beat an old granny. What a joke. Pfft. My 'brother' back home could take you."
Of course, he couldn't say any of that in front of Rasa.
Everything was too sudden. Rasa stood frozen within the paper cocoon, struck dumb, his ability to think temporarily short-circuited.
"So, uh, Brother Rasa… bit of a situation here…" Chiba began, rubbing his non-existent hands together. "Since the Third Kazekage is, you know… dead… maybe you and I should just defect together. Buddy system."
"The… Kazekage-sama… is dead?" Rasa repeated numbly, as if struggling to process the words.
"Yeah," Chiba confirmed. "He died on the path to realizing his ambition. You could say he died for a cause."
Rasa fell silent.
The Third Kazekage was dead. Where did that leave him now? How was he supposed to realize his value?
"Alright, Brother Rasa. That kind of ambitious schemer isn't worth your grief." Seeing Rasa's lost expression, Chiba spoke with uncharacteristic seriousness. "Listen closely to what I say next. Remember it. It might just show you how to keep pursuing your 'value'."
With the Kazekage and his strongest subordinate, Rasa, effectively out of the fight, the remaining forces on their side were little more than a rabble. They quickly broke ranks, surrendering or being cut down.
When Chiba and Rasa finally dispersed their paper and gold dust and descended, they found themselves instantly surrounded by Chiyo's faction, now in full control of the situation, watching them with predatory intensity.
"Chiba." Shigure held up a hand, stopping those eager to attack. He stepped through the crowd, coming to stand before Chiba and Rasa. His eyes were ice. "Explain. What is all of this?"
Before the banquet began, Chiba had used fine sand to warn him and his wife to be wary of the Kazekage. That was the only reason Shigure hadn't attacked on sight.
But now Chiba was consorting with Rasa—the Kazekage's right-hand man, the one who had hunted their son. Shigure's killing intent surged.
If Chiba couldn't provide a very convincing explanation, Shigure would eliminate them both without a second thought.
"Senior Shigure, it's like this…"
Chiba appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was lodged firmly in his throat. He could see the murderous intent in Shigure's eyes. To save Value Brother this time, he was really going all out
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