Yashalei puffed out her cheeks slightly, slipping into a playful, teasing tone.
At the same time, her gaze subtly flicked toward her sister's chest before quickly looking away.
Seeing her sister's figure only strengthened her confidence about her own future.
Give it a few more years… she'd get there too.
Karura rested her chin lightly on her hand, elbow propped against the table.
The motion caused her posture to shift naturally, emphasizing her silhouette despite her modest clothing.
She didn't seem to notice it at all.
Instead, she looked at her younger sister with quiet affection, a soft smile tugging at her lips.
Yashalei's glance had been quick...barely a fraction of a second.
But as a Jonin and someone who knew her sister well, Karura didn't miss it.
She found it both endearing… and a little amusing.
Would Yashalei still feel this way in a few years?
Or would she start complaining about sore shoulders and how inconvenient it all was?
The thought made Karura shift slightly, leaning a bit more against the table.
Even for someone at her level, carrying that kind of weight all the time wasn't exactly comfortable.
.
.
The mood in the room was steeped in sibling warmth and quiet longing. But far away, the world shifted beneath other feet.
Elsewhere, beneath one of the buildings in the Sunagakure...
The underground chamber was brightly lit, more like a private office than a hidden bunker.
A woman in a black cloak and rabbit mask sat behind a desk.
Two stacks of documents towered in front of her, each nearly as tall as she was.
Suddenly, another figure appeared a few meters away.
She wore a yellow cloak and an eagle mask.
Holding a stack of papers with both hands, she raised them respectfully and bowed slightly.
"Deputy Commander Masami, reports from Guard Platoon Teams Three, Four, and Five have returned."
Masami didn't respond immediately.
She didn't even look up.
She simply continued writing.
The messenger didn't move either.
She remained in place, holding the documents up, waiting.
Under normal circumstances, she could have placed the reports directly on the desk.
But she didn't.
She stood several steps away.
Careful not to get too close.
It wasn't without reason.
Masami had a reputation.
She always kept herself completely covered, never exposing any skin.
And while her voice was usually calm and composed, there was one very clear rule.
No one got too close.
Especially men.
Anyone who stepped within a few meters of her risked provoking a sharp reaction.
Closer than that… and things could escalate quickly.
There were stories...well-known ones...about people who had ignored that boundary and paid the price for it.
Even seasoned Jonin and well-connected individuals had learned that lesson the hard way.
After a number of incidents, people stopped testing it.
Now, no one approached her carelessly.
Some speculated she simply valued personal space to an extreme degree.
Others thought there was more to it.
Either way, no one questioned it openly.
.
.
After several seconds, the scratching of the pen on paper stopped.
Masami finally looked up.
Her pale violet eyes settled on the woman standing before her.
With a subtle movement of her gloved finger, the documents lifted from the messenger's hands and drifted across the room, landing neatly in front of her.
She began reviewing them.
"Nothing," she said quietly after a moment.
"That confirms it. Rasa was right."
"The Third Kazekage is most likely dead… and whoever did it took the body."
The messenger stiffened.
Her pupils shrank slightly.
Her heartbeat picked up.
She had suspected it.
Everyone had.
But no one wanted to believe it.
It was easier to tell themselves that the Kazekage had simply disappeared on some unusual mission.
That he would return.
That everything would go back to normal.
But hearing it said out loud made it real.
Masami finished reviewing the reports and set them aside.
"Tsuyu," she said calmly, "recall all Guard Platoon units currently searching outside the village."
"Have them return immediately and await further orders."
Tsuyu nodded stiffly.
Her body felt strangely heavy.
Her thoughts are even heavier.
If the Kazekage was truly gone…
What would happen to the village now?
To most people in the Sunagakure, the Kazekage wasn't just a leader.
He was stable.
Security.
A constant in a harsh, unforgiving environment.
And the Third Kazekage...known as the strongest...had been seen as unshakable.
Now that the foundation was gone.
Masami watched Tsuyu leave, her steps unsteady.
She let out a quiet breath.
But said nothing.
This was the reality of the shinobi world.
Unpredictable.
Unforgiving.
As she turned back to her work, Masami suddenly paused.
Something felt… off.
She glanced around the room.
Nothing had changed.
After a moment, she shook her head.
Then, almost without thinking, she murmured.
"Rasa as the Fourth Kazekage… wouldn't be a bad outcome."
Tsuyu stopped mid-step.
That single sentence echoed in her mind.
She quickly pieced things together.
And suddenly...
Hope.
Faint, but real.
If one pillar had fallen…
Maybe another could rise.
Her steps grew quicker as she left the room.
Masami, however, remained still.
Her own words had surprised her.
After a moment, she let out a quiet, self-aware sigh.
"I barely know him… but he has presence. Vision."
"It would be a shame if someone like him lost to Aoki."
She stood and walked toward a nearby shelf, as if searching for something.
Then stopped.
Hesitated.
"The village needs strength," she murmured.
"I shouldn't interfere. This should be decided fairly."
But then...
She froze.
Her expression sharpened.
The hesitation vanished.
She turned back and began searching with renewed focus.
"No… that's not right."
"Rasa is exactly what the Sunagakure needs."
"He's the best choice for Kazekage."
"I already knew that. Why would I doubt it now?"
Fortunately, no one else was in the room.
Because if anyone had seen the usually composed and controlled Masami acting like this...
They might have thought they were under a genjutsu.
.
.
At that moment, Ethan had already raised the average Affinity of his targets into the sixties.
He continued exchanging items, steadily increasing their Affinity further.
.
.
A short while later, Masami suddenly slapped her forehead.
"Seriously… working alone like this is inefficient."
"Why didn't I use shadow clones earlier?"
"If this slows down Rasa's access to information, even by a second…"
"That would be unacceptable."
She formed a hand seal.
Five shadow clones appeared instantly.
Together, they moved to work.
Meanwhile, Rasa looked at the updated Affinity values and smiled faintly.
Everything was progressing smoothly.
He continued investing.
At the same time, Masami and her clones spoke almost in unison.
"Rasa is the one who should lead the Sunagakure."
"No one else compares."
"He's the only one who can pull this village back from the brink."
The shift had begun.
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